This time, the Battle Void Gu maintained its effect far longer than before.
A full half-day passed before the Battle Void finally dissipated. The mountain-sized Flying Bear phantom reappeared before everyone once more.
"No good — just as I feared!" Sun Shihan blurted out.
"Hmph!" Hei Loulan's expression was equally grim.
The Flying Bear phantom was completely unharmed. A dazzling halo of light flowed across its snow-white fur. Its eyes were sharp and brimming with fighting spirit — it appeared to have made a full recovery.
The Flying Bear possessed a Fifth Transformation healing Gu. This was intelligence they had already confirmed.
As for its opponent, the Blood Forest Wolf that had been dragged into the Battle Void along with it, all that remained was a pile of bleached bones.
"How are we supposed to fight this?" Even the ferocious warrior Pei Yanfei, whose fighting spirit burned like flame, now wore an expression of utter helplessness.
Nearby, Tai Bai Yun Sheng stroked his beard and murmured, "No matter how severe the Flying Bear phantom's injuries, all it needs to do is activate the Battle Void Gu, drag its opponent into the Battle Void, and rest for half a day to make a full recovery. During that time, all we can do is stand here and watch."
"Exactly. The Battle Void Gu is a wild Gu, beyond the Flying Bear's control. But wild Gu are keenly sensitive to danger. When it senses a threat, it will protect its host by randomly selecting a target and pulling them into the Battle Void."
"Doesn't that mean we can't use the wolf pack either? The wolves fight in close combat — surrounding the Flying Bear just makes them the perfect targets to be dragged into the Battle Void."
"It seems only we Gu Masters can take action ourselves!"
When someone said this, the battlefield suddenly fell silent.
Withdraw the wolves and have the Gu Masters attack together? That probably wouldn't work either!
The Flying Bear was extraordinarily fast. If it pulled a Gu Master into the Battle Void, that Gu Master would certainly struggle desperately, clinging to life by any means available.
To break through the Battle Void Gu and deny the Flying Bear its peaceful recovery time, there was one simple solution: have the trapped Gu Master immediately take their own life.
But no one would willingly commit suicide. The will to survive was human nature.
Even Tai Bai Yun Sheng couldn't save anyone from it. The Water Demon Hao Jiliu was a bloody, vivid example of that.
"This final checkpoint is far too difficult! Our group is brimming with talent, heroes one and all, yet even working together we can do nothing against this Flying Bear phantom!"
The Flying Bear lay quietly on the ground, watching everyone warily. It didn't attack for the moment, only letting out low growls.
"You can't say that. The key issue is that we have no way to counter the Battle Void Gu. Restriction Path, Qi Path, and similar methods — we simply don't have any of them."
"Patriarch Hei, I suggest we move on to a different floor." Yelu Sang was also the patriarch of a superpower. Others didn't dare offer advice, but he could speak his mind.
Hei Loulan gave a cold snort and didn't respond.
His thoughts raced: "Given the current situation, solving the problem of the Battle Void Gu is nearly impossible. It seems there's only one option — I engage the bear willingly and let it drag me into the Battle Void. Inside, I'll unleash my Power Path killer move and slay the Flying Bear!"
His Power Path killer move was no ordinary technique. Its might was vast and overwhelming — a secret art hidden within the Hei family's treasuries.
With his outward Dark Path cultivation alone, Hei Loulan didn't have what it took to deal with the Flying Bear. But once he deployed his Power Path methods, amplified further by his Great Strength True Martial Body, killing the bear wouldn't be difficult.
But doing so would break the concealment effect of the Dark Crossing Immortal Gu on his body, accelerating the arrival of the Ten Extreme Calamity.
"I already don't have enough time. If I use my Power Path killer move now to kill the bear, I'll have even less. And I'd still need to clear another floor within that window, pass a hundred checkpoints, and obtain the Power Path Immortal Gu. The difficulty would be far too great!"
"But if I don't clear this checkpoint, how will I learn the location of the Power Path Immortal Gu without a corner of the Tower Master's Token? Whether I switch to another floor or seek help from the clan, either way I need time."
"The worst-case scenario is that even if I use my Power Path killer move, slay the bear, and obtain a corner of the Tower Master's Token... the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building might not even contain a Power Path Immortal Gu..."
Hei Loulan wavered, uncertain.
Lives hung in the balance, and the path ahead was shrouded in darkness. It was no wonder he felt lost.
"Breaking through the Battle Void Gu isn't difficult at all."
The words stunned everyone.
All eyes turned toward the speaker. It was none other than the Wolf King.
"Brother Shan Yin, you have another brilliant plan?" Hei Loulan asked eagerly.
Fang Yuan chuckled lightly. "With fifty percent of the rewards on the line, I have to give it my all, don't I? This plan has three steps. First, we engage in ranged combat as much as possible to wear down the Flying Bear. Second, we send in expendable fighters for close combat. Once they're pulled into the Battle Void, they take their own lives immediately. Third, with no breathing room for the bear, we continue our ranged assault. Persist long enough, and we'll inevitably bring this beast down!"
"What a brilliant plan!"
"Why didn't I think of that?"
Immediately, some cried out in excitement, some slapped their thighs in delight, while others fell silent, privately marveling at how ruthless the plan was.
But no matter how they judged it, everyone knew this was the method that could solve the problem.
In the Northern Plains, where warfare was rampant, every tribe had expendable fighters — the only difference was in numbers and quality.
The Hei family was a superpower. Their expendable fighters were not only numerous but also exceptionally well-trained.
"If that's how it's to be..." Tai Bai Yun Sheng frowned slightly, visibly reluctant.
Sun Shihan's eyes glinted with a sharp light as he regarded Hei Loulan without speaking.
Dying in battle and voluntarily walking to one's death were two entirely different concepts.
The former was the glory of a warrior. The latter was those in power sacrificing others' lives for their own selfish interests.
If this truly came to pass, Hei Loulan's reputation as patriarch of the Hei family would be utterly ruined.
It went against the values of the Righteous Path.
For those who walked the Righteous Path, reputation was paramount above all else.
A poor reputation meant limited success on the Righteous Path. The Demonic Path was different — reputation didn't matter; only strength did. And so, within the Demonic Path's complexity, there were those like the Water Demon Hao Jiliu who brought devastation wherever they went, and others like Tai Bai Yun Sheng who saved the dying and healed the wounded.