The pursuers were concentrated near that mountain range, presumably because they had detected that he hadn't gone far after leaving Heaven and Earth Palace, so they chose to investigate there.
The scenery became increasingly expansive as he walked. At his current speed, he estimated he would reach the Heaven and Earth Forest in about half an hour. Along the way, Gu Chen did not choose to take the direct route in a grand manner, but instead opted for secluded paths and mountain trails. Although this was a bit of a detour, it also helped him avoid some trouble.
Even so, he still encountered quite a few martial artists from powerful families. It seemed that his appearance had already spread among the martial artists in the vicinity, and everyone knew what he looked like. However, Gu Chen killed anyone who was a threat to him!
Gu Chen knew that those appearing now were spies or scouts sent by various families to find him, and their strength was not great. However, stronger ones, even those ranked on the Dragon Ranking, would eventually appear!
Therefore, he showed no mercy, killing relentlessly until he carved a bloody path through the enemy ranks!
Gradually, Gu Chen's reputation spread again, and everyone knew that this guy was lawless, ruthless killers, and even more terrifying and bloodthirsty than the Flying Wang Gui back then.
Just as Gu Chen was about to approach the Heaven and Earth Forest, a group of people suddenly appeared in front of him. The leader, with a powerful aura, shouted loudly, "Gu Chen, the Shangguan Family has been waiting for you for a long time!"
"The Shangguan Family?"
Gu Chen narrowed his eyes. In the Land of Heaven and Earth, there are many families, but not many with compound surnames.
The Shangguan Family is one of them.
However, the Shangguan Family was not a prominent family; like the Gu Family, they were a once-wealthy but now-declining family.
However, even a fallen aristocratic family is still much stronger than the powerful families that Gu Chen killed before.
At this moment, the one standing at the front shouting was Shangguan Yijun, and next to him was another martial artist with a calm aura who had clearly reached the Grandmaster Realm. These two were the two strongest members of the Shangguan Family.
The Shangguan Family, consisting of more than thirty people, completely blocked Gu Chen's only route.
It's true what they say, enemies are destined to meet. Gu Chen wasn't surprised they knew he'd take this route, but he figured someone would have informed him of his bloodshed along the way. And on the map, the Shangguan Family was indeed nearby.
"Are you trying to use me to rise to power?" Gu Chen stopped, a cold glint in his eyes, and said, "Wait for me here?"
Noticing Gu Chen's icy gaze, Shangguan Yijun was startled, but quickly regained her composure and sneered, "Gu Chen, you're nothing but a discarded son of the Gu Family, yet you dare to be so audacious as to wreak havoc in the Land of Heaven and Earth! Do you know that you've become a public enemy? A demon whom everyone wants to kill?!"
"A demon?" Gu Chen laughed loudly, saying, "The people I killed were all those who wanted to harm me. How can you call me a demon? The aristocratic families in the Land of Heaven and Earth are nothing more than people who want to obtain my lineage. You're just looking for a pretext to frame me!"
"Tradition?" Shangguan Yijun scoffed, "Do you think you're the founder of a cultivation sect? A tradition, my foot!"
"In this world, I am the founding patriarch!" Gu Chen was extremely arrogant.
"How arrogant!" Shangguan Yijun's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he said, "Gu Chen, someone like you doesn't deserve to obtain the cultivation method. Hand it over, and I'll spare your life!"
"Hahaha, trying to be a virtuous woman while being a prostitute, how laughable!" Gu Chen sneered, "Just now, quite a few people wanted to obtain the inheritance within me, but unfortunately, they are all already corpses."
"None of them are at the Revolving Illumination Realm. You're unlucky to have run into me!" Shangguan Yijun said coldly. "Since you won't cooperate, don't blame me for being impolite!"
"If one could obtain cultivation inheritance simply by talking, then the Shangguan Family would already be Six Great Families." Gu Chen laughed heartily and suddenly took a step forward!
Seeing his action, Shangguan Yijun, still feeling the pressure from before, instinctively took a small step back. Then, noticing Gu Chen's mocking gaze, she angrily retorted, "You're about to die and you don't even realize it! Gu Chen, this time, no one can save you!"
"You families from the Land of Heaven and Earth, you think you're superior, but in my eyes, you're all a bunch of cowards!" Gu Chen said, a fierce glint in his eyes. "Today, killing one person is killing, killing a hundred is killing. Anyone who dares to stop me, I'll kill them all, I'll kill them to my heart's content!"
Shangguan Yijun's expression changed drastically. Gu Chen's strength was too great, but he knew that Gu Chen was stronger than him now. He couldn't even beat Gu Muyu, let alone Gu Chen, who could defeat Gu Chen Gu Muyu!
But the person next to him gave him confidence. "Gu Chen, I'm not afraid to tell you, the man next to me is the Supreme Elder of our Shangguan Family, Shangguan Qi, who has been ranked thirtieth on the Dragon Ranking!"
At this point, Shangguan Yijun snarled, "And our Shangguan Family has set up an array this time, and you've already entered it, do you know that? This time, you're doomed!"
Formation?
Gu Chen didn't take Shangguan Qi seriously, but he was taken aback by the formation Gu Chen mentioned.
Indeed, he was so focused on talking that he had no idea he had entered the formation!
Looking around, Gu Chen's face darkened. Shangguan Yijun wasn't exaggerating; it was the truth! He had actually been trapped in the formation. While he was talking to Shangguan Yijun, the formation had been set up step by step!
"You understand formations?"
Gu Chen's expression faltered slightly.
"Haha, Gu Chen, scared now? But it's too late!" Shangguan Yijun sneered, "Our Shangguan Family was once a leading force in the Land of Heaven and Earth, and naturally we have ancestral formations. I'm not afraid to tell you, it's called the ' All-Heaven Dragon-Locking Formation.' Once you're trapped in it, your Inner Breath will be devoured bit by bit! Like a fish on a chopping block, you'll be at our mercy!"
"Gu Chen, prepare to die!"
Shangguan Yijun laughed uncontrollably!
The martial artists from the Shangguan Family all around were already poised to attack, and as soon as Shangguan Yijun finished speaking, they all leaped up and headed towards Gu Chen!
Gu Chen's gaze sharpened, and then he activated his technique, a layer of azure light emanating from his body. With a wave of his hand, those henchmen were sent flying.
"You, how could you..." Shangguan Yijun, who had been so arrogant just moments before, froze in shock. Gu Chen was actually unaffected? His Inner Breath hadn't dissipated within the formation!
"What kind of garbage is this? How dare you give it such an arrogant name?" Gu Chen said coldly, "The All-Heaven Formation? You dare to call this the All-Heaven Formation?"
As he spoke, Gu Chen shot out a beam of light from his hand, which struck the core of the array directly. Bang!
The ground instantly cracked, the cracks spreading out like a spider web, and the ground seemed to ripple like ocean waves. Everyone lifted their feet and retreated.
At the center of the formation, a deafening roar erupted, blasting a deep crater. This scene left Shangguan Yijun both shocked and horrified; Gu Chen had broken their formation so easily?