"Roar~~~~"
Upon hearing the Heavenly Dao Elder's command, the Tiger Demon King Hu Wen bared its teeth and let out a roar directly at Cai Chao's face.
The deafening sound wave and a foul odor almost suffocated Cai Chao.
"Tiger... Tiger... Tiger King...?"
Cai Chao saw the Tiger Demon King's bloody maw open and close, trembling all over in fear.
He knew that there was a terrifying existence in the Demonic Beast Forest.
It was this tiger before him, with a body two zhang long and fur of alternating yellow and black.
Facing the legendary Tiger Demon King at such close range, even with Cai Chao's cultivation, he felt a little intimidated.
What terrified him even more was that the Tiger Demon King actually obeyed the Heavenly Dao Elder's words.
It was conceivable how terrifying the Heavenly Dao Elder was.
...
"What, fellow daoist, are you still not going to tell the truth?"
The Heavenly Dao Elder said indifferently.
"Senior, Senior, I'll say it... I'll say it..."
Cai Chao retreated repeatedly in fear, his buttocks landing directly on the ground.
In his disheveled state, there was no trace of the calm and suave demeanor of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.
Everything that happened today opened Zhang Er Gou's eyes; a supreme Nascent Soul stage mighty figure could also be so utterly pathetic.
"Then tell me first, why were you following Zhang Er Gou?"
Seeing Cai Chao so pathetic, the Heavenly Dao Elder felt a surge of contempt internally, but he asked calmly on the surface.
"Senior, I was just following orders from my Sect Master to secretly track Zhang Er Gou, but the Sect Master didn't say why I had to track him."
Cai Chao spilled all the beans about his own Sect Master.
"Liu Xun?" the Heavenly Dao Elder asked doubtfully.
"Yes, it's precisely our Sect Master Liu Xun. He ordered me to keep an eye on Zhang Er Gou and report to him immediately if anything was amiss."
Since he had already started talking, Cai Chao simply revealed everything he knew.
"Why would Liu Xun have you spying on Zhang Er Gou?"
The Heavenly Dao Elder did not believe Cai Chao's words. With Liu Xun's status, why would he care about a mere mid-stage Golden Core cultivator?
No matter how outstanding Zhang Er Gou performed, he could not possibly attract the attention of the sect master of a major sect.
"Senior, every word I say is the truth. If you don't believe me, I can swear upon my dao heart."
To save his life, Cai Chao was desperate, resorting to oaths and curses.
The pressure exerted by the Tiger Demon King Hu Wen was simply too immense.
He was terrified that this behemoth, several times larger than himself, would swallow him whole in one bite.
The longer one lived, the more one cherished life, a saying that was vividly demonstrated by Cai Chao.
What dignity of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, what face, all went to hell in the face of life.
"You're sure Liu Xun wanted you to spy on Zhang Er Gou? Why did he want you to spy on him?"
"Senior, I truly don't know why the Sect Master wants me to spy on Zhang Er Gou, but he definitely told me to watch him."
"Oh, and when did you start watching Zhang Er Gou?"
The Heavenly Dao Elder, his expression unchanging, continued to inquire.
"Senior, it was after Zhang Er Gou participated in the second round of the competition that the Sect Master told me to watch him. When the Sect Master gave me the order, his expression was very grim."
Cai Chao poured out everything he knew like beans from a sifter, without needing the Heavenly Dao Elder to prompt him.
"Hmm?" The Heavenly Dao Elder keenly sensed something hidden within this.
"His expression was very grim. Did something happen within your Liu Hai Sect?"
"Senior, I really don't know about that. Before the Sect Master called me, I only saw Elder Li visit him, and then the Sect Master's expression turned very grim."
Cai Chao spoke truthfully.
"Elder Li?" The Heavenly Dao Elder felt the matter becoming increasingly complicated.
Cai Chao nodded hurriedly.
For the next hour, Cai Chao told the Heavenly Dao Elder everything he knew, without omission.
As he listened, the Heavenly Dao Elder's expression grew increasingly solemn.
Zhang Er Gou stood quietly to the side, not uttering a word. Matters involving the sect's major affairs were not his concern.
Moreover, ever since he discovered he was being followed, Zhang Er Gou had connected it to his escape from the Liu Hai Sect's prison.
It was likely that the higher echelons of the Liu Hai Sect had discovered his escape.
This was also the main reason why Liu Xun had ordered Cai Chao to spy on him.
However, he did not tell the Heavenly Dao Elder about these matters. The more he interacted with the Heavenly Dao Elder, the more Zhang Er Gou realized that this old man was not simple.
He could find his flaws from mere traces.
Although he was unsure whether the matter of the Ice Cold Snow Mountain was a trick by the Heavenly Dao Elder or if he had genuinely discovered it,
Zhang Er Gou still decided to be cautious just in case.
He had not interacted with the Heavenly Dao Elder much, and Zhang Er Gou did not believe that the Heavenly Dao Elder was worthy of his trust.
After cultivating for so long, Zhang Er Gou was no longer the naive rookie he once was.
If the Heavenly Dao Elder discovered so many secrets he possessed,
Wealth moved people the most, and Zhang Er Gou could not guarantee that the Heavenly Dao Elder would not have even a slight thought.
As for the spiritual fire within him, the hint of greed that Qiao Yan Yun showed the first time she saw it, Zhang Er Gou would never forget.
After that, Zhang Er Gou became even more cautious when using the spiritual fire.
Each time he used it, he tried his best not to let the spiritual fire reveal its true form, but instead transformed into a transparent, colorless flame.
This way, he could achieve surprise and, secondly, evade the scrutiny of those with intentions.
As for the conspiracy of the Liu Hai Sect, in Zhang Er Gou's opinion, with his current cultivation and status, he was not yet capable of paying attention to such major matters.
He had just been unlucky that night and was captured by those reckless fellows.
However, Zhang Er Gou had no intention of letting the disciples of the Liu Hai Sect off easily.
He had endured so much hardship for no reason. If it weren't for the help of the Snow Mountain Elder, he would probably still be locked up in that prison.
"Elder, how should we deal with this fellow?"
Seeing that the Heavenly Dao Elder seemed to have not extracted any specific information from Cai Chao, Zhang Er Gou spoke.
He had no good impression of the Liu Hai Sect people at the moment.
"Er Gou, how do you think we should deal with this kid!"
In the Heavenly Dao Elder's eyes, Cai Chao was merely a young man who had cultivated for a few hundred years.
Seeing Zhang Er Gou speak, the Heavenly Dao Elder looked at him with interest.
He wanted to see what plans Zhang Er Gou had for the enemy who was tracking him.
Zhang Er Gou did not expect the Heavenly Dao Elder to give him the decision-making power, or rather, to ask for his opinion.
This startled him, and at the same time, his mind began to stir.
Could this old man be testing him?
Zhang Er Gou's guess was actually correct. The Heavenly Dao Elder did have such intentions.
Ever since he discovered Zhang Er Gou's uniqueness, every interaction with him brought many surprises.
The Heavenly Dao Elder thought of his purpose in coming to this continent and had already begun to test Zhang Er Gou consciously.
Looking at the encouraging gaze of the Heavenly Dao Elder, Zhang Er Gou pondered for a moment and uttered a word.
As soon as his voice fell, Cai Chao, who was beside him, changed his expression drastically.