197: The astonishment of the two gods

The cold wind, carrying snowflakes like countless tiny blades, scoured every inch of the Extreme Cold Forbidden Zone.

Xie Shengtian's gray robe flapped in the wind, but he was oblivious, his gaze seemingly piercing through the heavy snow, fixed on the Void Realm shrouded by a lead-gray sky.

Occasionally, he would slowly turn his head, his sight cast towards the ceaselessly churning Devilish Qi in the depths of the Forbidden Zone.

A faint, almost imperceptible cold smile played on his lips; it wasn't disdain, but a composure born of having everything under control.

For ordinary Immortals, this place was a desperate land of depleted Immortal spiritual power and chaotic Dao principles;

But for Xie Shengtian, this bone-chilling cold was merely a natural forge to temper East-slaying Feather.

As for Wuheng Mountain, where Devilish Qi surged... that was a spatial supreme treasure he had personally refined, specifically to create an absolutely quiet Cultivation Secret Realm for East-slaying Feather.

"Whoosh..."

The wind suddenly intensified, and the lead-gray sky was violently torn apart like tattered cloth.

Two figures stepped out from the Void Realm crack, silently landing on the accumulated snow at the edge of the Forbidden Zone, without making a sound.

The newcomers were Yi Tianguang and Chu Daoren. As they landed together, their gazes immediately locked onto the Gray-robed Old Man standing with his hands behind his back in the snow.

"Xie Shengtian? You... you also stepped into the Dao Exhaustion Realm?"

Yi Tianguang's exclamation burst out, his voice trembling with disbelief.

Chu Daoren's pupils constricted, and he followed closely, saying, "You... could you be that mysterious Dao Exhaustion Realm mentioned by King Qin the Slaughterer?"

While they appeared astonished, a monstrous wave had already risen in their hearts.

Then, they thought of the mysterious Dao Exhaustion Existence mentioned by King Qin the Slaughterer, perhaps it was Xie Shengtian standing before them.

Their loss of composure was not to be blamed, as the whereabouts of the Son of the Great Dao were first discovered by King Qin the Slaughterer.

They had only recently heard from King Qin the Slaughterer in the Dao Source Palace that the Son of the Great Dao was in the Extreme Cold Forbidden Zone.

After their conversation in the Dao Source Palace concluded, they decided to come to the Extreme Cold Forbidden Zone to investigate the situation.

They just hadn't expected to meet Xie Shengtian of the Nine Heavens Demon Domain here, which was truly somewhat surprising.

Yi Tianguang and Chu Daoren quickly exchanged glances, both seeing deep worry in each other's eyes.

They were not meeting Xie Shengtian for the first time; in the ancient era Above the Nine Heavens, they had clashed several times, with more losses than victories.

Xie Shengtian was not only powerful, but his schemes were also unfathomable, cunning as a fox.

The original plan was to assist the Son of the Great Dao in achieving Dao Exhaustion.

Then, at the critical moment when the Son of the Great Dao drained the Hongmeng Sea, they would launch a fatal strike from behind.

Now, facing such a difficult character as Xie Shengtian,

A strong sense of unease immediately welled up in their hearts, as if every step might lead them into a trap set by the other party.

They tried hard to maintain their composure, but subtle facial twitches and slightly stiff postures betrayed the turmoil within.

"Heh heh, if two Heavenly Gods can step into the Dao Exhaustion Realm, should this old man just stop making progress?"

Xie Shengtian responded with a chuckle, his tone sounding peaceful, even carrying a hint of casualness like old friends reuniting.

He knew the necessity of collaborating with the Myriad Worlds Alliance; only by leveraging their resources could East-slaying Feather be pushed to the Peak of Dao Exhaustion at the fastest speed.

At this moment, it was not appropriate to appear too cold or distant.

However, Xie Shengtian's cloudy old eyes, though seemingly full of smiles, were actually as sharp as an eagle's.

He keenly caught the unnatural flicker in Yi Tianguang and Chu Daoren's expressions when they gave a forced smile.

Although that slight abnormality was minuscule, almost instantly covered by their awkward smiles, he still stared intently at the two of them.

"We... we didn't mean that!"

"We were just curious if the Son of the Great Dao was as mysterious as rumored, so we came to see!"

"And we were also surprised that you would appear here, and as the Revered Master of the Son of the Great Dao."

Chu Daoren explained, his voice slightly more hurried than usual.

A snake of doubt silently coiled around Xie Shengtian's heart.

He remained outwardly calm, but his mind had already begun to rapidly deduce:

Were these two truly just curious to come and peek at the Son of the Great Dao?

Or... did they have another agenda?

King Qin the Slaughterer had clearly stated his intention to cooperate, and their appearance here as allies at this moment seemed a bit delicate.

All sorts of possibilities flashed through his mind. Xie Shengtian's Divine Sense, like an invisible spiderweb, silently spread out.

He began to meticulously probe every subtle fluctuation of Qi and every emotional change in the two individuals before him.

At the same time, he secretly activated his deduction techniques, attempting to extract clues about their intentions from the River of Time.

"Heh, what's there to be surprised about!"

"The Nine Heavens Divine Domain and Shanqiong Cave, two forbidden forces, are both eager to create new Realms. Why can't this venerable one forge a new path?"

Xie Shengtian scoffed, taking the opportunity to probe with his words.

This left Yi Tianguang and Chu Daoren momentarily speechless, unable to respond.

The wind and snow seemed to intensify at this moment, blowing between the three, and the swirling snowflakes appeared to freeze in the air, creating a subtle and tense atmosphere.

Xie Shengtian said no more, instead immersing most of his attention in deep deduction.

His Divine Sense transformed into countless invisible tendrils, gently touching the Dao principles and Qi circulating around Yi Tianguang and Chu Daoren.

He sensed the frequency of their heartbeats, the subtle sounds of blood flowing, and even the most hidden ripples in the depths of their Divine Souls.

Xie Shengtian's deduction was not limited to the current conversation; he also traced every action of Yi Tianguang and Chu Daoren since they left the Dao Source Palace.

This was an extremely mentally taxing investigation, aiming to not miss any inconsistencies.

Yi Tianguang and Chu Daoren were not weak, and naturally sensed the faint probing power.

They immediately reined in their minds.

Yi Tianguang secretly visualized "Still Heart Dao Markings" in his Sea of Consciousness, suppressing all distracting thoughts;

Chu Daoren, meanwhile, silently performed the "Return to One Secret Art," making his emotions as calm as an ancient well.

They both tried to maintain a perfectly nuanced expression of surprise, mixed with a hint of awkwardness.

They even maintained the basic respect due to fellow Dao Exhaustion Existences; this complex emotional management was almost perfect.

After several long, suffocating breaths... Xie Shengtian slowly opened his narrowed eyes, and the last gleam of light in their depths also receded.

In his perception and deduction results,

Yi Tianguang and Chu Daoren, apart from the reasonable emotional fluctuations caused by their sudden encounter with him,

Their Qi was stable, their Dao Hearts clear, and no malice or killing intent targeting him or East-slaying Feather emerged.

Heavenly Secret deduction also showed that the Karma lines between the two and this place were simple and clear, with no hidden conspiracy branches.

"It seems this venerable one was overly cautious."

Xie Shengtian murmured softly. Perhaps Yi Tianguang and Chu Daoren truly came out of curiosity about the Son of the Great Dao.

After all, the mere existence of East-slaying Feather was enough to pique the interest of any Dao Exhaustion Realm.

Then, he broke the silence, extending an invitation, his voice returning to its previous peaceful tone:

"Since King Qin the Slaughterer has agreed to join forces, your timing is unfortunate; my disciple is at a critical juncture in his closed-door Cultivation."

"Why don't the two of you accompany this venerable one to the River of Time to hunt the Transcendence Beings within it, and gather more Cultivation Origin for him?"

"By the time we return, he should have emerged from seclusion. It will not be too late to meet then."

With that, Xie Shengtian said no more, standing silently in the wind and snow.