The bizarre sensation vanished as quickly as it had arrived, a mere blink of an eye.

Jun Mo Xie subtly lowered his head, but inside his mind, he was rapidly replaying the entire sequence.

The pedestrians who had passed by were instantly replayed in his memory, thanks to his prodigious recall, cross-referencing them one by one with the people currently on the street!

The process wasn't long; the farthest anyone had walked was barely a hundred feet away! Although there were many people, the total count was less than a thousand! For such a density, that was still quite substantial!

Yet, under Jun Mo Xie’s marvelous Divine Sense probing, every single one of them appeared with perfect clarity. After a sweeping, lantern-slide examination, Jun Mo Xie locked onto seven individuals! Only these seven!

These seven were the ones who had just entered the hundred-foot radius of his Divine Sense detection!

After a final round of elimination, Jun Mo Xie finally turned slightly, slowly retracing his steps. Ahead of him, a youth in black walked at an unhurried, measured pace. His right leg seemed to drag slightly, his face devoid of expression, eyes cloudy, eyelids swollen, gaze perpetually dropped toward his own feet, his steps unsteady—he looked utterly frail, as if a slight breeze could knock him over...

But Jun Mo Xie instinctively felt that this man was definitely the problem!

Because Jun Mo Xie faintly perceived a trace of something sinister!

This sinister feeling was unfamiliar, yet carried a strange, inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Moreover, there was an element within it that caused even Jun Mo Xie a degree of strange apprehension...

If this man were a true expert, he must have already reached the profound realm of fully internalizing his Divine Sense, returning to simplicity—Fan Pu Gui Zhen!

A state of being Jun Mo Xie had not even felt in the presence of the Saint Emperors!

Jun Mo Xie’s Divine Sense informed him that the direction this man was heading led precisely toward the weakest nexus point in the Divine Sense net woven by the experts of the Three Great Sacred Lands! As the man’s steps deviated slightly, this feeling grew ever more distinct.

The senses of the experts from the Three Great Sacred Lands enveloped every soul in the city, yet they had somehow entirely bypassed this individual. Because, during every sweep of their Divine Sense, this man had preemptively evaded detection...

Clearly, this man also projected his own Divine Sense to scout his surroundings, using his own ultimate conclusions to determine his path and bearing. Most bizarrely, despite several Saint Emperors being stationed nearby, the Three Great Sacred Lands had failed to notice him!

Even the current Jun Mo Xie could not achieve such a feat!

Indeed, if not for that momentary flash of clarity just now, even Jun Mo Xie might not have detected this man's spiritual fluctuations!

This man appeared leisurely and unremarkable in his movements, but Jun Mo Xie sharply perceived that every single pore on his body was in its most relaxed state! His current gait was the least taxing, the easiest way to move. Every gesture, every subtle motion, though seemingly ordinary, subtly aligned with some profound, arcane principle in Jun Mo Xie's eyes...

Glancing at the back of the black-clad man, Jun Mo Xie’s lips curled, revealing a faint, enigmatic smile... Could it be... him?

Just as Young Master Jun experienced a sudden spark of insight, vaguely discerning the mysterious man’s identity, the black-clad man abruptly halted his stride, slowly turning to face Jun Mo Xie. A strange smile seemed to bloom in his eyes as he slowly drawled, "You've been tailing this Young Master this whole way, lad. Are you perhaps inviting me for a drink?"

Jun Mo Xie paused slightly, a thought flashing through his mind, "Why not? Fate has brought us together; a drink is nothing... I'll treat, of course, but I seem to have left my silver behind. You cover it now, and I'll repay you later."

Trying to take advantage of your Brother Jun? You misjudged my intentions entirely! Though if you pay for the drinks and I take the credit, that could work out nicely!

"We truly are fated; what a coincidence," the black-clad man shrugged, "I also neglected to bring my silver." He then looked at Jun Mo Xie with a look of genuine curiosity, "I wonder if one can get wine without any silver?"

Jun Mo Xie mimicked his shrug, "Shall we... try? Perhaps we can get that drink!"

"Interesting, very interesting..." The black-clad man chuckled, his gaze resting calmly on Jun Mo Xie, "Try... let's try."

"Since neither of us has silver, and you suggested I treat you to a drink, then this meal will be my treat after all. Please!" Jun Mo Xie declared magnanimously, gesturing forward.

"So, one can still play host without silver... the world has certainly changed," the black-clad man shook his head with a touch of melancholy.

The two walked side-by-side, strolling forward toward their destination: the Dan Guan Tower.

Young Master Jun was revisiting an old haunt.

Though they were walking virtually shoulder-to-shoulder, moving in perfect parallel, appearing calm and harmonious on the surface, every single movement they made was part of a strange dance of advance and retreat.

When Jun Mo Xie took a step forward, the black-clad man waited until Jun Mo Xie’s foot was already lifted before moving his own foot in the same direction. The black-clad man was positioned to Jun Mo Xie’s right, but with every step, Jun Mo Xie’s right shoulder would intentionally or unintentionally pull back slightly.

His feet moved forward, but his shoulder twisted back—this posture was undeniably bizarre! It was as if an invisible thread were yanking him from behind, yet he insisted on moving forward.

The black-clad man’s movements were the exact opposite: every time Jun Mo Xie stepped, the black-clad man’s foot was still lifted; yet this man's shoulders subtly exhibited a tendency to lean forward. Fortunately, they weren't moving fast, or it would look as if he were simply charging blindly ahead. It was exceptionally awkward.

Both men held these peculiar stances; it was certain that if they maintained these postures while sprinting at full speed, Jun Mo Xie would twist himself into a human pretzel, and simultaneously, the black-clad man would crash face-first into the ground for a passionate kiss with the earth!

Yet, both maintained these strange postures while managing to keep up a light, witty conversation, appearing utterly at ease.

Every time their gazes flickered sideways, the other party would generally shift that corresponding body part half a step forward or back before their peripheral vision could properly register the intended target!

By the time they reached the entrance of the Dan Guan Tower, the two seemingly relaxed figures both had beads of crystal sweat forming on their foreheads!

This short distance of barely ten yards had seen them engage in hundreds of hidden clashes! Nearly every lift of the foot, every swing of the hand, every stride, every placement of the sole was accompanied by a confrontation! The expenditure of mental focus was staggering, nearly rivaling that of a fierce battle!

Although Jun Mo Xie consistently held the advantage of initiating the step first, his body’s center of gravity never dared to settle fully, meaning he could hardly claim the upper hand, let alone an advantage.

For Jun Mo Xie, this inexplicable and bizarre battle formation was a terrifying development he had never encountered in all his past or present lives! The Young Master never imagined that someone in this world could match the speed of reaction he possessed after cultivating the Kai Tian Zao Hua Gong, showing absolutely no sign of being disadvantaged! Even if he raised an eyebrow or flicked an eyeball, the black-clad man would instantly adopt the most suitable countermeasure, positioning himself defensively precisely where Jun Mo Xie was calculating his highest impact attack!

Having grasped the man's identity, Young Master Jun couldn't help but feel a deep sense of awe: "Fame rarely misrepresents the substance of the person." Because he was acutely aware of the massive advantage he held—this man, currently matching him evenly, was suffering from grievous wounds, his strength nearly depleted! Moreover, this injury was a mortal trauma that would have killed an ordinary person a hundred times over!

Yet, under such circumstances, he could still silently hold Jun Mo Xie in check!

I have been incredibly fortunate today!

While the black-clad man’s movement appeared passive, he was, in reality, maintaining absolute control. The only minuscule flaw throughout the process was yielding the initiative to Young Master Jun at the very beginning, but because he was consistently reacting to Jun Mo Xie’s lead, he never managed to seize it back.

Though not losing ground, he remained in a seemingly passive, defensive posture in the overall situation! Even though the exchange remained dead even up to this point, for the arrogant, high-and-mighty black-clad man who held everyone in contempt, this was nothing short of a profound humiliation!

He was actually being dictated by a mere junior, forced to lead him the entire way! Every time he attempted to step ahead, he was subtly harassed by the other's raised head or eyebrow. And if he tried to forcefully break the lead, he would inevitably pay a significant price!

Damn it, I haven't emerged in centuries, have the profound arts in this world progressed so astonishingly? Can such a whippersnapper actually be this monstrous?

Bah, calling him a whippersnapper is generous; this person before me is clearly just a snot-nosed brat, yet this brat has achieved such a marvelous state—where his soul, his spiritual sense, and his reaction time are all integrated, moving fluidly while fending off attacks from all directions!

The heavens' blood prison has no eyes to see, The dark sea of hatred turns away with a faint sigh! This body transforms into Heaven and Earth combined, This heart, exquisitely clear, wanders free at will!

This was a realm he himself had spent several hundred years cultivating to reach in his prime!

If this world held several more such freaks, how could he possibly survive? This is too insane?!

This short stretch of a few dozen feet had been a silent confrontation, employing not a speck of profound energy or brute force, yet the danger inherent in it was enough to shake the soul! If this were a real fight where their power levels were equal, either one of them would likely have died hundreds of times over!

There is an old saying: "Listen for the thunder in the silence." This secret struggle perfectly encapsulated the true meaning of that phrase, perhaps even surpassing it! Even a sudden clap of thunder in the deepest quiet could not compare to the shock of this silent, unseen confrontation!

Though the contest was fierce, the journey eventually ended. The instant they stepped into the Dan Guan Tower, the clash concluded. Each man had reservations, avoiding further entanglement. They found an empty table on the first floor and sat facing each other. The black-clad man’s face remained expressionless as before, but a visible patch of his back clothing was soaked with sweat; the preceding struggle, though brief, had consumed immense mental energy.

Young Master Jun was in worse shape; he clutched his waist, rubbing it inelegantly. Having held his torso stiffly throughout the walk, he felt as if his lumbar muscles were nearly strained. If the walk had been even slightly longer, continuing in that fashion would certainly not have been uncommon to result in a chronic slipped disc!