Where Did the Courage Come From? A Truly Despairing Gap
Where Did the Courage Come From? A Truly Despairing Gap
Lu Luo and the others’ terror was not without reason. Anyone who knew what had happened that day would understand just how terrifying the leading figure of that realm truly was.
Before this, they had speculated about who the figure sitting cross-legged atop the Three-Headed Black Flood Dragon could be.
But they had never, ever considered that possibility.
Because it simply wasn’t realistic. The Boundary Marker Sea had yet to dry up.
How could such a terrifying existence have crossed over?
“Lin Wu, don’t act rashly.”
The young man named Huo Rong grabbed hold of Lin Wu at this moment, stopping him from acting impulsively, worried he would charge out and expose their position.
He was on good terms with Lin Wu and could understand his feelings.
Seeing the enemy who had killed his brother right before his eyes—how could Lin Wu possibly endure it? And the opponent’s strength far surpassed theirs; he was simply not someone they could contend with at present.
“Lin Wu, calm down.”
Several elders from the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains also spoke up to dissuade him, their gazes toward that figure shrouded in endless divine radiance filled with dread.
“Why would that person appear on our side? Could it be that the Boundary Marker Sea can no longer stop them?”
Someone thought of this and grew deeply worried.
If the Boundary Marker Sea dried up, they would inevitably face endless assaults from the Beyond.
“I won’t act rashly.”
At this point, Lin Wu had also calmed down, teeth clenched tight, his hatred hard to quell.
“We should leave this place quickly. If he discovers our tracks, we probably won’t be able to get away.”
The goddess Lu Luo’s face was somewhat pale. The closer they got, the more she could feel that terrifying aura emanating from him at every moment—vast and unfathomable, pressing down until one could barely breathe.
Her words won the agreement of many, and they planned to slip away quietly.
The Supreme Dao Diagram was precious indeed, a rare Supreme Treasure, but one had to be alive to fight for it.
They had already seen it clearly—that refined, scholarly man would likely die a miserable death here today.
Though both had come from the Beyond, that white-robed man clearly would not leave any survivors.
“Let’s go. Keep your movements small. Don’t let that person notice us.”
Lin Wu nodded as well, carefully concealing his aura, not daring to reveal the slightest abnormality.
They had other matters to attend to. Since this white-robed man was taking the Supreme Dao Diagram, they could use this opportunity to seize the Spirit Gourd Master’s gourd instead—the timing worked out perfectly.
And just as Lin Wu and the others were preparing to sneak away...
High above in the firmament, the Supreme Dao Diagram rustled and rattled, unfurling continuously like a scroll, blotting out heaven and earth.
Strange scenes were evolving within it—stars collapsing, moons sinking, the sky crumbling and the earth splitting.
Grand Runes pulsed into existence one after another, endless radiance cascading down and spreading out.
This was the ultimate truth of heaven and earth, the sound of the infinite Dao.
In a trance, everyone saw an ancient scripture containing supreme essence manifest between heaven and earth.
And here, in the middle of the lake, Gu Changge stood quietly before the gate of light.
Every inch of his skin glowed, like flawless jade, and even between the strands of his hair, brilliant Chaos divine radiance permeated.
He paid no mind to anyone nearby. In his eyes at this moment, the value of the Supreme Dao Diagram clearly outweighed everyone else by far.
This thing clearly surpassed a Nirvana Grade Artifact, bearing innately born runes.
Yin and yang revolved, black and white distinct—it was the evolution and manifestation of the Dao itself.
It was an unimaginably terrifying sight. Clusters of flames seemed to contain infinite True Worlds, circling around him, bowing in worship together.
He quietly comprehended the essence within, gaining an understanding of the Dao of the Supreme.
The Great Dao is like a blade; the Supreme is without mercy.
ROAR!
Meanwhile, high in the sky, the Three-Headed Black Flood Dragon battling Chu Hao suddenly roared in fury, feeling pain, blood streaming continuously—it had been wounded by Chu Hao.
The two fought madly, unleashing their respective techniques and divine abilities without pause.
Its three bloody maws spewed divine light of various colors, enough to reduce mountain peaks to ash.
Its cultivation was far stronger than Chu Hao’s, yet it was still falling into a disadvantage. Its scales burst apart, blood raining down—it was actually no match for Chu Hao at all.
Chu Hao’s strength was bizarre and unfathomable, his technique peerless—a supreme fist art long lost to the ages.
It even transformed into endless gales around him, leaving the dragon’s massive claws a bloody mess, cracked and split, its horns nearly shattering.
“Go die for me!”
It unleashed its strongest divine ability—its bloody maw gaped wide, as if it could swallow heaven and earth whole.
Yet within it, three different wondrous techniques evolved, transforming into crimson flames, purple lightning, and black hurricanes, all surging toward Chu Hao together.
However, Chu Hao remained unmoved, his eyes cold to the extreme.
The next moment, golden light surged, his blood energy rising like beacon smoke. A golden fist covered the sky and, with sheer brute force, blasted apart the Three-Headed Black Flood Dragon’s massive maw.
Blood rained down. The Three-Headed Black Flood Dragon howled in agony, but it simply could not block Chu Hao’s fist light.
Many of its bones were shattered, scales exploding, blood dripping everywhere—none of its former majesty remained.
“This guy... he’s actually this strong. I’m no match for him.”
“If this continues, I’ll be killed by him.”
A trace of fear appeared in the Three-Headed Black Flood Dragon’s expression. It had thought Chu Hao would be easy to deal with, which was why it had volunteered to Gu Changge to suppress and kill him.
Instead, it was no match for Chu Hao at all, beaten relentlessly, nearly perishing.
Thinking of this, it hastily retreated, not daring to continue fighting Chu Hao—otherwise it would surely die.
“Where do you think you’re running?”
However, Chu Hao’s gaze was ice-cold, and he had no intention of letting it go. Being interrupted again and again had truly stoked the fury in his heart; he wished nothing more than to suppress and kill this Three-Headed Black Flood Dragon before him to vent his rage.
Though Lin Wu and the others were sneaking away, they continued watching the commotion over here.
Chu Hao’s strength truly shook them to the core; they could not calm down. This was yet another person they had underestimated.
The Three-Headed Black Flood Dragon’s infamy was something they had long heard of—within the Sacred Emperor Realm, it was an overlord of a region, with few rivals.
Yet under Chu Hao’s hands, it suffered heavy wounds, no match for him.
And to think they had previously wanted to snatch the Supreme Dao Diagram from Chu Hao’s hands. Looking back now, they had truly overestimated themselves—nothing but a fool’s dream.
Just then, the fleeing Three-Headed Black Flood Dragon, seeing Chu Hao closing in with a cold, murderous expression, couldn’t help but show fear and cried out, “Young Master, save me!”
Hearing this voice, even Chu Hao, who was charging in with an icy expression, froze.
He knew another figure was present in the field, but he had been focused on dealing with the Three-Headed Black Flood Dragon and hadn’t paid it much attention or asked about it.
And now, a Three-Headed Black Flood Dragon with Sacred Emperor Realm strength was actually calling that person “Young Master”?
His heart trembled. Then, connecting this to the Hell Iron figure that had suddenly attacked earlier, his heart sank even further.
In that instant, a strange sensation arose in Chu Hao’s heart—almost immediately, a bone-chilling dread crept over him.
He spun around abruptly, his gaze blazing with divine light as he looked toward the figure standing at the center of the lake.
“You can’t even kill him. Tell me, what use do I have for you?”
At that moment, at the center of the lake, Gu Changge—who had been quietly comprehending the Supreme Dao Diagram—opened his eyes and sighed softly at these words.
The Three-Headed Black Flood Dragon trembled at this, not daring to refute Gu Changge’s words in the slightest.
It hastily prostrated itself respectfully and said, “I can serve as your steed, Young Master.”
Lin Wu, Lu Luo, and the others, who were quietly fleeing, couldn’t help but shudder at these words, a bone-deep chill running through them.
This feeling was completely beyond their control, impossible to suppress.
A terrifying Sacred Emperor Realm beast was now saying it would willingly become a mount for transportation.
To them, this was simply inconceivable.
Yet it was happening right before their eyes. Was this the invincible might of that realm’s leading figure?
“It’s you—Gu Changge!!”
Chu Hao finally saw clearly the face of the figure before the gate. His pupils contracted violently, hardly able to believe it. “Why are you here? It seems the demoness in red didn’t kill you—you actually escaped.”
He had always believed Gu Changge’s fate was grim. In the calamity at Divine City, the demoness in red had slain many supreme beings.
Gu Changge had been among them.
Yet who would have thought that across untold distances, he would appear here in the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains.
“It seems I’ve disappointed you somewhat.”
Gu Changge’s face wore a casual, unconcerned expression.
Chu Hao’s expression grew extremely grave. He noticed the Supreme Dao Diagram slowly descending from the high sky, and his expression grew even uglier.
This was the result of his painstaking efforts to pacify it, only for Gu Changge to reap the benefits. Without the cultivation methods of Supreme Cave Heaven, there was no way he could have calmed the Supreme Dao Diagram.
“You stole my beloved and destroyed my ancient kingdom. Today, we settle all of it at once.”
“Gu Changge, I’ve waited a long time for this day.”
Hatred surfaced on Chu Hao’s face; he practically gnashed his teeth, not bothering to conceal it at all in this moment.
He could never forget how his beloved Tang Wan had been coerced by Gu Changge back then.
If Gu Changge hadn’t meddled, how would the Vermillion Bird Ancient Kingdom have been destroyed?
How would Tang Wan have left him?
All of this—every bit of it—was Gu Changge’s fault.
During this time, he had wished he could cut Gu Changge into a thousand pieces and scatter his ashes to the wind.
Lin Wu, Lu Luo, and the others hadn’t expected that this terrifyingly powerful refined man would share such an unforgettable, bone-deep hatred with Gu Changge.
Even Lin Wu found Chu Hao inexplicably more agreeable—after all, the two of them shared the same great enemy.
Though they stood on different sides, on this point they were the same.
“What a coincidence. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time too.”
Gu Changge merely spoke calmly, without the slightest ripple of emotion. “I just don’t know where you found the courage to say such things to me.”
“Courage? You’ll find out soon enough.”
Chu Hao said coldly. He knew Gu Changge’s strength was formidable.
But during this time, his cultivation had improved greatly, and he had trained in several ancient heavenly techniques within Supreme Cave Heaven, raising his strength to another level.
Even just now, he had many methods he hadn’t used, and the Grand Furnace had yet to be deployed.
“Oh? Then I shall wait and see.”
Facing Gu Changge, it wasn’t as if he had no power to fight.
Gu Changge smiled faintly, standing at the lake’s center, an invisible golden path seeming to emerge beneath his feet.
He walked step by step toward the shore, simultaneously reaching out with a probing hand. Rumbling sounds echoed as he grabbed toward the Supreme Dao Diagram high in the sky.
The Supreme Dao Diagram had been rioting violently before, terrifying energies intertwining, but now it was docile, floating quietly in the sky.
However, when Gu Changge’s palm reached toward it, strands of black and white divine light emerged on its surface, Principles of Dao flickering, grinding his palm strike into nothing.
This sight eased Chu Hao’s heart somewhat, and he couldn’t help but sneer, “Gu Changge, give it up. The Supreme Dao Diagram is the Supreme Treasure of my Supreme Cave Heaven. It’s not something an outsider like you can take.”
“No matter. After I kill you, I’ll have all the time in the world to refine it.”
Gu Changge said indifferently. Since the Supreme Dao Diagram still resisted, he would set it aside for now. In any case, here, it wouldn’t escape anywhere else.
“KILL!”
At this moment, Chu Hao’s essence, energy, and spirit reached an unprecedented peak as he charged at Gu Changge. Golden light surged around him, the Grand Furnace floating above his head, its lid opening to release vast crimson-blue flames that could scorch all things. Even heaven and earth blurred, space collapsing. At the same time, he roared, unleashing that terrifying fist art from before.
Moreover, he deliberately activated a secret technique to boost his offensive power, blood energy billowing from the crown of his head.
Nearly every punch caused the void to collapse and explode into dust.
This overwhelming power had risen by far more than a single level compared to before.
Even rivers and the earth would turn to ash in an instant.
This place resonated, great cracks spreading out from behind him, stretching across all directions, Chaos Energy surging forth from within.
“His strength has grown even greater than before.”
Lin Wu and the others’ hearts shook violently. From this battle, they deeply felt that aura of confident invincibility.
This was a peerless prodigy from the Beyond, not very old in years.
Yet this indomitable, world-crushing momentum made them unable to help but feel awe.
They had originally planned to flee quickly, but now they couldn’t help slowing their steps, wanting to witness this world-shaking battle with their own eyes. For a time, fist light covered the entire sky here, crashing down toward Gu Changge, who was still walking toward the shore.
No one knew how many punches Chu Hao threw in an instant—each one could make an ordinary Sacred Emperor Realm being cough blood and suffer grievous wounds, space collapsing, rules shattering. Yet between him and Gu Changge, there seemed to forever lie an impassable chasm; he simply could not get close.
All the fist light, just before landing on Gu Changge, vanished into thin air—as if an invisible space existed before him, isolating everything. It was more like Gu Changge and he were separated by an entire world.
The distance between them was one he could never cross. It was a despair-inducing sight.
No matter how Chu Hao raged, no matter what terrifying secret techniques he activated, he simply could not take that one step forward.
This was already a difference in level—not something cultivation could make up for.
Even the divine flames pouring from the Grand Furnace, just before reaching Gu Changge, rapidly annihilated, unable to stir even a ripple.
“Is this your courage? How disappointing.”
Gu Changge walked over unhurriedly, not making a single move.
“Again! I don’t believe it!”
Chu Hao was both shocked and enraged, hating his own powerlessness. Attacking with everything he had, he couldn’t even get close to Gu Changge. The gap in true strength was likely even more impossible to bridge. This time, he burned his Blood Essence, offering up his strongest divine ability.
At the same time, he activated the Grand Furnace, evolving the vast intent within it, as if it could swallow heaven and earth, enveloping Gu Changge. “Just despair. With your strength, you can’t possibly be the Young Master’s match. I advise you to obediently stretch out your neck for the slaughter—you might even die a quicker death.” The Three-Headed Black Flood Dragon not far away couldn’t help but mock, immensely pleased, its injuries rapidly healing.
“Is this the power of the Beyond’s leading figure? This gap is truly despair-inducing.”
The many young men and women of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains turned pale, deeply shaken by this scene, lips trembling, feeling as if it were all a dream. Just moments ago, Chu Hao had seemed invincible to them.
Yet before this person, he didn’t even have the chance to get close—powerful to the point of despair.
From beginning to end, the opponent hadn’t made a single move, calm and breezy, looking down upon everything from on high.
“Lin Wu...”
The goddess Lu Luo glanced worriedly at Lin Wu beside her, whose face was pale beyond concealment, fearing he would be deeply shaken.
Because the person before them was the great enemy who had killed Lin Wu’s older brother, Lin Qingyang!
How could he ever avenge this hatred?
“I... I’m fine.” Lin Wu’s fists clenched tight, teeth gritted, deeply feeling his own weakness and powerlessness. His strength was still far from enough.
“This game should end now.”
Just then, Gu Changge—whose expression had been calm, who had never once made a move—suddenly extended his right hand forward.
He spread his five fingers and grasped forward.
The rules of heaven and earth here suddenly converged, forming a golden long spear, angled toward the southern sky, thrusting fiercely forward. Space froze. The terrifying might, like a boundless blazing sun, swept toward the heavens, and with a boom, landed on the Grand Furnace before Chu Hao. BOOM!
Divine waves surged to the sky, blotting out the sun.
The furnace’s material was extraordinary, erupting with endless Divine Chains of Order in an attempt to resist, yet still, with a thud, it was blasted away, crashing to the ground. Having lost his means of resistance, Chu Hao’s expression changed drastically. Cold dread swept through his entire body as he gathered all his power into himself, seeking to shatter this spear. But it was useless. Gu Changge still thrust forward plainly, without any flourish, yet grinding away all of his methods. PFFT!
Blood splattered, along with pale-white bone fragments, exploding in the void.
“No... how is this possible...”
“How could I fall here?”
Disbelief and thick despair surfaced on Chu Hao’s face. He was unwilling to accept it, yet he had been effortlessly pierced through by this single spear. All his methods, including the artifacts he offered up, his Dao techniques and divine abilities—all were ground away and shattered.
The next moment, as Gu Changge’s right arm shook lightly, Chu Hao instantly exploded, torn apart into pieces.