Gu Qingli pushed her Star-Stepping Technique to its absolute limit.
Never before had she unleashed her full speed like this. Shadows of trees flitted past her eyes in a blur.
Clenching her fists tightly, she reached the vicinity of the Qi Shui River in the Demon Forest in barely half an hour.
Amid the verdant expanse of forest lay a gleaming silver ribbon—the river—its surface sparkling with crystalline brilliance.
But she had no mind to admire the scenery. Though this was but a remote corner of the Demon Forest, its vastness was still formidable.
Steeling herself, Gu Qingli observed carefully. At last, she spotted fresh tracks—evidence of someone passing through today.
Following the trail, she dashed forward, her senses fully alert, her heart growing more anxious with each step.
Memories of her father's unwavering love over the years rose vividly before her eyes, and for the first time, she truly understood what it meant to be burning with worry.
Suddenly, Gu Qingli halted in her tracks.
In the distance, she caught the echo of a beast's enraged roar—a savage, wounded cry filled with fury, betraying the strength and high rank of the creature.
A glimmer of recognition flashed across her eyes. Without hesitation, she bolted toward the sound.
Soon, the metallic stench of blood filled the air, pungent and oppressive. The beast's frenzied howls rang louder now, intertwined with the terrified screams of humans and the chaotic shouts of battle.
Gu Qingli's heart thundered in her chest, as though it might tear free from her ribs. Her feet moved as swiftly as the wind, her fear for her father's safety growing unbearable.
Cresting a ridge, the scene that met her eyes was a vision of carnage. Trees had been felled in swathes, the earth torn open, pitted with craters and strewn with debris.
Corpses lay strewn in grotesque patterns, blood staining the ground. The wounded groaned in agony, some missing limbs, others barely clinging to life. The devastation was chilling.
Gu Qingli's heart turned cold.
Not far ahead, a monstrous beast drenched in blood stood surrounded by dozens of warriors.
One of its eyes had already been destroyed, yet its savagery had not diminished—instead, it seemed ready to fight to the death, wild and unyielding.
"Hold the line! We've already lost too many brothers—this beast must not escape!"
A tall, rugged man raised a gleaming blade, his voice hoarse with grief and fury, eyes bloodshot with desperation.
Gu Qingli's gaze swept the battlefield. Not spotting her father among the fallen, she exhaled a slight breath of relief.
But the next moment, her eyes widened.
There—just behind the beast—stood Gu Zhan, soaked in blood, clearly gravely wounded.
And worse—he was preparing to launch a surprise attack.
Gu Qingli's heart clenched violently.
Though her strength now rivaled her father's, she knew full well that neither of them was a match for this monstrous creature. Yet she could not, would not, allow him to fall.
At least she possessed more ways to survive.
"Everyone, attack! You beast—I'll take you down myself!"
With a furious roar, Sun Jie unleashed his full might. A pale-blue battle aura erupted from his blade, taking the shape of a massive phantom beast that charged the wild wolf with thunderous force.
Around him, the other mercenaries surged forward, casting spells and slashing weapons. Light and energy collided in a blinding storm.
It was clear: if they failed to slay the beast now, none would leave this place alive.
A visible ripple of power exploded from the point of impact, blasting the earth apart. Trees snapped like twigs, a massive crater—dozens of meters wide—carved into the battlefield.
Scorched earth steamed, smoke rising into the air. The devastation was absolute.
Sun Jie was hurled hundreds of meters away, blood spraying from his lips as he crashed violently to the ground.
The rest, weaker still, were flung into the air like broken dolls, their anguished cries filling the forest. Few could even crawl—such was the ferocity of the battle.
But the feral wolf had clearly exhausted its strength in that final strike. Its enormous body collapsed heavily into the crater.
In the same instant, Gu Qingli had already dashed toward Gu Zhan.
But she was still a breath too late.
Gu Zhan's body, like a kite with a severed string, was flung into the distance, vanishing into the depths of the forest.