As the killed Strange Beasts exploded, all the Martial Artists were struck by the spikes.
Fortunately, the stronger Martial Artists used Blood Qi defenses to block them. The weaker ones could also withstand them with their tough skin, though the result was a chorus of pained cries and grimaces.
That was only because the Blood Qi defenses had blocked most of the spikes. Only a small number broke through and struck their bodies.
Still, every Martial Artist hit by a spike was secretly relieved that the spikes were not poisonous. If they had been poisoned, this wave alone might have taken out more than a dozen Martial Artists.
Chen Mo stood in front of Ouyang Ruo Xi and Ouyang Nana. When the spikes flew toward them, his defense blocked every one of them. However, his defense came from a Vajra Talisman, clearly different from the Blood Qi defenses formed by other Martial Artists using the power of their Blood Qi.
The defense formed by the Vajra Talisman had no color at all, only flashing with light when it was attacked. A Martial Artist's Blood Qi defense, on the other hand, carried a faint red tint, which became more pronounced the stronger their Blood Qi was. It was obvious at a glance.
However, the battlefield was in complete chaos. Every Martial Artist was focused on himself, at most sparing some attention for companions nearby. Ouyang Nan, who was supporting the front line, had not noticed this. Qian Ying had glanced over a few times as well, but only swept her eyes across the area without examining it closely.
Moreover, not every Martial Artist had deployed a Blood Qi defense during the earlier battle. So Qian Ying had not noticed this point. By the time the Strange Beasts exploded into spikes before