Murim was part of the immortal society, where warriors cultivated the path of combat, or martial arts. Murim consisted of thousands of sects and groups, both large and small, divided into three main streams: Orthodox, Unorthodox (Rebellious), and Demonic Path.
Zhu Fan did not intend to reveal his power. The world of meaning had become aware of his presence, but he created a decoy of himself by sacrificing part of his cultivation and escaping.
Now that the Murim warriors had attacked Tian Village, he had no choice but to flee. However, his legs wouldn't obey him.
"Why… Why am I still standing here?"
Xiao crawled out of the rubble. He stared into Zhu Fan's eyes and then lunged towards the attackers. Zhu Fan laughed. He had found his answer. Celestial animals had keen senses. They knew their master's true desire. Zhu Fan had barely taken three steps when something gripped his heart. His vision blurred. He staggered and fell to the ground, struggling to breathe. His face turned blue.
"Y… you…?!"
The goddess of time stood before him. She hadn't come in person but manifested an aura of herself. Even in this form, her magnificence was evident. She embodied the true meaning of the word "omnipotent."
"It's been a long time, Cyrus!"
Hearing this name, he writhed. The Gu worm grew restless. The memories within it yearned to rush into his mind. The goddess bent down slightly and extracted the memory of Gu from the inner world of Zhu Fan. The creature's survival instincts screamed for it to escape.
"Do you know how long I've searched for you?"
"I… I…"
She caressed Zhu Fan's cheek.
"So now they call you Zhu Fan… No wonder there was no trace of you in anyone's memories."
Zhu Fan twisted like a wounded snake. He tried to use his true power, but suddenly, time stopped. He had recently suffered severe spiritual damage. This injury weakened his cultivation and prevented him from doing anything against the goddess.
"You wanted to go outside, right? Hmm. What do you think will happen to that boy if you're too late? For example, if you pass through that door and a hundred years have passed, what will be waiting for you?"
"B… bast…ard…"
"Let's see… In the first scenario, the boy in the pit dies from blood loss. In the second scenario, he escapes but loses his arm. In the third scenario, he gets killed by the Murim warriors; they behead him and throw him naked under a tree. Time and wild animals tear his body apart, and by the time you reach him, nothing but a few bones remain; see, Cyrus? This is the fate of a mortal."
A cold wind shivered through the goddess for a moment. She immediately looked at Zhu Fan, who had just performed a forbidden spell. Forbidden spells grant terrifying power at the cost of the caster's lifespan. Zhu Fan's hair turned white, and wrinkles appeared on his skin. However, his apparent age did not exceed seventy years.
"That's right! You're not just a cultivator; this is your true power."
Zhu Fan glared at the goddess with eyes filled with hatred, but just as he was about to attack her, she fled and alerted all the gods.
Zhu Fan was trapped. The spell was still active, and it was too late to do anything. The gods had sensed his power. Zhu Fan picked up Xiao and leapt towards the attackers. He roared, "Damn you all!!!"