Wen Baishi looked behind. He was running just a bit ahead of Gu Fanming but he could tell that the branch was about to catch the latter. He had to get away soon because when Gu Fanming gets caught, the branch would turn all its attention to him.

He gritted his teeth.

“I’m gonna have to recuperate for a year after this,” he ruefully said to himself.

Days ago, when he heard Yun Ling say that he was heading towards the Thousand Mountain Valley, he had the idea of also going into the place and stay there for months until his pursuers gave up on capturing him. The Thousand Mountain Valley was big, they’d have a hard time finding him if they followed him here. Never did he expect though that he would encounter a terrifying being like the thing chasing them here. As far as he knew, the strongest beings in the place should only be at the Sacred King realm. The thing chasing them, however, was far above that.

Wen Baishi’s muscles suddenly bulged, his skin turned red while his eyes became white. Cracks started appearing all over his body as a red vapor made from his blood came out of the cracks.

‘Forbidden Art: Raging Deity’s Mortal Body!’

The moment Wen Baishi’s foot stomped the ground in his new form, the ground was upturned from the immense power behind his foot. His speed also increased exponentially as he soon left Gu Fanming behind by a great distance.

Gu Fanming clicked his tongue. He meant to use Wen Baishi as another bait once he caught up to him. He didn’t expect him to still have that kind of speed at all. He judged that whatever supreme art it was that he used, it was probably a double-edged supreme art otherwise, he would have run at that speed much earlier than he did.

“Shall I use it or not?” Gu Fanming frowned. He still had another card he could use that would surely rescue him from his current predicament but it was something he would rather not use if he could help it.

SWOOSH

The branch further increased its speed as it audibly sliced through the air, making him break out in cold sweat. He could feel the branch closing in on him. It was only a matter of seconds before he gets caught!

“Damn it!” Gu Fanming cursed, he had no choice but to use his last resort now or he would die without a grave right then and there.

Gu Fanming quickly took out a golden scroll from his storage ring and ripped it apart. The moment he did so, he disappeared into numerous small orbs of light together with the scroll as another person took his place.

The new person was perplexed at the sudden change of his scenery. He was just at his house seconds ago but now he was transported into a new place. This could only mean one thing; the grandson of his master probably used the scroll that was given to him by his grandfather.

“Hmm? Is that a tree?” he raised a brow when he saw the thick wooden pillar with golden leaves coming straight towards him. This should probably be the thing that forced his master’s grandson to use the scroll. He was about to take action when suddenly, he felt the enormous strength of that branch.

His eyes widened in disbelief. Just by the feel of it, he could tell that he was outclassed. Before he could even activate his body movement supreme art to escape, the branch caught up to him.

“Master! You have harmed me!” he yelled towards the sky as his life force was sucked dry by the branch in seconds. He shouldn’t have agreed when his master asked him to bind himself into the scroll together with his grandson long ago. At that moment, he began to regret it deeply. He was a proud cultivator in the Fate Dominion realm yet he was going to die just like this.

…

Elsewhere, Gu Fanming appeared in what looks like a room. He was panting heavily for a few moments before letting out a sigh of relief.

Success!

By now, he should be at his grandfather’s disciple’s room in the territory of the Stone God Sect, far away from the Thousand Mountain Valley. Just like his grandfather’s disciple, he was also regretful.

He lost one of his most important life-saving treasure. He only had that one because it was a rare treasure, even in the higher realms.

He sighed once again.

“I’ll have to explain to grandfather about this,” Gu Fanming muttered to himself. Not even a first-rate sect would be able to brush aside the death of an expert in the Fate Dominion realm easily.

Gu Fanming wondered. His grandfather’s disciple probably already died from that immensely powerful branch by now.

…

Back in the Thousand Mountain Valley, a young woman wearing a veiled hat covering her face was accompanied by a handsome man as they hovered high up in the sky, looking at the young man clad in purple armor running with two lesser beasts with him.

The woman was like an untainted fairy who had come down from heaven. She was giving off a noble aura that made her look like some untouchable being, someone so pure that the idea of even touching her was like blasphemy.

The handsome man on the other hand was like a prince that only exists in the dreams of innocent maidens. He was extremely handsome to the point that most shallow women would fall for him right away. He was like a perfect man without any flaws. However, there's no such thing as a perfect man in the world.

The one they were observing was none other than Yun Ling who was holding the Lion King Cub within his arm, and the wolf by his scruff with his free hand.

“What kind of supreme art is that? Or is it a divine art?” the handsome young man asked as he looked at Yun Ling curiously.

The woman didn’t say anything, merely observing Yun Ling in silence.

“Looks like we didn’t have to help him after all. As expected of the man that milady chose. Even with an inferior realm, he could still escape from the clutches of an immortal,” the handsome young man said as he glanced at the woman beside him, secretly observing her reaction. “Though they were extremely lucky that the Immortal Willow Tree didn’t treat them too seriously, it was still something worth commending.”

The woman didn’t bother giving him a response. She flew away, leaving the handsome man hanging.

The handsome man didn’t follow her right away. He looked at Yun Ling from a distance, jealousy evident in his eyes.

“He’s just an inferior man from a lower realm. No need for me to take action,” the young man said to himself as he rid himself of murderous thoughts. He wanted to strike Yun Ling right then and there but he managed to suppress his urge in the end.