The Plan Crumbled

Their estimate of the Immortal Artifact's defensive power had been too low. The attacks from Xuan Ming and Xuan Lin, who had transformed into spikes, had not knocked Shi Ao unconscious. Instead, they had sent him flying. Shi Ao's speed increased, faintly surpassing the two of them. He was flying straight toward the dozen or so Mahayana Stage experts, and after being struck by the pair, he was now even closer to them.

Seeing Shi Ao spit blood, the Mahayana Stage experts were enraged. Shi Ao was one of the future heirs of the Golden Lion Clan; if he were killed right before their eyes, they would surely be blamed. Moreover, as the leader of this operation, Shi Ao had earned their respect through his actions. They had begun to see him as the ideal leader to revitalize the Demon Race. Now that he was in mortal danger, how could they not be shocked and furious?

In their fury, they held nothing back. Their spiritual energy surged through them, and their auras climbed as they displayed the full power of Mahayana Stage experts. They sped up as well, their sharp whistles tearing through the air as they flew, and the distance between them and Shi Ao shrank further.

"We're in trouble. They're no slower than us!" Xuan Ming cried. Yet a resolute look surfaced in his eyes. "But if we don't catch Shi Ao, we'll suffer heavy losses anyway. Let's go all out!"

Xuan Lin said nothing. He only accelerated. Transformed into spikes, the two of them seemed capable of slicing open the void. A Space Rift appeared faintly in their wake, only sealing itself moments after Xuan Ming and Xuan Lin had passed.

The shockwaves from Xuan Ming and Xuan Lin's attack gradually died away, and Shi Ao's speed