"Young Sanzi, here comes my punch!"
Before Gu Santong could get his wits about him, Zhuo Fan shouted. Gu Santong mocked in the end, "Dad, dodging is easy, but punching…"
Starting with a flicker, a purple lightning shot for him.
Gu Santong's eyes widened and instinct screamed at him to dodge behind the pillar with a jump. The lightning crossed space in a flash, striking the pillar with a boom!
Gu Santong peeked out and saw Zhuo's fist wrapped in purple lightning, "G-godfather, how can you use purple lightning?"
"Ha-ha-ha, that's thanks to Divine Eye of the Void!" Zhuo Fan flicked his hand, being smug after seeing young Sanzi's reaction. He finally got to show off in front of his godlike adopted son of his, "The Divine Eye of the Void pays emphasis on the void part. It's main use is control over space. The first stage allows me to switch places anywhere in my soul search's range. And…"
Zhuo Fan's right eye flashed golden and Gu Santong's ring appeared on his finger, "Allows me complete control over inanimate items, changing their location. Ha-ha-ha, young Sanzi, since you ate all ingredients from it you won't be needing my storage ring anymore!"
Even Gu Santong couldn't help but gawk at the explanation and display of such an outstanding art. This was the first time in the life of Invincible Scamp to show such a shocked face.
"Won't that make you invincible, since no one can hit you?" Gu Santong blinked.
Scratching his chin, Zhuo Fan nodded, "You can say that, but not quite either. If the first stage of Divine Eye of the Void is so invincible what would be the point of the remaining 11 stages? In truth, this is only control over space. If space is sealed, or I'm inside another space, I'm finished!"
"T-then what's with the purple lightning? How…" Gu Santong stammered.
Zhuo Fan grinned and his right eye flashes purple, "After training Divine Eye of the Void to the 1st stage, my right eye can open up a pocket dimension. Those purple lightning remnants that wrecked my body and couldn't be removed are now stored in that pocket dimension. To use them at my discretion!"
"That is why I said cultivation isn't everything! I may have used most of my time on healing and comprehending the 1st stage of Divine Eye of the Void, but true power is a whole other matter!"
Zhuo Fan grinned, leaving Gu Santong dumbfounded!
Despite Zhuo Fan not having gone through immense changes in the past five years, training in a remarkable art turned him into a freak nonetheless. If Gu Santong hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it!
Going out like this, he'd be like a wolf hiding among sheep, ready to strike at any so called expert out there. Who'd ever suspect a 9th layer of Bone Tempering cultivator to have such an insane trump card!
"T-then what of the 2nd stage, godfather? Let me see it!" Gu Santong was eager to witness even more of Divine Eye of the Void's power.
Blushing, Zhuo Fan coughed drilly, "Uh, Divine Eye of the Void is very hard to understand. Even I only learned the first stage after so long…"
Gu Santong's face sank in disappointment before he even finished.
Zhuo Fan scratched his head, helpless, [The kid's face changes tune faster than the weather!] But then he said something that brightened Gu Santong's day, "But since this space has the same origin as my Divine Eye of the Void, we can now leave this place. Young Sanzi, you'll get to eat more ingredients!"
"Awesome!"
Gu Santong jumped ten feet in joy, already back to his cheerful self. He heard Zhuo Fan say that before but didn't believe him one bit.
Now, after Zhuo Fan's demonstration, he was very much a believer.
Qiao'er also flew before Zhuo Fan and circled Zhuo Fan in jubilation.
Zhuo Fan laughed and repeated his explanation before showing his Thunder Ring, "Don't resist as I place you in my ring. We will then shortly leave this place and get you out!"
Qiao'er flapped its wings in joy. It felt very close to the Thunder Ring since it was refined from its mother and entered it without complaint.
Gu Santong was hesitating, "Godfather, wait a moment!"
Gu Santong turned to the pillar, fell to his knees and knocked his head on the ground three times, tears streaming down his face, "I do not know who you are, but I know you're my kin. I don't know how you died, but I feel heartbroken over your death. I am leaving now, leaving you alone. Take care of yourself!"
Gu Santong wiped his face and went to Zhuo Fan. He didn't look back, in fear he might not want to ever leave.
Putting Gu Santong in the ring, Zhuo Fan looked at the pillar and sighed, "Soaring Qilin, I am not a good man, and I do not wish to go between you and the Heavenly Emperor. As a Soaring Qilin, you're a heaven sent ingredient for me. How could I not want you? But, as this child's godfather, I still hope I can ease his pain…"
Sighing, Zhuo Fan's eye flashed with light and struck the pillar!
With a bang, the pillar swayed and fell.
With its collapse, the red curtain vanished as well. The purple lightning above the black sky rushed to Zhuo Fan like jackals, wishing to tear him limb from limb.
But Zhuo Fan was calm as ever. He placed the Qilin leg in his ring then his golden eye flashed, right as the purple lightning was about to hit him, vanishing from this world.
The next thing he knew, he was outside the hole he used to enter into this space. But the lightning didn't hit him as he vanished again.
Thus, in the sea of purple lightning, a flash of golden could be seen on and off growing further and further away. And the purple lightning could do nothing to stop it.
When they reached the edge of the Lightning Canyon, Zhuo Fan's golden eye flashed one more time.
Whoosh~
His last stop was in a thick forest. Looking up, the bright moon hung in the sky bathing this corner of the world in its moonlight.
"Finally out, but where am I?"
Taking a deep breath, Zhuo Fan tasted freedom again. With Lightning Canyon wandering the continent he was hard pressed to pinpoint his exact location.
[Who cares anyway? It's fine as long as I'm out.]
He took Gu Santong and Qiao'er out of his ring and the kid was ecstatic to finally be out again.
This was Qiao'er's first time seeing the real world, and cried in joy. It flew everywhere, curious to explore it!
"Young Sanzi, I have a gift for you!"
Zhuo Fan showed the kid a tender smile. Gu Santong asked ecstatic, "What, did you have more hidden ingredients in your ring?"
Zhuo Fan shook his head, "You little twerp, you picked my ring clean of them. Where could I find any? I think you will find this far more attractive!"
Zhuo Fan then showed the Qilin leg that was still flickering with lightning!
Gu Santong had tears in his eyes as he expressed his gratitude, "You got it out…"
"Of course. I know how much you care for it and don't want it to be hacked by purple lightning. Since I have the power, of course I'll help you!"
"Thank you!"
Gu Santong wiped his tears and bowed deeply. Zhuo Fan was truly the spitting image of his former godfather, bearing the same amount of care for him as well.
He valued Zhuo Fan far more greatly now, more than even his real parents.
This perhaps was one of Zhuo Fan's very rare acts of kindness. He always looked at Gu Santong and thought how to use him. But the kid's pure heart touched him, making fatherly love blossom in his cruel and dead heart!
Gu Santong went to the Qilin leg, felt its rough surface and even hugged it, feeling the warmth.
He then came to Zhuo Fan with a request, "Godfather, will you look after it for a while?"
"Why won't you…" Zhuo Fan asked, but saw Gu Santong's sad face and could easily guess.
Gu Santong was forced into a promise to defend the Imperial Capital and wasn't even allowed to eat the ingredients he liked so much. How could he be allowed a storage ring then? It would soon be discovered and confiscated if he took it with him.
Zhuo Fan sighed, "Alright, but you best take care and not be so hard on yourself. If you ever find yourself in mortal danger, forget about that promise. Your life is more important!"
"Yes!" Gu Santong smiled brightly.
Zhuo Fan returned his smile and stashed the Qilin leg away.
"By the way, godfather. It's been five years since I was allowed to leave the Imperial Capital. I need to report back, but where will you go?" At the moment of their separation, Gu Santong still felt reluctant to leave.
Taking a deep breath, Zhuo Fan put on a diabolical grin, "Since it's been five years, it's the right time for the Esoteric Debate to start. I'm going there to liven the mood! Let's see if those legendary Regent Estate freaks can live up to the expectation, ha-ha-ha…"