Zhang Ergou couldn't figure out how the Heavenly Dao Elder knew that Bing Han Xue Shan had been taken by him.
If it was discovered, then the biggest possibility was when he emerged from the location of Bing Han Xue Shan.
But if the Heavenly Dao Elder had discovered it then, why didn't he expose him on the spot?
Instead, he let him take Bing Han Xue Shan away?
Zhang Ergou really couldn't understand why the Heavenly Dao Elder would do this.
This made Zhang Ergou inexplicably feel a trace of reverence and fear towards the Heavenly Dao Elder.
For a long time after that, whenever Zhang Ergou saw the Heavenly Dao Elder, he felt that the elder's gaze towards him was filled with special meaning.
Yet, he couldn't decipher it from that gaze.
......
Returning to their original seats, Xiao Qingyu and the others saw Zhang Ergou looking dejected and asked him what was wrong.
Zhang Ergou couldn't tell them the truth. The matter of being bait was known only to him and the Heavenly Dao Elder.
The Heavenly Dao Elder had sternly warned him not to reveal anything about being bait to anyone.
Zhang Ergou naturally wouldn't tell them, even if these people were his best friends.
"It's nothing. That old man, the Heavenly Dao Elder, wants me to be able to refine Grade Four elixirs from now on and refine a few more for him. I'm just troubled by it."
Zhang Ergou casually told a lie. After all, no one knew about his conversation with the Heavenly Dao Elder.
The Heavenly Dao Elder wouldn't blab, so Zhang Ergou just needed to make sure he didn't slip up.
"Tch, Ergou, I say, have you been getting a little arrogant lately?" Wang Teng immediately exclaimed upon hearing this.
"Exactly. Zhang Ergou, just look at yourself. You're only at the Golden Core mid-stage now, and you can barely refine Grade Three elixirs.
Thinking about refining Grade Four elixirs at this point, aren't you getting ahead of yourself?"
Lin Yichen also chimed in, clearly their interactions had returned to their previous state after they broke through to the early Golden Core stage.
"Yes, Ergou, it's still too early to be considering these things. The important thing now is to cultivate diligently after winning the grand competition.
It won't be too late to consider this matter when you can refine Grade Four elixirs," Lin Yueru gently tugged Zhang Ergou's sleeve and said comfortingly.
Zhang Ergou hadn't expected that his casual lie would cause such a reaction, and he could only smile bitterly and nod.
......
Zhang Ergou's opponent was a disciple of the Liu Hai Sect wielding a wolf-tooth club. Judging by his aura, he was a Golden Core mid-stage cultivator.
Due to Zhang Ergou's outstanding performance in the previous matches, this disciple from the Liu Hai Sect, named Hai Wei, looked grim as he stepped onto the stage.
Clearly, facing Zhang Ergou was not what he wanted, but there was nothing he could do; he had to follow the sect's arrangements.
The elders of the Liu Hai Sect seemed to realize that Zhang Ergou was difficult to deal with.
The disciple they arranged to face Zhang Ergou in the finals, while appearing to be at the Golden Core mid-stage, was ranked last among all the advancing disciples of the Liu Hai Sect.
Every time Zhang Ergou fought an opponent, he would reveal different tricks. And each time they thought Zhang Ergou had used his trump card,
the brat would surprise them again.
The people of the Liu Hai Sect dared not gamble anymore. While the battles on the stage were one-on-one,
it was different in the secret realm. Then, it would truly be every man for himself, and the more people the Liu Hai Sect could send into the secret realm, and the higher their cultivation,
the greater the Liu Hai Sect's advantage would be.
Therefore, after a series of secret deliberations, the elders of the Liu Hai Sect, with the consent of their sect leader Liu Xun, directly arranged for the weakest disciple, Hai Wei, to face Zhang Ergou in the finals.
Perhaps due to the Heavenly Dao Elder's earlier words, Zhang Ergou hadn't quite recovered from the thought of being bait.
In his unhappy mood, his attacks were even more unrestrained.
In this fight against Hai Wei, his attacks were not like the previous ones; they were fierce, with every move sharp and deadly.
After only five moves, Hai Wei was severely injured and sent flying off the stage.
Hiss!
From the stands, gasps of cold air erupted.
Those disciples who hadn't fought Zhang Ergou now looked at him with a hint of fear in their eyes.
Because of Zhang Ergou's ruthless attack, Hai Wei was now barely breathing and would likely lose his life if not treated promptly.
This was also Zhang Ergou venting some of his anger on the people of the Liu Hai Sect.
If they hadn't imprisoned him for no reason and then sent people to watch him, he wouldn't have gone to the Heavenly Dao Elder. Sudan Novel Network
Naturally, he wouldn't have been used as bait to lure out the hidden person.
His own life was threatened, so how could Zhang Ergou be in a good mood?
......
"Ergou, what's really wrong with you?" Lin Yueru asked with concern as they returned to the stands.
Since Zhang Ergou's conversation with the Heavenly Dao Elder, his demeanor had changed significantly from before.
He appeared preoccupied, and judging by his actions just now, Zhang Ergou's heart was filled with aggression.
He opened his mouth, but Zhang Ergou didn't know where to start. The things he worried about, besides being bait,
were also the fact that the Heavenly Dao Elder knew about Bing Han Xue Shan.
Zhang Ergou wasn't sure if the Heavenly Dao Elder was bluffing, but he didn't dare to gamble. With his current cultivation, he was still far from the Heavenly Dao Elder.
In the hands of a Nascent Soul stage big shot, Zhang Ergou had no power to protect himself.
Since the Heavenly Dao Elder could use the matter of Bing Han Xue Shan to threaten him, it was impossible for him to use Bing Han Xue Shan against the Heavenly Dao Elder.
At this moment, Zhang Ergou didn't know whether to trust the Heavenly Dao Elder, because the Heavenly Dao Elder had also told him that
after this matter was resolved and the Liu Hai Sect's conspiracy was completely exposed, he would keep the secret of Bing Han Xue Shan for Zhang Ergou.
Rather than Zhang Ergou being threatened, it was more like a transaction between the two.
Clearly, the Heavenly Dao Elder knew far more than Zhang Ergou imagined.
......
At night, after the finals ended for the day, everyone returned to their rooms.
Zhang Ergou, citing physical discomfort, declined all visits from the disciples and locked his door from the inside.
Deep into the night, the door to Zhang Ergou's room was quietly opened a crack. When he realized no one was paying attention, Zhang Ergou flickered and left his room.
Then, Zhang Ergou randomly chose a direction and sprinted out.
As expected, shortly after leaving the encampment, Zhang Ergou felt faint probes of detection coming towards him.
Zhang Ergou pretended not to notice and continued to walk forward with his head down, his route becoming increasingly secluded.
Gradually, he was tens of miles away from the Liu Hai Sect.
"Kid, you really chose the path of damnation when heaven offered you a way out."
Cai Chao, hidden in the dark, had been filled with resentment these past few days. It was all because of Zhang Ergou that he still dared not return to report to Liu Xun.
Seeing Zhang Ergou leave the encampment alone today, Cai Chao was overjoyed.