Deep within Ember Passage Ridge, as the four great Families withdrew, the vast space quickly fell quiet. In the blink of an eye, only the Huang Family Gu Masters remained inside the cave.
Huang Ming stepped forward, standing before the black-and-yellow sun suspended in the air. Using methods unknown to the others, he forcefully suppressed it and collected the Rank 5 Earth Fiend Gu. After that, he stored several Beast Emperor corpses along with scattered vast treasures into his storage Gu.
Noticing the restrained yet obvious envy on the faces around him, Huang Ming laughed loudly. "Anyone who took part in this battle will be allowed to choose a Rank 4 Gu from the Family's secret vault when we return!"
The moment those words fell, the atmosphere shifted. The gathered Gu Masters nodded, their expressions easing, clearly satisfied with the reward.
Shan Shayuan let out a quiet breath, unable to hide his emotion. "A Rank 5 Earth Fiend Gu… something every Earth Path Gu Master dreams of. Its status is no different from Strange Fire to Flame Path Gu Masters."
Then Shan Shayuan turned to look at Lin Yan, his expression complicated, yet carrying clear admiration. "I didn't expect you to have already surpassed me. Thinking about it, there hasn't been much I could teach you these past two years."
In this battle, the most striking presence had been Lin Yan. His combat power stood above everyone at his level, able to fight across ranks without falling behind. Even the Huang Family's Rank 4 Elders now looked at him differently, no longer as a junior, but with a hint of equality.
Huang Ming himself walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's fortunate you were here this time. You truly are the Huang Family's greatest genius. Be careful of the Zhang Family."
Lin Yan nodded calmly and gave his thanks. Inwardly, he was already prepared. The threat did not trouble him. He still held hidden methods—two Dream Path killer moves that did not belong to this era. Once used, even Rank 4 experts would have no way to defend. If a Rank 5 at the peak was careless, they could suffer as well.
After the group finished searching the cave and the corpses of the fallen Gu Masters, Huang Ming made his decision without hesitation. "It's time to withdraw from Ember Passage Ridge. This place is about to collapse."
One of the Family Elders sighed, unable to hide his regret. "It's a pity we don't have enough storage Gu. If we could have taken all those wild beast corpses, the wealth would have been unimaginable."
The others nodded in agreement. Each of them had been forced to abandon valuable resources along the way.
Without delay, the Huang Family began their retreat. They moved through the collapsing underground passages, breaking through rock and forcing their way forward. No obstacle could slow them down.
They had expected ambushes on the way out and remained on high alert the entire time. But even after they emerged, there was no sign of the Zhang, Cai, Wei, or Shen Families.
Lin Yan felt a trace of surprise, but quickly understood. Continuing to attack the Huang Family would only lead to heavy losses on both sides, almost a mutual destruction. They had come to Ember Passage Ridge to seize easy gains—risking everything in a prolonged fight would be foolish.
Under normal circumstances, breaking through a place like this required a Gu Immortal to act. Large Families simply did not have the ability. This time had been pure luck, an unexpected windfall, and every family had gained something.
The Huang Family was no exception. They needed to return and digest what they had taken. It was likely that the next few years would be unusually calm.
Once they had moved far enough away from the ridge, Huang Ming sent out a signal to gather the scattered members. After regrouping and counting their numbers, they halted and waited for half a day.
Whoosh! In the distance, the massive sand ridge flowed away like water, quietly vanishing from its original place without leaving a trace. The endless yellow desert stretched to the horizon, calm and empty, as if everything that had happened was nothing more than a fleeting illusion. Lin Yan watched silently, inwardly marveling at the might of nature.
Huang Ming let out a long breath and said, "Let's go. Those who didn't come out… are already dead." Though the place where Ember Passage Ridge disappeared appeared calm, it concealed deep dangers. Even Rank 5 experts would be swallowed by the sand sea if they stepped into it carelessly.
The Huang Family had arrived with forty people and left with a little over thirty. Five or six Gu Masters had died, which was considered light losses in the Gu world.
Midway through their return, Second Elder Huang Feng suddenly appeared and caught up with the group. He had been absent earlier, and after asking, they learned that high above Ember Passage Ridge, influenced by the sandstorm, a wild Rank 5 Wind Path Gu had formed, drawing his attention away.
Huang Feng had decisively given up the gains from Ember Passage Ridge and instead stayed behind to watch over that area. It took considerable effort, but he successfully subdued the newly formed Rank 5 Wind Path Gu.
Hearing this, Huang Ming praised him, "Such good fortune."
Huang Feng smiled calmly, though the joy in his eyes was hard to hide. At last, he possessed a Rank 5 Wind Path Gu he could truly rely on. Before this, his strongest Gu had only been Rank 4, which limited how much of his strength he could display.
That was the reality—once Gu reached Rank 4 and Rank 5, their numbers dropped sharply while their power rose to an entirely different level. Even veteran Rank 5 experts often had only one or two such Gu.
It wasn't just Huang Feng. Everyone who returned had gained something.