Deep within Dragon Yuan Mountain, the atmosphere was peaceful.
The spiritual qi surrounding the mountain range flowed slowly through the numerous formations that had been established by the Lin Family over countless years, gathering around the peaks and valleys before being absorbed into the mountain itself, while the ancient trees swayed gently beneath the breeze.
In one of the secluded courtyards hidden among the mountains, the Lin Family Grand Elder sat leisurely beneath an old tree.
Beside him was a massive bird spirit beast.
Its wingspan was several metres wide, and its feathers were a deep azure colour with faint golden patterns running along the edges. Despite its enormous size, it behaved much like an ordinary bird in the presence of its master, lowering its head slightly as the Grand Elder stroked the soft feathers along its neck.
The Grand Elder's expression was relaxed.
After spending so many years cultivating, occasionally having nothing to do but sit around and accompany his spirit beast was one of the few pleasures remaining in his life.
However, this peaceful atmosphere suddenly changed.
The Grand Elder's hand stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
He could feel a faint disturbance coming from the defensive formation surrounding Dragon Yuan Mountain.
It was extremely subtle.
There was no violent collision, no surge of spiritual power, and no sign that someone was attempting to force their way through the formation.
Instead, it felt as though someone had lightly touched the outermost layer of the formation.
Just once.
The disturbance was so faint that an ordinary cultivator would probably never notice it.
But the Grand Elder had spent countless years managing the mountain's formations, and the entire Dragon Yuan Mountain had practically become an extension of his senses.
He immediately sensed something unusual.
"This isn't an attack."
His expression became solemn.
Someone had touched the formation deliberately.
More importantly, the person had done so with enough control that they had avoided triggering any defensive mechanism.
It was almost like a beacon.
A signal.
The Grand Elder slowly stood up.
The gentle expression that had been on his face disappeared, replaced by a stern gaze.
"Who is it?"
The massive bird spirit beast raised its head, sensing its master's change in mood.
The Grand Elder didn't answer.
His body suddenly blurred.
The next instant, he had already disappeared from the courtyard.
His speed was so great that even the surrounding spiritual qi seemed to tremble slightly in his wake.
Outside Dragon Yuan Mountain, several hundred metres above the ground, a figure suddenly appeared.
The Grand Elder stood in mid-air, his robes fluttering gently beneath the mountain wind.
His eyes swept across the surrounding wilderness.
He didn't immediately release his full aura.
Instead, his divine sense spread silently.
A moment later, his gaze settled on a particular location below.
Someone was standing there.
The person wore a dark robe with silver lining along the sleeves and collar, the material appearing ordinary at first glance but carrying an extremely subtle spiritual fluctuation.
His hair was dark, yet there was a faint blue sheen within it whenever the sunlight struck his strands.
His face was mature, with the appearance of a man who had already experienced many years of cultivation.
However, what truly caught the Grand Elder's attention wasn't his appearance.
It was the aura surrounding him.
The air around the man seemed slightly distorted.
It wasn't caused by heat.
It wasn't caused by spiritual energy leaking from his body.
It was something deeper.
The space around him seemed to faintly bend according to an invisible rhythm, as though the world itself had acknowledged his existence and was being subtly influenced by his presence.
The Grand Elder's pupils contracted.
"Domain..."
There was no mistake.
Only a Rank 4 cultivator could naturally possess such an aura.
The Grand Elder's expression became even more solemn.
A Rank 4 cultivator had appeared outside Dragon Yuan Mountain without warning.
He slowly descended from the sky and landed on the ground several dozen metres away from the mysterious man.
His feet touched the earth without producing the slightest sound.
At the same time, his divine sense remained firmly locked onto the other party.
If the other person made even the slightest hostile movement, he would react immediately.
The dark-robed man noticed this.
Instead of becoming irritated, however, he merely smiled.
"Senior, please don't misunderstand."
His voice was calm and carried no hostility.
"If my actions disturbed the formation of your mountain, I apologise."
The Grand Elder stared at him.
The man's tone was extremely natural.
There was no arrogance despite possessing cultivation comparable to his own, nor was there any attempt to deliberately suppress him with his aura.
That made the Grand Elder even more cautious.
A Rank 4 cultivator who could remain this calm after appearing directly outside Dragon Yuan Mountain was unlikely to be an ordinary cultivator.
The stranger cupped his fists.
"My surname is Lou."
The Grand Elder's eyes narrowed slightly.
Lou?
He had never heard of such a Rank 4 cultivator in the surrounding region.
After a brief silence, he replied, "I am one of the protectors of this province."
He didn't reveal his name.
Nor did he ask the stranger to reveal his cultivation.
There was no need.
Both sides could already sense each other's strength.
The man smiled faintly.
"I know."
The Grand Elder's expression changed slightly.
"You know?"
"Of course."
Lou nodded.
"I have been in seclusion for quite some time, and I only recently emerged. I am unfamiliar with the current situation in the Eastern Region, so before doing anything else, I needed to understand where I was."
His voice remained peaceful.
"I happened to sense the aura of your mountain's formation, so I came here to ask a few questions."
The Grand Elder's mind immediately began turning.
In seclusion for a long time.
Unfamiliar with the current situation in the Eastern Region.
A Rank 4 cultivator appearing suddenly in the western part of Dragon Yuan Province.
The description was strangely familiar.
A few days ago, information had reached the Lin Family regarding the incident at Cloud Mist Ridge Market.
Two demonic cultivators had appeared there.
Both possessed terrifying cultivation.
One was a mid-stage Purple Palace cultivator, while the other possessed a physical body powerful enough to rival a late-stage Rank 3 cultivator.
Guardian Zhao, who had recently broken through to Astral Gang, had nearly died.
Yet someone had appeared at the critical moment.
That mysterious expert had killed both demonic cultivators with a single palm.
Afterwards, when Guardian Zhao attempted to inquire about his identity, the mysterious cultivator had admitted that he had been in seclusion for a long time and was unfamiliar with the current situation.
At the time, the Grand Elder had simply regarded it as an interesting coincidence.
Now, standing before this stranger, he suddenly felt that the two things might not be unrelated.
His gaze became slightly sharper.
"May I ask something?"
Lou smiled.
"Please."
The Grand Elder looked directly into his eyes.
"Were you the person who helped the younger generation of my Lin Family when they encountered those demonic cultivators at Cloud Mist Ridge?"
For a moment, the surroundings became quiet.
The wind moved through the distant trees.
Lou's smile didn't change.
He didn't immediately answer, but the brief pause was enough to make the Grand Elder's expression become more serious.
Then Lou nodded.
"I did help someone."
He spread his hands slightly.
"I had only recently emerged from seclusion and was trying to determine where I had ended up. Along the way, I encountered a young cultivator being attacked by several demonic cultivators."
He gave a small smile.
"Since I needed someone to ask for directions anyway, I decided to help him."
The Grand Elder's eyes flickered.
Ask for directions.
That explanation was almost absurdly casual.
A Rank 4 cultivator had killed two powerful demonic cultivators simply because he needed directions.
Yet somehow, that made the story sound even more believable.
After all, the two demonic cultivators had been completely outmatched.
To someone of Lou's cultivation, killing them would indeed require little effort.
The Grand Elder remained silent for several breaths.
Then he asked, "You came here merely to ask for directions?"
Lou laughed softly.
"That was how it began."
His gaze shifted toward the enormous mountain range behind the Grand Elder.
"But after sensing the formation surrounding Dragon Yuan Mountain, I became somewhat interested."
The Grand Elder's expression changed.
Interested in the formation?
He immediately became more cautious.
Dragon Yuan Mountain was the foundation of the Lin Family.
Its defensive formation had been refined and strengthened over generations, and even among Rank 4 formations, it was considered extremely formidable.
An ordinary Rank 4 cultivator wouldn't casually inspect it.
Lou's gaze remained calm.
"Don't misunderstand."
He smiled again.
"I have no intention of probing your family's secrets."
The Grand Elder didn't relax.
Instead, he asked, "Then why did you touch the formation?"
"Because I wanted to meet the person responsible for it."
Lou answered without hesitation.
The Grand Elder stared at him.
"I have studied formations for many years."
Lou's eyes contained a trace of interest.
"I sensed that the formation surrounding Dragon Yuan Mountain wasn't simply arranged by someone who knew the basics. Its foundation is quite solid, and there are several places where the formation has been integrated with the terrain rather than forcibly imposed upon it."
The Grand Elder's expression became slightly surprised.
He had only touched the formation once.
Yet the other party had already noticed this much.
Lou continued, "That made me curious."
His gaze moved back toward the Grand Elder.
"I wanted to meet the formation master responsible for it."
The Grand Elder's eyes narrowed.
He suddenly understood.
This man hadn't come looking for trouble.
At least, there was no obvious sign that he had.
Instead, he appeared to be genuinely interested in formations.
The Grand Elder's suspicion didn't disappear, but it changed into something else.
Curiosity.
A Rank 4 cultivator who openly admitted an interest in formations was extremely unusual.
He looked at Lou for a moment before saying, "If you came here because of formations, then perhaps we can have a proper discussion."
Lou smiled.
"That is precisely what I hoped for."
The Grand Elder glanced toward the distant mountain.
Neither of them moved.
Two Rank 4 cultivators stood outside Dragon Yuan Mountain, their auras quietly pressing against one another without either side deliberately releasing their full strength.
The surrounding air seemed strangely still.
Neither man had any intention of fighting.
But both understood that if a fight truly began, the consequences would be enormous.
After several breaths, the Grand Elder finally relaxed his stance slightly.
"Then, fellow Daoist Lou, shall we speak?"
Lou nodded.
"Gladly."