Book 3 Chapter 18 – Eden’s Secrets

　　Li Yiming tried to conceal his astonishment from the battle that unfolded before his eyes, especially when he saw Li Huaibei holding the power to destroy the city at his will. 'Wow, so I meet a random person on the train and he turns out to be this strong? I wouldn't think that this weird bird is any weaker than the phoenix back in Ning Village, and it got simply… handled by him.' He was still sunken into his thoughts and mumbling when the chilling feeling of a blade pressed against his neck derailed his thoughts.

　　"Li Yiming?" Li Huaibei was very curious at discovering the ident.i.ty of his target. He knew that the barrier he had cast was impenetrable to anyone below his own level. 'So, this kid is level seven?'

　　"Ah, uh, Mr. Li." Li Yiming hesitated. They had enjoyed each other's company when they first met, but it was a different story when they were inside a domain.

　　"Why are you here?" Li Huaibei asked with a glacial voice as he stared at Li Yiming coldly.

　　"I, I saw that there were guardians fighting, and I just wanted to have a look."

　　"You came from outside?"

　　"Yeah, I saw that blue barrier, so I was curious and I came in just to see," Li Yiming answered truthfully. He would not dare hide anything, especially now of all time.

　　"Wait, you're saying that you traversed my barrier?" Li Huaibei moved his sword away from Li Yiming's neck, but still kept it unsheathed. 'Odd, if he was inside in the first place, it wouldn't be that hard to escape being sensed. But coming in after I put down my barrier… Unless he's a level above me, he wouldn't be able to. To become a sage at level seven and a G.o.d at level nine. He… he's a level eight lord?'

　　"What's your highest heavenly vein level?"

　　"Level four," Li Yiming answered truthfully again, but he did not mention that he had reached level three for everything else as well.

　　Li Huaibei frowned and suddenly wrapped his fingers around Li Yiming's wrist. 'I can't sense the strength of his vein, but there's no doubt, from the strength of his limbs. Then how? Unless…'

　　A thought suddenly occurred to Li Huaibei and his eyes lit up. "You've met Mr. Kong, right?" He asked once more.

　　"Yes," Li Yiming was perplexed. 'Hasn't he asked me about that already? But I guess I don't have much of a choice now. There's no sword on my neck, but I wouldn't think that I'd be able to escape from him.'

　　"So it's true, you're just like him." Li Huaibei suddenly laughed wholeheartedly.

　　"Just like who? Him?" Li Yiming was puzzled.

　　"Mr. Kong! You're just like him!" Li Huaibei answered excitedly.

　　"What? Me, the same as him? What do you mean?" Li Yiming remembered the frowzy man who didn't seem to have much interest in anything, the same man who, with elegant movements and utter composure, stopped the apocalyptic attack of the phoenix. 'I'm the same… as him?'

　　"I can't say," Li Huaibei said with a smile.

　　'Are you serious? The same thing every time? A charade when it really matters?'

　　"It's not that I don't want to say it, it's that you won't be able to hear it even if I did," Li Huaibei noticed Li Yiming's disappointment and explained.

　　"I won't be able to hear?"

　　"You're just like Mr. Kong…" Li Yiming listened carefully, but when Li Huaibei arrived at the crucial part, he suddenly stopped. It seemed as if the time-flow of the domain had skipped forward just enough to prevent Li Yiming from hearing anything useful, like watching a video with a bad internet connection.

　　"That's what I mean. Do you get it now?" Li Huaibei said with a smile.

　　"That's it?" Li Yiming was a little disappointed.

　　"You know, instead of saying that you won't be able to hear it, I think that it's more accurate to say that I won't be able to say it." Li Huaibei sighed.