The man was tall and straight, dressed in a spotless, moon-white robe, the hem of which swayed gently in the deathly still breeze of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land.
He stood there, yet seemed completely out of place in this world; or perhaps, this crimson, desolate forbidden land became the backdrop that highlighted him.
His expression was calm, even languid, as if the terrifying roar that had just terrified most people was nothing more than the barking of a neighbor's dog.
The girl standing next to him, however, had a completely different style.
She looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in a purple dress, and was pretty and lively.
Her face was as delicate as a porcelain doll's, her big eyes blinking brightly and exceptionally lively. At this moment, she was sizing up Ye Fan and his group, a sly smile playing on her lips.
She radiated youthful energy, a stark contrast to this lifeless, deathly forbidden place.
The two people in question were, of course, Lin Hao and Ji Ziyue.
At this moment, Lin Hao's gaze swept lightly over Ye Fan and the others. When he saw Ye Fan and Pang Bo, a subtle, almost imperceptible, meaning flashed in his eyes. He then said to the girl beside him:
" Ziyue, you play here by yourself for a while. I'm going to meet someone."
"Okay, okay," Ji Ziyue nodded.
Lin Hao said no more and took a step forward.
"Wait! It's dangerous over there!" Ye Fan shouted almost instinctively.
Although Lin Hao had sent them into the Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin again, Ye Fan was kind-hearted and had witnessed the terror of this forbidden area firsthand. Seeing this handsome man, who was unlike any other, about to walk alone into the depths of the forbidden area that emitted terrifying roars, he couldn't help but speak up to warn him.
Pang Bo also shouted, "Dude, don't go there! This place is really creepy!"
Lin Hao didn't stop walking, nor did he even turn his head. He simply waved his hand casually as a response.
Then, under the horrified gazes of Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and their classmates who had transformed into elderly men, and under the breathless watchful eyes of countless Soul Master and Soul Beast on the Douluo Continent...
Lin Hao's figure swayed gently, as if merging into the ripples in the air, and vanished from everyone's sight in an instant, leaving only the crimson mountain rocks and the deathly silent wind.
Douluo Continent, Shrek Academy.
Ma Hongjun pinched his thigh hard, hissing in pain, before he was sure he wasn't seeing things.
"He... he just... walked in?!"
Beside him, Oscar, who had just congealed a Mushroom Sausage in his hand, forgot to put it in his mouth and nodded blankly. "Ah... he went inside."
Heading towards the direction of that roar that almost scared the soul out of me...
Tang San's expression was solemn. He swallowed hard, feeling his throat go dry.
"He truly vanished, not because he was too fast, but rather... as if he had simply traversed space."
"Ignoring the time-deprivation power of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land?"
Yu Xiaogang's breathing became rapid. "Or... is this power completely ineffective against Lin Hao?"
This question also lingered in the minds of countless Douluo powerhouses who witnessed this scene.
They had all heard of, or even witnessed, the terror of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, a result verified at the cost of Ye Fan and others' lives.
But now, this rule has been easily circumvented by one person in the most unremarkable way.
The Sea God Pavilion was no longer as tranquil and peaceful as usual.
"Clatter."
The lid of a teacup was accidentally knocked back onto the rim, making a crisp sound that was particularly clear in the room where you could hear a pin drop.
The old man in the main seat slowly put down his teacup, his gaze seemingly piercing through the thick walls and the vast distance, landing on the edge of that now deserted forbidden area.
"Space... so docile."
"The power of time in the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land had no effect on him whatsoever. This Heavenly Emperor Lin... we have ultimately underestimated him by a great deal."
Beside him, an old man with disheveled hair and a gourd of wine hanging from his body didn't touch the wine this time. Instead, he scratched his messy hair, his brows furrowing into a deep frown.
"And he said he was going to see someone? Who would be in this godforsaken place?"
His words were rough, yet they revealed the greatest absurdity and chill in everyone's hearts.
They knew Lin Hao was very strong, that he was an unfathomable being who might surpass Limit Douluo.
But that's all.
"Powerful" has its limits; it simply means having deeper Soul Power, a higher level of understanding of the laws, and stronger combat strength.
But what they saw before them was completely beyond their imagination.
"More importantly, how was he able to 'go in'? Since this desolate place appeared, everyone except that little girl has had their life force stripped away by the power of time."
His 'disregard' implies that his level of existence may have completely transcended our understanding of 'rules'... including the rules of time.
A deeper silence fell over the Sea God Pavilion.
Spirit Hall.
Bibi Dong's slender fingers gripped the jeweled scepter that symbolized supreme authority. The cold touch overwhelmed her, but it couldn't suppress the surging astonishment and doubt in her heart.
On her stunningly beautiful face, a fierce light flashed in her deep purple eyes, only to be quickly suppressed.
"Strolling leisurely... regarding this Desolate Antiquity wasteland as nothing."
"This Heavenly Emperor Lin seems to redefine our understanding of 'power' every time he appears."
Ghost Douluo's figure twisted slightly in the shadows, his voice growing increasingly dry and grating. "Go... to see someone? In there?"
In this desolate depths, who is he going to see? Or rather... can the 'things' in there truly be called 'humans'?
Yue Guan Chrysanthemum Douluo's usual charming smiles had vanished, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and horror.
"Could it be that deep within that forbidden land, besides chaotic spacetime and extinct ferocious creatures, there also exist sentient beings capable of communicating with it? And Lin Hao... knows them?"
This speculation sent chills down the spines of all the high-ranking members of the Spirit Hall who heard it.
Lin Hao is already unfathomable; if he is also connected to unknown entities in terrifying places like the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land...
While everyone in the Douluo Continent was shocked and suspicious by Lin Hao's actions, Ji Ziyue had already skipped and hopped to Ye Fan and the others in the forbidden area.
She curiously circled the group of "old people" and two "children," her big eyes filled with a mischievous smile:
Wow, this is really... a disaster.
Normally, being teased like this by such a beautiful girl might have given these boys some ulterior motives, but at this moment, they only felt endless sorrow and fear.
Looking at their hands, which resembled withered tree bark, and touching their wrinkled faces, several of the more emotionally vulnerable girls began to sob softly again.
Seeing this, Ji Ziyue stuck out her tongue, seemingly realizing she had gone too far with her joke, and quickly waved her hand, saying:
"Oh, don't cry, don't cry, you're not really going to die."
These words surprised everyone.
In a hoarse, aged voice, Li Xiaoman asked with difficulty, "Miss... you say we... won't die?"
"He shouldn't die anytime soon."