Fleeing

The three enormous birds had already advanced to the goblin stage of cultivation. Their massive bodies were comparable to the Asura battleship itself. They spread their wings and cast a shadow as they looked down from above. Their piercing cries resembled sharp arrows capable of piercing the sky…

The Asura battleship reacted swiftly. The three secondary cannons on the left and right began charging, while the main cannons' barrels emitted a rich, fiery red light that caused the surrounding temperature to rise rapidly.

However, the demons' reaction was equally swift. They exhibited greater adaptability compared to the Asura battleship. The three enormous birds spread their wings, and the energy in the surroundings surged. The terrifying hurricane transformed into wind blades that filled the sky. Thousands of wind blades surrounded the Asura battleship, relentlessly cutting like a colossal meat grinder, causing dense ripples to surge within the battleship's defensive barrier.

The scorching flames transformed into a massive fire dragon that lunged toward the Asura battleship. Suddenly, a fierce lightning bolt erupted, and over ten lightning bolts, as thick as buckets, descended from the sky.

Facing the combined attack of the three demons, the defensive barrier of the Asura battleship distorted to the extreme, as if it could shatter at any moment, leaving everyone on edge.

Boom, boom, boom…

However, at that moment, powerful spells were unleashed from the cannons on the Asura battleship. Enormous fireballs traced scorching arcs through the air. Although the three large birds were immense in size, their agility was incongruous with their bulk. They skillfully evaded the attacks. Only one of the secondary cannons managed to strike one of the large birds, eliciting a mournful cry and splattering blood. It was evidently heavily injured but remained aloft, indicating that it still possessed fighting strength.

The main cannon missed its target and hit a nearby mountain instead. A violent explosion erupted, obliterating the entire mountain. Rock fragments scattered and transformed into a shower of debris. This was the first time Zhuge Xiang witnessed the power of a spell attack. His eyes widened. Could this truly be a spell? It had the power to demolish a mountain?

The Asura battleship and the three demon birds engaged in a fierce spell battle in the air. Even with the Asura battleship's high speed, it couldn't shake off the three birds. The intense battle lasted less than ten minutes before reaching its climax. Under the relentless attacks of the three birds, the defensive barrier of the Asura battleship finally collapsed. However, the massive main cannon successfully slew two of the demon birds.

"That's great. There's only one left. We can definitely kill it," Niu Geng exclaimed excitedly as he watched the huge bird plummet to the ground after being struck by the massive fireball. The other disciples were also brimming with anticipation. With just one remaining big demon bird, they had a chance to end this crisis.

"Everyone, flee for your lives. We've already notified the sect. I believe help will arrive soon. In the meantime, your only objective is to survive," the person in charge addressed the disciples with solemnity. When questioned why he had not slain the last bird, the answer he provided filled everyone with despair.

This Asura battleship wasn't equipped with an abundant supply of spirit stones, as it was not intended for direct combat. After fighting for so long, its energy was nearly depleted. It activated the final energy of the spirit stones and triggered the ultimate array formation on the Asura battleship. A dazzling array lit up, enveloping all the disciples on board. Suddenly, they felt significantly lighter.

"Quick, jump down. This is the Light Body Technique prepared by the Asura Battleship for its disciples to abandon ship and escape. It will ensure your safe landing," the person in charge instructed while looking down below the Asura Battleship. Fortunately, the battle had been moving at high speed, and they had planned to toss the demon beasts far away underground. If they jumped now, there was still a chance.

Abandon the ship and flee? Though they wouldn't plunge to their deaths, they were already deep within the endless mountains. Apart from the potential for encountering demons, even a two-star demon beast could easily kill them all, right? Yet, the person in charge wore an expression of cold resolve. The Asura battleship was prepared to perish together with the final demon. Those unwilling to jump could stay behind…

Everyone was in a state of panic. They would die if they stayed, but they would also die if he jumped down. It was not easy for them to comprehend Qi Force and become an official disciple of the Asura Sect. They never expected to meet their demise before setting foot in the sect's headquarters. The realization sent many into a state of panic. Some shouted, some cursed, and some cried…

The person in charge cast a cold glance at the disciples' reactions and immediately gave the order for the Asura battleship to crash into the enormous demon. All available energy was channeled into the power system.

"Let's go," a voice emerged amidst the panic. The first person to jump from the Asura battleship was none other than Lu Yuling. Following her lead, Hua Nongying, who stood beside her, leaped off as well.

"Let's go too," Niu Geng said. The effects of the Light Body Technique still lingered. Zhuge Xiang and Niu Geng had also jumped off the Asura battleship. No one desired such a crisis, but since it had occurred, blaming the heavens and others would be futile. Their only option now was to survive.

Humans were like that. Once one person took action, others followed suit. As Lu Yuling, Zhuge Xiang, and the rest leaped down, disciples began jumping one after another. Staying on the Asura battleship would result in certain death, while jumping down offered a glimmer of hope for survival.

More and more disciples joined the descent. With the exception of a few who hesitated, all five thousand disciples jumped off. They descended like falling dumplings. However, thanks to the Light Body Technique, the impact upon landing was comparable to jumping from a height of about three meters. It was bearable.

Boom!

A violent explosion resounded. Zhuge Xiang raised his head and gazed upward. Above him, the colossal Asura battleship hurtled at an astonishing speed and crashed forcefully into the demon bird. In an instant, the entire battleship shattered into fragments. The enormous bird emitted a mournful cry as flesh and blood scattered, causing a torrential rain of gore and remains to shower down from the sky.

"Let's go. The demon beasts behind us are catching up," Zhuge Xiang said to Niu Geng as he quickly retracted his gaze.

Although their rapid movement had left the demonic beasts on the ground far behind, it was evident that those beasts would give chase. The person in charge had been right. Everyone now had one objective—to do their utmost to survive until reinforcements from the sect arrived.

The two of them swiftly dashed in the direction of the sect's headquarters. Covering a distance of eight thousand miles on foot was clearly impossible, but this path brought them closest to the sect. Behind them lay the pursuit of the demon beasts.

The Asura battleship had perished alongside the last demon. The sight of the thousand-foot-long battleship and the massive bird being pulverized into fragments was undeniably shocking. It left many disciples dumbfounded, momentarily forgetting to escape. However, a small number of quick-thinking individuals maintained their composure and swiftly sprinted into the distance, following Zhuge Xiang's lead.

There were countless demonic beasts in pursuit. Sometimes, all it took was for one person to run faster than the others, and those behind would naturally help slow down the demons.

Infusing Qi Force into their feet, Zhuge Xiang and Niu Geng sprinted forward with all their might. The sight of 5,000 people fleeing together was still a spectacular scene. Zhuge Xiang and Niu Geng had no other thoughts; they had only one belief—to escape. They had to escape swiftly, or at the very least, outrun the others.

After running for about an hour, they heard a series of screams and roars in the distance. Judging by the sound, it was no more than ten miles away. Clearly, the disciples at the back had already been overtaken by the demonic beasts.

"Zhuge Xiang, I can't go on. I've depleted too much Qi Force. Let's find a place to hide," Niu Geng gasped as he ran. It was evident that running at full speed for an hour had drained a significant amount of stamina and Qi Force.

Zhuge Xiang was also panting. He had already used up seventy to eighty percent of his Qi Force during the battle with Lu Yuling. Standing atop a small hill in the Endless Mountains, Zhuge Xiang surveyed the area and pointed towards a forest approximately ten miles away. "Let's make our way into that forest first and find a place to rest."

During his battle with Lu Yuling, Zhuge Xiang had exerted his full effort, employing almost all of his resources. However, as he reached into his pocket, he retrieved two Energy Recovery Pills. These pills were remnants from Zhuge Xiang's training before the major competition, which he had never used until now. It seemed that today was the perfect opportunity.

Each Energy Recovery Pill could restore 100 MP. After Zhuge Xiang and Niu Geng each took one, they felt the Qi Force within their bodies rapidly replenishing. Gritting their teeth, they continued to run towards the forest.