The warriors of both families swiftly spread out, guarding the few traversable mountain passes around the outskirts of Burning Wind Ridge.
Meanwhile, Lu Chen had already ventured deep into Burning Wind Ridge.
Once he confirmed that no one was pursuing him, his taut body finally relaxed a little. He stumbled and reached out to brace himself against the scorching rock wall beside him.
The moment his palm touched it, searing heat pierced his flesh, bringing a needle-sharp sting.
Yet Lu Chen did not let go.
After breaking through the encirclement and fleeing all this way, he had forcibly activated the Flying Dragon Art several times in succession, leaving his blood energy almost depleted.
His shoulder, waist, and back were all injured.
His right arm in particular still throbbed after he had met Meng Zhenshan's Mountain-Breaking Hammer head-on with a punch. Every time he lifted it, fine, stabbing pains shot through the depths of his muscles and bones.
Had his Nine-Burial Jade Bone Force not already reached major mastery, the force of that hammer blow would have been enough to shatter his entire arm.
Still, he had escaped the pursuit of four Organ-Nourishing Realm experts and dozens of warriors from the two families.
Lu Chen leaned against the rock wall and caught his breath for a moment, slowly calming his surging blood energy.
Scorching winds continued to howl from deep within the ridge.
Crimson gusts swept along the ground, whipping up swathes of burning sand and gravel. A pungent, charred stench filled the air, and with every breath, he could feel faint traces of fire poison entering his lungs through his mouth and nose.
An ordinary Bone-Forging Realm warrior would never dare linger here.
But the remaining Golden Crow Blood within Lu Chen began circulating on its own.
As soon as