Chapter 9

Thinking of it, he acted immediately. After exploring a section of the Zhenlong Abyss, everyone stopped to rest, and Yan Zhaoge sat cross-legged in meditation.

In the crowd, Ye Jing's gaze was fixed on Yan Zhaoge.

"One day, I will surpass you, and I'll see if you can still maintain that haughty, disdainful attitude..."

Apart from old grudges, Ye Jing now felt a strange sensation when facing Yan Zhaoge, something hard to describe.

He felt a slight admiration, but more so, a sense of awkwardness and dislike.

It was as if they were natural enemies, making him subconsciously feel suppressed, which in turn made him feel uncomfortable.

"The Liyan True Fire seed he mentioned in the Mountain Gate Affairs Hall would also be of great use to me," Ye Jing thought. "If it falls into his hands, seeking it from him would be too humiliating..."

As Ye Jing was thinking, his eyes gradually widened.

At this moment, Sima Qing and others also noticed something was wrong. Yan Zhaoge was actually swallowing the black mist that everyone tried to avoid!

In their eyes, this behavior was like committing suicide by poisoning!

Yan Zhaoge, however, did not care about others' thoughts. Looking inward, he could see that the chaotic qi was gathering under his secret technique, forming something like a grinding wheel, which then continuously rotated under the agitation of the qi.

During the rotation, the qi in Yan Zhaoge's body was being sharpened by the grinding wheel, gradually becoming more acute, with a faint tendency to penetrate his body!

"Very good, the efficiency is at least three to five times higher than normal cultivation. Although it only applies to the current stage of transforming inner qi to outer qi, it can save me a lot of time. The realm of Outer Qi Master is within reach," Yan Zhaoge nodded in satisfaction, temporarily completing his cultivation. He opened his eyes to see everyone looking at him with shock and confusion.

"Not taking the usual path really draws attention easily..." Yan Zhaoge smirked, thinking, "My cool life doesn't need explanations."

A young disciple's eyes flashed with understanding: "The Zhenlong Abyss has undergone a strange transformation, with the black mist being more intense than in previous years, exhibiting unprecedented and unpredictable changes."

"Is Senior Brother Yan absorbing the mist to carefully study its nature? But this is too risky."

Yan Zhaoge was slightly stunned, momentarily speechless at the crowd's imagination.

Everyone suddenly understood, nodding in agreement: "That makes sense."

Ye Jing still had some doubts, subconsciously rubbing his dark red ring.

Seeing his expression, Yan Zhaoge rolled his eyes quickly, unnoticed by the others: "He really has a ring..."

Ye Jing's rapid rise and swift cultivation improvement were due to some extraordinary encounters and secret techniques. He might not know Yan Zhaoge's method, but he couldn't help but make some associations.

However, Yan Zhaoge didn't take it to heart.

The others, on the other hand, were all admiring and respectful: "Even a Master with higher cultivation than Senior Brother Yan might not dare to directly absorb the black mist."

To them, the black mist that could take their lives at any moment seemed insignificant to Yan Zhaoge.

"Anyway, don't rashly imitate me. Otherwise, you'll be inviting trouble and danger," Yan Zhaoge stood up, dusted off his clothes, and walked forward, with the others quickly following.

At this moment, a tall figure rushed up from behind, catching up to Yan Zhaoge and his group. It was Ah Hu.

Yan Zhaoge didn't stop, continuing to walk at a steady pace. Ah Hu came alongside and whispered, "Young Master, there's news."

"It hasn't been confirmed yet, but there's a rumor that after the new disciple competition, Ye Jing caught the eye of Elder Shi."

Hearing this, Yan Zhaoge turned to look at Ah Hu.

Ah Hu nodded: "It's said that Elder Shi appreciates his self-improvement and tenacity, and plans to observe him for a while before considering taking him as a direct disciple."

Yan Zhaoge snorted: "No wonder..."

This Elder Shi was not the same as the previous Elder Cui or the main Elder overseeing the Dongtang Kingdom. He was a completely different level.

Elder Cui was just an Affairs Elder, one who had earned his position through seniority.

Above the main Elder of the Dongtang Kingdom was the Dongzhou Elder, who intimidated the entire Tian Dong Continent.

Elder Shi was the Chief Elder of the Discipline Hall, overseeing all the rules and laws of the Guangcheng Mountain sect, with a rank similar to the Dongzhou Elder but with even greater authority and strength.

He was Yan Zhaoge's eldest master brother, the eldest disciple of the current old sect leader.

This man was upright, acknowledging his abilities were inferior to Yan Zhaoge's father and second master brother, so he had early on announced his withdrawal from the competition for the next sect leader, willing to support the new leader for the sect's development.

In fact, even if he was not as capable as his two younger master brothers, the difference was minimal. He was a veteran Grandmaster, one of the top few strong figures in Guangcheng Mountain, renowned throughout the Eight Extreme Worlds.

Although he did not participate in the competition for the next sect leader, his influence was significant, and even the current old sect leader valued the opinion of this eldest disciple.

Regardless of who the new sect leader would be, he would almost certainly continue to hold the position of Chief Elder of the Discipline Hall, a true superpower in the sect.

Currently, this eldest master brother was neutral between Yan Zhaoge's father and second master brother.

If Ye Jing's temperament suited him and he were to be killed by Yan Zhaoge out of jealousy, it was easy to imagine Elder Shi's reaction.

Even without evidence, just suspicion could affect his perception.

Ah Hu continued: "Ye Jing himself probably doesn't know yet. Elder Shi plans to observe him for a while."

He glanced at Yan Zhaoge and said, somewhat awkwardly, "Young Master, this time you might really have to take care of Ye Jing. If he dies in the Zhenlong Abyss, even if you didn't do it, the blame will fall on you."

Yan Zhaoge pursed his lips, thinking, "Come on, a protagonist with a halo isn't that easy to die."

"After I enter the Zhenlong Abyss, you will be responsible for communication with the outside. You'll have to run around a bit more," Yan Zhaoge waved his hand indifferently, and Ah Hu quickly nodded in agreement.

The group moved through the Zhenlong Abyss, and the path opened by the green lanterns and incense soon came to an end.

Yan Zhaoge stopped, took out a measuring instrument, and lit a green candle. With the candlelight, he stepped into the thick black mist, and the others followed suit, carefully trailing behind him.

Once they were out of the suppression seal, the black mist became even more intense and rampant, like a stormy sea, battering everyone.

If not for Yan Zhaoge and Ah Hu leading the way, the others would find it difficult to stay for long even with the candlelight.

"Indeed, the chaotic qi is much denser, and the flow is much faster than before, clearly disturbed by some cause," Yan Zhaoge looked around, his gaze piercing through the thick black mist.

It was almost pitch black, and even with Yan Zhaoge's keen eyesight, he could only see nearby objects.

Faint red streaks of light flashed rapidly, like lightning in the night sky, a phenomenon never before seen in the Zhenlong Abyss.

Without waiting for Yan Zhaoge's command, Ah Hu extended his palm and grabbed the air.

When he retracted his hand, a red streak was visible in his palm, glowing faintly in the darkness, writhing like a living thing, trying to burrow into the flesh.

"An external entity..." Yan Zhaoge's eyes narrowed as he looked at it. "It seems this is not a natural disaster but a man-made one."