Qu Tong cast a complicated glance at Hikaru, Gu Jiting, and the others. Her voice carried a mix of resignation and fatigue:
"The Demon has likely awakened. Gu Jiting, you should leave.
With your abilities, you might survive a little longer."
She had once thought that at the end of all things, she'd feel a kind of cathartic satisfaction.
But looking back now, she realized she had lost everything.
Her husband had waited for her until his final breath,
yet she had already changed her name—no longer able to face him as Duanmu Ying.
Revealing her identity would only bring endless pursuit and hatred.
On this long, bitter journey, she had lost far too much.
And in the end, to her surprise, the only thing left was her deep bond with Gu Jiting,
fellow wielder of the Eight Forbidden Techniques.
That bond was like a thread of sunlight in winter,
the last warmth she could feel in this world.
She sighed inwardly, a bitter, unexplainable sorrow rising in her chest.
Gu Jiting's face changed when he heard this.
His gaze at Qu Tong was one of disbelief.
He knew she had gone off the deep end long ago—
but he never thought she'd take things this far.
He opened his mouth to say something… but ultimately said nothing.
Words wouldn't change anything now.
Meanwhile, Hikaru and Ma Hongxian were completely lost.
They didn't understand what Qu Tong was talking about.
And she had no intention of explaining.
She simply looked up at the sky, lost in thought.
Ma Hongxian, seeing her ignore him, felt his rage flare up again.
"You think saying some cryptic nonsense will get you off the hook?
Go to hell!"
He summoned his weapon and launched a deadly attack.
But Qu Tong—already resolved to die—did not move to dodge.
Just as death loomed, a figure flashed in front of her.
Gu Jiting had stepped in, blocking the blow.
He glared at Ma Hongxian, then turned to shout at Qu Tong:
"Duanmu Ying, what the hell are you thinking?!
Is this all your revenge amounts to?
You said you'd drag our enemies down with you—
the Lu family is still alive and well, and you're just going to die here?!"
His voice trembled with disappointment and fury.
But Qu Tong merely smiled.
She brushed a messy strand of hair behind her ear,
eyes filled with a calm detachment:
"It doesn't matter anymore.
The Demon will avenge me.
Anyone who's practiced the Eight Forbidden Techniques… won't be spared.
The Lu family holds Twin Perfection Hands—their doom is sealed."
Her cold words sent a chill through Gu Jiting's heart.
He gritted his teeth:
"And me? What about me?!
You said we'd make them pay together.
This is your vengeance? Just giving up?"
Qu Tong looked at him and sighed deeply.
"It's too late.
What's done is done.
There's no going back."
Suddenly, Hikaru's expression shifted.
He felt a surge of dark, immense energy blooming in the distance—
an evil force powerful enough to devour the entire world.
His eyes narrowed,
and he turned to look toward the direction it was coming from—
Mount Longhu.
Thankfully, the energy was overwhelming,
but not beyond his ability to handle.
Still, he had no intention of getting involved.
To him, this was the result of this world's own actions.
Let them deal with it themselves.
He was about to submit his task report and leave this chaotic world with Chen Duo and Xia He…
when his phone suddenly rang.
"You love me, I love you, Mijue Popsicle, sweet as dew~"
The ringtone rang out—awkward and loud—drawing everyone's attention.
Hikaru gave a dry chuckle, inwardly cursing Xia He:
"That damn brat changed my ringtone again and didn't tell me?!
I swear, when I get back, I'm gonna make sure she can't get out of bed for three days!"
Despite the situation, he answered the call.
Immediately, a panicked voice came through:
"Grandpa! Help!!
Baobao-jie's gone off the rails—Old Celestial Master is trying to kill her!"
Hikaru frowned.
He didn't want to get dragged into this mess.
Sensing his hesitation, Zhang Chulan frantically added:
"Baobao-jie wants to say something to you!
Please, just hear her out. Consider it a good deed!"
Hikaru let out a long sigh.
He liked Feng Baobao—she had a strange charm to her.
But being around her always made him feel like he was committing a crime.
That was why he'd kept his distance before.
Besides, even if he went, it didn't mean he had to get involved.
Worst case? He'd teleport right back to the Naruto world.
With that in mind, Hikaru made his move.
He teleported directly to Mount Longhu.
—
When he arrived, the mountain had already been ravaged.
One of the peaks had been sliced clean in half.
Dark clouds loomed overhead, thunder and lightning raging across the sky.
In midair, Zhang Zhiwei and Feng Baobao were locked in a fierce duel.
Each of Zhang Zhiwei's attacks summoned thunderous bolts of lightning,
striking down toward Feng Baobao like divine punishment.
But every bolt dissolved before it reached her,
dispersed by invisible qi.
By the time they neared her body,
they were as harmless as a summer breeze.
Zhang Zhiwei frowned.
This wasn't going to be easy.
Feng Baobao stood frozen in midair,
face contorted in visible pain.
Her counterattacks came intermittently—
each one devastating, shaking the very air around them.
But her movements were painfully slow.
Zhang Zhiwei could dodge them easily.
Still, something was changing.
Her attack speed and frequency were ramping up fast—
as if something ancient was awakening inside her.
—
Back on the ground, Zhang Chulan watched the battle above,
anxious and helpless.
He knew he had no place in a fight like this.
All he could do was pray that Hikaru would arrive in time.
So he spoke again into the phone:
"Grandpa, Baobao-jie really has something important to tell you!
You left too quickly last time—she never got the chance."
Before he could finish,
a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
He turned in shock—
Hikaru stood behind him, still holding the phone,
the call still connected.
Hikaru's gaze was sharp and cold.
His voice was calm—
but left no room for nonsense:
"Kid…
If you're lying to me,
I'll tie your neck into a Chinese knot."
Those simple words made Zhang Chulan instinctively shrink back.