"All I do is cultivate, it's utterly boring."
Years had passed, and Lin Ying, shedding her youthful immaturity, now exuded a more mature aura.
"Is my father doing well?" Tang Siwei asked.
Qin Hanchu nodded. "Yes, my people have been protecting him. He's doing fine."
"Let's talk later. You should go take care of your business first," Jin Hailu said with a smile.
"Okay."
Indeed, Qin Hanchu wasn't in the mood for casual conversation at the moment.
After bidding farewell to the four, Qin Hanchu followed the man forward.
"Hanchu seems a bit off." Despite Qin Hanchu's smile, Lin Ying could sense he wasn't in a good mood.
Jin Hailu nodded. "Something must have happened."
"Should we ask him?" Xin Xin inquired.
Tang Siwei shook her head. "Let's wait for him to tell us himself."
Following behind the man, Qin Hanchu looked around curiously.
The buildings here were primarily wooden structures, surrounded by many unfamiliar plants.
As he entered the village, Qin Hanchu saw a woman in a conical hat from a distance.
She must be Jiufeng.
Qin Hanchu could sense that Jiufeng was also a strong cultivator at the Martial King realm.
"You've arrived!" Jiufeng spoke as Qin Hanchu approached.
"Where is Qin Feng?" Qin Hanchu asked.
Hearing Qin Hanchu directly use Qin Feng's name, Jiufeng was surprised. "You already know!"
"Yes, take me to him," Qin Hanchu said in a deep voice. "I know he must be alive."
"The Asura King is indeed alive, but he isn't here," Jiufeng stated.
Qin Hanchu frowned. "What do you mean?"
Jiufeng remained silent, turning and walking towards a distant spot.
Qin Hanchu followed her without a word.
Twenty minutes later, Jiufeng led Qin Hanchu to the front of a steep cliff.
Mysterious runes were carved into the cliff face.
These runes bore a striking resemblance to those on the ancient clan's stone gate.
He looked at Jiufeng and asked, "What does this mean?"
Jiufeng pointed to the runes on the stone wall. "This is a teleportation gate. The Asura King has gone to another world. If you want to find him, you can only do so in that other world."
Teleportation gate?
Another world?
Qin Hanchu was utterly shocked. This was too outlandish!
"If you wish to know about your origins, you must go to the other world and seek answers from the Asura King."
"This is a photo of the Asura King."
"If he's disguised himself, then this photo would be useless."
As she spoke, Jiufeng handed a photograph to Qin Hanchu.
Qin Hanchu took it, glanced at it, and then directly shattered it with his power.
As the fragments scattered, Qin Hanchu moved to stand before the cliff.
Though he had heard of teleportation gates for the first time, he had seen the ancient clan's stone gate.
This teleportation gate should also be activated by the power of the five elements.
Qin Hanchu placed his hand on the stone carving, and the icy power within him surged towards the cliff face.
As the icy power flowed in, Qin Hanchu was enveloped by a cluster of runes.
"Aren't you going to catch up with Lin Ying and the others?" Jiufeng asked upon seeing Qin Hanchu activate the teleportation array.
Qin Hanchu said in a deep voice, "We'll meet again if fate allows!"
As the teleportation array activated, Qin Hanchu's figure gradually blurred.
With a burst of intense light, Qin Hanchu vanished.
The moment Qin Hanchu departed, an old man in gray robes walked over.
If Qin Hanchu had seen him, he would have been greatly shocked.
For this old man was none other than his master, Hu Qingshan!
"Venerable One!" Jiufeng respectfully bowed as Hu Qingshan approached.
Hu Qingshan said nothing. He remained silent for a long time before turning and leaving.
...
Five days later, Qin Hanchu stared at the distant silhouettes of tall buildings, immersed in shock.
What place was this?
Why did the architecture here resemble that of Blue Star so closely?
Was he truly in another world?
He had been here for five days but had not encountered a single person.
Even though he had seen a city, this world still filled him with a terrifying silence.
It felt as if he was the only one in this world.
Three hours later, Qin Hanchu walked into the city.
However, what greeted his eyes was a scene of desolation.
The tall buildings were all in a state of disrepair.
Weeds grew wild in the streets.
Throughout the roads, there were scattered decaying skeletons and wrecked vehicles.
What had happened in this world?
As he walked step by step, Qin Hanchu suddenly stopped.
Although the surroundings remained silent, Qin Hanchu felt a sense of impending danger.
It was as if something was watching him from the shadows.
Qin Hanchu stood motionless, listening intently to the surrounding sounds.
Suddenly, a roar erupted.
Immediately after, a colossal figure leaped from a tall building, lunging towards Qin Hanchu.
Startled by the immense shape, Qin Hanchu hastily dodged to the side.
*Boom!*
The colossal figure landed on the ground, crushing the wreckage of a car into scrap metal.
Only then did Qin Hanchu clearly see what the massive figure was.
It was a ferocious monster.
It possessed terrifying fangs and sharp claws.
Even its tail had a spiked tip that gleamed with cold light.
This was Qin Hanchu's first encounter with such a creature, and his eyes were filled with disbelief and shock.
"Human, are you lost?"
To Qin Hanchu's even greater astonishment, the monster spoke human language.
This meant that the monster possessed an intelligence comparable to that of humans.
"You can talk?" Qin Hanchu asked coldly.
"Of course! Would you like to stay and chat with me?" The monster, as large as an elephant, moved with the silence of a feline predator.
Qin Hanchu slipped his hand into his pocket and produced a golden long needle.
"What is this place? And what are you?" Qin Hanchu asked sternly.
"What am I?" The monster let out a sinister laugh. "In this world, we are the rulers! For a human like you to dare set foot on our territory, you truly court death."
Although Qin Hanchu was a powerful cultivator at the Martial King realm, he knew nothing of the monster's lineage and thus was unwilling to act rashly.
"You are the rulers?" Qin Hanchu's brow furrowed, and he began to back away.
Observing Qin Hanchu's movement, the monster cackled, "What? Trying to escape?"
"That is the thought," Qin Hanchu said, then suddenly turned and fled backward.
"Fine, if you can escape, I'll admit you're capable." The monster leaped forward abruptly, rapidly pursuing Qin Hanchu.
At this moment, Qin Hanchu was not exerting his full strength. He wanted to gauge the monster's power.
*Boom! Boom!*
Wherever the monster passed, all obstacles were flung aside, and it quickly closed the distance between them.
"Hurry, I'm about to catch you," the monster declared triumphantly.
Qin Hanchu knew that the monster was not yet using its full power; it was toying with him.
If that was the case, then let's see just how fast it truly was.
Qin Hanchu's speed suddenly erupted, instantly widening the gap.
"Damn it, you tricked me!" Seeing Qin Hanchu's sudden burst of speed, the monster realized it had been fooled and charged forward in anger.