There is someone named Yan Longhao who, lurking in the shadows, is following the Diagram Master and harboring malicious intent towards him...
Chen Ku was on his way home when he suddenly heard a reminder from within the Transformation Diagram, which slightly startled him:
Yan Longhao, who is this fellow?
He searched his mind. Maintaining his composure, he silently activated his Fine Dog Sense and continued walking, capturing the scents of his surrounding environment.
He intended to find the person who was secretly following him. The rightful source is novel⸺fire.net
At that time, the setting sun was about to disappear beyond the horizon. In the city, workshops and stores, except for the restaurants, were closing one after another, leaving the streets crowded with pedestrians.
Consequently, after crossing a street, Chen Ku managed to lock onto someone’s scent. In the instant he turned the corner, he caught a glimpse of the person with the corner of his eye.
His Golden Eyes Hundred Li Talent suddenly imprinted the image of the other’s face into his mind.
A moment later, he rounded the alley. The image of the person he had fleetingly glimpsed was now vividly reflected within his Heart Sea.
A robust man, about one meter eighty tall, with a square face—his clothing indicated he wasn’t from a poor family. He wore a long robe with embroidered cuffs and jade-inlaid boots. Just those boots alone were worth at least fifty taels of silver.
Although Chen Ku had only glanced at him, he could now recreate the person’s image in his mind quite accurately. From the sharp glint in the man’s eyes, he could discern that he was at least in the Mystic Barrier Realm of ’Inner Qi Rushing to the Brain’.
His eyes were bright, a characteristic of someone whose brain was nourished by Inner Qi.
A man of at least the Mystic Barrier Realm is following me with ill intentions?
Chen Ku’s mind raced with various conjectures.
His first thought was whether the bounty on his head had increased, thus attracting a new group of Blade-Handlers eager to capture him for the reward.
Then, the act of being followed could often be linked to surveillance investigations, which pointed towards someone from the Ancient Elephant Sect of the Zhao Family.
Chen Ku kept his composure.
Since he had discovered someone tailing him, he couldn’t return home.
Hence, he found a restaurant on the street. He ate for half an hour, filling his stomach, and secretly took a Pill to replenish his Qi, ensuring his Inner Qi was maxed out for peak state.
After that, he patted his Storage Bag at his waist and turned towards the city outskirts.
While Chen Ku was dining, Yan Longhao also stopped at a nearby steamed bun shop. He ordered three baskets of buns, slowly finished them, and then had a bowl of seaweed and egg soup. When he saw Chen Ku leave the restaurant, his eyes flickered. He paid his bill and followed.
Unexpectedly, as he followed, he frowned. This lad, isn’t he going home?
Having been tailing the lady to Baojiao County for three to four days, he had already thoroughly investigated the suspect’s address and work.
Clearly, Chen Ku was on the road to the Outer City.
Subconsciously, Yan Longhao wondered if he had been noticed.
How could it be? According to the intelligence, this Chen Ku is at best just a disciple with roughly Robust Qi. Even if he has some Root Bone Divine Power and that fire-resistant Talent, how could he possibly notice me, a Third Layer Peak of the Mystic Barrier Realm, tracking him?
He subconsciously dismissed the thought due to the insurmountable gap in their Cultivation strength.
Suddenly, another thought emerged: If he hasn’t noticed me, then doesn’t the fact that Chen Ku isn’t returning home after work prove he has other secrets? I should follow him; perhaps I’ll find a clue.
And so, Yan Longhao followed Chen Ku out of the Inner City into the Outer City, where the streets were even more diverse at that time of evening.
But Chen Ku still did not stop, instead continuing to head beyond the Outer City.
Hmm? That direction... it leads to the Dragon River. The Dragon River...
Before long, as Yan Longhao trailed behind Chen Ku using the cover of trees, he could already faintly hear the roaring waves of the Dragon River crashing against the shore.
But as he tried to peek out from behind the tree again to look at Chen Ku ahead— What?
Yan Longhao, peeking out, was startled to see Chen Ku fifty zhang away, facing him squarely. Unbeknownst to Yan, Chen Ku now held a Bow and Arrow.
The moment he peered out, despite the fifty-zhang distance, he could vaguely see a smile on Chen Ku’s face that seemed to say: Why disregard the most correct answer? I’ve known you were following me from the start.
Before Yan Longhao could react, a sonic BOOM had already traversed the fifty-zhang distance, instantly arriving at his forehead.
As the arrow approached with deadly force, the immense fear of death threatened to devour Yan Longhao. He couldn’t help but tilt his head back and roar in his mind: Dodge it!
In that fraction of a second, his brain, already at the Third Level—the ’Mystic Gate’ stage—of the Mystic Barrier Realm, executed a superhuman response an ordinary person could never achieve.
If Chen Ku’s arrow was fast, Yan Longhao’s brain was thinking even faster, able to transmit signals to his body and control its reaction.
This was the true power of a top expert at the ’Mystic Gate’ stage of the Mystic Barrier Realm—one who had received the spiritual boon and unlocked the Secret Abilities of the brain.