The cultivators who had rushed out had suffered grievous losses, but no one had the time to tally the damage immediately.
As the cultivator force rapidly regrouped, they also prepared for the impending Out-of-Body attack.
Their flight had lasted barely more than a day, yet it had been utterly harrowing.
Even now that they were outside the Restricted Area, no one dared let down their guard—who knew whether the enemy could rush out as well?
The good news was that not only had most of them escaped, but Red Leaf Ridge had also formed up outside, waiting in full battle readiness.
Red Leaf Ridge had become immensely popular in recent years, but it was also known for conducting itself with great care.
This time, the team had not entered the Restricted Area, something many people could understand.
The people from the upper realm were far too arrogant, while Red Leaf Ridge had never tolerated that sort of thing. They were famous for doing things their own way.
Because they had not entered the Restricted Area, their combat strength remained intact.
Now, Red Leaf Ridge had deployed six Battalion-Class Ships directly before the entrance. They were clearly prepared to confront an Out-of-Body cultivator head-on.
"Doing things their own way" and "conducting themselves with great care" seemed a little incompatible.
But without question, once Red Leaf Ridge decided to do something, they would never disappoint anyone!
With a team that dared pursue an Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon holding the line, the cultivators could at least rest without being too uneasy.
Meanwhile, Ridge Lord Qu was making full preparations for battle while gathering intelligence from all sides.
The truth gradually came into focus. The incident had not been caused by the explorers at the very front.
The two Masters from the upper realm had