Chapter 110: The Bald Old Man

After a short while, the five supreme experts finally reached a decision. They began leading the main force out of the completely charred inn and set off toward the outskirts of Wu City.

With so many martial artists moving together in broad daylight without any attempt at concealment, combined with the heaven-reaching inferno from the previous night and the recent rumors circulating in the pugilistic world, Hu San was startled to find that even before reaching the city gates, the original crowd had swelled significantly. While the other four major factions had only added a few elite fighters, the group of independent practitioners he was with had tripled or quadrupled in size, suddenly becoming the most powerful force among the five.

Beyond the initial five factions, several other major righteous and demonic sects had joined the procession. However, because they lacked leaders of the caliber of the Black Giant Spirit and his peers, they were not highly regarded by the others. Whether or not true masters were hiding among them, however, remained unclear.

Once they reached the wilderness outside Wu City, Hu San made a rough estimate and found that the number of martial artists gathered had expanded from the original two hundred to over a thousand. Moreover, the number continued to grow as time passed; the news seemed to be spreading ever wider.

The five supreme experts leading the group seemed to have anticipated this. While they strictly forbade their subordinates from scattering, they made no effort to stop others from joining or to suppress the spread of the news. They simply pushed forward along the agreed-upon route in search of the Immeasurable Grotto, paying no heed to the massive crowd trailing behind them.

This was the first time Hu San had witnessed so many martial artists gathered in one place. Although they were mostly a motley crew, every one of them was a practitioner. While they lacked order and discipline, the sheer vitality of their combined energy created a presence that seemed to disperse the very clouds drifting in the sky.

"Heh heh, kid, quite a spectacle, isn't it?"

Seeing Hu San’s surprise, the white-robed old man beside him offered a faint smile, seemingly nostalgic or perhaps mocking something. "This is nothing. Back when the Moon Splendor Treasure Record surfaced, a full five thousand martial artists gathered in the Yuanwu Kingdom. The sheer force of their combined energy was enough to shatter the heavens and destroy the earth."

"The Immeasurable Scripture is infinitely more powerful than the Moon Splendor Treasure Record. Were it not for the secrecy of the news and the fact that this place is so desolate and close to the Qilian Mountains, the number of people today would have been ten times greater. Even so, by the time we actually find the Immeasurable Scripture, I suspect the crowd will reach five thousand."

"While martial artists are few in the human world, that is only relative. Countless disillusioned souls hide among the common folk. Usually, it doesn't matter, but once something worth dying for appears, the speed and scale at which they gather far exceed anything you can imagine. This is why treasures often end up in the hands of ordinary martial artists—there are simply too many of them, and even more old monsters hidden among the ranks. I won't speak for others, but I can guarantee that there are at least two or three peerless masters in this crowd with cultivation comparable to Shen Fang. So, only those who can hide until the very end will be the victors."

After finishing, the old man looked at Hu San with deep, complex eyes, as if he were issuing a warning or perhaps a test.

Looking at the rugged cliffs and the increasingly steep mountain peaks beneath his feet, Hu San curled his lips into a smile. "Why must you try to scare me, old man? Everyone has their own destiny. The fact that I can walk this path with you shows we have a connection. I treasure such pleasant things, and I hope you won't be the one to destroy it. I cannot guarantee that my goals are the same as yours, but for now, there shouldn't be much conflict. You have lived a long time and must have extensive experience in the pugilistic world, right? You should understand the drawbacks of harming others without benefiting yourself, and the dangers of making enemies for no reason."

"Even if there is a conflict in the end, why speak of it now? On such a fine day with such beautiful scenery, wouldn't it be a shame to spoil the mood?"

The old man was slightly taken aback, and the skin on his face twitched. Only after a moment did he laugh. "What a 'harming others without benefiting oneself.' Could it be that I truly misjudged you? Heh, no matter. Kid, if you have the ability, feel free to take the Immeasurable Scripture. I'm an old bag of bones; whether I get it or not makes no difference to me."

Despite his words, the old man quietly moved a bit further away from Hu San, and a hard object could be seen pressing against his sleeve, clearly indicating he was truly on guard.

Hu San didn't mind. Although he was certain this old man was no simple character and likely had significant designs for this trip, it was well within the range of what he could handle. Thus, he chose to ignore these minor actions.

As he had said, walking together was a matter of fate; why fight to the death before even seeing the treasure?

However, the more indifferent Hu San appeared, the more nervous the old man became. It was only then that the old man realized he had never truly understood this seemingly ordinary young man who lacked common knowledge of the martial arts world.

Yet, upon careful reflection, he couldn't find a reason for his own wariness, which left the old man—who had spent his entire life calculating—in a state of internal turmoil, his nerves fraying.

The two exchanged a few more probing remarks, but finding no success, they changed the subject to idle talk. Without realizing it, the sun began to dip into the west, and the hues of dusk gradually appeared. Naturally, the number of people following the main force continued to grow.

The journey had been one of crossing mountains and ridges. Were it not for the backing of so many martial heroes, they might have already turned back in the face of rugged mountain paths and the various strange natural traps and monsters along the way.

However, even with such a large gathering, after more than a day of trekking, midnight arrived. Standing on a high ridge, many of the martial heroes began to harbor doubts. If not for the fact that the Chu Mountain Sect and other major factions were leading the way and stumbling about just like them, they would have long suspected that the guides were playing a trick.

Although the involvement of several major righteous and demonic sects kept the group relatively quiet for the time being, the underlying tension was growing thicker. If they did not reach their destination within the next hour or so, even the supreme experts at the front would struggle to suppress the unrest. If someone were to incite the crowd, the group would shatter like a smashed watermelon.

Once that happened, the four major factions in the lead would become the first targets of the assault. Even if the supreme experts could protect themselves with their cultivation, they would no longer be able to ensure the safety of their disciples, let alone the future benefits of the treasure. After all, there were between three and five thousand martial artists gathered; under such an onslaught, even a man made of iron would eventually be overwhelmed.

"Big Brother, should I go and kill a few to intimidate these little bastards? If we continue like this, I fear we'll be picked clean by these brats before we even find the Immeasurable Grotto."

Clearly, the five supreme experts at the lead also felt the pressure. As the Black Giant Spirit’s brow furrowed deeper, the Skull God standing behind him couldn't help but step forward.

Before the Black Giant Spirit could answer, Chu Qian, who had been lowering his head in deep thought over the Map of the Immeasurable Secret, suddenly looked up, his face grim. "No. Everyone's focus hasn't fully coalesced yet. Once we find the Immeasurable Grotto, the crisis will naturally resolve. But if we face external pressure now, any mishandling could unite them against us. While we might be safe, our disciples, whose cultivation is insufficient, would suffer greatly. We might even be wiped out entirely."

"Then what do we do? If we don't act now, once someone starts a riot, you righteous leaders might be able to save yourselves, but as a man of the demonic path, it would be hard for me to say. Isn't 'subduing demons and defending the righteous' your usual slogan? Now, can you find a better reason to rally the masses? Heh, if it were just a mob, it wouldn't matter, but everyone here has eyes. I imagine they can see the old monsters hiding among them. I am confident, but I am no fool. If we don't act now, I fear we’ll be in deep trouble later."

The Black Giant Spirit gave a cold laugh, his eyes flashing with icy green light. As he moved, the Four Demons of Black Blood immediately drew their weapons, and the experts of the Black Demon Corps went on high alert. Correspondingly, the previously restless scene fell into an abrupt silence. Everyone gripped their weapons, and it seemed a monumental chaos was about to erupt.

As to who would win or lose in this chaos, even the heavens could not say. Seeing this, the supreme experts—including Chu Qian, Zhou Ba, and Fairy Feng—turned deathly pale. Only Shen Fang, who remained alone and unburdened, continued to calmly study the map in his hands.

Just as Chu Qian felt his throat go dry and was about to force a smile to say something, a cackling sound like that of a crow suddenly rang out from the crowd.

Before the person could speak, both Chu Qian and Fairy Feng shuddered. The image of a bald old man appeared in their minds: The Baldy of Cangnan!

This was a monster no less formidable than the Black Giant Spirit. No one knew how long he had lived, but he had already been rampaging through the pugilistic world when Chu Qian was just a youth. One could only imagine the depth of his current cultivation.

It wasn't just Chu Qian and the others; even the murderous Black Giant Spirit’s expression changed.

As the situation grew increasingly tense and the stifled emotions of the crowd were about to burst, Shen Fang, who had been studying the Map of the Immeasurable Secret, suddenly let out a loud laugh. This sound gradually drowned out the cackling of the Baldy and suppressed the restless hearts of the martial artists.

It was not because Shen Fang’s cultivation was invincible, but because the information accompanying his laughter caused everyone—even old monsters like the Baldy—to fall silent.