Though Mu Feng stood far away, every word from Xuan's mouth reached his ears clearly. His eyes flared with fury, his killing intent rippling through the forest.
"Xuan, what do you mean by this?" Mu Feng barked, his voice echoing through the trees. "Is the Holy Soul Empire declaring war against me?"
"Amitabha…" Xuan pressed his palms together, his tone remaining calm and steady. "Elder Mu Feng, I have no intention of harming you, the boy, or the titan ape. However…" His eyes opened slightly, glinting with cold golden light. "Harboring a being of that race is a grave sin. You remember what happened all those years ago, don't you? We cannot allow history to repeat itself."
Mu Feng's brows twitched, but Xuan continued, his serene voice turning sharp—like a blade wrapped in silk.
"Surely, Elder Mu Feng, a man as respected as yourself, would not stand against the balance of the universe. For that reason, on behalf of all realms…" He raised one palm, golden light swirling above it. "I kindly ask you to hand over the child."
The calm tone of his voice carried a silent, suffocating threat—one that made the air tremble.
"Huh…" A faint chuckle escaped Mu Feng, but it carried steel beneath it. "The balance of the universe? Hahaha… Last time you took everything from me and I could do nothing. I don't care now. Even if I perish here, if you so much as lay a hand on a single hair of that boy, I swear—by the Dao of Heaven itself—I will drag you down to the underworld with me."
Mu Feng's voice rolled across the burning treeline. His hands moved in tight, precise circles, leaving trails of golden light in the air. Suddenly a surge of golden qi burst from his body, pressing down on the area; trees and bushes bowed beneath the weight of it.
"Elder Mu Feng," Xuan said, his voice still composed yet sharpening with accusation, "are you truly willing to defy the will of the Holy Soul Empire, the will of the universe—the will of Heaven—over this… cursed creature?"
"He is not a cursed creature!" Mu Feng barked, every word raw with devotion. "He is a child I cherish with all my life. He is not yours to take!"
Xuan's face did not change. His tone was quiet, but every syllable was lethal. "It seems Elder Mu Feng has been blinded by that wretched thing," he said. "Amitabha… there is no more point in words." He raised his palm; the calm in his voice hardened into command. "By the will of the realms, I declare that Elder Mu Feng has consorted with an unclean being. He must… be… cleansed."
The sentence hung in the air like a verdict — cold, absolute, and final.
Behind Mu Feng, Bai Zun struggled to rise. He shook his massive head left and right, clearing the daze from his mind, and then his eyes locked onto the figures in the sky. He could feel the danger radiating from them. With a thunderous roar, he bared his slightly yellow, blade-like teeth, sending a clear warning through the forest. His voice echoed, deep and menacing, across the trees.
"Bai Zun…" Mu Feng called to the titan ape, his voice urgent. "You're not strong enough to fight them. If you want to help, then run—run as fast as you can!"
Bai Zun's massive head tilted, eyes filled with sadness and confusion. He kept glancing between the approaching figures in the sky and Mu Feng, as if debating whether to defy his master and jump into the fray anyway.
"Didn't you hear me?do you have air for you're brain.Run… run… run as fast as you can!" Mu Feng roared again, his voice raw with both fury and desperation. He forced the words to pierce Bai Zun's heart, hoping to push the titan into retreat. He knew these enemies would come after the ape too, knowing the value of such a powerful ally.
The ape stared down for a long moment, then took a few slow, reluctant steps back. With a sudden, earth‑shattering boom, he launched himself into the sky—each leap sending shockwaves through the forest—until he vanished beyond the horizon.
"That ape is far too precious to lose," Xuan thought, studying the retreating silhouette. "It seems it was a Snow Spirit Ape" he judged silently.
"General Qin Mu," Xuan called, turning his head.
Qin Mu stepped forward at once, bowing slightly, a broad smile pasted across his face—obedient, eager, like a hound before its master. "Ah… what do you require of me, Elder Xuan?" he asked.
Xuan's voice dropped to a near whisper. "I need you to go and persuade that titan for me."
Qin Mu hesitated. "But Elder—shouldn't you want my help against Mu Feng first?" he pressed.
"Don't ask too many questions, General," Xuan replied codly, his tone smooth but edged with warning. "Knowing too much can get you into trouble."
Qin Mu took Xuan's warning like a knife. The loyal grin that had been fixed on his face crumpled; a sliver of fear passed over his features, Qin Mu's throat bobbed. He forced a grin, but sweat trickled down his temple. the proud hound have turned into something more cautious — a cornered cat. He spun on his heel and barked, "Soldiers—attention!"
A roar answered him: "Yes, sir!"
"Our benefactors—the Elder Xuan and the Holy Soul Empire—have claimed the white ape," Qin Mu announced, his voice booming over the deck. "No matter the cost, even if it demands your lives, you will hunt that beast down and bring it back. Under my command—" He turned, raised his hand toward the sky where the ape had vanished, and shouted, "Go!"
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers screamed in unison.
In a blur of motion, Qin Mu's red plume whipped behind him as the troops stampeded across the ship. With a unified shout, they surged to the rail, then plunged in groups into the canopy below—falling through the trees in a violent cascade of motion, leaving the ship trembling in their wake.
As the last group of soldiers disappeared into the forest, their screams of "Ahhh!" fading into the distance, Qin Mu turned back toward Xuan. Dropping to one knee, he bowed his head low.
"Elder, we'll get going then…" he said, his voice steady but respectful.
Xuan didn't reply. His golden eyes remained fixed on the furious old man below, the air around him trembling under the pressure of Mu Feng's anger.
Seeing the silence as dismissal, Qin Mu tightened his grip on his sword. He sprinted across the deck toward the edge of the ship and, without a moment's hesitation, leapt off. His boots sank deep into the muddy earth below with a wet thud. Without a single word, he dashed into the burning forest, vanishing between the thick shadows of the trees.
Only Xuan and the four monks remained aboard the floating ship.
"You four," Xuan finally spoke, his calm voice carrying a weight that silenced even the wind. "Bring me that child. Be cautious—although Elder Mu Feng can no longer wield cultivation techniques, do not underestimate him."
He closed his golden eyes briefly before adding in a low tone, "That man was once called the Emperor of Alchemy and Talismans… and even now, that title has not faded."
"Go now," Xuan commanded, his voice calm yet slicing through the forest like a blade.
"Yes, Elder!" the four monks responded in unison.
With a thunderous boom—boom! boom! boom! boom!—they leapt into the air. Golden trails followed their forms, streaking across the dim forest like shooting stars.
Xuan's gaze remained fixed on the figure below. His voice, barely more than a whisper, carried through the wind and the smoke of the burning forest:
"Elder Mu Feng… the legendary man who once defeated a World Master at Sky Lord level… I wonder if the fire in you still burns."
The words, soft yet laced with challenge, lingered in the air like a warning.
Seeing the four monks closing in, Mu Feng grabbed Zixiao by the back collar of his robes, pulling him close and turning toward the dense forest. With a thunderous boom and sparkling brown trails trailing behind him, Mu Feng leaped into the thick canopy, moving at lightning speed. He knew he couldn't fight in the open sky—there would always be too many vulnerabilities.
He weaved through the forest like a serpent, twisting and turning around the massive, ancient trees.
One of the monks, pushing slightly ahead of the others, shot forward across the forest canopy with astonishing speed. He lifted his prayer beads, and suddenly, the chain snapped. With a swift motion of his right hand, the beads began circling, spinning like golden stars. His palm faced toward the forest, and with a hissing whistle, the beads shot forward, scattering through the trees like piercing comets.
The golden beads fell dangerously close to Mu Feng, several of them nearly grazing him. He twisted violently, Zixiao clinging to him, narrowly avoiding the spinning projectiles. One bead, glowing with blinding golden light, zipped past his face as he spun again to evade another. The moment the beads landed, they exploded in bursts of golden energy, scattering across the forest floor and sending light flickering beyond the canopy with thunderous booms.
Mu Feng glanced back. The four monks were in relentless pursuit, weaving through the forest like snakes, their movements precise and terrifying, the air hissing behind them with each strike.
Focusing forward, Mu Feng twisted sharply—just in time to see a golden bead smash into a massive tree to his right. The impact tore a chunk of bark and wood from its corner. With a crescendoing creak, the enormous tree began to topple, falling lightning-fast toward Mu Feng and Zixiao.
With every ounce of strength, Mu Feng surged forward, diving under the collapsing trunk. His feet barely cleared the deadly impact as the tree crashed to the ground behind them, splintering into jagged pieces with an echoing boom that rattled the forest.
The monks behind scattered slightly, maintaining distance from one another as the massive trunk crashed toward them, bouncing violently and smashing into the ground with thunderous booms. But their formation quickly regrouped, their speed accelerating as they closed in.
Mu Feng turned toward Zixiao. His hair fluttered wildly around his face, but Zixiao was still unconscious. The medicine Mu Feng had administered had healed some minor injuries, yet the major wounds still bled under the rapid airflow.
If his body shakes too much, the wounds will only worsen… and with all these trees around, the problem will escalate even faster, Mu Feng thought, his expression tense. I have no choice—I need open space.
He glanced skyward, where dim light filtered through the forest canopy. It's all or nothing, he muttered.
Bending his knees, Mu Feng exploded upward with a deafening boom, ripples of force tearing through the air. Brown trails followed him as he cut through branches and leaves with violent precision, carving a path toward open sky, carrying Zixiao with him.