Gu Han was startled for a moment.
Someone? Who?
He felt a sense of deja vu. Then, he immediately recalled how he had used the exact tactic to flee from Yu Hua.
Gu Han decided he couldnât give Di Kan the slightest opening. âAre you trying to trick me? Dream on!â
Di Kanâs follower seemed panicked, his voice trembling. âY-Young Valley Master, it... it seems to be the one I told you about, the one that moves...â
Di Kan was so angry he almost started cursing. Facing the unknown, the first reaction of any living creature was fear. Cultivators naturally were no exception.
After seeing Gu Han approaching, Di Kanâs golden fur visibly stood on end. He retreated quickly. âYour surname is Gu, right? I-I was blind and offended youâholy shit, donât come any closer!â
When he saw Gu Han sped up, he dropped all formalities and fled, soaring through the air. âHurry! Keep up!â
âYoung Valley Master, wait for us!â
His few followers panicked even more, all soaring into the air as well.
Without hesitation, Gu Han swung his sword down. A peerless sword light, about a zhang long, shot straight after Di Kan.
In response, Di Kan roared, and a blurry projection of a great demon appeared behind him. Its two large hands clasped together, blocking the strike with raw strength.
âBreak for me!â
A mouthful of blood sprayed out. Borrowing the force of the sword light, his speed increased again. He shot Gu Han a look of gratitude.
Looking at the few strands of golden fur slowly drifting down, Gu Han frowned deeply. The sheer toughness of the demon species was somewhat beyond his expectations.
Although he hadnât gone all out, if it had been Wu Han or Qi Jun, they definitely would have been chopped half to death. Nevertheless, Di Kan was only lightly injured? Also, what had that last look in his eyes meant? Why would he thank him?
Gu Han shook his head, suppressing his doubts. He then turned to Zhao Mengyou, who stood frozen, uncertain whether to leave or stay.
Sensing her terror, Gu Han thought for a moment and decided to console her. âDonât worry, it wonât hurt too much. Besides, Iâm someone who respects women.â
Zhao Mengyouâs heart trembled with fear. In contrast, her female followers flushed with a trace of shyness.
Young Master Gu, what kind of nonsense is this?!
However, before Gu Han could make a move, Murong Yan shouted from a distance, âBrother Gu, behind you! Behind you!â
All trace of her usual forthrightness was gone, replaced by a measure of urgency and worry.
Behind?
Gu Hanâs heart dropped, and his divine sense swept over instantly. Nothing. He instinctively turned around and froze in shock.
A transparent, hazy humanoid was quietly floating one zhang away. Completely motionless, it was exactly one of the many figures he had seen within the plaza. It was strange, inexplicable, and somewhat sinister. Although it was just an outline, Gu Han instinctively felt that it was staring straight at him. Just like Di Kan, his scalp went numb, while his heart gave a violent lurch. Despite being at the Divine Connection realm, cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
Instinctively, he took two steps back. The humanoid figure suddenly drifted forward, making up for those two steps. Not a bit more, not a bit less. It still maintained the one zhang distance from him.
After seeing this, his scalp went numb again. He almost couldnât resist swinging at this humanoid figure. Just then, he recalled that his attacks had no effect on these figures, so he had to give up.
He silently warned himself,
Calm down!
He had witnessed the terror of these figures with his own eyes. Forget about him, even the Transcendent realm powerhouses outside wouldnât survive if they touched one.
Suddenly, he thought of the spirit seal.
Maybe the power of the Saint realm could work!
Just as this thought emerged, an immense sense of crisis arose within his spirit perception. His gut told him that if he took that thing out, it wouldnât end well for him.
Could it be that using excessively strong power was forbidden here?
It suddenly made sense why Chu Kuang hadnât taken out his Saint Weapon despite being cornered earlier.
Somewhat flustered, Gu Han moved a little closer to Zhao Mengyou. âDivine Maiden Zhao, how about weââ
Zhao Mengyou panicked too. âD-donât come near me!â
Earlier, she had assumed these humanoid figures were inanimate objects. Although she was cautious, she hadnât taken them too seriously. However, it turned out to be an existence she simply couldnât comprehend, overwhelming her.
She soared into the air, quickly fleeing into the distance. âY-Young Master Gu, take... take care!â
The Divine Maiden was somewhat stiff, lacking a bit of elegant grace, instead carrying a sense of hasty escape.
Gu Hanâs expression turned sour. He really wanted to slash Zhao Mengyou down and drag her into this mess. At the same time, he didnât want to risk triggering the humanoid figure, forcing him to abandon the wonderful idea.
He tried to communicate with the figure. âSheâs gone. Arenât you going to chase?â
The figure didnât move.
âWho exactly are you?â
â...â
"What do you want?"
â...â
âIs there some enmity between us?â
â...â
No matter what he said, the figure remained completely motionless. After nagging pointlessly for a while, his fear gradually dissipated, replaced by a hint of anger.
Gu Han turned and left immediately. âYouâre not talking? Then Iâm leaving too!â
The humanoid figure followed as if sensing his movement. Gu Han stiffened, and that figure also immediately stopped. He fully understood now that this figure definitely had its eyes on him.
âBrother Gu, are you... alright?â Murong Yan asked.
Thanks to the Emerald Condensation Pill, the threeâs injuries had mostly healed. Aside from still being somewhat listless, they had no major issues. They would be lying if they said they werenât scared though. Not daring to come close, they could only shout a few words of concern from afar.
Instead of answering, Gu Han gritted his teeth and sped away.
Murong Yan screamed, âBrother Gu, where are you going?!â
Gu Han said through clenched teeth. âTo find people! I canât be the only one this happens to!â
***
Inside a dilapidated palace, Chu Kuang, Wu Han, and Qi Jun had gathered together again. No one said a word. They had gloomy expressions, cold light flickering in their eyes.
Off to one side, the group of followers wore dejected looks. They would be highly regarded as top-tier prodigies even in the Yuqing Sect. And yet, all twenty of them had failed to take
one
person down. As if that wasnât enough, that person had broken them one by one, sending them fleeing in panic.
Is someone capable of ringing the Dao Bell nine times really that strong?
This was the question in everyoneâs hearts.
Chu Kuang had a much stronger mentality than the other two. Reining in his gloom, he slowly said, âOur planning was poor for this matter. We unknowingly let him exploit a loophole...â
Wu Han couldnât help but interrupt him. âSo many people surrounded him, what more planning was needed?â
Qi Junâs expression was gloomy. âExactly! We canât even use our Saint Weapons in such a place! Donât tell me you want to try surrounding and killing him again?â
Chu Kuang took a deep breath. âIf both of you had been able to hold out back thenââ
Wu Hanâs expression turned unfriendly. âAre you saying that weâre weak?â
Qi Jun laughed coldly. âYou talk as if he didnât beat you as well! Arenât you the one with eight rings? The so-called saintâs reincarnation?â
Wu Han shot a glance at Chu Kuang. âWhat reincarnation! Itâs just possession. He can fool others, but he canât fool us!â
Having been greatly humiliated by Gu Han, this matter was their sore spot. Now that Chu Kuang had ripped open the scab, they were triggered.
Chu Kuang restrained the anger. âIf we fall into internal strife, trying to deal with him againâ
hmm?
â
He seemed to sense something. Soon, the others felt it as well. A powerful aura was rapidly approaching from outside.
Wu Han was furious. âGu Han! Heâs bullying too much! We havenât even gone to find him, yet he actuallyââ
Halfway through his words, the gloomy great palace flickered to light. An unrivaled sword light, one zhang long, descended!
One of Qi Junâs followers, who happened to be standing right in front of the strike, screamed. He was instantly cleaved in two.
âDamn it! Heâs taking it too far!â
The crowdâs expressions turned ashen, and they zapped outside the palace.
Gu Han flashed them a faint, ambiguous smile. âDidnât expect to meet me again so soon, did you?â
Seeing the humanoid figure behind him, everyoneâs hatred and anger were replaced by terror.
âWhat is that?!â
âIt looks like the humanoid figures from the plaza!â
âThose things could move?! What is it doing here? Is it following him?â
When they swept the outside with their divine senses, they were certain they had detected only Gu Han. Subconsciously, everyone broke out in a cold sweat.
Even Chu Kuangâs eyes widened, turning serious. He initially thought these figures were just a faint projection from the Profound Pill Pavilionâs past, under the influence of time power. Although it was somewhat strange, he hadnât taken them seriously. Looking at it now, the figure gave him a feeling far stranger and more terrifying than before.
Gu Han grinned, appearing somewhat eerie. âIâve made a new friend, you see! Why donât I introduce him to you?â
He turned into a blurry afterimage, charging toward the crowd. The humanoid figure followed behind him.