Xiao Ding was the closest to the entrance of the Cold Water Gully, so he was the first to sense that surge of domineering aura. There was an expert hidden within the forbidden grounds of the Huangpu Clan—an expert who could rival him!
“Who are you…?”
Furrowing his brows slightly, Xiao Ding took a step back. He was proud, but he didn’t believe for a moment that they were invincible in this world. At least the person inside the Cold Water Gully gave him a dangerous feeling.
“You three have trespassed into the Huangpu Clan’s territory, yet you ask who I am. Don’t you think that’s a little ridiculous?”
A slightly profound voice came again, this time clearly heard by many experts hidden within the Huangpu Clan. A strange sense of excitement stirred in their hearts—they had never known that there was such a godlike figure dwelling in the Cold Water Gully.
“Since you know my elder brother’s name, you must also know what we want. If I’m not mistaken, this forbidden area holds something we seek. If…”
“This is the forbidden area of the Huangpu Clan. How could it possibly contain what you seek? Therefore, please leave!”
Before Xiao Ding could finish speaking, the voice interrupted him. Ha! As if someone else’s forbidden grounds were just somewhere you could barge into at will. Besides, Li Xuan had already enraged the Grand Elder within the Cold Water Gully by injuring someone earlier.
“Old man, don’t think you can speak to my second brother like this just by playing mysterious. If you don’t dare to come out of the Cold Water Gully, then we’ll have no choice but to start killing!”
Li Xuan had always possessed an extremely volatile temper. Upon hearing the Grand Elder’s voice emanating from within the Cold Water Gully, he couldn’t help but let out a cold snort, seemingly unimpressed by the immense pressure capable of crushing even the peak of the先天境.
“Hehe, although the three of you working together are quite strong, if you dare to make a move, I won’t find it difficult to leave you behind!”
The Grand Elder didn’t take this half-hearted threat seriously. However, that calm voice caused Li Xuan’s eye to twitch violently. Someone so confident in being able to stop him even amidst the combined might of the three siblings—just how powerful was this expert hiding within the Cold Water Gully!
The atmosphere suddenly became tense. The pressure alone was enough to intimidate the three of them, and the hidden members of the Huangpu Clan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed that today they would be spared from a deadly battle—they would never allow anyone to intrude into their sacred forbidden area.
“I admire your courage, but today, no matter what, we must investigate further. Even when our fourth brother attacked, you did not appear, so I assume you must be under great restriction!”
Finally, Xiao Ding made his decision. He couldn’t possibly miss this rare opportunity to find a clue about the lost formation. What difference did it make if the person inside the Cold Water Gully was strong?
The Cold Water Gully returned to silence, as if sensing Xiao Ding’s determination, it gave up resistance. The members of the hidden Huangpu Clan also took a half-step back. Since the mysterious figure within the forbidden area no longer tried to stop them, they dared not say anything either.
“Third sister, Fourth brother, you two stay outside and watch for any unusual signs. If anything happens, rush in immediately to back me up. I have a feeling something strange is going on inside!”
Xiao Ding said cautiously. He couldn’t allow Li Xuan and Yu Yiren to follow him into danger—doing so might put all three of them at risk. Only by ensuring the strength of their group to the greatest extent could they prevent unexpected incidents.
The two nodded in turn. At this moment, this was indeed the most appropriate course of action. The Cold Water Gully was filled with strange and ominous signs. If the lost formation truly existed within this forbidden area, there would surely be many more unforeseen dangers ahead.
A blurred shadow quickly vanished from sight, clearly indicating that Xiao Ding had already entered the Cold Water Gully. Following this, Li Xuan and Yu Yiren became extremely vigilant. If any sound emerged from the Cold Water Gully, they would not hesitate to act.
At this moment, deep within the Cold Water Gully, in the very stone chamber that Xiao Yufan had once visited…
The Grand Elder slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. He could sense an approaching aura drawing closer and closer to his location.
“Still so persistent after being used for so long. I wonder—are you truly that foolish, or have you just been pretending to be clueless all along?”
Muttering softly, the Grand Elder shook his head helplessly. The hidden martial arts world was already chaotic enough, yet these people still insisted on getting involved. He couldn’t understand what they were thinking, working so hard while being used as someone else’s tool.
Any force that had managed to rise to the peak of the hidden clans or become a guardian sect had been passed down from the previous martial cultivation era. Xiao Ding and his companions were searching for a formation that could return them to their original world, but in this world, there were others who were also desperately seeking something.
Something that could allow them to leave this world…
“Since you’ve all come this far, why don’t you dare to reveal yourselves? Are you afraid there’s nothing here that you desire?”
Looking up at the long, dark corridor beyond the stone chamber, the Grand Elder chuckled. He had sensed Xiao Ding’s aura stop abruptly at a very close distance—no need to think twice to know that he had already arrived.
“Your perception is indeed sharp. Your strength must not be inferior to those old guardians. I never expected the forbidden area of the Huangpu Clan to be hiding someone as terrifying as you!”
Slowly stepping out from the shadows, Xiao Ding watched the Grand Elder, whose expression remained completely calm. His brows furrowed once more—this was an expert, an absolute expert, unmoved even under the pressure of Xiao Ding’s Mid-Tier Heaven Spirit Realm aura.
“Huaxia’s hidden martial world holds more experts than just you. You still overestimate your strength. However, I admire your calmness—aren’t you afraid I might leave you here?”
Although the Grand Elder did not display much emotion, he radiated a natural aura of authority. Facing Xiao Ding, an expert at the Mid-Tier Heaven Spirit Realm, he felt not the slightest bit of pressure!
After all, the Heaven Spirit realm was even higher than the Spirit Communication realm. Experts at this level had truly reached the pinnacle of the pyramid, transcending even the domain of internal energy experts. The Grand Elder’s composure alone was sufficient to demonstrate his extraordinary power.
The three siblings’ strength was already considered peak-level within the hidden martial world, but perhaps the only one truly making the Grand Elder cautious was the eldest brother, Luo Lou. That was also the reason he had not acted at the beginning.
“I can tell from your calm demeanor that you won’t attack me. I know you must have some reservations—you’re not alone!”
After a brief moment of surprise, Xiao Ding slowly regained his composure. The danger he sensed from this person was no less than that of those transcendent elders among the guardian sects. Saying he wasn’t worried at all—he himself wouldn’t believe that.
But the only thing worth being relieved about was that this person wouldn’t attack him, because behind this individual stood the entire hidden Huangpu Clan…
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