Zhou Huan’s eyes were clouded with confusion, yet he was gripped by a foreboding sense that something momentous was about to happen.

Elder Yun stroked his beard. “Zhou Huan, Master Zhou, the two of us old fellows have a favor to ask: we need you to take our granddaughters and leave immediately. Take them to the Dharma Convention. I wonder if Master Zhou can do us this service?”

“Elder, why the sudden urgency? Taking them wouldn’t be an issue, we were just discussing things peaceably. Is this because your old friends have arrived?” As Zhou Huan asked, he suddenly sensed that these two supposed 'old friends' were likely old adversaries. However, given the demeanor of the elders, he couldn't very well ignore strangers who had come calling. He then deliberately turned to Tian Lang. “Brother, you take them to find Bing Yuan and the others first; I’ll follow right after!”

Tian Lang was still completely in the dark, not grasping the true situation. But after a moment’s thought, he felt trusting Zhou Huan’s word was the right course of action, and prepared to lead the two girls away.

The two young women were utterly unwilling to leave, crying out. “Grandpa, Grandma, why must we go? Aren’t they our friends? Why do we have to leave?”

“Alas, let me tell you the truth. If you don’t leave now, it will be too late. Even combining our strength, we would struggle against those two fellows. If we had to protect you as well, our chances of escape would vanish. You must hurry and go, lest you cause us further worry!” The old woman finally spoke plainly.

Little Yun exclaimed at this point, “How can this be? No, we absolutely must stay with you! We cannot abandon you!”

Zhou Huan heard this and his understanding instantly cleared. “Elders, I get it now. Rest assured, these two young ladies are now my sisters, and I will certainly look after them well!”

“Master Zhou, just having your word is enough; our hearts are finally at ease,” said the two elders in unison.

As the people inside were speaking, they heard a burst of wild laughter from outside the room: “Showy Duo, you two old things, you made us search quite hard!”

Upon hearing this, the two elders sat back down inside, letting out a long sigh, and began chatting with apparent ease. “Senior Brother, it seems we truly cannot evade them this time. We never wanted to fight them anyway, which is why we hid ourselves away in this remote place. Now they have finally found us.”

“That’s enough, Junior Sister. Since they have tracked us down, we should go out and meet the challenge. Matters concerning our generation should be resolved by us. Let the younger ones handle their own affairs!” Elder Yun said, then turned to Zhou Huan: “Zhou Huan, take the two girls and leave immediately. We don’t need you here, or we’ll be forced to unleash our power!”

Zhou Huan knew the seniors were trying to intimidate him into making a swift exit with the girls. After some thought, he finally made up his mind. “Seniors, take care of yourselves. Remember to come find us in the Capital once you are done here!”

No sooner had Zhou Huan finished speaking than the courtyard gate was kicked open with tremendous force, the sound resembling the shattering of mountains and earth. The gate posts of the small courtyard were nearly sent flying. At that very moment, the two elders, still speaking to each other, moved toward the entrance.

“Zhou Huan, go out through the window, exit via the small back door, follow the slope down to the river, and hurry! Do not stop for even a moment.” After the elder spoke, the two opened the main door and shouted into the sudden, eerie gust of wind that swept in: “Ghostly Duo of the Underworld, you truly are formidable. You searched for us for nearly twenty years, and still managed to locate us. How have the last few years been treating you?”

Hearing this, Zhou Huan’s own plan solidified, and he made his decision instantly. He and Tian Lang then forcibly pulled the two girls along, covering their mouths to stifle any sound, and crashed out through the window. Once outside the small courtyard, Zhou Huan instructed Tian Lang: “Take them and run toward our outpost, then immediately ascend the mountain. I am fast and will catch up to you later; I fear the elders might need help.”

“Understood, Brother, rest assured, I will deliver them safely.” After saying this, Tian Lang turned back to the two girls. “Listen to your brother and run fast. Your grandparents will be fine; my brother is skilled, do not worry!”

Upon hearing this, the two girls exchanged a look. “Brother Zhou, we entrust them to you. Please, ensure nothing happens to our grandparents, we beg you!” Their words conveyed a profound trust and hope placed entirely in Zhou Huan.

But Tian Lang witnessed this exchange, and an unpleasant feeling, quite sour indeed, stirred within him.

Tian Lang took the two girls and fled swiftly, closing the distance toward Bing Yuan and the others. Zhou Huan, without a word, crept stealthily back into the room, hunkering down beneath the window ledge, using a finger to gently pierce the window paper, peering secretly outside.

He saw that within the small courtyard, besides the Showy Duo, there were two other elders, both entirely white-haired. These two newcomers did not appear benevolent; both were stooped, one leaning on a cane, and the other carrying a chicken!

Zhou Huan found the sight amusing; the things carried by these two arriving elders were certainly curious. Compared to Elder Yun and his sister, they presented a stark contrast—truly a depiction of Yin and Yang, good and evil.

“Showy Duo, you are too much. You hid yourselves here without even letting us know—it’s troublesome! Do we really harbor such deep hatred between us? We only came to find you hoping for one last sparring session. Why did you run away?” This Ghostly Duo member actually sounded rather peculiar, starting the conversation with such words.

Elder Yun let out a great peal of laughter. “You two old things, we hid everywhere from you, and even separated to hide this time, yet you still tracked us down. It seems you’ve put in considerable effort. A pity, we still couldn't evade your pursuit. Truly vexing!”

“You say you’re vexed? We are vexed too! So, what shall we do now?” The Duo feigned contemplation, circling the ground once before suggesting, “Showy Duo, let’s make an arrangement this time. We will simply compete—casualties accepted, whoever survives wins. How about that?”

The old lady finally spoke up. “You two fellows, I really don't know what to say about you. Every time you find us, it’s the same routine! Every time, we let you go, yet you still have the nerve to come here looking for trouble! We are already old; what is there left to fight for?”

“Fight for what? If you don't fight, you won't go to the Dharma Convention. We are going to participate in the convention too. Might as well settle it here with a match! Once the match is decided, we’ll know who goes. We are definitely going, one way or another. Come on, old friends, let’s begin!” The elder leaning on the cane grinned devilishly. The cane suddenly wrapped itself in a string of paper money. With a fire that seemed to materialize from nowhere, the paper money ignited. He stamped his foot, becoming utterly still. As his cane burned brighter and brighter, a plume of black smoke shot out like a sharp sword, flying directly toward Elder Yun’s heart.

Elder Yun, however, remained unruffled. He casually reached out a hand, shifted his body, and retorted, “Old fellow, it’s always the same old tricks. You have the audacity to use such worn-out moves after all this time. Truly embarrassing!”

“Take a good look at your hand, hmph! Don’t you feel that our Nether Force has improved?” the opposing monster sneered, chuckling smugly.

Elder Yun opened his palm. It felt as if tiny needles were pricking him; instantly, a thread of black energy began to slowly swirl across the lines on his palm.

“Senior Brother, they’ve used Nether Qi. It seems they truly mean to fight this to the death,” the old lady said, flicking her finger. A sphere of white gas shot out and struck Elder Yun’s palm, instantly causing the black element in his hand to vanish.

Elder Yun laughed heartily. “You two old fellows don’t need to resort to Nether Qi, do you? It seems you haven't changed much; at most, your basic energy is slightly stronger. In that case, allow me to show you our methods: old moves, new concepts. Watch closely!” As his words faded, Elder Yun gently pushed his palm forward and let out a long breath.

A white, humanoid phantom soared outward, slamming a powerful strike toward the cane-wielding monster. The monster thrust his cane forward to block it. With a heavy chop, Elder Yun’s phantom split in two, transforming from a single palm strike into a double impact that smashed squarely onto the monster’s shoulders. Yet, the monster didn't budge, smiling faintly. “Old fellow, your power has waned considerably compared to before. Let’s get down to some serious fighting, shall we?”