Three days later.
Thousands of miles away from the Sacred Sect, deep within an endless canyon range.
Lin Fan stood atop the canyon, gazing into the abyss below, taking a deep breath.
“Relax, relax. It’s nothing big, just a fight. I’ll definitely win. At worst, I’ll use the Celestial Furnace and take him with me,” Lin Fan comforted himself. It had been years since he last felt this nervous.
“Ji Zai, take care. Head over to them,” said Lin Fan. Ji Zai stood beside him, looking up at his senior brother with reluctant eyes.
“Oo-oo…” Ji Zai crowed a few times, clearly unwilling to leave Lin Fan.
He had followed Lin Fan for years, and between the two—an odd pair of man and chicken—there was a deep mutual understanding.
Ji Zai could sense his senior brother’s unease. He knew whoever Lin Fan was facing this time must be extremely powerful, otherwise his senior wouldn’t have asked him to leave.
“Stop crowing, you’re making me anxious,” Lin Fan waved his hand, urging Ji Zai to leave.
“Oo-oo…” Ji Zai stood rooted to the spot, his cute chicken eyes brimming with reluctance.
“Get going now, or you’ll make me angry. You know how I get—I scare even myself when I’m mad,” Lin Fan raised his hand threateningly.
Ji Zai immediately tucked his head under his featherless wing, looking pitiful.
Lin Fan sighed deeply, crouched down, and gently patted Ji Zai’s head. “Don’t be scared. After all, you’re a descendant of the ancient fierce beast Fenghuang. Don’t embarrass your senior brother.”
“Oo-oo…” Ji Zai nodded gently.
“Go on, if things go wrong, run. Promise me you’ll survive,” Lin Fan said.
Ji Zai looked at Lin Fan, then suddenly rushed into his arms, nuzzled his face against Lin Fan’s chest, and with one last lingering glance, gradually disappeared from sight.
Lin Fan clenched his fist. This time, he wasn’t sure if he’d be as lucky as before.
But no matter what, he had to defeat “Gengu.”
At worst, mutual destruction.
But if it turned out not to be “Gengu,” he could breathe a little easier.
Lin Fan prepared for the worst-case scenario.
…
On the other side of the canyon.
Yan Zongzhu, Wuya, and other senior elders, along with Xia Youtian, He Yuhan, Ye Han, Flame Lord, Zong Hentian, Sword Invincible, Meng Hao, Lu Yan, Mie Qiongqi, and others, concealed themselves in the shadows.
Everyone wore serious expressions.
The entire Dongling Continent was now engulfed in war. Various sects fought independently to protect their own territories. In this time of destruction, both the righteous and the wicked united against the enemy.
Because they all knew—if they failed to drive out these beastly invaders, Dongling would cease to exist.
The sects had suffered heavy losses, but the most tragic victims were the common people.
Under the beasts’ trampling, no matter how grand the imperial cities were, they were destroyed in an instant, leaving no chance of survival.
Atop the canyon.
Lin Fan stood with his eyes closed, his white robes fluttering in the wind. In an instant, his eyes snapped open, his spirit, energy, and willpower reaching their peak, his battle intent piercing the heavens.
“Come out, Gengu’s Pendant.”
Lin Fan slapped his backpack and released “Gengu’s Pendant.” If the true leader behind the Beast Spirit World was indeed “Gengu,” then the pendant’s aura would surely attract him.
The aura surged, spreading through the void.
In a hidden forbidden land somewhere on Dongling, a figure in black robes stared into an empty chamber, filled with boundless fury.
Suddenly, the figure moved. He had sensed a familiar energy—one that once belonged to him.
“Roar…”
A sound neither human nor beast echoed across the sky. All the beasts across Dongling halted, turned their gaze toward the distance, and charged forward, crossing layers of space toward the source.
“It seems my worst fear has come true,” Lin Fan sighed helplessly.
At that moment, a long howl rang out, shaking the heavens and earth. The “Gengu’s Pendant” floating in midair began to struggle violently, trying to rush toward the source of the sound.
“Return.” Lin Fan flicked his sleeve, pulling the pendant back into his backpack.
The system’s backpack sealed everything away—there was no way anything could escape from it.
This howl left Lin Fan deeply troubled. This was a formidable opponent.
In the distance, black mist covered the sky, as if a supreme demon lurked within, roaring with terrifying power.
Lin Fan stood with his hands behind his back, unflinching, staring into the distance.
He couldn’t retreat. If even he faltered, everything would truly end.
The approaching presence grew stronger and stronger. The black mist, brimming with infinite power, spread across half of Dongling.
Flame Lord, hiding in the shadows, shivered involuntarily. “He’s here. That terrifying aura.”
He Yuhan’s expression changed, her delicate hands tightening. Her heart stirred with unease.
The power was far beyond her expectations. Who could possess such overwhelming strength?
Ji Zai tucked his head in, his cute chicken eyes fixed on the distant figure, filled with worry.
“If you’re already here, come out. No need for theatrics,” Lin Fan said calmly, staring into the sky.
This was the most serious Lin Fan had ever been—more so than when he faced the ancient great demon.
Because compared to this aura, even that ancient demon seemed pale in comparison.
In an instant, the black mist condensed into a single point. A figure in black robes floated in midair. Beneath the hood, a pair of glowing eyes stared at Lin Fan, and the entire world seemed to freeze.
“You… you have my body?” The voice of the black-robed figure was filled with supreme authority, each word pressing down like a mountain upon this world.
“Are you Gengu?” Lin Fan stared into the void.
The figure radiated supreme cultivation, his entire body wrapped in chains of cosmic law, unfathomably deep.
But to Lin Fan, those chains looked different—somehow fragmented.
“I didn’t expect anyone to know me. Who are you?” The black-robed figure demanded, his overwhelming aura pressing down on Lin Fan.
Lin Fan waved his hand, a sword beam slicing through the pressure.
“Such petty tricks, don’t use them on me. And of course I know you—your pendant and arm are both with me,” Lin Fan said, meeting his gaze directly.
“Give them to me, and I’ll spare your life,” Gengu said darkly.
From this human, he sensed his own aura. But it was no longer connected to him—it felt as if it had been severed, no longer his.
This realization enraged Gengu. How could this insignificant human have refined his body?
Impossible.
His body was unbreakable, forged countless times. How could a mere human have managed to refine it?
“Boom…”
At that moment, the earth trembled, and dust rose in the distance.
The beasts of the Beast Spirit World had arrived.
“What are you waiting for? Dare to invade Dongling—stay here and die,” Lin Fan’s expression hardened. He couldn’t let Gengu interfere with the others. With Gengu’s power, they stood no chance.
“Hmph… Insolent,” Gengu sneered coldly, his fury rising at this human’s audacity.
…
“The beasts are here. Everyone, prepare yourselves,” Yan Zongzhu said.
Everyone took a deep breath. Whether they lived or died was uncertain, but they would do their best.
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