Zhang Wen hovered in midair, countless streams of thought colliding chaotically in his mind. He frowned and muttered softly,
"System… we need to talk."
Almost immediately, a reply sounded as if it had been waiting.
[Adjusting reward]
[Obtained: Special Engagement Contract x1]
Zhang Wen froze for a moment, his eyes widening slightly, before he cursed aloud without restraint,
"That's not it, you idiot. I gave her freedom. Shouldn't you give freedom back to me as well? Something like an item that helps me escape this situation."
His voice carried a hint of amusement. The system fell silent for a moment, as if processing something, before replying in a tone that openly carried sarcasm.
[Oh wow… what an extraordinary imagination… how the hell did you even connect that?]
Zhang Wen laughed in amusement mixed with mockery.
"You damn system. Then what do you think I'm expecting in a situation like this?"
Before the argument could continue, a wave of deathly energy surged forward without warning. Compressed air tore through the atmosphere with a sharp screech. A figure rushed in at a speed far beyond what a cultivator of the same level should be capable of. Zhang Wen turned around almost in the same instant.
Information appeared before him immediately.
[Name: Gu Yisheng]
[Cultivation Level: Spirit Formation, Stage 8]
[Special Physique: Heavenly Demon Heart (???)]
[Luck: None]
[Affinity: -15]
[Heavenly Demon Heart (Sacred Physique): A special heart directly connected to Heavenly-level demonic power, allowing its owner to absorb negative emotions such as fear, anger, and despair and convert them directly into combat power. The more desperate the situation, the stronger the power becomes. The closer to death, the greater the strength. However, continuous use will erode the user's sanity. There is a chance of being overtaken by demonic power, losing control, or having the heart shatter from excessive strain, resulting in instant death.]
The clash erupted in midair the very instant Gu Yisheng charged in. Demonic power from the Heavenly Demon Heart exploded outward as waves of black and purple, twisting the surrounding air until it trembled, as if heaven and earth were being compressed together. His fist smashed down with force sufficient to tear mountains apart. Yet Zhang Wen did not retreat in panic. His eyes were calm, carefully reading the movement before the punch reached him.
Zhang Wen's body tilted slightly, his shoulder twisting at just the right angle as half of his body transformed into water. Gu Yisheng's punch passed straight through, as though striking empty air, but the residual force still ripped apart the air behind it, producing a thunderous explosion. Zhang Wen did not let that moment pass. He stepped in close, pressing his right palm down onto his opponent's wrist, using only a small amount of force to divert the entire flow of power off to the side, like a stream bending around a boulder.
Gu Yisheng's eyes widened as a sense of imbalance surged through him. Before he could regain his footing, Zhang Wen's knee shot up and struck his ribs with precise accuracy. The sound of cracking bones rang out clearly as Gu Yisheng was sent flying backward several meters. Demonic aura erupted more violently from the pain, the Heavenly Demon Heart pounding rapidly as his power surged upward at an astonishing rate.
"Die!" Gu Yisheng roared. Both hands spread apart as demonic power gathered and formed black claws, slashing toward Zhang Wen like a raging storm.
But Zhang Wen moved straight in to meet the attack. He did not retreat or evade, only transforming his body into liquid in a split second. The claws tore through his torso without being able to inflict any real injury at all. In that same instant, Zhang Wen's palm thrust precisely beneath Gu Yisheng's ribs. Condensed water surged into his body, ruthlessly infiltrating his meridians.
"AAARRRGHHHH!"
Gu Yisheng screamed as the demonic power within him instantly fell into chaos. Zhang Wen spun once, his palm slamming into the center of Gu Yisheng's chest. Water-aspected power exploded from within, producing a dull, muffled boom like compressed air bursting apart. Gu Yisheng was blasted downward, crashing into the ground and shattering it on impact. His demonic aura began to dissipate in patches, blood flowing from his mouth, eyes, and ears with no sign of stopping.
He struggled to rise, the Heavenly Demon Heart pounding violently once more, its power more ferocious and steadily growing stronger. But this time, it could not respond as before. The meridians infiltrated by water had been sealed at multiple points, and the power that should have circulated freely instead became obstructed.
Zhang Wen stood looking down from above, his expression calm, devoid of joy or hatred. He dove down swiftly and stepped on Gu Yisheng's wrist. The sound of bones breaking rang out once more.
"Your power is fairly decent," Zhang Wen said flatly. "But that's all."
Those words were heavier than any attack. Gu Yisheng looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief. The Heavenly Demon Heart was still amplifying his power, yet its owner had already been utterly defeated.
Zhang Wen grabbed Gu Yisheng by the head. The body of the once-lofty young man was lifted off the ground, his feet hanging in the air, a strained rasp of breath escaping his throat. Everything happened too fast, so fast that even Lin Qingtong, standing not far away, froze in place. She could clearly sense that the cultivation levels of the two sides were not separated by an insurmountable gap, yet what stood before her was a scene of absolute one-sided domination, a victory that left no room for doubt.
The surrounding air fell deathly silent, as if it had been swallowed whole. The sound of wind, the sound of flying ships, the sound of people breathing everything seemed to stop at the same instant. All eyes at the scene were fixed on Zhang Wen's hand, the hand gripping the head of the young master of the Gu Emperor Clan as though it were holding something worthless, as he slowly rose to stand in the sky with Gu Yisheng's body clenched in his grasp.
Zhang Lingyue and the people of the Gu Clan had not moved at first, partly because they saw Lin Qingtong watching them with her sword in hand, ready to summon her master, which kept them from interfering in the fight between the two. But the real reason was their firm belief that Gu Yisheng would not lose to Zhang Wen. Zhang Lingyue herself, who knew Zhang Wen to some extent, was confident that her true son would emerge victorious.
However, when the situation took a strange turn, Zhang Lingyue shot out of the flying ship at once. She moved as fast as lightning, panic something that had never appeared on her face before clearly visible for the first time in her life when she saw that her true son was about to be defeated and might be killed before her eyes. Yet before she could reach him, Zhang Wen stopped at a position where everything could already be ended. With just a little more pressure, Gu Yisheng's life would be extinguished, forcing her to halt her advance unwillingly.
That moment felt like an eternity. No one had ever imagined that the battle would end in such a crushing defeat.
Zhang Wen smiled faintly, a smile that held no attachment or hesitation at all, and spoke in a calm voice that cut deeper than any blade.
"So this is your real son?"
Those words were like a vicious slap to the face. Zhang Lingyue forced a gentle smile and spoke in a softened tone she had never used before.
"What are you saying, you troublesome child? Hurry and let him go. He is the young master of the Gu Emperor Clan."
At the same time, Gu Yisheng, whose head was being crushed in Zhang Wen's grip, let out a strained laugh. The broken laughter sounded both mocking and despairing.
"Heh… heh… listen to your mother, Good Boy…"
Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Lingyue hurriedly continued,
"If anything happens to him beyond this point, our Zhang Clan will disappear from—"
Boom!
An explosion sounded in a single instant. Yet it was not a sound that sent people into panic. Instead, it was a sound that plunged the entire world into silence. Fragments of blood and flesh scattered across the sky, falling like a rain of red.
No one moved. No one made a sound. No one even dared to breathe heavily.
As drops of bright red blood splattered onto the edge of Lin Qingtong's flying ship, she did not pay them the slightest attention. Her eyes were fixed unblinking on the scene before her. It was the image of Zhang Wen floating in the air, his hand still raised, holding the shattered remains of Gu Yisheng's head, crushed to pulp, with blood slowly dripping down between his fingers.
Gu Lanyue, standing on the ship, was completely stunned. Her mind went utterly blank. She had never imagined that Zhang Wen would actually dare to kill Gu Yisheng. This was no ordinary cultivator. This was the son of a Saint Emperor.
Then, her expression turned cold once more.