Top-tier Unruly Master

Ding Fan had just been chased by the Heavenly Wolf Pack and had used up quite a bit of his True Qi. At that moment, he directly swallowed the Pill that Gusu Qingwen handed over.

After swallowing the Pill, Ding Fan suddenly felt a heat in his dantian, followed by warm currents that flowed from it. His originally depleted True Qi started filling up again.

"We need to keep moving."

At that moment, Gusu Qingwen said to Ding Fan.

Ding Fan was quite sure of Gusu Qingwen's judgment. If it weren't for her guidance just now, they might have truly perished within Desperate Forest.

Immediately, Ding Fan carried Gusu Qingwen on his back and continued on their way.

"Where are we going?" Ding Fan asked.

"I don't know, this is Desperate Forest, dangerous everywhere. The places we can go are those where the danger is relatively lesser," Gusu Qingwen replied.

"What exactly is Desperate Forest?" Ding Fan thought back to how Nan Gongling, upon reaching Desperate Forest, had turned back in fear and dared not proceed further.

Since there was no immediate danger, Gusu Qingwen started to explain in detail.

This stretch of Desperate Forest was extremely perilous, reportedly once the Mansion of the founder of the Demon Sect, the Ancient Demon Lord.

The forest within was very dangerous. Here alone, not just the ferocious Yuan Beast but countless beasts and predatory birds thrived.

And the reason why the people of the Immortal Realm feared this Desperate Forest so much was because everything in the forest constantly changed. Simply put, if you revisited a place you were just at the minute before, you would find that it had completely changed the next minute.

Many disciples from the Immortal Sect had come here to explore, but most of them had perished here, never to be seen again.

Gusu Qingwen continued, "Once even an elder from the Immortal Sect entered risking their life and never came out."

On hearing this, Ding Fan's brows furrowed deeply.

If Gusu Qingwen, just a regular disciple of the Immortal Sect, was so formidable, then the elders of the Immortal Sect were even more so.

"Why did you bring me into the Desperate Forest then?" Ding Fan asked somewhat discontentedly.

Knowing that Desperate Forest was a place of no return, bringing him here was tantamount to seeking death together.

"If I hadn't brought you into the Desperate Forest, Nan Gongling would not have let you go either," Gusu Qingwen said.

Ding Fan felt there was some truth to Gusu Qingwen's words, but what he was concerned about now was how to leave this place.

The most headache-inducing part was that Ding Fan lacked Divine Sense; based on his understanding, this Desperate Forest definitely involved a Formation. If he could regain his Divine Sense, he might use it to attempt to decipher the Formation of this forest.

"No, wait... we've been here before..." as Ding Fan continued on their way, Gusu Qingwen said.

Ding Fan, startled, looked up. However, the surrounding environment felt very unfamiliar to him; he did not remember having been here before.

"Head in the direction of the northeast corner," Gusu Qingwen then hurriedly whispered to Ding Fan.

Ding Fan discerned the direction and headed straight for the northeast corner.

"So, is there really no chance we'll ever get out of this Desperate Forest?" Ding Fan asked Gusu Qingwen on his back as they pressed on.

"Theoretically speaking, there's still a chance. There was once a book that recorded something about Desperate Forest. It said that inside the forest, in its deepest part, lies the palace of the Ancient Demon Lord. If we can find that palace, it seems we could find a way out."

The Palace of the Ancient Demon Lord?

Ding Fan had been carrying Gusu Qingwen for some time, but he really hadn't seen any palace here.

"Hurry up, the Yuan Beast has set its eyes on us..." While Ding Fan was still thinking about how to find the palace, Gusu Qingwen urgently patted his shoulder and spoke.

At that moment, Ding Fan didn't have any awareness, but seeing Gusu Qingwen's warning, he hurriedly picked up speed and sprinted forward.

Just as Ding Fan dashed forward, a sudden gust of wind arose behind him.

"Roar!" A thunderous roar came directly.

The roar was so powerful that Ding Fan even felt his eardrums might burst. Although he was moving fast, distancing himself from the beast, he could still smell the thick scent of blood.

"What kind of monster is this!" He couldn't look back, but that monstrous beast gave Ding Fan waves of terror.

"This is a Horned Tiger, a Grade Eight Yuan Beast!" Gusu Qingwen said with a grave expression.

Damn!

At that moment, Ding Fan really hadn't expected to encounter such a powerful Yuan Beast, a Grade Eight Yuan Beast! Not to mention his current state, even at his peak in the Nascent Soul Stage, he would have had no chance against such a ferocious beast.

"Increase your speed a bit more, otherwise, we will be devoured by this Horned Tiger," Gusu Qingwen said, leaning on Ding Fan's back.

At this moment, Ding Fan didn't need to look back; he could feel the oppressive force of the Yuan Beast behind him.

"I've done all I can. If you don't want to get eaten, you better think of something fast," Ding Fan said.

Gusu Qingwen frowned slightly, clearly annoyed by Ding Fan's manner of speaking. However, at this point, she didn't have time to get angry and immediately swung her longsword at something behind her.

Suddenly, an overwhelming attack was unleashed.

Boom, boom... A sound of landsliding erupted from behind Ding Fan.

"Roar..." The Horned Tiger bellowed longingly once more.

Ding Fan glanced back and saw that Gusu Qingwen had used her longsword to collapse a swath of trees; the trees tumbled down and momentarily halted the Horned Tiger's pursuit.

Seizing the opportunity, Ding Fan, carrying Gusu Qingwen, dashed deeper into the forest. From behind them came the reluctant roars of the Horned Tiger.

"Stop running, let's rest here for a bit." Not knowing how far they had run, Gusu Qingwen said to Ding Fan.

By this time, Ding Fan had also exhausted a lot of his True Qi, and it seemed like a good moment to rest.

"That Horned Tiger is very persistent. Once it has set its eyes on its prey, it does not easily give up... But from the speed you carried me here just now, even if the Horned Tiger were to find its way here, it would still take some time," Gusu Qingwen said, calming her breath before continuing, "Starting now, I need to meditate and channel my cultivation. For the next hour, don't disturb me. You must use all your strength to protect me... You understand, only if you protect me well do we have a chance to escape from here."

Ding Fan looked at Gusu Qingwen. "I think it's not too bad now; at least I can carry you, and I can be your legs."

Gusu Qingwen's brow furrowed slightly. "If I can channel my cultivation to heal, and my legs recover, my cultivation power will greatly increase, and then our chances of escaping will be even greater."

Ding Fan shook his head slightly. "In that case, why would you still care about me? Escaping alone from here would give you a better chance than with two people..."

Gusu Qingwen's cultivation was incredibly powerful, and Ding Fan saw it clearly. They had no familial or duty bonds, and if Gusu Qingwen truly regained her cultivation, she would likely abandon him first thing in such a perilous place. After all, who would want to encumber themselves with someone else?

"You?!" Gusu Qingwen did not expect her thoughts to be so transparent to Ding Fan.

Without regard to Gusu Qingwen by his side, Ding Fan reached into his storage ring and pulled out a Second Grade Foundation Building Pill.

Having depleted too much True Qi, Ding Fan needed to replenish it.

Gusu Qingwen fell silent, realizing that without a protector, she truly dared not channel her cultivation to heal. Once in meditation, even a small venomous snake could be lethal.

"If you don't trust that I will take you with me after healing, I can give you my Immortal Sword," Gusu Qingwen said after a moment of contemplation.

Ding Fan shook his head. "I think we should just rest for now. When the Horned Tiger catches up, we'll have to keep running."

After all, Ding Fan, being reborn, knew that fists were the simplest solution to all disputes. Even if Gusu Qingwen did give him her sword, once she regained her cultivation, she could kill him in seconds.

Currently, she was injured in the legs, and he could carry her; he lacked Divine Sense, so he had to rely on Gusu Qingwen's Divine Sense. It was because of this mutual need that their cooperation existed.

Once this need vanished, so would their cooperation.

Gusu Qingwen, although resentful towards Ding Fan, really had no way to deal with him. With her injured legs, she could not run for long, and Gusu Qingwen could only rely on Ding Fan.

Gusu Qingwen knew Ding Fan was a cold and indifferent person, and she worried that if she offended him, he might just leave her behind.

A legless person, abandoned in the Desperate Forest, would be as good as dead.

"The Horned Tiger is chasing us again!" Gusu Qingwen's face suddenly changed. "This beast really does give chase closely…"

Ding Fan had not expected the Horned Tiger to catch up so quickly, and he walked ahead.

Gusu Qingwen slapped the ground with her hands, quickly climbed onto Ding Fan's back, and once she was on, Ding Fan did not hesitate. He took off, sprinting away.

Whoosh… Ding Fan had not run far when a fireball was directly hurled at them.

Ding Fan had not anticipated this move and almost got hit.

"There must be some celestial treasure within this Desperate Forest. This Horned Tiger has already cultivated enough to have some enlightenment... and even mastered the Fire-Breathing Technique," Gusu Qingwen marveled.

Because of the delay caused by the fireball, the Horned Tiger was quickly catching up.

Gusu Qingwen, startled, swung her longsword at the charging Horned Tiger.

The Horned Tiger, having been fooled before, did not dodge or evade this time but met Gusu Qingwen's sword head-on.

The so-called Horned Tiger was a robust tiger with horns atop its head.

Boom… The collision between the Horned Tiger and Gusu Qingwen's sword was firm. Instantly, a powerful Inner Strength burst outward from the center, shattering the nearby trees with its fierce force.

The shockwave affected Ding Fan, who stumbled and fell to the ground. Gusu Qingwen on his back was also thrown aside by the force.

Roar… Just then, the Horned Tiger let out another long roar...