Zhang Wen did not turn back to look at Gu Heng even once. His aged body was already too frail to move, yet he still forced his fingers to rise slowly and touch his spatial ring. A faint metallic sound rang out as a single banana was taken out. The bright yellow peel contrasted sharply with the deep red stains, and it was emitting a strange, indescribable aura.
Gu Heng frowned. A flicker of surprise surfaced in his heart, but that hesitation lasted only for a single breath. He raised a finger and pointed toward Zhang Wen. Semi-Emperor aura rapidly gathered at his fingertip, and the killing intent he released caused the surrounding space to twist.
But before that power could be unleashed, a sharp, short cry echoed from the void.
"Chik chik. What are you humans doing here?"
Gu Heng froze and turned his head toward the sound. In that instant, a monkey as tall as he was appeared before him, clad in gleaming golden armor. The semi-Emperor aura radiating from its body was dense and overwhelming, so powerful that even Gu Heng himself felt inferior. Its golden eyes glinted as it stared at the human before it with open hostility.
At that same moment, at the tip of Zhang Wen's finger, a tiny spatial gate quietly opened. A faint blue light flickered, like his final breath.
Gu Heng sensed Zhang Wen's action and moved immediately, releasing a wave of power without the slightest hesitation. The attack surged toward Zhang Wen with brutal force, but the golden monkey stepped forward in a flash to block it. Golden armor collided with semi-Emperor aura, producing a deafening roar that slowed Gu Heng's attack just enough. In the next instant, the golden monkey snatched the banana from Zhang Wen's hand and leapt backward several steps.
It cared only about the banana and showed no concern whatsoever for Zhang Wen's life. Gu Heng's remaining wave of power pierced through Zhang Wen's body, shattering it completely into fragments of flesh, blood, and flowing water that scattered through the air. Yet amid that destruction, a single drop of water slipped through the tiny spatial gate by the narrowest margin.
Gu Heng's eyes narrowed. He lunged toward the source of the teleportation without hesitation, his speed tearing at the fabric of space itself. But at that same instant, a vast cloud of poison erupted from Zhang Wen's shattered remains. The stench of blood mixed with poison spread wildly, so intense that even the golden monkey retreated several steps with a wary expression.
Gu Heng did not bother to stop. He forced his way straight into the poisonous haze with all the power he had. In his mind, Zhang Wen could be allowed to die peacefully only after Zhang Lin had been secured. What he absolutely could not allow was for this man to be given even the slightest chance to grow. Even though Zhang Wen's current condition meant that, without help from the Gu Clan, he was already stepping into hell with both feet.
But in that very instant
The corpses of the nineteen Saints that Zhang Wen had devoured earlier began to swell simultaneously. Jet black runic markings erupted across their bodies, and then they detonated together in a violent chain reaction.
Boom Boom Boom Boom
The overlapping explosions merged into an overwhelming wave. The earth split apart. Blinding white light swallowed the ancient forest as the thunderous detonations overlapped until everything was consumed. Ancient trees in the area were torn apart by the blast, their trunks shattered into fragments. Soil and rock were hurled skyward, crushed into formless debris. That entire section of the Ancient Beast Forest was erased completely, leaving behind nothing but a vast crater like a meteor impact.
In the sky, Lin Qingtong stood upon her flying ship, eyes wide open. She stared at the center of the explosion, unable to look away, her heart beating wildly out of rhythm. Beside her, another woman hovered quietly, her appearance beautiful like a goddess. Her expression was calm, her black eyes deep and unfathomable, as if they could see through heaven and earth themselves.
On the Gu Clan's flying ship, Gu Lanyue stood stiffly in place, her heart trembling beyond control.
Thick smoke billowed up and covered the entire area, but in the very next moment it was violently torn apart. Gu Heng stood at the center of the crater. With a single casual flick of his hand, he dispersed all the smoke completely. Not a single wound marked his body. His clothes were still spotless, as if no explosion had ever occurred. His gaze swept rapidly across the surroundings.
In his hand were fragments of a teleportation formation that had not fully dissipated yet, faintly glowing. It was part of Zhang Wen's teleportation array that had not been completely destroyed. Gu Heng did not hesitate. He immediately began examining the markings. Semi-Emperor level spiritual sense surged into them, and his expression shifted slightly.
This was not a single destination.
It was a miniature teleportation formation split into thousands of paths, each line leading to a different location, thousands of destinations in total.
But that was fine.
He could still send people to search for them.
That thought had only just surfaced in his mind.
Suddenly, a colossal sword wave plunged down from the sky. The sound of air being torn apart roared thunderously as razor sharp sword intent ripped through the atmosphere, streaking straight toward Gu Heng without mercy.
Boom!!
The ground was split apart, carved into a long black fissure that cut deep into the Ancient Beast Forest. Shattered stone and violent energy scattered in all directions. Gu Heng retreated half a step just in time, then lifted his head to look skyward, his eyes widening slightly.
In the heavens, a beautiful woman stood holding a sword. Her aura was calm, yet it carried an authority that could not be challenged. The sword in her hand still trembled faintly from the strike just now.
"Have you lost your mind? The Gu Clan and the Chaos Sacred Land have never held any grudge against each other," Gu Heng said, his voice heavy with irritation.
He immediately regained his composure, and in that same instant realized that the teleportation formation fragments in his hand had completely collapsed. The runes shattered into particles of light and vanished into the air as if they had never existed at all.
Gu Heng let out a soft laugh, filled with mockery. "The Chaos Sacred Land truly lives up to its reputation."
The woman paid no attention to his words. She simply sheathed her sword with effortless grace, then turned away and departed together with Lin Qingtong, leaving behind only a sky that gradually returned to silence.
Gu Heng stood there, watching the figures of master and disciple from the Chaos Sacred Land fade into the horizon. The aura that had suppressed heaven and earth slowly dissipated, leaving behind only emptiness and traces of devastation. He let out a long sigh, as if releasing a burden that had weighed upon his chest, then turned to look at the golden monkey standing not far away. Its sharp eyes were fixed on him with clear hostility as it ate the banana it had snatched from Zhang Wen earlier.
"Just a single banana," Gu Heng muttered with a tired, amused tone, as if mocking both the situation and himself.
After speaking, he shot into the sky, flying back toward the Gu Clan's flying ship hovering nearby. The moment his feet touched the deck, his gaze settled on Gu Lanyue. She stood at the bow of the ship in silence, her eyes fixed on the direction where Zhang Wen had vanished, as if carving that final image deep into her heart.
Gu Heng stood there for a moment, then spoke calmly.
"What will you do next?"
Gu Lanyue did not answer right away. A strong wind swept past, sending her hair fluttering wildly. The face that once carried the confidence of a young girl now appeared calm and resolute, noticeably more composed than before. The events of today had tempered something deep within her. She turned back, her eyes firmer than they had ever been.
"Go to the Phoenix Clan immediately and seize Zhang Lin," she said slowly, every word clear and unambiguous.
Yet within her heart, an even clearer answer resounded.
"I must become stronger. Stronger. Strong enough that no matter what Zhang Wen uses, he will never be able to defeat me again."
Gu Heng looked at his granddaughter for a moment, then gave a faint nod. He said nothing further. However, before they could depart, three Half-Emperor level auras suddenly closed in around the flying ship. Gu Heng slowly turned his head and saw two Half-Emperor level beast kings together with the golden monkey blocking their route. Gu Heng remained calm as he spoke.
"Step aside. If you want something, go discuss it with the Chaos Sacred Land."
Boom!
An explosion erupted without any warning. Half-Emperor level auras collided violently, causing space itself to begin cracking apart.
At the same time, aboard another smaller flying ship tearing through the air at extreme speed, Lin Qingtong sat silently beside her master. The scenery of the sky outside rushed past, yet her heart felt unusually heavy. A sense of guilt surged uncontrollably within her.
Lin Qingtong's master, a woman with a serene expression, glanced at her disciple before speaking.
"What is it, little one?"
Lin Qingtong remained silent for a moment before speaking softly. "Master… do you think he will survive?"
The question hung in the air. Her master did not answer immediately. She looked out beyond the ship, as if trying to peer through the tangled threads of fate, before speaking plainly.
"I do not know. I cannot say whether he will live or die. Matters like this… only he can give the answer. And I also do not know where that teleportation formation sent him."
She thought for a brief moment, then continued. "If you feel that you owe him something, then did he make any request of you?"
Lin Qingtong raised her head, her eyes trembling slightly. "Master… I once promised that his younger brother would be given a chance to be tested for entry into the Chaos Sacred Land. Could you take me to the Phoenix Clan?"
Her master nodded without asking any further details. Her hand moved slightly, and the driving power of the ship immediately changed direction. The small flying ship turned its prow and headed toward the Phoenix Clan, beneath the vast and boundless sky.