The wind stopped.
The silent road seemed trapped between two worlds as the red-eyed man stood motionless before the corpses scattered on the ground.
Han Feng watched without moving a muscle.
His instinct screamed danger.
The energy around that man was wrong.
It wasn't ordinary primordial essence.
It wasn't demonic qi.
It was something corrupted by the cracks.
Something that didn't fully belong to the Gu World.
The man smiled again.
His cracked lips moved slowly as he tilted his head strangely.
—You can feel it too… can't you…?
The voice seemed distant.
Like someone speaking underwater.
The girl behind Han Feng trembled visibly.
—H-he's crazy…
Han Feng remained silent.
Then—
the space behind the man cracked again. CRACK.
A small fissure appeared for less than a second before disappearing.
But that was enough.
Han Feng felt his blood run cold.
That man was affecting space simply by existing.
The Celestial Diagram vibrated violently.
The golden lines spun endlessly.
As if rejecting that corruption.
The man slowly brought his hands to his head.
"They talk nonstop…"
He began to laugh.
A low laugh.
Which grew louder.
More distorted.
"The sky is opening… you don't understand… you DON'T UNDERSTAND!"
BOOOOOOM!!
His aura exploded.
The entire road cracked violently.
The corpses around him began to rot in seconds as dark energy escaped from the man's pores like living smoke.
Han Feng pulled the girl back instantly.
— Back off.
The man slowly raised his red eyes.
And at that instant—
Han Feng realized.
The man was still conscious.
Partially.
But something on the other side was slowly consuming his mind.
His skin began to crack.
Black fragments appeared beneath his flesh, as if his body were transforming into something different.
Then he lunged forward.
BOOOOM!!
Too fast.
Han Feng dodged by centimeters as the ground behind him exploded.
That man's physical strength already surpassed that of a regular Rank 4.
No.
Worse.
The dimensional energy around him was distorting attacks.
Han Feng immediately activated the red flame.
BOOOOM!!
The fire struck the man directly.
But something absurd happened.
The flame was partially absorbed.
The man trembled violently.
Then he began to laugh even more.
— YES… YES… THAT FLAME…
His red eyes became even brighter.
— THEY ARE RIGHT… YOU ARE IMPORTANT…
Han Feng's eyes narrowed instantly.
So even contaminated creatures could perceive something in him.
Bad.
Very bad.
The man opened his arms.
And behind him—
three small fissures opened simultaneously.
The girl paled.
Han Feng felt his scalp bristle.
The fissures were responding to the man's corruption.
And then—
hands began to emerge from them.
Black hands.
Long.
Not completely material.
Like shadows trying to traverse space.
Han Feng didn't hesitate any longer.
His gaze turned icy.
The Celestial Diagram spun violently.
The golden lines exploded in brilliance.
And for the first time—
Han Feng felt he could partially control that energy.
The red flame appeared again. But now…
it wasn't just red.
Golden symbols coursed through the fire like rivers of living light.
The contaminated man froze.
Instinct.
Fear.
For the first time, fear appeared in his red eyes.
—N-no…
Han Feng stepped forward.
The fire exploded.
FOOOOOOOM!!
The entire road was illuminated.
The fissures trembled violently.
The black hands recoiled instantly like creatures burned by the light.
The man screamed.
Not just from pain.
But from terror.
Because the golden lines were burning something deeper than flesh.
They were burning the corruption within him.
Han Feng appeared before him in an instant.
His hand, enveloped in golden-red fire, pierced directly through the man's chest.
PUCHIIII!!
Silence.
The man froze.
His red eyes began to tremble.
For a moment…
lucidity returned to his face.
He looked directly at Han Feng.
And tears slowly welled up in his eyes.
—They… are coming…
Blood trickled from his mouth.
—The sky… won't hold…
CRACK.
His body began to disintegrate.
Turning into black ashes carried by the wind.
The fissures behind him collapsed immediately.
Silence.
Han Feng remained still for a few seconds.
The flame around his hand slowly disappeared.
But inside him…
the Celestial Diagram continued to change.
The golden lines now occupied almost a whole third of the diagram.
And the more they grew…
the more he felt something strange.
As if the diagram was awakening.
The girl behind him spoke in a trembling voice:
"What… was happening to him…?"
Han Feng watched the ashes being carried away by the wind.
Then he calmly replied:
"The other side was consuming his mind."
The girl paled.
The sky roared softly above them.
Han Feng raised his eyes.
The clouds were swirling again.
More and more frequently.
More and more unstable.
Then—
the Celestial Diagram vibrated.
But this time…
there was no immediate danger.
It was something else.
A distant sensation.
Like someone watching through the void.
Silent.
Cold.
Han Feng closed his eyes for a brief moment.
And then he saw.
For less than a breath—
a completely different sky.
Dark.
Infinite.
Dead stars scattered across the void.
And at their center…
a figure standing before a river of souls.
Immobile.
Observing.
The pressure was absurd.
But unlike the corruption of the fissures.
It was controlled.
Profound.
Like an existence that understood the weight of eternity.
Han Feng opened his eyes abruptly.
The connection vanished immediately.
But his heart beat faster.
That being on the other side…
was also beginning to perceive the abnormalities.
And perhaps…
was also trying to understand where they came from.
In the distance—
a deep sound echoed through the heavens.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
Han Feng turned instantly.
Far away on the horizon…
a gigantic crack had appeared in the sky.
Even from that distance, he could feel the spiritual pressure descending upon the world.
The girl turned pale.
"Another fissure…?"
Han Feng narrowed his eyes.
"No."
"This was bigger."
"Much bigger."
"The energy emanating from there was absurd."
"Even the surrounding sky seemed to be slowly crumbling."
"And then—"
"an ancient aura surged from the direction of the Central Region."
"Gigantic."
"Heavy."
"Like an entire sea awakening."
Han Feng felt his whole body tense.
"Immortal Gu."
"Finally…"
"the true monsters of the Gu World were beginning to act."
"And that meant only one thing:"
"the situation had completely spiraled out of control."