Chapter 129: Master of the Forbidden Land

"Who are you?" Kun Sha asked, his expression grim. No sooner had the words left his lips than he felt his own voice trembling.

Was this fear? Kun Sha wondered. It was a sensation he had not felt for many years.

The monkey did not answer his question. Instead, he looked around, his gaze lingering on the spatial rift with a look of profound nostalgia.

"Ha! How many years has it been? I can barely remember. To think I would see this gateway between two worlds once more. Ha, ha-ha..." As the monkey spoke, he began to laugh, his head tilted back.

A powerful shockwave radiated outward, growing in intensity with the monkey’s escalating laughter. At the very first sound of his mirth, Kun Sha’s expression shifted to one of sheer terror. He felt as if he had been struck by a crushing blow, sent flying through the air. By the time he managed to stabilize himself, he looked down to see that the monkey had stopped laughing, but the lush grassland surrounding him had been reduced to a barren, scorched patch of earth.

Kun Sha descended slowly, his brow furrowed. The monkey glanced toward the west, chuckled, shook his head, and muttered something under his breath. Then, paying it no further mind, he turned his gaze back to Kun Sha.

"Kid, you're not bad," the monkey said.

Kun Sha, bewildered, replied, "Not bad at what?"

The monkey shook his head, swaying slightly. "Your wits. When outsiders entered this small world, I sent word to all the major tribes. You all received the news at roughly the same time, yet you were the first to make a move. You occupied this gateway. Though you lack the strength to truly hold it, you seized it anyway. You wanted to be the first to reach the outside, to make contact with the outsiders, to become the first to break through to the eleventh grade, and then return to unify this small world, didn't you?" He looked at Kun Sha with a playful, mocking expression.

Cold sweat beaded on Kun Sha’s temples. He replied stiffly, "It is true that I wish to break through to the eleventh grade; there is no need to hide that. This world lacks the 'Dao,' and for that reason, how many geniuses have been buried here? Now that there is hope, I must naturally find a way. But as for unifying this world, that is not something I have considered. Furthermore, I am not occupying this place; my men are merely clearing the exotic beasts from these plains."

The monkey’s expression grew even more amused. He watched Kun Sha for a long moment in silence before strolling toward him and standing face to face. "Kid, your age is but a fraction of mine. Do not speak such nonsense in front of me. I have no intention of doing anything to you, so relax. This world has been under my watch for so many years—do you think I don't know what you are all planning?"

Kun Sha’s expression shifted repeatedly as he listened. Just as he was about to speak, the monkey interrupted again. "You want to say you’re doing this to reach the eleventh grade to avenge your wife and wipe out that person from the Wang Long tribe? Ha! You can trick the young ones with that, but don't try it on me. The ambition of a man who brought a lowly tribe into the top ten cannot be overstated. I said I have no designs on you, but if you want to reach the eleventh grade, you must wait—at least for a while. This gateway is currently unstable. Anyone above the fifth grade entering it would cause a collapse, let alone a tenth-grade expert like you. If you stepped in, you would be blown to pieces instantly!" The monkey glanced toward the rift as he spoke.

Kun Sha felt conflicted. He did not know if the monkey was lying, but it was true that the creature knew many things about him. His wife's death was a deep pain, and vengeance was indeed his primary goal. Yet, the monkey was right; his pursuit of the eleventh grade was not solely for revenge. While he hadn't truly considered unifying the world, the ambition was there. If he had the power, he would have liked to replicate the glorious feats of the Kunlun tribe of old.

As for the instability of the gateway, Kun Sha had not paid much attention to it. Although he had not comprehended the Dao, his peak tenth-grade perception of space was keen. The rift looked calm, but he could sense the turmoil within. That was why Dongfang Kui had not forced his way into the Kunlun Secret Realm back then. Dongfang Kui had seen the instability clearly, while Kun Sha had only sensed it vaguely—the gap between them was immense.

Kun Sha’s expression continued to change as he watched the monkey pace near the gateway. Suddenly, a thought struck him. The monkey had just said he sent men to notify the major tribes. Kun Sha broke into a cold sweat. When Kun Li had brought Yang Fan and the others back, men from the Forbidden Zone had indeed just departed, having crossed paths with them on the Kunpeng tribe’s territory.

"Are you... the Master of the Forbidden Zone?" Kun Sha asked in shock.

The monkey stopped and stood still, a smile on his face. Seeing the look of astonishment on Kun Sha’s face, he nodded.

Once Kun Sha saw the confirmation, he felt his world unravel. The legends of the Forbidden Zone were countless, but few in the Kunlun Secret Realm knew the truth. No one had ever seen the Master of the Forbidden Zone, only knowing that the Day of Apocalypse was his doing. Many tribes had sent people to investigate, but none had ever returned, regardless of their cultivation level. The largest and strongest expedition had been six or seven hundred years ago, when the Kunlun tribe, then the strongest in the realm, had gathered numerous experts. They had sent eight tenth-grade masters, including two Martial Emperors at the absolute peak of the tenth grade. Yet, once they entered the Forbidden Zone, they vanished forever.

The monkey watched Kun Sha’s stunned expression, his mood improving. He loved seeing others so baffled and at a loss—he found it quite entertaining.

Suddenly, Kun Sha lifted his head, his shock and bewilderment vanishing, replaced by a look of utter disbelief.

In the distance, hundreds of dark specks appeared on the horizon, racing toward the gateway. Kun Sha could sense them; the lowest cultivation among them was the eighth grade, and there were only a few dozen of those. The rest were tenth-grade experts, with the remainder all being ninth-grade. Such a force was impossible to ignore. Kun Sha felt that even this mysterious Master of the Forbidden Zone might not be able to withstand such a combined power. As they drew closer, Kun Sha felt unprecedented pressure. These people were all radiating the exact same aura.