Chapter 279: Chapter 278: The In-depth Exchange Scene
The Spiritual Qi in the Celestial Cloud Mountain Range was exceptionally dense. Jiang Zuo could feel it clearly as he walked along the mountain path.
There was nowhere near this much Spiritual Qi back in the city.
Especially with the Tianhe Group gathering so many Cultivators there.
Then again, Jiang City itself wasn’t a great place to begin with.
The mountain night was far from silent. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and occasionally, the low growls of small animals could be heard.
Most common of all was the chirping of insects.
Jiang Zuo walked at an unhurried pace, moving through the woods as if on a leisurely stroll.
After a long time, Jiang Zuo stopped. He had sensed a powerful presence.
"Looks like this is the place." With that, Jiang Zuo started walking again.
Jiang Zuo wasn’t worried about being discovered. While others could sense him, his aura was so restrained that he came across as an ordinary person. Humans and beasts alike would subconsciously overlook him.
Besides, he had the Mist with him. It was very likely that Ximen Chuihuo and the others couldn’t sense him at all.
Before long, Jiang Zuo spotted someone—Zhong Yiyang, positioned on the outer perimeter.
’Looks like Ximen Chuihuo and his team really are here.’
’Then, is it a Yongxi?’ Jiang Zuo looked up in the direction of the powerful presence.
He hoped it was. He’d never even gotten to taste the meat of a Yongxi in his past life.
While he wouldn’t call it a lifelong regret, he was certainly eager for a taste.
Jiang Zuo then glanced down at Zhong Yiyang, who was hiding inside an Array. He seemed to be at ease, calmly slicing meat—likely practicing his Sword Skill.
Or perhaps just making a midnight snack on the side.
Without giving it another thought, Jiang Zuo descended from the tree, walked over to the Array, and stepped right through.
The moment Jiang Zuo stepped inside, Zhong Yiyang spotted him. His pupils contracted in shock, but he forced himself to remain calm. "Senior?"
"It’s me."
"????"
Jiang Zuo had no choice but to remove his mask. Seeing his face, Zhong Yiyang was stunned for a moment, his expression a mixture of surprise and disbelief.
He then asked tentatively, "Fellow Daoist Po Xiao? How did you get in?"
"I walked in," Jiang Zuo said, sitting down to one side. "Midnight snack?"
"You want some, Fellow Daoist?" Zhong Yiyang asked.
Jiang Zuo said nothing, simply staring at Zhong Yiyang.
Finally, Zhong Yiyang said, "There’s nothing I can do. Ximen Chuihuo has the seasoning."
Jiang Zuo didn’t press the issue. He asked, "How long have they been gone? And have they confirmed it’s the right one?"
Zhong Yiyang continued slicing his ingredients and shook his head. "They aren’t sure. None of us have ever seen a Yongxi. Ximen Chuihuo’s plan is to carve off a piece of its flesh and bring it back to be certain."
Jiang Zuo nodded. When no one was sure, carving off a piece was indeed the best way to prove it.
Then Jiang Zuo asked, "Three people went in total? Who are they? And their Cultivation levels?"
’Zhong Yiyang was Tier Two now, so the others were definitely no weaker than the cook.’
"Ximen Chuihuo is at 2.7. There’s a Female Mage who’s Tier Three—I don’t know her exact level—and the last one is Ximen Linglong." When he mentioned Ximen Linglong, Zhong Yiyang sounded somewhat helpless.
’That young lady clearly wasn’t suited for this trip. She’s not only a handful but also pathetically weak.’
’Jiang Zuo was a little surprised, too. Ximen Linglong really was useless.’
ROAR—
The sudden roar startled both Jiang Zuo and Zhong Yiyang.
"What happened?" Zhong Yiyang asked nervously.
"It sounds like a roar of humiliation," Jiang Zuo said with a frown.
"Humiliation? What could make it feel humiliated?" Zhong Yiyang asked.
Jiang Zuo shook his head. "We’ll find out if we go take a look."
Zhong Yiyang: "..."
’He felt like he was just following a bunch of daredevils, rushing headfirst into danger with them. For a cook like him, it was pure agony.’
Finally, Zhong Yiyang asked, "Fellow Daoist Po Xiao, what’s your Cultivation level? Will it be dangerous to go over there?"
Jiang Zuo looked at Zhong Yiyang. "I just hit 2.1 a short while ago. I don’t know if you’ll be in danger, but I’m sure I won’t be."
"...Then can I just not go?" A moment later, Zhong Yiyang froze. "Wait, Fellow Daoist, what did you just say? You’re Tier Two?"
’Wasn’t he just Tier One—1.1—not long ago? And he’s already Tier Two?’
’How is that possible?’
Jiang Zuo paid Zhong Yiyang no mind. The Spirit Beast was still roaring; he had to go see what was happening.
’He couldn’t understand the words, but it sounded as if the Spirit Beast was trying to argue its case.’
’Jiang Zuo suddenly found this interesting. He really wanted to see what was going on.’
With that thought, Jiang Zuo stepped out of the Array and headed toward the Spirit Beast.
Seeing Jiang Zuo leave, Zhong Yiyang hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow.
But as he reached the edge of the Array, he was repelled—he had forgotten to deactivate it.
He froze for a second, then felt a wave of understanding wash over him. ’As expected,’ he thought, ’Po Xiao is no ordinary Cultivator.’
Then, he followed after him.
On the way, Zhong Yiyang asked Jiang Zuo, "Fellow Daoist Po Xiao, shouldn’t we use some kind of concealment technique?"
"Unnecessary," Jiang Zuo replied without turning his head, his gaze fixed forward. "In the face of a Tier Five Peak, ordinary Concealment is pointless. If it wants to kill us, something like that won’t help.
Ximen Chuihuo must have a specialized Concealment technique, or they’d already be dead."
"We could just throw something basic together. It would be a comfort, at least," Zhong Yiyang said, scanning the surroundings. "Where are Ximen Chuihuo and the others hiding anyway?"
"One is a hundred meters to the left. Two are a hundred and fifty meters to the right. The Spirit Beast is fifty paces straight ahead."
Zhong Yiyang froze at Jiang Zuo’s words. ’What does he mean?’ He couldn’t see a thing.
’Never mind left and right—there was nothing at all straight ahead.’
But when he saw Jiang Zuo suddenly raise a hand, Zhong Yiyang’s heart began to pound.
He stared wide-eyed at Jiang Zuo’s hand. For some reason, he had a terrible premonition, an urge to turn and flee on the spot.
But before he could act, he saw Jiang Zuo flick the back of his hand at the empty space before them.
Immediately, the scene before them fractured like shattering glass, then broke apart and dissipated completely.
What Zhong Yiyang saw now was a gigantic Spirit Beast lying on top of a slightly smaller one.
The large one resembled a rhino, while the smaller one was a water buffalo.
Now, Zhong Yiyang no longer planned to run. How should one put it? There’s a kind of resolve known as your legs giving out, and a kind of courage known as being frozen to the spot.
Faced with the overwhelming Tier Five presence washing over him, Zhong Yiyang chose... not to choose.
The sudden appearance of Jiang Zuo and Zhong Yiyang naturally startled the two Spirit Beasts as well.
They were stunned for a moment, but their shock quickly turned into furious embarrassment.
The rhino in particular let out a furious roar, ready to tear the two humans to shreds.
’In a situation like this, it didn’t matter who they were—they had to be eaten.’
Zhong Yiyang was already lost to despair, but Jiang Zuo stated impassively, "I can help you."
The rhino froze.
Jiang Zuo continued, "You’re an Extraordinary Level Spirit Beast. You should be able to understand me, right?"
The rhino’s fury subsided. It stared at Jiang Zuo, half-believing and half-doubting, still unable to fully trust him.
At this point, it wasn’t just Zhong Yiyang; even the three people hiding in the shadows were dumbfounded.
’Is that guy insane?’
’To be so reckless as to shatter their Array and charge right into the middle of their... ’intimate moment.’ Does he have a death wish?’
At that moment, Ximen Chuihuo sighed. "I always thought I was pretty impressive, but seeing Fellow Daoist Po Xiao now, I realize I’m leagues behind.
When will I ever be as amazing as Fellow Daoist Po Xiao?"
******
Merry Christmas, everyone! Were you all waiting for the old man with the red hat and white beard?
