Fang Tian dodged the old elder's attack and rained punches down on him, forcing the old man to retreat. But from behind him, the middle-aged man thrust his palms forward, releasing a powerful whirlwind that flew horizontally and struck Fang Tian's back.
Fang Tian was sent flying a hundred meters, and half of his back turned into burned and punctured flesh.
"I'm using Strength Path cultivation to fight three Rank Four Gu Masters… this is foolish. Even if Strength Path gives me great battle power, the gap between it and my Wood Path is huge. I have to retreat."
Fang Tian dodged the attacks of the three Sun clan elders while attempting a strategy that would force them to consume their primeval essence quickly. If Fang Tian had one advantage in this situation, it was the amount of primeval essence he possessed.
Ling Yan, who had been injured by his surprise attack earlier, leapt forward and slammed the ground violently. The sand around them turned into a swamp, from which ugly beast manifestations emerged.
"There it is!"
When Ling Yan attacked, a gap appeared in the formation of the Sun clan elders. Fang Tian immediately rushed through that opening to escape. He was not foolish enough to stand and fight them to the death. Moreover, he could not reveal his full strength and did not want to create unnecessary trouble—his goal had already been achieved.
"Solid Body Charge Gu!"
A phantom of a massive horse with a lion's mane appeared behind him, and Fang Tian's speed surged as he dashed away from the battlefield.
The caravan had already disappeared beyond the horizon. Fang Tian only needed to evade pursuit and follow their trail.
Behind him, the Sun clan Gu Masters chased him, but they gradually fell behind. Eventually only the Rank Four and Rank Three elders remained in pursuit.
"Let's see how much primeval essence you have."
Fang Tian laughed while dividing his attention between observing his surroundings and following the caravan's tracks.
From behind, numerous attacks shot toward him and struck his body, but they were blocked by a muscular barrier that covered him like a second layer of hardened flesh.
"Even with Strength Path cultivation, my battle power is impressive. I don't need to reveal my Wood Path cultivation to deal with this problem. I must be careful with my trump cards."
After creating enough distance between himself and his pursuers, Fang Tian sighed and activated Wooden Wings Gu, flying high into the air.
The pursuers could not keep up with him. Gradually they fell farther and farther behind until they disappeared from view.
"Strange… very strange. I've already moved far enough, but I can't see any trace of the caravan…"
Fang Tian flew for several hours until his primeval essence reserves became low. He landed on the ground to rest and recover.
Because he possessed Beggar Moth Gu, which could store large amounts of primeval essence, his reserves were indeed enormous—but even that could not keep up with hours of continuous consumption.
After all, Wooden Wings Gu was a Rank Five Gu. Even though it was suppressed by the region, it still consumed the same amount of primeval essence as before. Thus, Fang Tian had to stop from time to time to refill the Beggar Moth Gu.
But now he did not have much time for that. First, he needed to find the caravan.
"It's unlikely that I flew past the caravan… my investigative methods covered a wide area around me… or maybe—?"
A loud roar suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
A violent wind burst forth with such intensity that Fang Tian could barely keep himself standing.
He raised his head, and his eyes widened.
A massive golden tornado blocked the surrounding landscape, scattering sand everywhere. Even though Fang Tian was a Rank Four Gu Master, he could barely maintain his footing because of the storm's environmental impact.
"A golden tornado?! It has power comparable to a Rank Five!"
The ground beneath Fang Tian cracked apart, turning into a huge golden rock that lifted into the air, carrying him directly toward the heart of the tornado.
Fang Tian could only activate his defensive Gu worms and hope the tornado would weaken before his defenses collapsed.
Inside the tornado, rocks and beasts flew everywhere, colliding with each other violently. Even Fang Tian, clinging to the rock, collided with a dog-like beast.
The beast tried to bite Fang Tian's arm, but Fang Tian punched it, shattering its face and sending it flying away with blood spraying through the air.
Thousands of tiny gray vines, thin as threads, suddenly grew from Fang Tian's body and shot downward toward the ground—but they were torn apart by the tornado before they could reach it.
"This tornado is incredibly powerful! And its area is enormous—it spans several kilometers… Huh? Is that a Featherman?"
Fang Tian looked toward a Featherman being tossed around violently by the golden tornado.
He quickly recognized him.
It was Ninety-Two.
Fang Tian could clearly sense his familiar aura. After all, only a peak Rank Four Gu Master had even a slight chance of surviving inside such a terrifying tornado.
"Got you!"
Fang Tian stretched out his hand. A Strength Path arm, four times larger than his own, appeared and reached out, grabbing Ninety-Two by the back and pulling him toward Fang Tian.
The Strength Path arm eroded under the tornado's force, but it endured long enough to reach him before collapsing.
Fang Tian seized Ninety-Two, grabbing his wings and dragging him into his defensive barrier.
He realized that Ninety-Two was only semi-conscious. The moment Fang Tian pulled him into the barrier, he completely lost consciousness.
Fang Tian gritted his teeth and endured the heavy consumption of primeval essence while stabilizing himself using Grass Furnace Gu and Heavenly Essence Treasure Monarch Lotus Gu. This combination created a fragile balance, allowing the expenditure of essence to remain manageable.
The tornado lasted an entire hour before its power gradually weakened.
Fang Tian finally found a gap within the storm and leapt out, flying away while carrying Ninety-Two.
They tumbled across the ground several times, staining the yellow sand with their blood.
Fang Tian lay on his back and slowly closed his eyes while healing his injuries. He glanced at Ninety-Two, whose wings were torn and feathers broken.
His companion looked truly miserable.
"It's not like I'm in much better condition… sigh… I lost several Gu worms in that cursed tornado… What is this?"
Fang Tian sat up and looked at the strange environment around him.
The sky had turned green, and a strong but gentle wind blew through the area, carrying a cool breeze.
Fang Tian rubbed his nose in confusion and looked at Ninety-Two, who was coughing blood from his mouth.
At that moment, Fang Tian realized that he had fallen into a strange and troublesome situation he could not understand.