Chapter 364: Injured
Chapter 364: Injured
As they saw the Demonic Beast from behind closing in, Wang Hong knew that if they got entangled, other Demonic Beasts in the vicinity would also join the chase, making escape impossible.
"Run quickly! You all go ahead; I'll catch up later!" Wang Hong shouted, ordering his subordinates to run ahead. He decided to deal with the green serpent on his own, hoping to slow down the pursuing Demonic Beasts in the process.
He retrieved several second-tier Talismans from his Storage Bag and began hurling them continuously at the relentless green snake behind him. The successive explosions from the Talismans killed many of the leading Demonic Beasts, slowing down the pursuit.
Wang Hong couldn't afford to delay any longer; he needed to eliminate the green serpent quickly. He raised his Long Spear and began ruthlessly pounding the trapped creature's head.
The green serpent, unwilling to meet its end, thrashed wildly within the net, even spitting out its demon core, but the net held it firmly in place.
Although the demon core was blocked by the net, it started to glow brighter, and its demonic energy rapidly spread outward.
Seeing this, Wang Hong's face turned pale. He swiftly used his Shifting Positions technique, causing his figure to blur and turn into an afterimage, escaping towards the distance.
When he had moved several dozen feet away, the demon core reached its peak brightness and, with a deafening explosion, finally detonated.
The self-explosion of a third-tier Demonic Beast's demon core unleashed a powerful surge of Spiritual Energy that spread violently from the inside out.
As an afterimage, Wang Hong tried to flee, but a sudden immense force struck him, causing him to spit out blood. He was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the ground.Wang Hong's body left a deep crater upon impact, and his outer robe disintegrated under the force, leaving only the inner armor he wore close to his body intact.
The explosion's radius reached several dozen feet, creating a massive pit at its center, reducing the surrounding rocks and soil to powder.
A third-tier Demonic Beast's demon core, similar to a Golden Core in a Cultivator, could be made to self-destruct using certain secret techniques.
However, this was usually a desperate measure, and few would choose it unless they had no other option.
The snake saw no hope of survival and decided to take Wang Hong down with it. The self-explosion of a third-tier Demonic Beast's demon core was enough to make even a Nascent Soul Cultivator retreat.
If Wang Hong hadn't possessed the Shifting Positions technique and managed to escape the explosion's center in time, his body might not have even been found now.
He lay on the ground, ears ringing, feeling as if his internal organs were shattered. He struggled to get up, but he couldn't even move a finger.
At that moment, he faintly heard someone loudly calling out for "East Master," but he couldn't muster the strength to respond.
His consciousness grew heavier, and he descended into darkness.
Luo Zhongjie and the others received Wang Hong's order to run ahead temporarily. They hadn't gone far when they heard a deafening explosion behind them.
Turning back, they witnessed dozens of cultivators being blown into the sky by the explosion, including Wang Hong.
"East Master!"
"East Master!"
Luo Zhongjie and the others rushed back frantically, reaching Wang Hong's side just as he lost consciousness.
Luo Zhongjie gently pried open Wang Hong's mouth and slipped a Yu Sui Pill inside. Fortunately, Wang Hong had given each of them a Yu Sui Pill for emergency use.
The Demonic Beasts from behind were getting closer, with some already within striking distance. There was no time to tend to Wang Hong's injuries.
With the help of others, they carefully placed Wang Hong on Luo Zhongjie's back.
"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Luo Zhongjie, with Wang Hong on his back, shouted as he ran, urging the others around him.
At the same time, Wen Lan swiftly approached the large pit where the explosion had occurred. Inside, all that remained of the green serpent were a few scattered fragments.
Without taking the time to inspect the debris, he gathered it all into his Storage Bag.
Their group had already gained some distance due to Wang Hong's distraction, which meant the explosion had a smaller impact on them.
The ones who were blown into the sky were mainly Qi Shaoqing and his group, who had joined later and had slowed down upon encountering the third-tier Demonic Beast ahead.
They had arrived just in time to witness Wang Hong's victory and had intended to approach him and inspect the entangled green serpent. Little did they know they would witness such a rare event as a self-explosion of a demon core.
Among their group of several dozen people, over ten were killed instantly, and many others were injured.
Qi Shaoqing had used a large cauldron to shield himself during the explosion and emerged unscathed. This demonstrated the advantage of having a Nascent Soul-level backer.
With the pursuing Demonic Beasts now at their heels, Qi Shaoqing shouted, "Retreat! Bring the injured with us; we need to retreat quickly!"
He also threw a couple of second-tier Talismans toward the approaching Demonic Beasts, momentarily slowing them down.
Then, they quickly carried the injured and followed Luo Zhongjie and the others towards the front.
The loud explosion from earlier had resonated far and wide, attracting even more Demonic Beasts from the distance, all converging on their location.
So, this group of people fled desperately in the front, while a horde of Demonic Beasts chased from behind.
Currently, both sides were maintaining a similar pace, and they dared not pause for even a moment. If they were caught by the pursuing Demonic Beasts, they would be swallowed up by the Beast Tide, leaving nothing behind but bones.
As they raced forward, they maintained their battle formation, with Wen Lan leading fifty Foundation Building Cultivators at the forefront.
Occasionally, they encountered small groups of Demonic Beasts, which they plowed through with sheer force, scattering the beasts blocking their path.
But as they hurried forward, they suddenly encountered a massive group of Demonic Beasts up ahead, numbering in the tens of thousands, advancing towards them.
"Trouble! There's another group of Demonic Beasts ahead! We're in real trouble now!" A cultivator responsible for the flanks couldn't help but feel despair. Under normal circumstances, they might not fear such a large number of Demonic Beasts, but with tens of thousands chasing from behind, any delay could lead to disaster.
"Charge through!" Wen Lan led the fifty Foundation Building Cultivators, forming a spearhead as they directly plunged into the beast horde. There was no more room for evasion.
The fifty of them formed a sharp wedge, like a dagger thrusting into the heart of the beast horde, carving out a path within the mass of creatures.
The cultivators behind them, numbering over a thousand Qi Cultivation Cultivators, simultaneously unleashed their Magical Weapons and cut down the Demonic Beasts that tried to attack from the sides.
The Demonic Beasts surged like waves, crashing against them repeatedly, but these over a thousand people were like the rocks on the shore, weathering wave after wave, sending countless sprays into the air.
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