Many buildings were situated behind the mountain gate. Various cultivators came and went among them, looking no different from those in ordinary immortal sects.
The two crossed the mountain gate.
Strangely, the people inside did not react to their arrival.
Not a single person even glanced at them.
It was as if the duo were completely invisible.
Just then, a cultivator walked towards them.
Ye Fan and the little demoness instinctively stepped aside.
However, the cultivator did not pass by. Instead, he suddenly looked up at them.
Wisdom shone in his eyes, though his expression seemed very angry.
It was as if Ye Fan and the others had done something to enrage him.
"Why did you move aside?" the cultivator questioned.
Ye Fan was a little confused.
Wasn't that obvious?
If he hadn't moved, wouldn't they have bumped into each other?
The cultivator suddenly lunged at Ye Fan, aiming for his arms.
Seeing the other party make a move, Ye Fan instinctively prepared to counterattack.
But Ye Fan found himself unable to react.
The opponent clearly only had the cultivation of the Void Integration realm, yet Ye Fan simply couldn't dodge!
It wasn't a case of being too slow to dodge, but rather he felt as if he were locked on...
The cultivator's hands grabbed Ye Fan's arms and pulled him back to his original position.
After doing so, the cultivator took a step back, then moved two steps to the side, clearing a path for Ye Fan.
Ye Fan and the little demoness were completely bewildered by this series of bizarre actions, standing there foolishly, unsure how to respond.
"I've already made way, why aren't you going?" the cultivator suddenly demanded.
Ye Fan and the little demoness were once again dumbfounded...
"Honestly, so impolite..."
The cultivator mumbled to himself and left directly.
Ye Fan and the little demoness exchanged bewildered glances.
Was this person perhaps mentally unstable?
The place was vast, and wandering around aimlessly wouldn't help.
Ye Fan thought he should try to ask someone for directions.
Seeing a crowd gathered ahead, he led the little demoness over.
Upon arriving, they were once again stunned.
Spectators had formed a circle, leaving an open space of about twenty to thirty zhang in the center.
Within the clearing stood two cultivators, hands clasped behind their backs.
They appeared to be around forty years old.
One was clad in a black robe with white hair, the other in a white robe and a bald head.
Their Daoist robes fluttered in the wind, and their eyes were filled with fighting spirit!
Even in their simple stance, they exuded an unfathomable aura!
At first glance, one might think they were two supreme experts about to duel.
In short, they possessed immense gravitas!
However, their mere Qi Condensation realm cultivation shattered that gravitas completely...
The two stared at each other motionlessly.
The onlookers held their breath, seemingly awaiting a world-shattering battle!
After a long while.
"You've come."
"I've come."
"You shouldn't have."
"But I still came."
"You..." The white-haired cultivator looked at the bald one with a complex expression. "You will soon realize this choice was a mistake."
"I have cultivated for thousands of years, and today my divine art has finally reached its perfection!" the bald man declared resolutely. "Today, only one of us can leave!"
"So be it," the white-haired cultivator gestured politely. "Come!"
And then...
The two moved in unison!
"Primordial Chaos Indefinite!"
"Selfless Freedom!"
The two shouted the names of their respective techniques in the loudest possible voice, then proceeded to flail wildly at each other!
And then...
Nothing happened...
The two stood seriously in place, striking poses as if sparring, their movements appearing to be back and forth.
Forget terrifying killing moves.
They didn't even stir up a breeze.
"Wow—!"
The surrounding cultivators scattered as if they had witnessed something terrifying, letting out strange cries!
As they ran, they clutched their chests, as if injured.
A few were even more dramatic.
After running only a few steps, they collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.
Someone unfamiliar would have thought they had been brutally beaten...
The bald man and the white-haired man continued to flail wildly at each other for a few more moves.
Suddenly!
The bald man lunged forward, clutching his chest in apparent pain.
"The Selfless Freedom Technique is indeed powerful... I concede defeat!"
The white-haired man smiled faintly and turned to leave.
His smile was full of meaning.
Exuding the aura of a master!
But when combined with everything that had just happened...
Ye Fan and the little demoness's faces were streaked with black lines, their mouths twitching uncontrollably...
"What utter idiocy!"
"Are these guys out of their minds!"
...
After walking a considerable distance further, the two spotted a cultivator standing by the roadside.
The person held a book, seemingly engrossed in reading.
Ye Fan and the little demoness exchanged a look and nodded: this person seemed a bit more normal.
"Brother," Ye Fan stepped forward and asked politely, "May I ask you something?"
"Shh—"
The cultivator raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.
Ye Fan assumed he had disturbed the other's reading and immediately fell silent.
Out of curiosity, Ye Fan stealthily moved a few steps aside and glanced at the book.
Several lines of text were written on the page.
What do you call your father's father?
Your father's father is called grandfather.
What do you call your father's mother?
Your father's mother is called grandmother.
...
Ye Fan's mouth twitched again.
He suddenly realized that asking this cultivator for information might have been a profoundly misguided decision.
Suddenly!
"Snap!"
The cultivator closed the book abruptly, his expression stern as he looked up at the sky.
"The Heavenly Tribulation is coming!" the cultivator stated with utmost seriousness. "This place is dangerous, I urge you two fellow Daoists to retreat quickly!"
Ye Fan looked up.
The weather was clear and bright!
Not a single cloud could be seen!
"I have said what I needed to say, you two must look after yourselves!"
The cultivator tucked the book into his sleeve and sat down on the spot.
His expression was serious yet tinged with nervousness, his hands constantly moving in a bizarre fashion.
His body would occasionally tremble inexplicably.
He shook his head from side to side, muttering nonsensical syllables.
If he hadn't been sitting on the ground, he would have looked exactly like someone performing a shamanistic ritual...
"Ah—!"
The cultivator suddenly slumped to one side, as if struck by an attack.
"A mere Heavenly Tribulation, what can it do to me!"
The cultivator shouted, his hands moving even faster!
Ye Fan pulled the little demoness far away, as if afraid of catching something...
It was clear that this one's mind was also not quite right...
"Ye Fan..." the little demoness nervously clutched Ye Fan's sleeve. "Why do these people... all seem so strange?"
"If I'm not mistaken..." Ye Fan scanned the surroundings. "We're going to encounter even stranger individuals next..."
It was only at this moment that Ye Fan finally understood something!
Because the demeanor of these cultivators was clearly and infinitely approaching that of those two formidable figures!
Ye Fan had every reason to believe that the two grandees had come here simply to return home!
As for why things were this way, it was beyond his comprehension...
As expected.
After proceeding a bit further, the two encountered several more cultivators.
They were gathered in a circle, continuously spinning in place.
A glint of wisdom shone in their eyes.
While spinning, they struck various poses and uttered meaningless syllables.
It looked very much like...
Some kind of cult ritual...
Like everyone else.
These individuals completely ignored Ye Fan and the little demoness.
Just then, a young cultivator approached them.
Upon reaching them, he scrutinized the duo from top to bottom, left and right.
Ye Fan and the little demoness felt a prickle of unease...
"Esteemed Sir, are you Young Master Ye Fan?" the young cultivator asked, cupping his fists.
His posture and expression appeared remarkably normal.
"Indeed," Ye Fan replied, nodding. "And who might you be...?"
To be honest.
In a place teeming with abnormal individuals, suddenly encountering a normal person made Ye Fan feel a little unaccustomed...