Chapter 139: Another Batch Kidnapped

"You arrogant brat..."

Incensed by Gu Sha's blatant disregard, He Ling felt a surge of rage. His aura erupted instantly, rushing forth like a burst mountain torrent—a force so overwhelming that one dared not meet his gaze, let alone cross blades with him.

His wings flared, whipping up a gale that sent sand, stones, and clouds swirling in a violent, shimmering haze. His hands morphed into lethal talons. Though they appeared to be merely the claws of a crane, they were imbued with terrifying source energy, leaving no doubt that they were weapons capable of cleaving mountains and shattering rock.

*Clang!*

The crane claws seized Gu Sha’s Tang saber, sending a shower of sparks flying.

He Ling sneered, "Brat, do you finally understand what it means to be in awe? You..."

In that split second, Gu Sha channeled his temporal powers. Within a ten-meter radius, the flow of time slowed to a crawl, rendering everyone trapped inside incapable of reacting.

In that fleeting instant, Gu Sha gave his Tang saber a slight flick. Strands of potent source energy radiated from the blade, manifesting as waves of saber aura. With two sharp *pfft* sounds, he severed He Ling's indestructible claws, sending blood spraying everywhere.

"Ah!" He Ling shrieked in agony.

His hands were his greatest asset; having his fingers shorn off left him effectively crippled. Gu Sha lunged forward, planting a foot firmly on He Ling’s chest. The impact sent He Ling flying backward, crashing through dozens of trees and shattering a massive boulder before he was buried beneath a pile of jagged debris.

As He Ling struggled to crawl out, Gu Sha descended from the sky and pinned his head to the ground with his boot. Gu Sha said calmly, "What was it you said earlier? Awe? This, you bastard, is what you call awe!"

With his head embedded in the dirt, He Ling gasped in terror, "You... you are only a sixth or seventh-rank Battle Emperor, how is this possible..."

"So high and mighty, are we?"

Gu Sha dove in, swinging his sandbag-sized fists like a torrential downpour.

"A god, are we?"
"Throwing your weight around because of your age, are we?"
"Trying to act tough in front of me, are we?"

*Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!*

Under the relentless barrage of fists, He Ling was soon covered in wounds and gasping for air. Bruised and battered, he curled up on the ground, unable to maintain his human form, and reverted into an old crane.

Gu Sha patted the crane's wing and clicked his tongue. "What a shame. You’re too old; there’s no chew to you. Otherwise, these chicken wings..."

He Ling’s eyes widened, filled with sheer panic. He could not fathom how Gu Sha, with a cultivation base so much lower than his own, could be this powerful.

"Tie him up!"

Gu Sha kicked He Ling, swiped a spatial ring from the severed finger on the ground, and stomped his foot to launch himself into the air. From the forest, two long-armed apes emerged with specialized ropes to bind the crane.

At the same time, a piercing eagle cry echoed through the air. A massive eagle with a wingspan of over ten meters swooped down, caught Gu Sha on its back, and soared toward another part of the Taihang Mountains.

This eagle was a ninth-rank exotic beast with incredible speed, specifically chosen by Gu Sha for transport. As they sped through the sky, they passed several giant peaks to find a mountain ablaze. Amidst the raging fire, swarms of exotic beasts were fleeing in a panic, pursued by two Battle Emperors.

These were two Battle Emperors from the Wu family, both masters of wood-attribute secret techniques. Gu Sha had deliberately lured them here by ambushing them with a pack of fire-breathing exotic beasts. However, given the vast disparity in strength, the so-called elemental suppression was lackluster; despite the swarm, the beasts were merely stalling for time, and were being hunted down by the two Emperors.

Gu Sha drew his Tang saber and dove from the sky.

*BOOM!*

His majestic aura instantly dispersed the raging forest fire. The two Battle Emperors were sent flying, their bodies charred and emitting thin wisps of white smoke.

They stared at the suddenly appearing Gu Sha in shock. "Gu Sha, you... how is this possible..."

Gu Sha didn't waste his breath. Gripping his Tang saber, golden lightning erupted from his body as he unleashed his full strength. The sea of flames boiled, and terrifying saber shadows descended upon them.

"Run!"

The two Battle Emperors were no fools. They realized immediately that if Gu Sha was here, it meant the ninth-rank Battle Emperor He Ling had been defeated. They were only third or fourth-rank Battle Emperors; combined, they were no match for He Ling. Furthermore, with the mountain on fire, their own secret techniques were severely hampered. They stood no chance against Gu Sha.

Discarding their pride, they turned and fled in opposite directions.

However, Gu Sha was too fast. He hurled his Tang saber at one of the Emperors and pursued the other.

The Tang saber tore through the air, wreathed in terrifying, blood-red light. It appeared behind the fleeing Emperor in a flash, aiming to pierce his skull. Sensing the lethal danger, the Emperor spun around, fingers flying through a seal to conjure a weapon.

*CLANG!*

With a thunderous crash, the sheer power of the Tang saber shattered the weapon and pierced the Emperor’s shoulder, dragging him through the air until he was pinned to a cliffside.

"Old Nine!" the other Wu family Emperor roared hysterically. He hurriedly tapped his headset and shouted, "Everyone! Elder He has been killed! Gu Sha, he—"

In that split second, Gu Sha caught up and delivered a punch to the Emperor’s head. *Bam!* The man saw stars and collapsed to the ground. Gu Sha pinned him by the throat and began raining down punches. After a brutal beating, the Emperor was left with only a single breath, allowing Gu Sha to plant a restrictive seal within his body.

"Hello? Hello, Old Wu, what’s going on?"
"Old Wu, are you still there?"

Voices crackled through the Bluetooth headset. Gu Sha crushed the device under his boot, took the Emperor’s spatial ring, and gestured.

Several waiting exotic beasts emerged with ropes. The giant eagle descended, carried Gu Sha into the air, and flew toward the Emperor pinned to the cliff. Gu Sha retrieved his Tang saber, grabbed the man by the collar, and offered a faint smile.

The Emperor whimpered in terror, "No, no, no—Gu Sha, please, don't hit the face..."

"You got it!"

Gu Sha cast a restrictive seal and then tossed the Emperor from a height of several hundred meters. He slammed into the ground, creating a massive crater. With every bone in his body shattered and blood spewing from his mouth, he looked at the beasts happily trotting over with ropes and wept, "That... that... that... it’s worse than being hit in the face! Damn it all!"