Jiang Chen then confirmed one more thing. As expected, to distinguish themselves from one another, the geniuses of the Eight Great Houses each wore cloaks of different colors.
Each color represented a single house.
Within the same house, however, there was no distinction among the geniuses.
Having obtained the details he wanted, Jiang Chen felt considerably more at ease. As for these three fellows, naturally they could not be left alive.
Jiang Chen showed no mercy, sweeping away every last possession on their bodies before carrying out a merciful end.
He had originally intended to disguise himself as one of the three, but quickly abandoned the notion—he had barely observed any of their techniques. With time pressing so urgently, there was no room to study and replicate them.
In the end, Jiang Chen decided to stick with his original plan and continue impersonating Xuan Rui.
These three could simply be written off as an unfortunate accident.
Because of the mess these three—Kuang Rong and the others—had stirred up, Jiang Chen's already tight timeline had grown even tighter. His plan to obtain a gray cloak had yet to bear any fruit.
Time was running out.
"I have to find a gray cloak within whatever time remains." Jiang Chen's resolve did not waver.
He had been wandering about for days, but had yet to encounter any of the Xuan family's disciples.
"The Xuan family has three geniuses. Xuan Rui ranks first. The other two are both inferior to him in talent. If the geniuses of the Eight Great Houses are also permitted to kill each other within the Black Nightmare Mountains, could those other two Xuan family disciples also be in danger?"
At this thought, a greater sense of urgency settled over Jiang Chen's heart.
As time passed, if the geniuses of the Eight Great Houses were indeed allowed to slaughter one another, then these final days would certainly mark the peak of the killing.
However, based on the interrogation of those he had captured, there appeared to be an agreement among the Eight Great Houses' geniuses—one that prohibited lethal combat between them.
"I hope those two are still alive."
Jiang Chen decided to stop roaming aimlessly and instead hold one or two fixed positions. Waiting for the prey to come to him was the more prudent approach.
Effort is never wasted on those who strive. On the penultimate day of the half-month deadline, Jiang Chen finally spotted a second gray-cloaked figure.
This gray-cloaked individual was slightly inferior to Xuan Rui in bearing and presence—a marginal difference, but noticeable.
When Jiang Chen caught sight of him, the man was in the middle of chasing down a trial participant. Watching the pursuit from afar, Jiang Chen felt a flicker of surprise.
After more than ten days, he had assumed the trial participants from Dongyan Island had mostly perished by now. These hunters from the Duowen Divine Kingdom possessed strength that was simply far too overwhelming for the Dongyan Island cultivators. More importantly, these geniuses of the Eight Great Houses were more well-rounded, with deeper reserves and trump cards, giving them overwhelming advantages during the hunt.
Had Jiang Chen's own advantages not been even more pronounced, his days here would likely not have been so peaceful either.
Watching the chase unfold, Jiang Chen found himself growing somewhat interested.
The cultivator being hunted by the Xuan family disciple was someone Jiang Chen actually recognized—it was none other than Su Hong, who had fought the climactic battle against Jiang Chen in the final round of the selection tournament in the City of Sin.
Jiang Chen had greatly admired Su Hong's talent and strength back then. Now, it seemed, Su Hong's potential ran even deeper than he had imagined.
Though the Xuan family disciple had him running in a rather sorry state, it was clear that Su Hong was not trapped in a desperate, life-or-death struggle.
The Xuan family disciple, serving as the hunter, did hold certain advantages—but they were far from decisive.
Jiang Chen found this rather interesting.
As the two continued their chase—the hunter and the hunted—Jiang Chen trailed behind them. It was a perfect mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
"If I hunt this Xuan family disciple now, Su Hong might notice and I could be exposed. But if I wait for the Xuan family disciple to finish off Su Hong before making my move, there's no telling when that will happen. The trial is almost over. At this rate, even by the end, the Xuan family disciple might not succeed. Should I give him a hand first?"
Jiang Chen entertained the thought only briefly before dismissing it entirely. This was a matter of principle—he would never be the one to strike the first blow.
Su Hong had shared the arena with him in the City of Sin. They had clashed once and earned a measure of mutual respect. They had never crossed the line into enmity.
Su Hong had not harbored grudge over his defeat—on the contrary, he had accepted the loss with admirable grace.
So Jiang Chen's impression of him was not unfavorable.
Even if he chose not to intervene, he would never stoop to kicking a man while he was down.
And so Jiang Chen decided to continue biding his time. He would wait for the Xuan family disciple to fail in his hunt and withdraw of his own accord—then make his move.
Three players, locked in the tableau of mantis stalking the cicada while the oriole watches from behind.
Another day passed.