The team led by Old Man Guangdu arrived at the outskirts of the Nirvana Sacred Ground almost as fast as humanly possible.
Flying ships landed one after another at the perimeter, none venturing too close. Clearly, at this stage, Old Man Guangdu was exercising extreme caution.
He knew that the current situation had already turned somewhat passive on their part. If they weren't careful now, the entire favorable position they'd built might be thrown away in one stroke.
A fall in the pit, a gain in the wit.
"My Lord, it doesn't look like any fierce battle took place here," said a Divine Dao cultivator, gazing at the Nirvana Sacred Ground from afar with a thoughtful expression.
Old Man Guangdu's eyes swept the surroundings like a hawk's, searching for any trace or clue, but the area around the Nirvana Sacred Ground appeared utterly calm. Nothing suspicious at all.
"Weren't the two cultivators Teng and Huang supposed to be here? Where are they? My Lord, shall we send word and ask Lan Tianhao and Xu Yigu to come out and receive you?"
Old Man Guangdu pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Send two of you first to test the waters."
With his permission, two Divine Dao cultivators transformed into streaks of white light and shot toward the Nirvana Sacred Ground, landing outside the defensive formation.
One of them called out in a loud voice: "Fellow Daoist Lan Tianhao, I am Du Zhen, dispatched on orders from Lord Guangdu to make an inquiry. Show yourselves at once!"
From within the formation, a response came before long.
Lan Tianhao and Xu Yigu appeared at the edge of the formation and clasped their fists at the two cultivators who had arrived. "Fellow Daoist Du, it has been a while. I hope all has been well?"
Du Zhen's gaze was deep and penetrating, studying the two men with an air of scrutiny. "Fellow Daoists, you were told that the cultivators Teng and Huang were here. Why can't I see any trace of them?"
Lan Tianhao's tone was even and composed. "Those two claimed to be Fellow Daoists Teng and Huang, but I had no way to verify their identities, and they couldn't provide any evidence to convince me otherwise. So, following Lord Guangdu's instructions to the letter, I held firm and safeguarded the Nirvana Sacred Ground. I did not dare let them in. They left in anger some time ago."
"They left?" Du Zhen's eyes sharpened. "How long ago?"
"No more than two shichen ago, give or take," Lan Tianhao replied after a brief pause.
"Hmph! Couldn't you have stalled them, asked them to wait here for a while?" Du Zhen's tone grew displeased.
At that, Xu Yigu bristled, rolling his eyes. "Fellow Daoist Du, since when is it your place to tell us how to do our jobs? If I recall, Lord Guangdu gave you your own assignment. So why are you here instead? Could it be that you've been slacking on your duties as well?"
Du Zhen flew into a rage. "I came here under Lord Guangdu's direct orders. You're supposed to come out and receive him, and instead you question me?"
"Heh, don't wave a chicken feather and pretend it's a royal decree to scare us. Those two Teng and Huang from before tried the same thing—threatening that if we didn't let them in, they'd lodge a complaint before Lord Guangdu. But we brothers listen only to Lord Guangdu's orders and hold this ground. Unless Lord Guangdu himself arrives in person, no one is getting past us or getting in. No one."
Lan Tianhao's voice was ironclad.
Du Zhen was genuinely taken aback for a moment, then let out a dry laugh. "Fellow Daoist Lan, so what you're saying is you don't trust even me?"
"It's not a matter of trust. My brother and I heard that the main force of the Ten Great Sacred Grounds is heading this way toward the Nirvana Sacred Ground. We're under enormous pressure, but we simply can't tell whether you're the real thing or a decoy. What if the main force of the Ten Great Sacred Grounds sent you to lure us out? If we followed you blindly, wouldn't we be walking straight into a trap?"