Chapter 128: Staying Far From the Golden Wood Forest

Qingyuanzi's sudden strike caught many present by surprise, Lin Zhifa included. The cyan-colored vapor seemed capable of dissipating the white mist in an instant. Lin Zhifa was convinced that Qingyuanzi had specifically prepared this method to deal with him.

Lin Zhifa assumed that ever since he arrived in the Jinmu region and holed up in this secret location, someone had long since discovered his presence and had been meticulously plotting against him. Today, Qingyuanzi was one such individual, and it appeared he had studied Lin Zhifa’s nature with alarming thoroughness.

Unfortunately, Lin Zhifa shook his head. Qingyuanzi’s cultivation was far from enough to handle him. Furthermore, after practicing his current technique, even ten men like him combined would be no match for him.

Though the white mist seemed to be dispelled by the cyan energy, those with keen eyes understood that Qingyuanzi’s intervention could not reverse the defeat of the veteran martial artist, Master Zhao.

"Incredible. He has reached such a high level in this demonic art. Could it be the nourishment of the Jinmu? Is the effect of this Jinmu far greater than I estimated?" Zhang Pu muttered to himself. At that same moment, Lin Zhifa surged forward within the fray, and the demonic mist, just dispersed by Qingyuanzi, suddenly proliferated in massive amounts.

*Thump! Thump!*

Two dull impacts followed. Sharp-eyed observers saw Master Zhao and Qingyuanzi struck by Lin Zhifa’s palms and sent flying. The two most formidable experts among Luo Binghui’s group were as fragile as paper in Lin Zhifa’s hands. This demonic man was truly too powerful, and suddenly, panic began to spread among the crowd.

*Bang!*

A gunshot rang out abruptly.

"Yuhuang!" Luo Binghui hadn't expected Liu Yuhuang to be even more impulsive than himself. The shot had indeed come from Liu Yuhuang, and Zhang Pu noticed it instantly.

"There's no other way to deal with a monster like this..." Before Liu Yuhuang could finish his sentence, not only he, but almost everyone present, became transfixed by a bizarre scene unfolding before their eyes.

When the bullet was fired, it should have been as fast as lightning, moving too quickly for the naked eye to track. But today, Liu Yuhuang’s bullet seemed possessed. It appeared as though everyone present could clearly see the projectile in flight.

The bullet’s velocity had slowed drastically, resembling a slow-motion sequence in a film. Even Zhang Pu felt a surge of emotion. He had believed that with his strength comparable to a human martial arts grandmaster, he could barely catch a bullet, but he had never imagined this demonic man could manipulate the speed of someone else’s projectile in such a way.

This monster—his strength exceeded all expectations.

The bullet continued its sluggish trajectory; at this speed, it would lack the force to even break skin upon contact with Lin Zhifa’s body. As it neared him, Lin Zhifa didn't even require a direct hit; he simply flicked his finger in the air, and the bullet fell obediently to the ground.

At this moment, Zheng Lan and her companions were stunned. Each of them seemed to be thinking: Has this person truly become a demon? Zheng Lan had likely even forgotten to order her squad of marksmen to open fire in unison.

Just as the moonlit Jinmu forest seemed to return to silence, Zhang Pu suddenly felt the demon’s gaze fix upon him.

"Wulong?"

Lin Zhifa’s sudden utterance might have seemed nonsensical to many, but for Zhang Pu, it was like a thunderclap. *Could this guy tell at a glance that I have attained the essence of the Wulong?*

As Zhang Pu pondered this, Lin Zhifa suddenly declared in a loud voice, "Let’s end this tonight!"

Suddenly, thick fog surged through the Jinmu forest. It was so dense that shouts erupted throughout the woods, as people could barely see those standing a few paces away. The situation descended into chaos.

As the thick mist rose, Zhang Pu knew someone was rushing toward him. It was definitely that demonic man—Zhang Pu was certain because the man had just locked onto his Wulong essence. Although Zhang Pu had no idea how the man knew about it, he had to find a way to cope. He sensed that this monster was the most troublesome adversary he had encountered since his rebirth, and he lacked the absolute certainty of defeating him.

Zhang Pu suddenly utilized an extremely swift movement technique, darting out of the Jinmu forest.

Zheng Lan and Luo Binghui’s group were not yet so chaotic as to begin killing each other in the mist. Zhang Pu had observed earlier that, due to some constraint, the demon did not kill indiscriminately. However, if the man were determined to seize the Wulong essence and fought him within the forest, the collateral damage would be immense. Most importantly, the Jinmu forest itself would be devastated, and Zhang Pu did not want that, as he needed the Jinmu.

"Trying to run?"

As Zhang Pu exited the forest and began to leave it far behind, the demon’s voice sounded in his ear. *Indeed,* Zhang Pu thought, *since he has locked onto me, it would be a miracle if he didn't give chase!*

This valley of Jinmu was his domain. He had likely lingered here for a long time, and he could probably track Zhang Pu regardless of the direction he took. Moreover, the mist was meant to blind others, not him.

Zhang Pu pushed his current abilities to their limit. He knew that even Liu Yingde could not catch him at this speed, but he couldn't be so sure about this man. He didn't speak, just kept sprinting, regardless of direction. He felt that as long as he was deep in the mountains, it didn't matter where he went, so long as he was far from people.

Zhang Pu looked ahead and realized he had reached a mountain peak. There was no mist here, nor any Jinmu, only the cold, pale moonlight pouring down. He turned to see the demon approaching, though not as quickly as before.

Immediately, he realized that before him lay a steep gorge. It was a chasm too vast for him to leap across. *Why did I stumble into a place like this? Is my subconscious seeking a desperate last stand? If I lose, do I fall into the abyss below?*

Zhang Pu saw an eerie light flash across the demon’s face in the moonlight. It was fortunate he was not a mere student; otherwise, any ordinary youth, trapped in such a place on such a night by a monster, would have been scared to death.

This monster was truly powerful. He wondered how much of his own true nature the demon’s abilities could perceive.