Zhang Er Gou continued forward as if unaware of the observers secretly tracking him.
Now that Zhang Er Gou had broken through to the middle stage of Golden Core, his speed was even faster than before.
Under his full sprint, Cai Chao, who was secretly observing, had to both keep up with Zhang Er Gou and remain hidden to avoid detection.
His speed was subtly falling behind.
"Strange kid, he's so fast!"
Cai Chao hid in the shadows, continuing to track Zhang Er Gou. Although they were already some distance from the Flowing Sea Sect's main grounds, Cai Chao was in no hurry to act.
Liu Xun had instructed him to keep a close eye on Zhang Er Gou and discover his secrets.
On the other hand, as a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, Cai Chao possessed a certain degree of caution.
He would naturally not act rashly. He was tracking Zhang Er Gou solely to find out where he was going.
Perhaps Zhang Er Gou, who had been confined to his dwelling for days without any activity, had suddenly taken action today, indicating some secret operation.
This was likely the main reason Liu Xun had ordered him to monitor Zhang Er Gou.
When Liu Xun had first instructed Cai Chao to keep an eye on Zhang Er Gou, he hadn't explained why.
Cai Chao also lacked the courage to question the Sect Leader, Liu Xun, as Liu Xun's presence alone exerted immense pressure on him.
Over the past few days, having found no abnormalities in Zhang Er Gou's behavior had made Cai Chao increasingly impatient.
If he didn't return to report information about Zhang Er Gou to Liu Xun soon, Cai Chao could already envision the punishment the Sect Leader would mete out.
Fortunately, his perseverance paid off. After patiently waiting and observing from the shadows, Zhang Er Gou finally emerged from his dwelling.
Furthermore, he was moving away from the crowds, and judging by his destination, Zhang Er Gou was clearly heading towards a secluded area.
Not far away lay the nearest demon beast forest to the Flowing Sea Sect, a place teeming with powerful demon beasts and an exceptionally complex internal environment.
If Zhang Er Gou entered it, finding him would be truly difficult, as the vast demon beast forest made it a monumental task to locate a single person.
Should he attempt to search using his divine sense, he would inevitably encounter the powerful demon beasts, and Cai Chao had no confidence in his ability to escape them unscathed.
Seeing Zhang Er Gou heading towards the demon beast forest, Cai Chao's brow furrowed.
Although he was eager to uncover Zhang Er Gou's secrets, he was unsure if he could find him if Zhang Er Gou decided to hide within the demon beast forest.
To avoid alerting Zhang Er Gou to his presence, Cai Chao could only trail him from a distance.
What Cai Chao did not realize was that Zhang Er Gou had come here precisely to lure him out.
"What is this kid doing in the demon beast forest so late at night? Could he truly have a secret?"
Cai Chao narrowed his eyes, closely following Zhang Er Gou's every step, as he noticed that after running for so long, Zhang Er Gou's speed had not diminished but had actually increased.
Cai Chao continued to follow Zhang Er Gou, finding it increasingly strenuous.
"Damn it, how is this kid so fast!"
Cai Chao muttered.
"Heh, I bet the one following behind has caught up. I'll play with him a bit."
Zhang Er Gou had long since noticed Cai Chao secretly trailing him but had feigned ignorance, diligently pushing forward.
He saw that a dense forest lay ahead, with towering ancient trees, and faint roars of beasts could be heard from within.
Zhang Er Gou rejoiced, realizing this was an excellent location for an ambush.
However, he didn't look back and continued to run forward. He hadn't flown on his sword the entire way, precisely to avoid attracting the attention of others.
His demeanor was akin to someone engaged in illicit activities.
Seeing Zhang Er Gou continuing to move forward furtively, Cai Chao's suspicions lessened slightly, and he followed Zhang Er Gou into the demon beast forest.
Upon entering the demon beast forest, Zhang Er Gou's speed increased rather than decreased, heading towards the heart of the forest.
"Is this kid tired of living?"
Cai Chao, following behind, was bewildered. He knew that within this demon beast forest resided a beast comparable to a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
And the lair of this beast was located in the center of the demon beast forest.
Did Zhang Er Gou not know the dangers of the demon beast forest?
Cai Chao's guess was indeed correct. Zhang Er Gou had chosen secluded paths to run forward primarily to lure out the person he had sensed watching him in the past few days.
He had no knowledge of the demon beast forest's layout, let alone the presence of such a powerful demon beast within it.
But Cai Chao knew, which cast a veil of mystery over Zhang Er Gou's actions in his eyes.
After all, no one would venture into a demon beast forest to seek death without a reason.
If Cai Chao knew that Zhang Er Gou had no understanding of the demon beast forest's conditions and had stumbled in by chance,
one could only imagine his expression.
Despite his confusion, Cai Chao had no choice but to quicken his pace to keep up, as Zhang Er Gou was rapidly outdistancing him.
The demon beast forest was a complex environment, and if he didn't follow closely, it would be difficult to find him if he got lost.
Cai Chao frowned, continuing to follow Zhang Er Gou. He sensed that something was amiss but refused to believe that Zhang Er Gou had already discovered him.
Perhaps, in Cai Chao's opinion, a middle-stage Golden Core cultivator like Zhang Er Gou could not possibly detect him hiding in the shadows.
After all, he was a Nascent Soul cultivator, while Zhang Er Gou was merely a middle-stage Golden Core.
The difference between the Nascent Soul and Golden Core stages was vast, a chasm separating them.
Regarding the instances where he had probed Zhang Er Gou with his divine sense multiple times, and Zhang Er Gou had sensed it, Cai Chao attributed it to Zhang Er Gou's keen senses.
He didn't believe Zhang Er Gou had actually detected him, unaware that Zhang Er Gou, as an alchemist, possessed soul power far exceeding that of cultivators at the same level.
If Cai Chao viewed Zhang Er Gou through the lens of a typical Golden Core cultivator, he was making a grave mistake.
However, Zhang Er Gou's disguise was too perfect. He continued to pretend he hadn't noticed anyone following him, rushing towards the center of the demon beast forest.
"What exactly is this kid trying to do? Is there some great secret in this demon beast forest?"
Zhang Er Gou's pace quickened, as if he were nearing his destination, further perplexing Cai Chao, who was trailing behind.
"Heh, whatever ghost or god you are, since you've set your sights on me, I'll see your true face."
Zhang Er Gou continued to run forward with his head down, muttering to himself.
Cai Chao, behind him, was oblivious to all of this and still believed Zhang Er Gou was on some secret mission.
The path Zhang Er Gou randomly chose, seemingly without purpose, appeared to follow a certain pattern to Cai Chao.
Cai Chao had no idea that all of this was part of a scheme concocted by Zhang Er Gou and the Heavenly Dao Elder.
"This is it." Zhang Er Gou suddenly stopped and, with a thought, entered the small world of the black iron ball.
Zhang Er Gou's sudden disappearance greatly startled Cai Chao, who was following behind.
"Where did he go?"