Meng Hao had no time to hesitate. The main gate swung open silently, revealing a bone-chilling coldness within the pitch-black interior.
"Are you not coming in yet?!"
Shangguan Tu's icy voice rang out. Meng Hao hesitated for a fraction of a second, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. Realizing he had no way out, he steeled his resolve and stepped inside.
Inside, there was still some light. Though dim, it was enough to see his surroundings clearly. Shangguan Tu sat there expressionlessly in his yellow robe, his cold gaze fixed on Meng Hao.
The moment Meng Hao stepped inside, Shangguan Tu's eyes flickered. With a flick of his right hand, a silver needle shot forward and pricked Meng Hao's finger. It zipped back in a flash, carrying his storage bag with it, which came to a halt right in front of Shangguan Tu.
A single drop of fresh blood clung to the tip of the needle. Shangguan Tu caught it and brought it to his lips.
"No scent of heavenly treasures or earthly wonders..."
Shangguan Tu frowned. His gaze swept over Meng Hao, as if trying to peer into the deepest secrets of his body. However, with the demonic core currently concealed, it was impossible for Shangguan Tu to detect it so easily.
Meng Hao's expression shifted. A look of sheer terror washed over his face, his mouth hanging open as if he were too frightened to speak.
Shangguan Tu frowned as he rummaged through the storage bag. He paid no heed to the flying swords inside, and only spared a brief glance at the copper mirror. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, his confusion only deepened.
"Uncle-Master Shangguan, what... what are you doing?"
Meng Hao feigned terror, though he sneered inwardly. He had prepared for this long ago; the wooden sword, a vast hoard of spirit stones, and his precious medicinal pills had all been safely stashed with the little fatty beforehand.
"Tell me, how did your cultivation level rise so rapidly?"
Shangguan Tu's eyes flashed like lightning as he glared at Meng Hao.
"It... it is all thanks to the favor of Senior Sister Xu and Grand Elder Ouyang. They bestowed some medicinal pills upon me..."
Meng Hao's body trembled. He struggled to maintain his composure, but inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief. Shangguan Tu wasn't here because of Wang Tengfei; he was merely suspicious of his rapid breakthrough.
Shangguan Tu frowned once more. He was well aware of Grand Elder Ouyang's favor toward Meng Hao. Had it been otherwise, his interrogation would not have been this gentle.
Just then, Han Zong's voice drifted in from outside.
"Reporting to Uncle-Master Shangguan, there is nothing unusual in Meng Hao's cave abode."
"You may leave."
Shangguan Tu fell silent. After Han Zong departed, he stared at Meng Hao without uttering a word.
Time ticked by slowly until dusk fell. Meng Hao's expression grew increasingly anxious, his posture more terrified, and his voice began to tremble.
"Uncle-Master..."
"Fine. You may leave as well."
Shangguan Tu waved his hand dismissively, his face etched with impatience.
Meng Hao hurriedly rose, cupped his fists, and bowed. Feeling as if an immense weight had been lifted from his chest, he turned and quickly made his exit. Once outside, he quickened his pace, heading straight for Southern Mountain Peak.
Not long after Meng Hao's departure, Shangguan Tu's expression suddenly shifted. He reached out and picked up the silver needle, studying it intently. As his gaze fell upon the dried blood on its tip, a sharp, piercing glint flashed in his eyes.
"No, that’s not right. There is a dense aura of low-grade demonic cores in his blood. Grand Elder Ouyang must have masked it for him, but now that the concealment has faded, this lingering aura suggests he has consumed no fewer than several hundred of them. How could he possibly obtain so many low-grade demonic cores? This Meng Hao must be harboring many secrets!"
With that thought, killing intent flared in Shangguan Tu’s eyes. He leaped into the air, giving chase in the direction Meng Hao had fled.
Meng Hao flew at high speed, his heart feeling as though a heavy weight had been lifted. Yet, for some reason, he still felt a lingering sense of unease and had not fully relaxed. He sped toward his cave abode on the South Mountain. As he neared the entrance, he spotted the fatty poking his head out from the forest in the distance. Seeing Meng Hao approach, the fatty hurriedly ran over to meet him.
"You scared me half to death! Meng Hao, you were gone for so long..."
The fatty let out a long sigh of relief. As he spoke, he pulled out a storage bag and handed it over.
"Luckily, I hid this storage bag. Otherwise, they definitely would have found it."
Meng Hao nodded solemnly and reached out to take the bag. But the moment his fingers brushed against it, a roar echoed from the distant mountains. A streak of rainbow light shot toward them at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, a yellow-robed old man emerged from the light—it was Shangguan Tu.
He was actually flying! Only Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed the ability to fly. Anyone below the Foundation Establishment stage, even with the aid of a magical treasure, could only glide briefly and could not sustain flight for long.
This sight sent a jolt of shock through Meng Hao, but he quickly realized that his opponent was not truly flying. Rather, he was gliding down the mountain slope, borrowing the momentum of a flying sword, just like Meng Hao did.
Shangguan Tu’s gaze locked onto the storage bag the fatty had just returned. His eyes gleamed with a sharp, predatory light. Without uttering a single word, he lunged straight at Meng Hao. He was utterly confident that the boy could not escape his grasp. Now that he had uncovered Meng Hao's secret, there was no telling how much it would benefit him in the future.
Meng Hao’s face fell. With no time to think, his mind raced. He snatched the storage bag, grabbed the fatty, and leaped into the air. A flying sword materialized beneath his feet, carrying them both forward in a sudden burst of speed.
He moved so fast that even Shangguan Tu’s eyes narrowed. Coldly snorting, the old man pressed on in hot pursuit.
The fatty’s face went white with terror, but he remained absolutely still, terrified of hindering Meng Hao. He trusted implicitly that Meng Hao would never abandon him to save himself.
And indeed, Meng Hao would not. He knew that while abandoning the fatty might make him slightly faster, Shangguan Tu would undoubtedly vent his rage on the fatty and torture him to death.
Damn it. To Shangguan Tu, Outer Sect disciples were nothing but ants, while only Inner Sect disciples were considered true members of the Reliance Sect.
Gritting his teeth, he continued to fly swiftly. Seeing Shangguan Tu drawing closer, Meng Hao descended once more; in such a short time, he no longer had the strength to sustain his flight. Cold sweat beaded continuously on his forehead as his mind raced. In that instant, as his eyes swept over the outer sect, a plan suddenly formed in his mind.
His eyes gleamed. He crouched down, and before Shangguan Tu could draw near, he landed in the outer sect, completely disregarding his cultivation base. Gritting his teeth, he drew his flying sword and let out a thunderous roar, leaving the surrounding outer sect disciples staring in wide-eyed, open-mouthed disbelief.
Shangguan Tu's face darkened. Flicking his sleeve, he shot straight toward Meng Hao. The distance between them closed rapidly, shrinking to less than ten zhang. Suddenly, Shangguan Tu's expression shifted. In a flash, he realized Meng Hao's intention, but it was already too late to stop him.