Ying Yue evaded at a speed like a snowstorm, freezing everything around her. She had already reached the limits of her primeval essence, and if not for being in the upper stage of Rank Three, with B-grade aptitude and a 76% primeval essence capacity filling her aperture, she would have been captured long ago.
But now, after nearly half an hour, she was already on the brink of collapse. Behind her, only one pursuer remained—the fiercest and strongest among them.
A Gu Master at the peak of Rank Three. Although his speed was slower than hers, he still maintained the same distance between them.
"There he is!"
She violently twisted her body as a blade three meters long shot forth and split the rocks before them in half.
She took in a cold breath. The power of this blade was immense; if she were struck by it, she would die without even knowing how.
"You damn ugly bitch! Stop at once, or you will die!"
The man roared, trying to break her will, but instead she increased her speed. Enraged, the man sent several blades in all directions, cutting off her escape routes.
Ying Yue did not dodge. She gritted her teeth and activated one of her trump cards. This was a trump card that would lead to mutual destruction.
"Damn you, Fang Tian, and damn you, Wu Ji!.. This is all because of you!"
Ying Yue's aura gradually rose, becoming extremely gloomy and cold. The Gu Master reached her front, staring at her with tension. Her aura continued to climb until it became stronger than the Gu Master's before her, and so did her strength.
In the next moment, she let out a soul-freezing icy scream and charged toward the enemy at terrifying speed.
__________
Several hours had already passed since their escape, yet Fang Tian was still tense as he looked around using the investigative Gu worms he possessed. He found nothing at all, which made him both relieved and uneasy at the same time.
Above them, night had already fallen. The southern border forests had grown dark, and the beasts had begun to stir. However, Fang Tian and Wu Ji could not simply hide. They had to move far away from the resource point they had plundered, then leave the territory of the Yang Clan and return to the Wu Clan.
"Where will we go now?"
Fang Tian asked Wu Ji, who was moving beside him with exhaustion.
"Uh, probably we'll go southeast and cross the Red Dragon River again to get as far away as possible from that resource point, then return to the Wu Clan without trouble."
"Do you think the remaining members of the group are still alive?"
"No?… Why would they still be alive? Maybe the only one with a chance is Qing Mo because of his ability to hide underground. The others are most likely dead, and even we are still in extremely grave danger."
Fang Tian fell silent and continued walking beside Wu Ji.
His other arm had already regrown using Self-Reliance Gu. Although the process had been slow and extremely painful, he endured it, as moving with only one arm was not comfortable.
And although he was mentally and physically exhausted, he could still describe himself as being in extremely good condition. After all, they had plundered a third of the resource point, and the value of their loot was estimated at three million primeval stones!
"Can we rest? I feel terribly tired, and I don't think I can move anymore."
Wu Ji said as she leaned against a dead tree beside her. Sweat had soaked her clothes despite the cold weather. To be honest, he was tired too. If taking the risk could lead to a better condition, he would probably do it.
"No problem. I'll take the first watch. You can rest while I guard you, and when you wake up, I'll rest."
Wu Ji nodded her head and used Gu worms to erect tall, sharp metal walls, providing them with safe protection. However, the ceiling was still open, allowing the stars of the night to filter through the dry leaves.
Fang Tian deployed Gu worms in several nearby locations to detect any movements of beasts or humans. Then he returned to the safety of the stone walls. He lay down on the damp ground, stared at Wu Ji who had fallen into deep sleep, and then gazed at the star-studded night sky.
"Nature is truly beautiful in all its forms…"
The view of the sky above was truly magnificent. With no pollution in the air, the scenery was simply beautiful, and anyone would appreciate such beauty. Even a person devoid of conscience and feeling would stop for a few moments to admire the sky and ponder its grandeur.
Not to mention someone as simple as Fang Tian.
"And these trees are beautiful too, as if they each have their own story… In spring they grow and turn green, then their leaves dry and yellow in summer, and in autumn they fall and die… It is much like the cycle of human life. When young, one is full of vitality. As one grows into youth, one's way of thinking toward the world changes, and some motivation in life is lost. At the end of one's life, health, vitality, and the drive to live are gone, and one falls and dies, leaving nothing but regret… But this does not apply to all humans, and likewise it does not apply to all trees and plants."
"Some trees are so ancient that their origins date back more than a thousand years, yet they remain vigorous and green. Some trees adapt to extreme conditions with great flexibility, some are born to endure hardships, and so are humans. People change as they grow older, but some retain vitality even in old age and still possess goals in life. Others adapt and adjust to hardships, while others find joy in facing dangers and challenges. Thus, in the end, humans resemble trees in their stubborn vitality."
Fang Tian felt something shatter within him and transform from a mere concept into something of greater value. This breakthrough was extremely smooth, almost natural to him. All he needed was one more push of understanding to reach it. Yet this feeling was something Fang Tian could only describe as wondrous, because he could not express it in words.
If he had to form a sentence about it, it would only be:
"Understanding one's path."
"Is this attainment level?!.. It's simply incredible—like taking drugs!"
Fang Tian had formed something akin to a sixth sense and gained profound understanding toward his own path. He could now comprehend Gu worms at a deeper level and use them with greater technique. He could even create entirely new Gu worms.
Even his intuition told him that he could construct killer moves using Gu worms together. For example, he could combine Jumping Grass Gu and Seed Swallow Gu with Wood Origin Gu and Wood Charm Gu to create a movement killer move!
This was the attainment level of a master in the Wood Path!
Gu Masters with extraordinary talent usually spent ten to twenty years studying their path and using their inheritances to become masters in their path. Meanwhile, Fang Tian had spent only a little over a year, with an incomplete Wood Path inheritance, to become a master in the Wood Path.
And why was that?
Of course, because he possessed the Extreme Physique of the Boundless Forest Samsara! Why are the Ten Extreme Physiques called "extreme"? Aside from possessing apertures filled to the brim and amplifying the effects of Gu worms of the path corresponding to their physique, they also possessed comprehension of their path that surpassed their peers by several times!
Usually, masters of a path were at Rank Four or Rank Five. But Fang Tian, in the initial stage of Rank Three, already possessed an attainment level equal to theirs! Fang Tian sighed in great admiration at this attainment level.
"In the past, I could feel my understanding of the Wood Path gradually increasing, but I couldn't fully grasp what attainment level truly was… I understood it as a commonly accepted concept in the world of Gu Masters. Yes, I knew its importance, but now that I've become one, I finally know what I can do with this attainment level."
"Can you be quiet, please?"
Wu Ji woke up, annoyed by Fang Tian muttering to himself. She scolded him and went back to sleep.
Fang Tian laughed happily and returned to reflecting on his entire journey along the Wood Path.