Chapter 102: Discovered

The old man from the Flying Serpent Sect spoke in a calm voice.

Lu Han hid behind a rock, barely daring to breathe. Since the old man hadn’t turned around, Lu Han clung to a faint hope.

“Hmph, won’t come out, huh?” The old man snorted coldly.

Suddenly, he spun around with a burst of fierce energy, slamming his palm onto the rock in front of Lu Han.

“Boom!”

The rock shattered instantly, shards flying everywhere inside the cave. Fortunately, Lu Han’s “Heavenly Garment” technique had long been perfected, granting his body a strength on par with that of an innate realm cultivator. The broken stones did not cause him any harm.

With the rock breaking apart, Lu Han knew he could no longer hide. The old man’s aura had locked onto him. Unable to flee, Lu Han had no choice but to stand up.

“Curiosity really is deadly,” Lu Han thought bitterly.

He had been drawn here by the sound earlier, driven by curiosity. Little did he expect to encounter two powerful figures in conflict, overhearing secrets not meant for outsiders. Even Elder Hua, who served the Alluring Princess, was no match for this old man. Lu Han felt nearly hopeless. The conversation he had just overheard was clearly a secret the old man wished to keep hidden. The best way to keep a secret was to kill the witness.

The old man from the Flying Serpent Sect glanced at Lu Han with some surprise. When he had been fighting Elder Hua, he hadn’t noticed Lu Han’s presence and didn’t know when he had arrived. It was only when Elder Hua was thrown aside and Lu Han made a noise that he became aware.

He had assumed anyone who could hide so well must be at least a double innate realm cultivator. Unexpectedly, the young man in white before him seemed barely to be at the ninth level of the acquired realm, which relieved the old man somewhat.

If he had been an innate realm triple stage, he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill him on the spot. Although Elder Hua was defeated, his last counterattack had inflicted some internal injury on the old man.

In his current state, if an innate realm triple stage insisted on fleeing, the old man might not be able to catch him. After all, in the Chaotic Soul Plains, regardless of one’s cultivation level, even Earth King level cultivators were suppressed to the innate realm triple stage.

Although he was a respected elder of the Flying Serpent Sect, a seventh-level Profound Lord with unquestioned authority outside, once inside the Chaotic Soul Plains, his realm was suppressed—and now he was injured.

Seeing that Lu Han was only a ninth-level acquired realm cultivator, the old man couldn’t help but feel relieved, though he wondered how someone of such a low level dared venture alone into the Evil Wind Cave. But none of that mattered; as long as the secret didn’t leak out, it was fine.

The old man’s gaze turned cold as he looked at Lu Han, killing intent flashing in his eyes. The affairs involving the Flying Serpent Sect and the Alluring Princess could not be exposed. The scheme must remain secret.

Lu Han sensed the killing intent and paled. He nearly slapped himself, thinking, “Why did I have to be so curious?” Judging by the old man’s aura, he was undoubtedly about to silence him.

“Elder, please listen to me. I didn’t hear anything just now. You can go out and say whatever you want—I won’t say a word,” Lu Han swallowed nervously.

Even Elder Hua wasn’t a match for him; it was Lu Han who was terrified.

Though Lu Han didn’t know Elder Hua’s exact cultivation, back in Maple Leaf City, his grandfather had said that although Elder Hua didn’t reveal his aura, it was detectable—and at least a seventh-level Profound Lord.

Though suppressed to the innate realm triple stage within the Chaotic Soul Plains, as a Profound Lord he was far stronger than a typical innate realm triple stage. Yet he was still no match for the old man of the Flying Serpent Sect, whose cultivation was undoubtedly higher.

Lu Han didn’t think he could stand against him.

“Boy, I don’t know why you’re in the Evil Wind Cave, but your presence here is unfortunate and unwelcome. Whether you heard something or not, I’d rather kill than let you go. Blame your own bad luck,” the old man snorted and prepared to strike.

“Wait, elder! I promise I won’t utter a word of today’s events outside. Please let me go!” Lu Han hurriedly pleaded.

Now was not the time to play the hero. Lu Han would never allow Elder Ling to intervene. Though he didn’t say it aloud, Lu Han was not foolish; Elder Ling was far weaker now than when they had been at the bottom of the Cold Abyss Forest cliffs. Without the Soul-Seizing Marten, Lu Han wouldn’t want him to fight.

In truth, Elder Ling was aware of everything outside and wanted to act, but was powerless. His current state was that of a fifth-level acquired realm cultivator who had yet to break through the Dragon Gate—no match at all.

“Promises? Go promise that in hell. I only trust those who are human to keep secrets!” the old man from the Flying Serpent Sect said.

“As expected,” Lu Han’s heart sank. Though he had guessed the outcome, he couldn’t resist trying.

The old man’s hand flashed with the black shadow of a serpent. He stomped his feet forcefully, and a palm strike carrying immense force surged toward Lu Han.

Although Lu Han knew he was no match for the old man, he wasn’t about to die passively.

“Run!” was his first thought.

Knowing he couldn’t win against the old man, Lu Han spun and fled.

“Hmph, think you can escape?” the old man snorted lightly. His footsteps shifted, and his body moved forward swiftly like a serpent.

A movement technique! This was a rare and precious movement skill, as rare as defensive techniques, worth a fortune. Only major sects like the Flying Serpent Sect possessed such movement skills.

“Yellow-Stage Advanced Movement: Serpent Glide!”

A movement skill unique to the Flying Serpent Sect.

Though only a Yellow-Stage Advanced Movement, its value was comparable to that of an Intermediate Profound Stage technique, showing how rare movement techniques were.

Though Lu Han’s body strength and power reached the innate realm, he was still far inferior to the Flying Serpent Sect elder who possessed a movement technique, even if the elder was injured.

“Whoosh!”

In the blink of an eye, the old man appeared in front of Lu Han.

The old man looked at Lu Han mockingly: “Where do you think you can run?”

Lu Han’s face darkened; it seemed escape was impossible today.

“Accept your fate!”

The old man shouted, and a huge black serpent shadow appeared behind him. Black energy gathered in his palm as he unleashed a palm strike toward Lu Han—a massive black palm imprint roaring forward.

Lu Han gritted his teeth. There was nowhere to dodge; he had to endure the blow head-on.

“For life or death!”

Dense white cold energy surfaced around Lu Han. The “Heavenly Garment” technique unfolded, forming a visible energy armor around his body.

“Heavenly Frost—Star-Shattering Palm!”

Lu Han struck with all his might, holding nothing back. He knew if he couldn’t withstand this blow, death awaited him.

“I can’t die yet. Father is still waiting for me to save him. The Lu family needs me… and also that girl, Ruge…” Thinking of Ruge, a gentle warmth flickered in Lu Han’s eyes, then his gaze grew even firmer. This palm strike had to be endured.

Lu Han was confident that even a palm strike from an innate realm triple stage could be barely withstood by him. But the Flying Serpent Sect elder was no ordinary innate realm triple stage—he was a suppressed seventh-level Profound Lord.

“Boom!”

The massive black palm imprint collided with the white palm imprint. The black imprint crushed the white one like withering wood and surged toward Lu Han.

“Bang!”

Lu Han was blasted backward several meters.

“Pfft!”

He touched the blood at the corner of his mouth and murmured, “The gap is too great.”