Rank 8

By the time they emerged from the tunnel, they were already in the valley outside. Li Tingxiu's face was grave. "A powerful expert is coming. I'll draw him away. The rest is up to you!"

After all, with so many of them gathered together, their combined vitality was substantial—and on top of that, there was a high-ranked martial artist among them.

"Uncle Li, be careful!" Li Zhen hurriedly called.

Li Tingxiu nodded and headed off in another direction. Zhang Tao glanced after him and said, "Hurry up, everyone. We don't have much time."

They had barely run a few steps when a Rank 6 martial artist from the Catacombs spotted them. Zhang Tao's thoughts raced. He knew that if they got bogged down in a fight here, they would most likely be in trouble. As for how many would make it out alive, that was anyone's guess.

He and Li Zhen would most likely survive, but the others were another matter.

With that in mind, Zhang Tao immediately said, "Li Hanhan, come with me and fight. The rest of you, hurry! You remember the route, right?"

A middle-aged man nodded at once. Zhang Tao didn't waste another word. He tossed the supplies to him and charged back into the fight. The middle-aged man opened his mouth, then cursed under his breath. "Damn it, I was going to say I'd stay behind and cover you. You're one of our young prodigies, you brat..."

But Zhang Tao wasn't the only one who had charged out. Li Zhen had gone with him too. The middle-aged man had no choice. Zhang Tao and the others were risking their lives to buy time, so he had to get moving—at the very least, he had to deliver the supplies back.

"Move!" the middle-aged man roared, continuing to run ahead.

"Void-Breaking Sword—" Li Zhen shouted, but Zhang Tao cut him off before he could finish. "Li Hanhan, why the hell are you yelling? Can't you just use it already?"

Li Zhen was speechless. Wasn't shouting before unleashing a move supposed to build momentum?

The Void-Breaking Sword Art still struck first. Zhang Tao, meanwhile, shamelessly rushed in to land a follow-up blow. Li Zhen didn't seem to mind at all; instead, he fixed his sights on another High-stage Rank 6.

In the distance, Li Tingxiu looked grim. He was being suppressed by a High-stage Rank 7.

Though he was also a High-stage Rank 7, he was still outmatched by the man before him. In Li Tingxiu's estimation, this man was probably only one step away from reaching the Rank Eight Golden Body Realm.

"Reborn Martial Artists, you're truly audacious. You've actually ventured this deep into God Continent. You'll die here today!" the man said haughtily. The Rank 7 Divine Weapon in his hand shimmered with an unusual light.

That was why Li Tingxiu had been forced onto the defensive: his opponent also had a divine weapon.

With Li Tingxiu forced to fight defensively, things were going better for Zhang Tao and Li Zhen. Both were prodigies, and with Zhang Tao fighting like he didn't care whether he lived or died, they managed to suppress the Rank 6 martial artists who had come after them.

But the enemy had too many people, and Zhang Tao and Li Zhen knew they couldn't let the fight drag on. Fortunately, the middle-aged man had already been running for a while. Zhang Tao called, "This way!"

Li Zhen didn't hesitate. But as soon as they moved, the Catacombs martial artists counterattacked. Li Zhen leaped onto Zhang Tao's back and shouted, "Void-Breaking Sword Art..."

It was his strongest move, fueled by burning his vitality. He didn't have a cheat to save him; once he used it, he'd be out cold. So without another word, he jumped onto Zhang Tao's back. They'd done this before, and were quite used to it.

"Damn it..." Zhang Tao cursed under his breath. He didn't even have time to go back and finish off his opponent. He simply ran with Li Zhen on his back.

Clinging to Zhang Tao's back, Li Zhen laboriously pulled a small bottle from his clothes and poured its contents into his mouth.

Zhang Tao sniffed. The pills from Zhenxing City really are different. They're much better than the ones outside.

"Where are you running? That way is... the Forbidden Sea?" Li Zhen exclaimed in alarm.

Zhang Tao rolled his eyes. Obviously, if they didn't run that way, how were they supposed to shake off their pursuers?

Just then, Li Tingxiu suddenly crashed down nearby. Zhang Tao hurriedly reached out, scooped him up, and ran on. He didn't know why Li Tingxiu had fallen there, but judging by the look of him, he'd probably lost the ability to fight.

Zhang Tao wasn't about to leave him behind. He didn't even have time to ask what had happened.

"After them!" one of the Catacombs martial artists soon shouted, pursuing Zhang Tao. The two were obviously geniuses from the Land of Rebirth, and the one who had fallen was likely a high-ranked expert. They were all worth merit!

With one person on his back and another tucked under his arm, Zhang Tao couldn't run very fast. The Catacombs martial artists were closing in, and he was starting to panic. Am I really going to blow this?

"Forget about me and run! That man is about to break through to Rank 8. Once he does, none of us will get away!" After catching his breath, Li Tingxiu spoke at once. He also took a pill from his clothes and swallowed it.

Zhang Tao didn't drop Li Tingxiu. He kept running and said, "Li Hanhan, take out your Mental Power Avatar!"

Li Zhen gave a bitter laugh. "It's sealed inside me. I can't take it out. It'll only come out when my life is in danger!"

Zhang Tao immediately cursed him out. Why the hell hadn't he said something so important earlier? Was he trying to get them killed?

Zhang Tao had thought Li Zhen was carrying it with him. If they brought out the Heaven Suppressing King's Mental Power Avatar at the edge of the Forbidden Sea, they should be able to deter the monsters in the water and escape the danger.

But it was sealed inside Li Zhen?

"What are you even trying to do?" After getting yelled at, Li Zhen looked utterly confused. He had no idea what Zhang Tao was up to!

Zhang Tao's face darkened. What was he trying to do? What the hell could he do? They were already here, and there was no turning back. He could only hope the Heaven Suppressing King was reliable. Otherwise, they really were going to die.

But then again, with the Heaven Suppressing King's Break Eight strength and Break Nine avatar, he probably wasn't that unreliable. An expert like that should have an independent will even in a mere Mental Power Avatar. Surely he wouldn't just stand by and let them die.

Zhang Tao had guessed right. At that moment, the Heaven Suppressing King's consciousness inside Li Zhen opened his eyes and rolled them. A thread of mental power flowed out, shielding Li Zhen while warning the monsters in the sea.

Zhang Tao reached the edge of the Forbidden Sea and saw that nothing had happened. He finally let out a breath of relief. Thank goodness. The Heaven Suppressing King really is awesome.

The Catacombs Rank 6 martial artists chased them to the shore but didn't dare approach. There was no helping it—that was the Forbidden Sea. Its monsters were powerful; any one of them could be a Rank 9 monster. They naturally wouldn't dare venture closer.

Zhang Tao said, "Hurry up and recover. We'll have to run again soon!"

Li Tingxiu was utterly shocked. What was going on? They didn't have a Mental Power Avatar, so how could they be casually testing their luck at the edge of the Forbidden Sea?

But this was a golden opportunity. Li Tingxiu put two more pills into his mouth. Once he had recovered enough, perhaps they really could escape.

"Are you hiding over here?" At that moment, someone descended from the sky, golden light shimmering all over him. Clearly, he was a powerful martial artist in the Rank Eight Golden Body Realm.