137: It looks better when you're not good at getting plastic surgery.

"Hoo..." A sigh, filled with astonishment and exhaustion, broke the deathly silence.

Li Chen was the first to recover from his extreme shock. He suppressed his roiling Qi and blood, flashed before Yao Delong in an instant, and bowed solemnly with hands cupped, his voice filled with sincere admiration:

"Fellow Daoist! Today, I have truly had my eyes opened! A violent Rank 6 Great Yao Beast, actually slain by you in such a crushing manner! With such strength, I admire you to the utmost!"

Li Chen had originally thought this person was merely a Cultivator at the Middle Golden Core Stage. While he might not be able to turn defeat into victory, he could at least cover the merchant caravan's rapid retreat.

Yao Delong casually performed a sword flourish and sheathed his golden crow setting sun sword, his movements as smooth as flowing water.

The ordinary face brought about by the disguise mask remained, but in the eyes of everyone present, it seemed as if it were now shrouded in an unfathomable halo.

He returned the salute slightly, his tone calm:

"Brother Li, you overpraise me. If not for Brother Li holding the front and your fierce saber techniques, forcing that beast to reveal its weakness, This Yao would have found it difficult to seize the opportunity. You deserve half the credit for this battle."

Li Chen smiled bitterly in his heart at these words.

He naturally understood that he was only able to "attack freely" because of Yao Delong's miraculous teleportation that blinded the Yao Beast King's left eye, followed by that exquisite and unbreakable Great Five Elements Sword Formation!

If not for Yao Delong trapping and severely injuring the Yao Beast King, with his own strength alone, facing the violent Purple Scaled Poison Lizard King, he would have had no choice but to retreat.

'Middle Golden Core Stage... to actually kill a Peak Rank 6 Yao Beast by crossing two minor Realms! Although there was a brief boost from a Medicinal Pill, such combat power is simply shocking! Who on earth is he?'

Li Chen's gaze involuntarily fell upon Yao Delong once more, filled with curiosity.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck his mind. The terrifying Sword Intent Yao Delong used when killing the Yao Beast King at the very end—shining like a great sun, extremely Yang and rigid—gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

"Fellow Daoist," Li Chen said tentatively, his gaze burning, "Forgive me for being presumptuous, but may I ask your name?"

"Yao Delong." Yao Delong answered calmly, though his heart stirred. Could this Li Chen have figured something out?

"Yao Delong..." Li Chen silently repeated it once, then his eyes lit up, and he asked with a tone of partial confirmation: "The sword art Fellow Daoist used just now to slay the Yao Beast King, shining like the sun, extremely Yang and rigid—could it be... the Pure Yang Sword Art?"

Yao Delong raised his eyebrows almost imperceptibly. This Li Chen was indeed knowledgeable, actually being able to recognize the Pure Yang Sword Art!

He nodded calmly: "Brother Li has a sharp eye; it is indeed the Pure Yang Sword Art."

Upon receiving confirmation, a look of realization appeared on Li Chen's face, followed by even deeper astonishment:

"It really is! Several years ago, I collaborated on a mission with an Inner Sect Core Disciple from your honorable Sect. That Senior Brother also used the Pure Yang Sword Art, and its power was astonishing, leaving a deep impression on me. That is why when I saw you use it just now, I felt the aura was familiar, but..."

He paused, his tone filled with unconcealable shock, "The Pure Yang Sword Art you displayed, its might and the purity of its Sword Intent, are simply... simply like a star compared to the bright moon; they are far beyond what I saw back then!"

A stormy sea churned in his heart. An Inner Sect Core Disciple of the Yin Yang Sect would at least be at the Golden Core Stage or even at the Perfection Realm. Using the Sect's ultimate technique, the Pure Yang Sword Art, its power would naturally be extraordinary.

Yet, this Fellow Daoist who called himself Yao Delong, with Middle Golden Core Stage cultivation—even if briefly boosted by an origin breaking pill, his Foundation was still at the Middle Stage—had displayed a Pure Yang Sword Art whose power far exceeded that of that Core Senior Brother!

This could only mean that this person's comprehension of the Pure Yang Sword Art and his control over the Power of Pure Yang had reached an unimaginable Realm!

Seeing that his identity had been exposed, Yao Delong no longer deliberately concealed it and answered frankly: "Brother Li, your Wisdom Eye is like a torch. This Yao is indeed a Disciple of the Yin Yang Sect. I came down the mountain this time because I accepted a Sect mission and need to go to Canglan City."

He casually made up a mission, but going to Canglan City was his true objective.

"So that's how it is!" Li Chen said with newfound respect, "The Yin Yang Sect is truly worthy of being a prestigious Sect, to have a Disciple as talented and brilliant as Fellow Daoist Yao! I am also here on a mission entrusted by my Sect, to escort the White Horse Merchant Guild through the Heavenly Demon Mountain Range. To have met Fellow Daoist Yao today is truly a stroke of good fortune!"

In his heart, he had already raised Yao Delong's status to be on par with his own, or perhaps even higher.

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before Li Chen pointed to the massive, headless Yao Beast corpse in the giant crater and said: "Fellow Daoist Yao, this beast was slain by you. Its carcass Materials are of great value, so please accept them."

Yao Delong did not act coy and nodded: "Then This Yao shall not be modest."

He raised his hand and waved; a streak of spiritual light swept over, and the massive corpse of the Purple Scaled Poison Lizard King instantly vanished, having been collected into his storage ring.

The Materials of a Rank 6 Yao Beast King, whether its scales, bones, Yao Beast core, or the highly poisonous horn, were all rare treasures.

"Captain Ma!" Li Chen turned his head and instructed Ma Lei, who was still in a daze on the side, "Quickly take your men to clear the battlefield and treat the wounded! We should not stay here long; reorganize and set off as soon as possible!"

"Yes! Yes! Fellow Daoist Li! Senior Yao!" Ma Lei snapped out of his dream. His gaze toward Yao Delong was filled with awe, and he even subconsciously added "Senior" to his address, hurriedly shouting for the guards to spring into action.

Yao Delong then walked toward the corner where Xin Yuelan was located.

The Demoness was currently slightly bowing her head, seemingly lost in thought, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. Clearly, she was still digesting the shocking scene from just moments ago and calculating how to pass the intelligence on.

"Hey," Yao Delong walked up to her, carrying his usual teasing tone. "What? Were you so mesmerized by my heroic appearance just now that you've lost your wits? Can't even walk anymore?"

Xin Yuelan raised her head abruptly, glared fiercely at him from beneath her mask, and snorted coldly: "Hmph! Stop gilding your own lily!"

However, looking at this ordinary face after the disguise, and then thinking of his true face, which was refined yet carried a hint of heroic spirit, she inexplicably let a whisper slip out uncontrollably: "...It still looks better when you aren't disguised..."

As the words left her mouth, Xin Yuelan herself was stunned, and two clouds of red instantly flew onto her cheeks beneath the mask.

'What am I saying?!' Alarm bells rang in her heart, and a strong sense of shame and panic welled up. 'He is a Disciple of the Yin Yang Sect! He is the enemy who abducted me! He is the future great enemy of the Demon Sect! The Righteous and Demonic paths cannot coexist! How could I... how could I...' She turned around abruptly, facing away from Yao Delong, feeling her heart beating like a drum.

She cursed herself for the slip of the tongue, while simultaneously strengthening her resolve to pass on the message as soon as possible.

Yao Delong was also slightly stunned by her sudden remark. Looks better when not disguised? He subconsciously touched his disguised face, looked at the Demoness's slightly flustered back, and a thoughtful, playful glint flashed in his eyes, but he said nothing more.

The merchant caravan quickly finished clearing the battlefield, collected the remains of the fallen, and treated the wounded. After a night of bloody battle, although the losses were not small, they had successfully repelled the beast tide and slain a Rank 6 Yao Beast King, so their morale had actually risen quite a bit. At this moment, the sky was already beginning to brighten, with the first light of dawn faintly appearing.