The Five Friends of the Ghost Den had already cultivated the image of villains, causing most loose cultivators to give them a wide berth and keep their distance.
Now that Jiang Chen had proven himself even fiercer and more overbearing than them, the deterrent force he projected over the scene went without saying.
Many loose cultivators' gazes toward Jiang Chen became cowed. Even when they dared to look, they only stole glances from the corners of their eyes, terrified that their gaze might be interpreted as some unfriendly signal by this fierce young powerhouse.
Jiang Chen, for his part, did not let the defeat of the Ghost Den Five go to his head. He calmly called Huang'er over and sat down in the territory the Five Friends had been occupying.
It had to be said, the area the Ghost Den Five had staked out was quite spacious. Jiang Chen found it rather pleasant — he had enough room, and no one would come to disturb them.
From here, the entrance sealed by the restriction was only a kilometer or two away. With Jiang Chen's divine sense, he could observe the gap in the restriction with great precision.
After examining it carefully for a while, Jiang Chen finally identified where the gap lay. At first glance, it looked no different from the rest.
But upon closer inspection, he could detect that the flow of spiritual energy in the restriction at that particular point was just slightly slower.
It was like a chain with one link that didn't move quite as smoothly, causing the entire flow of spiritual energy in the restriction to stutter by half a beat when it reached that link.
After studying it for a while, Jiang Chen developed a rough sense of the pattern. At this rate, the restriction would need at least another day or two before a gap large enough for someone to slip through appeared.
Having finished observing the restriction, Jiang Chen calmed his mind and turned to survey the surrounding terrain.
He had originally assumed that the position occupied by the Ghost Den Five was already quite good, but upon closer examination, he realized that was not the case at all.
Their spot appeared close to the entrance, but in reality it sat directly in the line of fire — a position any tactician would consider critical. If the restriction were to erupt or discharge energy, the Ghost Den Five's location would bear the brunt of it.
Looking around at the loose cultivators scattered across the area, some of them occupied positions that seemed remote but were actually far more advantageous. Once the gap opened, the frontal approach would inevitably become congested.
Securing a position on either flank might offer a much better tactical edge.
Jiang Chen took in the overall layout and quickly formed a rough plan.
"The Ghost Den Five were all bluster and roar, but it was clear they weren't the sharpest tools in the shed. The truly clever ones were all hiding in the shadows — expressionless, drawing no attention, always ready to play the fool while preparing to strike like a tiger."
Jiang Chen probed a little deeper with his divine sense and felt a quiet jolt of surprise.
Compared to some of the loose cultivators on the periphery, the Ghost Den Five might have had a slight edge. But against those who concealed their true strength and kept so low-profile that nobody even noticed them, the Ghost Den Five were laughably outmatched — no better than fools.
"No wonder nobody bothered to contest this position when the Ghost Den Five claimed it. First, it's directly facing the restriction — ground zero if anything goes wrong. Second, it's the kind of spot everyone wants, which makes you a target for everyone. With the brains the Ghost Den Five had, it's actually impressive they've survived this long."
Jiang Chen mused to himself but had no intention of relocating. Since he had already drawn attention by driving off the Ghost Den Five so spectacularly, in the eyes of the clever people here, he was probably nothing more than a slightly stronger brute — a thug who happened to be more powerful than the last batch of thugs.
Jiang Chen had no desire to correct anyone's assumptions. The more people overlooked him, the more they underestimated him, the better it served his purposes for this expedition.
If everyone here were cut from the same cloth as the Ghost Den Five, there would be nothing to worry about. But those concealing their strength were clearly a different breed entirely — some of them were powerful to a frightening degree.
That such formidable individuals were hiding their capabilities meant the situation here was extremely delicate. No one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out.
Keeping a low profile was evidently the guiding principle many here lived by.
But Jiang Chen had no plans to change his own style. He deliberately struck a posture that screamed, "I'm the strongest here, and nobody better mess with me."
Huang'er was remarkably perceptive. By now, she and Jiang Chen could communicate their intentions with a single glance or the subtlest of gestures, each understanding the other's thoughts perfectly.
Seeing Jiang Chen's act, she knew immediately that he was deliberately appearing weaker than he was — showing his enemy a false front.
Before long, a voice drifted over from the left side: "Friend, might I have a word?"
Jiang Chen's ear twitched. He had already pinpointed the source of the voice.
He turned to look and saw a loose cultivator who appeared relatively young, smiling at him faintly, eyes brimming with an almost desperate eagerness to communicate.
When Jiang Chen looked his way, the man transmitted his voice again: "I swear on the heavens — I mean no harm."
Jiang Chen studied the man for a few moments, confirming that nothing suspicious lurked behind his eyes, and gave a slight nod. "Come here, then."
The man held both hands up at chest height, moving with exaggerated care, as though he didn't want to startle anyone — as though he didn't even want to disturb the ants beneath the ground.
Judging by his cautious demeanor, this was clearly a cultivator who took extreme care in everything he did.
Once he entered Jiang Chen's territory, the man raised his hands even higher, afraid of giving the wrong impression, a hint of nervous respect on his face. "Greetings, friend. Allow me to introduce myself — my name is Lin Yanyu."
"Mm. Sit down."
Jiang Chen nodded casually, glancing at the young loose cultivator before adding, "Drop the sneaking act. If you have something to say, just say it."
Lin Yanyu nodded repeatedly, wearing an apologetic smile. "Might I ask your honorable name?"