The situation had arisen quite suddenly, and everything had taken a sharp turn for the worse. Deep rumbles echoed throughout the temple, making one's hair stand on end as though the ancient structure were about to collapse. The energy field in the air was growing increasingly intense. Hao Ren activated his shield, only to see a layer of flickering sparks covering its outer surface—this had gone far beyond the simple concept of "radiation." The place was practically turning into a furnace!
Nangong May was the only one present capable of protecting everyone over such a wide area. She condensed a water-vapor shield with enough magical power to temporarily withstand the energy, then charged toward the hall's exit at the head of the group. Hao Ren finally witnessed with his own eyes just how fast a snake could run—the Siren girl's tail whipped back and forth across the floor in waves, propelling her forward at a speed almost equal to Vivian's flight. The only problem was that the way she ran was rather horrifying...
Under the cover of the water-vapor shield, the group raced toward the hall's exit. Hao Ren could not resist glancing back at the baffling statue at the far end of the hall. The sculpture was rapidly crumbling, white dust peeling away from it like a whirlwind and spiraling into the air, where it eventually flickered and dissipated. As a result, the face of Vivian on the statue was gradually becoming blurred. Hao Ren seemed to see a trace of cool, indifferent amusement on that slowly disintegrating face, but the scene vanished like an illusion. The real Vivian was standing right beside him and gave his sleeve a hard tug. "Stop looking and run! When we get back, I'll stand there and let you look as long as