Chapter 197 - 167: Sorry, I Brought My Teacher

Chapter 197: Chapter 167: Sorry, I Brought My Teacher

Ji Zhixing flapped his Purple Gold Thundercloud Wings, circled once in midair, and flew toward Ren Pingzhi’s location.

The purple-gold thunder wings flashed with dazzling light under the sun. His figure traced an arc through the sky before he landed in front of Ren Pingzhi.

"Ji Zhixing!"

Upon seeing Ji Zhixing, Ren Pingzhi’s expression shifted slightly, but he quickly suppressed it. He immediately stepped forward, his face full of urgency. "You’re finally here!"

Ji Zhixing didn’t waste words. He glanced at him and asked, "Where is Gu Zheng?"

"Right in that cave over there." Ren Pingzhi pointed to a cave at the base of a distant peak. "I saw him crawl in with my own eyes. He hasn’t come out since, so he must be heavily injured."

"Take me there," Ji Zhixing said calmly.

Ren Pingzhi froze, a trace of hesitation flashing across his face. "I... I don’t need to go, right? With my strength, I won’t be of any help. That cave is just a few hundred meters away; you’ll find it as soon as you head over."

Ji Zhixing furrowed his brows. He stared directly at Ren Pingzhi, his tone darkening slightly. "There’s nothing wrong with this cave you mentioned, is there?"

"No, absolutely not!"

Ren Pingzhi hurriedly shook his head and gritted his teeth. "Zhixing, don’t worry, I would never lie to you. I’ve long despised a despicable person like Gu Zheng. Since you don’t believe me, I’ll take you there right now."

With that, he stepped forward, leading Ji Zhixing toward the cave beneath the distant mountain peak.

Ji Zhixing followed beside Ren Pingzhi. Seeing him feigning composure, he sighed softly in his heart.

At first, he had assumed that Ren Pingzhi only called him because he was coerced by Gu Zheng. However, looking at it now, that was clearly not the case.

"What a pity," Ji Zhixing thought. Even if they couldn’t be friends, they weren’t exactly enemies either. If it weren’t for today’s incident, he would have at least treated Ren Pingzhi as a regular classmate. But now, things were different.

The two soon arrived at the cave. The entrance wasn’t large and was obscured by thick bushes. It was pitch black inside, making it impossible to see anything. Upon reaching this spot, Ji Zhixing paused. Instead of walking into the cave, he stopped in his tracks.

"Something’s wrong," he said with a frown.

"Wrong?" Ren Pingzhi’s face paled, his voice trembling. "What’s wrong? I think it looks perfectly normal."

"Everything is wrong. You think it’s normal because you are the ’something wrong’ I’m talking about," Ji Zhixing said slowly, his eyes locked on Ren Pingzhi.

Ren Pingzhi’s expression stiffened. Under Ji Zhixing’s intense gaze, beads of sweat immediately broke out across his forehead.

CLAP CLAP!

Right then, the sound of slow clapping rang out as several figures emerged from the cave ahead. Leading them was none other than Gu Zheng.

Gu Zheng wore a silver-white battle suit, a silver longsword strapped to his waist. His features were clean and handsome, but his face was filled with cold, murderous intent. His aura was steady; he didn’t look injured in the slightest.

Beside Gu Zheng stood four others. Ji Zhixing recognized two of them: Chen Wenjie and Han Shuang. Both were former members of Gu Zheng’s squad, and both were his enemies.

The third person slightly surprised Ji Zhixing. It was actually Yu Zhirou.

She was wearing a green dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders. Seeing Ji Zhixing look her way, she immediately averted her eyes, not daring to meet his gaze.

Ji Zhixing had no idea that having Ren Pingzhi lure him out was actually her idea. She was the one who had approached Gu Zheng and proposed this plan.

Aside from them, there was one more person standing by their side. This individual wore a mask with a dynamic vortex pattern that induced dizziness if stared at for too long. The mask covered their entire face, revealing only a pair of cold, sinister eyes that made one feel deeply uncomfortable.

The moment Gu Zheng’s group stepped out, Ren Pingzhi, who had been standing next to Ji Zhixing all along, didn’t hesitate. His figure flashed as he ran over to join Gu Zheng’s side.

Only after reaching them did he finally heave a sigh of relief. Once settled, he looked at Ji Zhixing with a trace of shame in his eyes, but it quickly vanished. The benefits Gu Zheng offered were simply too great to refuse.

Ji Zhixing watched Ren Pingzhi scurry over. He didn’t say a word; he merely shook his head.

"Ji Zhixing!" Stepping forward, Gu Zheng stared at Ji Zhixing, making no attempt to hide his murderous intent. "You’re quite smart. To notice something was wrong the moment you arrived.

"However, it’s too late for that now.

"This has dragged on long enough. It’s time to settle our grudge once and for all."

"That’s right!" Chen Wenjie chimed in coldly from the side. "You managed to escape last time in the Otherworldly Secret Realm. Let’s see where you can run to this time!"

Ji Zhixing remained silent. His gaze swept over the six people opposite him. Six pairs of eyes were fixed squarely on him.

At this moment, the masked person spoke up, their voice raspy.

"Hehehe! Boy, don’t even think about escaping. From the moment you stepped into this area and entered my Tree Realm Barrier, escape became impossible."

As their voice faded, the nearby trees and vines began to grow at an astonishing rate. Trunks thickened and towered upward at a speed visible to the naked eye, while vines slithered and coiled like massive pythons. In an instant, countless trees and vines merged to weave a massive green barrier, completely enveloping everyone inside.

"Gu Zheng, I didn’t expect your hatred for me to run so deep that you’d actually want to kill me." Watching the so-called Tree Realm Barrier form around them, Ji Zhixing frowned and looked at Gu Zheng. "Did you know that the moment I heard you were injured, I rushed over here as fast as I could?

"I was even worried I wouldn’t be able to save you on my own, so I specifically called a school teacher to come along."

"What?"

Hearing this, Gu Zheng’s brow twitched as a strong sense of foreboding welled up in his heart. He abruptly raised his head and looked around.

BOOM!

Right then, a deafening roar echoed from above. The green barrier woven from countless giant trees trembled violently. After the first roar came a second, then a third... Every strike was like a thunderbolt from the heavens, leaving the entire barrier groaning under the strain.

Gu Zheng and the others instantly looked up in horror.

The next second—

CRACK!

A massive fissure appeared at the top of the barrier. A hand wreathed in white airflow reached through the gap and casually tore it apart, as effortlessly as ripping a piece of paper.

The entire Tree Realm Barrier was completely shredded by this single blow. Countless vine fragments and wood splinters poured down like a torrential rainstorm. Sunlight spilled back in.

BOOM!

Bai Yuan’s figure descended, landing right beside Ji Zhixing. He wore a white casual suit, his hands stuffed into his pockets. His expression was utterly tranquil, as if shattering the barrier just now was nothing more than a casual flick of the wrist.

"Teacher Bai!"

Seeing Bai Yuan, the faces of Gu Zheng and his group instantly contorted, turning incredibly grim.

Bai Yuan was a teacher at Yu City University, meaning he was at least a Tier Four Gene Cultivator. Moreover, back in the Spirit Ruins Treasure Land, they had all noticed how wary the teachers from Feng City University and Yun City University had been of him. It was obvious that Bai Yuan’s strength far exceeded that of a regular Tier Four Morning Star Cultivator.

SWISH!

The masked figure, upon seeing Bai Yuan appear, didn’t say a word. Without the slightest hesitation, they soared into the air and rapidly fled into the distance.

"Scum from the Dark Star Association, you think you can just leave after running into me?"

Bai Yuan sneered coldly and shot into the sky in pursuit. His speed was even faster, his figure blurring into a bolt of white lightning.

"Ji Zhixing." As Bai Yuan gave chase, his cold voice echoed back. "Gu Zheng and the others have colluded with the Dark Star Association to murder students of Yu City University. They are all to be killed without mercy!"

"The Dark Star Association?"

Hearing Bai Yuan’s words, Ji Zhixing’s expression changed drastically. He looked at Gu Zheng and the others in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock.

This world was vast, and the Blue Star was but an insignificant Life Star in the universe. Beyond the Blue Star, there were many similar Life Stars. Due to the vast distances, the Blue Star had practically no contact with them. That was until the great mutation over two thousand years ago, when countless fragments of Alternate Space merged into this universe. Lifeforms on certain Life Stars discovered that they could directly travel to other Life Stars through specific Otherworldly Secret Realms. Only then did the Blue Star gain some understanding of these other worlds.

The Dark Star Association was an espionage organization planted on the Blue Star by factions from several connected Life Stars. They secretly infiltrated major base cities to gather intelligence, steal resources, and even assassinate genius Cultivators. Every base city on the Blue Star maintained a zero-tolerance policy toward the Dark Star Association. Once discovered, they were to be killed on sight.

"You guys actually colluded with the Dark Star Association?" Ji Zhixing glared at Gu Zheng, his voice icy.

Gu Zheng’s face was extremely ugly. He gripped his silver longsword so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He never imagined that after creating such a perfect opportunity for Ji Zhixing, the latter wouldn’t come alone, but would actually bring a school teacher with him. Now, regardless of whether he could kill Ji Zhixing today or not, returning to Yu City University would be impossible. He couldn’t even return to the Yu City Base City.

Beside him, Chen Wenjie, Han Shuang, Ren Pingzhi, and Yu Zhirou were deathly pale, their bodies trembling slightly. Gu Zheng was a genius who had fused with Tier Four Morning Star genes; he could survive even if he left the Yu City Base City. But they couldn’t. This was especially true for Ren Pingzhi and Yu Zhirou, who had only fused with Tier Two genes and were currently just Tier One Cultivators. They felt that even if they tried to run, they wouldn’t make it far.

"Attack together!" Gu Zheng took a deep breath, a glint of absolute resolve flashing in his eyes. "If we don’t kill him, none of us are leaving here today!"

As soon as he spoke, he didn’t hesitate for a moment. His aura erupted explosively as he played his trump card right off the bat.

"Thousand Sword Peacock Form!"

Phantom sword glints materialized around his body, as dazzling as peacock feathers. They rapidly merged into him, causing his aura to skyrocket. Longsword in hand, he slashed straight at Ji Zhixing with a blindingly brilliant beam of sword light.

"Size Manipulation!"

At the exact moment Gu Zheng attacked, Ji Zhixing willed it, and his figure instantly shrank down to a mere dozen centimeters tall. The Purple Gold Thundercloud Wings shrunk along with him, turning into two palm-sized little wings.

Flapping his wings as Gu Zheng’s massive sword light descended, he darted like lightning toward the group beside Gu Zheng. Before Chen Wenjie, Han Shuang, Ren Pingzhi, and Yu Zhirou could even react, Ji Zhixing was already right in front of them. His tiny frame moved with astonishing speed, leaving practically no shadow as he swept past them. Without wasting any words, he launched a barrage of kicks.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Four muffled thuds rang out almost simultaneously. The four were sent flying backward as if struck by heavy warhammers, slamming into the mountain wall behind them before rebounding onto the ground. In a mere instant, he crippled all four of them.

The gigantification of Size Manipulation allowed his strength to skyrocket, while shrinking his body drastically reduced his weight, causing his speed to soar. Through this intricate balance of increase and decrease, the speed he displayed was barely inferior to Gongye Zhou, who had fused with the Tier Five Flowing Cloud Celestial Horse genes.

"Die!"

Seeing Ji Zhixing cripple his companions in a flash, the murderous intent in Gu Zheng’s eyes deepened. Flapping the Sword Wings on his back, he charged straight at Ji Zhixing. He slashed down again and again, unleashing a blinding torrent of silver-white sword light that poured down like a heavy storm.

SWISH SWISH SWISH!

Ji Zhixing summoned his Purple Gold Thundercloud. Stepping onto it, his speed immediately surged another notch. He repeatedly dodged Gu Zheng’s sword light, refusing to clash with him head-on. Fast as Gu Zheng’s strikes were, they simply couldn’t catch up to him.

"Ji Zhixing, is hiding all you can do?" Having slashed out over a dozen beams of sword light without even grazing Ji Zhixing’s shadow, Gu Zheng grew increasingly desperate. Ji Zhixing could afford to stall, but he couldn’t. If Bai Yuan returned, he would absolutely have no way out.

"You want to fight me head-on? I’ll grant your wish!"

Ji Zhixing’s gaze sharpened. After evading another of Gu Zheng’s attacks, his body abruptly expanded. The very next moment, under Gu Zheng’s horrified gaze, he ballooned to a towering height of eight meters, revealing his ultimate combat form.

The eight-meter-tall giant stood on the ground like a moving mountain. The Thunderous Rod in his hand swelled in sync, growing to ten meters long and thick as a divine pillar. As the long staff was raised high, it stood as tall as a six-story building.