Chapter 2384 Gao Changkong and Di Shitian (2)
Gao Changkong's gaze was cast into the endless, deep darkness of the forest, as if he could pierce through layers of mist and see a specific figure.
"Go find Zhang Yi."
Gao Changkong spoke slowly, his tone resolute.
"Now, in this forest, the only one who has the ability and is willing to get involved in this mess is him."
Gu Man frowned: "Chaos? He would help us? We have no connection with him, and we even have a grudge against him! Moreover, this guy is extremely cautious and shrewd; he won't do anything without a profit."
Gao Changkong's lips curled into a complex smile, a smile that was neither a smile nor a smile, but rather a self-deprecating one.
"Friendship? Perhaps not. But if I fall out with Bharata, he would be very happy to see it. Not only would I want Indra to die, he would also be very happy."
If Indra were to die in battle, it would certainly be a major blow to Bharata.
How can one tolerate another's snoring beside one's bed? The Kingdom of Huaxu also did not wish for this.
Gao Changkong thought to himself, "Zhang Yi, you used me to control all sides. You managed to extract benefits from both Zhu Zheng and Di Shitian, reaping the rewards without lifting a finger. You've certainly played your cards right."
"Now that I'm in trouble, you have to repay this favor, right? At the very least, help me kill Indra, and we'll be even."
In Gao Changkong's view, his relationship with Zhang Yi was more like a tacit understanding of mutual exploitation.
Now, he needs to monetize this relationship.
"If the price we pay is high enough, or if we have common interests, he might not hesitate to take action."
Gao Changkong added that he tried to persuade his companions, and also himself.
"The death of Indra and the change in the power structure of Bharata were not necessarily bad things for him."
Just as he was planning how to negotiate with Zhang Yi and how to offer him substantial benefits, a sudden change occurred!
Gao Changkong suddenly groaned, his body trembled violently, and he almost dropped the longsword in his hand.
He felt a burning, stinging pain in his eyes, his vision blurred instantly, and then was covered by a strange, ancient, and desolate scene.
What he "saw" was no longer a dark forest, but an endless dark void, in the center of which was an enormous eye that was slowly opening!
Those eyes were as deep as an abyss, their pupils reflecting the birth and death of stars and the turning of fate.
An indescribable feeling, a mixture of antiquity, majesty, compassion, and a cold call, surged into his mind like a torrent!
"Ugh..."
Gao Changkong let out an unconscious groan, his body seemingly no longer under his control.
His once calculating and incredibly calm eyes became empty and fanatical, staring intently in a certain direction—the direction the giant eye was guiding his consciousness.
“Go…to there…” he murmured to himself, his voice ethereal.
"Chang Kong? What's wrong?"
Gu Man immediately noticed Gao Changkong's unusual behavior and stepped forward to support him.
Batu, gritting his teeth against his injuries, gripped his weapon tightly with a wary look: "An enemy?"
However, Gao Changkong ignored his companion's calls. He suddenly broke free from Gu Man's hand, and with a swift movement, he sped off like a ghost towards a specific direction in the forest.
His speed far exceeded his usual limits, as if he were being pulled by invisible threads.
"Follow him!"
Although Gu Man was surprised and uncertain, she shouted to Batu without hesitation.
The two of them, without even taking a moment to recover their breath, immediately activated their remaining strength and closely followed Gao Changkong's sleepwalking figure.
……
Meanwhile, in another area of the Dark Sun Forest.
Unlike Gao Changkong and the others who were in a sorry state, Di Shitian, although he had also experienced a fierce battle, had his magnificent divine robes torn and the light of his Seven Treasures Golden Steps dimmed considerably.
But his gait still carried the dignity of a prophet and a Bharata leader, as well as a strange ease.
Unlike Gao Changkong, he was not in a hurry to find allies or a way out. Instead, he seemed to be wandering aimlessly, or perhaps guided by some inner rhythm, through this perilous forest.
He held up a Heavenly Umbrella of the World Honored One, which was slowly rotating at a constant speed. Rays of pure and holy light fell from the edges of the umbrella, keeping out the black spiritual pollution forces that were trying to invade from the surrounding area.
Indra held a string of crystal-clear prayer beads in his hand, and what he was chanting in a low voice was not Buddhist scripture, but the Vedas of ancient Brahmanism.
His voice was deep and magnetic, carrying a certain power to soothe the soul and connect with the universe.
Putting aside his actions during the battle, this Brahmin prophet from the highest caste of the Bharata sect was himself an extremely devout believer.
The Bharata school of Buddhism emphasizes spiritual cultivation. Through years of rigorous practice, many monks can maintain a single posture for decades.
Therefore, on a spiritual level, they far surpass ordinary people.
The various things that have escaped into the Dark Sun Forest are not enough to erode Indra's mental defenses.
This is perhaps the allure of faith.
"He upholds heaven and earth with truth; he observes all things with the eyes of wisdom..."
The chanting of Buddhist hymns and the radiant light of lotus flowers intertwined, creating a temporary pure land around him.
His deep eyes held a detached tranquility, like that of an ascetic sage walking toward his destined end.
His steps were firm and his direction clear. He traversed the twisted woodland, crossed the corrosive black desert, and walked step by step into the deep and desolate depths of the Dark Sun Forest.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, he arrived at a huge open space.
Before him lay a colossal abyss, over a kilometer in diameter and seemingly bottomless!
It was pitch black, seemingly capable of swallowing everything. The abyss was invisible to the naked eye, and just one glance was enough to make one feel as if their soul was about to be swallowed up by it.
The edge of the abyss was extremely irregular, as if it had been forcibly torn apart by some unimaginable force.
From the depths of the abyss emanates an aura of darkness and death, a hundred times more intense than anywhere else in the forest, an aura that freezes the soul.
At the same time, there was also a faint, ancient and mysterious call that resonated with the divine power within Indra's body.
The shape of that abyss, in his eyes, resembled a giant eye gazing at the sky, filled with the unknown and...opportunities.
Indra stopped at the edge of the abyss, looking down into the bottomless darkness.
The calmness on his face was replaced by a sense of piety and determination.
"The guidance of destiny... the gaze of Shiva... the source of destruction and rebirth..."
He muttered to himself, as if he had understood something.
He took one last look at the oppressive forest, a smile of relief and fulfillment spreading across his face.
Then, without any hesitation, he leaped into the abyss, like a moth drawn to a flame, or a believer returning to his origins, plunging straight into the bottomless, giant-eyed abyss of darkness!
His figure was swiftly swallowed by the thick darkness, vanishing without a trace, leaving only the faint echoes of the Vedas, slowly dissipating at the edge of the abyss before finally fading into deathly silence.
……
