Prologue: Encountering the Daoists of the Otherworld (part 4)

The elder who suddenly appeared let out a question which was not loud and appeared very quiet. Yet, his voice reverberated into everyone's ears as if it was brought by the space nearby them.

The elder looked around, only to see that the place had just sustained a battle earlier. He also saw two people incased inside thick barriers set up by the two men. And then, he finally saw the badly beaten brother Chen and the solemn-looking Wu Hong. Both looking at him with different expressions.

When brother Chen saw the elder floating above the space, he was so elated that if it wasn't for the injuries his sustained from the earlier battle, then he would have jumped in joy.

Brother Chen then glanced at the youth, only to see a terrified, pale face that was frothing the mouth. The youth was currently lying on the ground, appearing to have fainted to unconsciousness from pure shock.

Seeing the youth's current plight, brother Chen felt even more elated. He was coldly sneering in heart.

'Hah, what were we so afraid earlier ago, wasn't he just a fear-mongerer?' Brother Chen thought to himself. 'Can handle the elders when they come knocking? There's one right now so how come you just fainted?'

He was just about to report the situation to the elder when Wu Hong who stayed quiet all this time, suddenly spoke to the elder which made brother Chen froze in place.

"Elder, please redress my grievance!" Wu Hong said. He bowed with clasped hands, head low with a solemn expression on his face.

"Redress your grievance? Speak it out then." The elder was perplexed why Wu Hong was suddenly acting this way but he nonetheless, lends an ear.

"Brother Chen and I just made a small bet earlier." Wu Hong said. "We contested that whoever catches his target faster shall have the female slave all to herself for tonight. And just so it happens that I had caught my target first before brother Chen could catch his own. Thus, according to the agreement, I should have the girl to myself...

"But... but... Brother Chen cheated me!" Wu Hong then said, appearing indignant. "He said that I don't deserve to have such a beauty tonight and he even dared to suppress me from rebutting him. That's why I crushed a distress orb and sought for your aid! I beg you, Elder! Please redress my grie... PUFF!"

Wu Hong was not able to continue when the Elder's face darkened as he heard everything. Out of anger, he slaps the air in front of him. Launching a large gust of wind towards Wu Hong that after which, sends him flying with a blood-curling scream as if the elder was just swatting a fly away.

Wu Hong rolled on the ground several times like a broken ragdoll before crashing against a large rock wall. His body had cracked that rock wall with a huge spider-web at the cost of his bones getting crushed and his internal organs getting damaged. It was currently unknown whether Wu Hong survived that or not.

"You, insolent brat! You dare waste my time with your silly banter that doesn't contribute to the mission delegated by you two at all!" The Elder berated loudly, the space all around him trembled in his rage. "What makes you think I care about who gets the woman for tonight? You two will be eunuchs by the time morning comes!"

The elder's angered voice brought a mighty compelling force that forced others to submit. The space around him even swirled like a tornado as if it would collapse at any moment.

When a Power Core rages, the world trembles!

The elder was truly angered this time. Enough that he barely couldn't think logically. Back when he sensed a distress orb was broke, he immediately rushed towards the location in worry that his disciples had stumbled against a formidable opponent whom they can't cope against. But to think he was being called just to...to... just thinking about it sent him riling in rage once again.

Meanwhile, brother Chen stunned in terror. He was in complete disbelief. Who would have that before he could explain what was going on, the first thing what that fellow's mouth came out was so outrageous that it was enough to enrage the elder to the point where he'll be implicated as well.

Becoming a eunuch... it was not impossible for the elder to do that. It's just that... what method would he use to convert us to complete cripples?

Just thinking of all those methods done to him under the elder's fury gave him chills under his spine. It was enough to give him the hell of his life.

He looked at the youth who was still unconscious inside the barrier. Then he looked at the badly mangled Wu Hong imbedded on the rock wall and couldn't help but worry for him.

His brother Wu was still hypnotized by the youth before... wait, that's right! He was still hypnotized by the youth. Thus, brother Wu must have been compelled to utter absurd nonsense that will enrage the elder completely.

He looked at the unconscious youth once more. His eyes were filled with shock and terror.

What was the youth planning to do by enraging an elder?

He tried to open his mouth but his injuries were so bad that it rendered him speechless. He really wanted to tell the elder that all this was a trap set up but would the elder really listen to him when he's so angry that he could kill a dragon right now?

No! He had to try! The youth's diabolical plan stops here!

'No Master Xiong! It's all a lie! It's all a trap by that fellow inside the barrier!'

Brother Chen had no other choice. He used his spiritual sense to send a message across space which transmitted at the speed of light.

'He hypnotized brother Wu into his slave and he was compelled to utter complete lies a while ago!'

The youth, who was silently pretending to have fainted, detected this new method communication but was too late to stop it. He didn't know exactly how to stop a message transmitted through spiritual sense that crosses space at the speed of light.

Thus, he was a bit startled that his plans were falling apart so early in the phase. If the plan really had worked, then he would have left these two men to die under the elder's rage and he would be able to infiltrate into their base of operations as he pretends to be an unconscious captive.

But it seems that plan would be implausible since he lacks too much intel at the moment.

However, he did not panic. He wasn't so confident that his plan would work in the first place as there were many possibilities that would otherwise endanger him and he did not worry as his life was not on the line.

Meanwhile, the elder, having received the message showed a surprised expression as he understood under a fraction of a second of what was truly going on.

Enrage once again, the elder coldly glanced down on the youth who had stood up from the ground and calmly glanced back at him with his hands behind his back.

The elder was sizing up the youth to gauge his strength, only to discover that he could not peer through the level of the youth at all no matter what method he had tried. The only method left was to actually tackle against the youth if he wanted to know what kind of battle prowess he had.

Meanwhile, the youth had already gauged the strength of the elder at the time when he left him enraged. He saw everything what he needed to know about the elder as if he was reading a book about him. Although he had a rough estimation, he wasn't worried as he was confident he could crush with ease if they were to engage in a brawl. Albeit, that was not his mission at the moment.

His mission was to gather intel through infiltration. It was the most feasible idea of this time as currently, he didn't know what kind of enemy he was facing.

But even though they were an unknown force with an unknown objective, he had a duty given to him as a protector of this world. However, he was not as blind as to engage an all-out war right from the get-go if he didn't know the strength of his enemy.

Thus, it was agreed that he has to prioritize gathering of intelligence first before moving to large scale actions. Because as the wisest of the champions, it was his duty to judge, realize and envisage every obstacle this world was about to face.

Therefore, at this very moment, the youth must attempt to negotiate with a person who held power from the otherworld in order to determine what motives they held.

"Welcome to the world of Tiana, esteemed master Xiong." The youth said with an elegant bow. Since he could detect the message being sent, naturally he knew the contents of the message was. Thus, he was able to determine that the name of the elder was called master Xiong. The youth then continued.

"I am an envoy of this world's protection agency who comes with an effort to establish peaceful ties with the people of the otherworld who've come to visit this world."

"Puff!" Hearing how polite and accommodating the youth had become as if he had suddenly become a professional ambassador. Brother Chen couldn't help but spurt out blood in anger.

'Came with an effort to establish peaceful ties? The Heck?! Who the hell are you trying to fool?! If you came with such motives then why did you attack me?!' Brother Chen bursts into tears.

Ignoring what's on brother Chen's mind, the elder was slightly surprised just like the two men earlier that the youth could speak their tongue so fluently.

But he attempts to hide his current astonishment as he remembered how this person had almost fooled them under his nose. It made him extremely enraged under his great astonishment.

Thus, he spoke to the youth with a voice colder than snow. "And what pleasure do I owe to have the envoy encounter me in this ungodly hour?"

"Indeed, it is inappropriate time and place to discuss matters that concern greatly in tourism..." The youth said, with his apologetic look turned solemn. Seemingly oblivious to the master Xiong's feelings. "However, it is an urgent request of ours that your alliances must cease your current activities at once!

"The locals of this world are absolutely concerned as our homeland securities are having a plethora of discrepancies since the time of your arrival. Therefore, we, the Protection Agency of this world as of now are forced to a compromise at this very moment...

"If esteemed elder master Xiong would lend an ear to our plea and reconsider it, then we would gladly oblige to any request that master Xiong might be interested in."

Master Xiong's cold eyes narrowed to slits as he listened to the youth's request. Although the other party had said it as if he was indeed pleading for them to stop expanding the invasion, his tone of voice was not of those that knew how dire their situation had become.

Plus, he's not even offering any greeting gifts! Don't they have a custom to gift the welcomed some priceless treasure or something?

The youth's voice was too calm, cool and collective. As if everything was thought from the start. This had grown some doubts in master Xiong's mind. Making him a lot hesitate to speak further due to his instincts were slightly triggered.

Not to mention that the youth's way of speaking was extremely fluent, sharp and accommodating. It made him somehow laxed instead of wary as if something was naturally compelling to speak some more to this youth.

Many thoughts came to flash inside Master Xiong's mind.

Eventually, he came to realize that the youth was probing information from him by deducing the conversation they were having.

This had secretly astonished the elder once again. By listening to his plea of halting the invasion, he would have been unconsciously compelled to confess more information to the youth that he'll be able to deduce. Once he's go more intel to go through, it would not have been very hard for him to discover their true objective in coming to this world.

What if he were to tell everything unconsciously without realizing it?

Would the youth have found out everything for him to foil tonight?

Master Xiong's wariness had now increased! This fellow before him was not to be underestimated. With such a sly fox going about, who knows what discrepancies might happen.

"You speak our tongues very fluently, my lad. I can't help but praise you for it." Master Xiong said with an applause. Appearing amiable and open-minded.

The youth had noticed that his intention was discovered and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It seems there were plenty of crafty people like himself that the elder before him had a lot experienced before.

It seems like opposing such forces from now on would prove a difficult task. He couldn't help but complain in his heart tonight why his job doesn't have insurance...

"I am unworthy of such praise, master Xiong."

"This Youth here, how may I address you." Master Xiong asked.

"This humble had a name once before. However, I no longer regard it as such and since this day no one has ever called me by my name. On that account, I was styled with the name, Black Stranger."

"Then Black stranger, I'd like to offer you a position in our ranks." Master Xiong said with an amiable smile. "I'd like to introduce you to our superiors and recommend you to be our decipherer for our future negotiations with the people of this world from now on...

"If black stranger agrees, then you'll be treated well as a guest with a position that is equal to an elder. Of course, you'll have to be wearing one of these from now on."

Master Xiong said that with a simple looking chain collar in his hand. Fiddling it in front of the youth with a haughty smile.

"Your offer is quite generous, master Xiong." The youth said. With a beaming smile towards master Xiong, he continued. "I am honored that you think of me with contributing intentions. However...

"I think I'll pass on the offer."

Master Xiong froze in place with his smile disappearing. "I see. That's a shame..." After saying that, he suddenly unleashed his cultivation.

"Boom!" Along with an explosion, the space everywhere had collapsed as Power Core had made his presence known. He gazed down at the youth and bellowed with a cold voice.

"I gave you a chance but you did not take it. Considering how valuable you've made yourself to be, I will not harm you to the brink of death. But now that it has come this, you can only blame your misfortune!"

After that, he conjured a giant hand made of energy. At the speed of lightning, he launched that hand down towards the youth with an intent to suppress him.

"Boom!" Another explosion resounded and the area where the youth had stood before had turned into a huge depression of a giant handprint.

Master Xiong had retracted his giant hand and gazed down at the depression. He was not pleased at the sight since he had sense that the youth had perfectly dodged his attack.

Then he gazed upwards, only to see the youth also floating above the space, looking down on him with an indifferent look.

"Yes, it is a shame to blame my own misfortune..." And then, he flicked his fingers.