“Zhou Dekun really has mastered some new skills here in the Black Lands,” thought Meng Hao. As he gazed at the man, Zhou Dekun looked at him, and suddenly began to tremble inwardly. Then, he opened his mouth with the intention of offering some true praise toward Meng Hao.
However, it was at this moment that the late Nascent Soul Cultivator who stood next to Hanxue Zong suddenly shot toward Zhou Dekun.
The four Frigid Snow Grand Elders had been watching this man for some time now, so as soon as he made his move, they flew to intercept him.
They all slammed into each other, and a huge boom echoed out. Blood sprayed from the mouths of the four Grand Elders. The old man from the Western Desert trembled. Suddenly, he changed direction and shot toward Meng Hao.
The four Grand Elders fell back, flashing incantation gestures, after which they pointed toward Zhou Dekun. A glittering shield immediately surrounded him.
Zhou Dekun’s heart was quivering, and yet without even thinking about it consciously, he caused utter calm to remain on his face. He looked as supercilious as ever. Seeing this caused Hanxue Zong to feel even more excited. He also shot forward.
He moved with incredible speed, appearing instantaneously next to the shield protecting Zhou Dekun. He lifted his hand up and pressed gently down onto the shield; it instantly shattered into pieces. The four Grand Elders howled, and were about to charge forward when Hanxue Zong waved his right hand and swept them away. At the same time, his left hand snaked out to grab ahold of Zhou Dekun.
Zhou Dekun’s body suddenly trembled in fear, and he was about to scream.
“There’s no need to be alarmed, Grandmaster Zhou,” said Hanxue Zong. “I won’t hurt you, sir. I just feel that leaving a Grandmaster as talented as you in a place like this is a true waste. Come with me to the Western Desert. The tasks you will face won’t measure up to the requirements laid forth in this place. However, if you refuse, then I’ll be forced to help you understand what it means to live a life worse than death!”
Having been grabbed in this fashion, Zhou Dekun was no longer able to keep up the charade. His face was pale white, his body shivered, and intense fear filled his heart.
“This is a mistake!” he blurted. “It’s all a misunderstanding. My… my… my Dao of alchemy can’t even compare to his!” He raised a trembling hand to point at Meng Hao. “If you want to take someone, take him! If you take me, you’ll be losing out big time!”
A cold light appeared in Hanxue Zong’s eyes. “Grandmaster Zhou, you could see the lack of lightning as the main ingredient in that pill. Don’t think you can fool me with such words!”
“I’m… I’m really not that good!” shrieked Zhou Dekun, his heart sinking. “I swear! Look, everything I said was just empty talk, not some sort of absolute truth! Take him! He’s the actual Grandmaster! He can compare with my Junior Brother Fang Mu…. He’s exponentially more amazing than me!”
When Meng Hao saw the Nascent Soul Cultivator approaching, he used the Bloodburst Flash without hesitation, disappearing and then reappearing several dozen meters away.
“Eee?” said the Western Desert Cultivator. He was about to continue in pursuit when Hanxue Zong flew up into the air, clutching the trembling Zhou Dekun in hand.
“There’s no need to cause trouble for him,” said Hanxue Zong coolly. “We came here to invite only the most outstanding Cultivator to join us. Now that we have Grandmaster Zhou, that other guy is unessential.”
“I’m not the most outstanding!” cried Zhou Dekun, his scalp going numb. “Dammit, I’m really not, okay!? This is a mistake! A misunderstanding! I was putting on an act just now. Really, it was an act! I’m not a Grandmaster, I’m just a regular old Furnace Lord from the East Pill division. That guy is the real Grandmaster. It’s true, he’s the Grandmaster. Take him, okay!?!?” He wished to weep, but no tears would come out. His deception had been too good and he had completely lost control of it.