Chapter 430 - 406: Escape

Chapter 430: Chapter 406: Escape

As veteran Divinity Transformation Cultivators, the three Palace Masters had their own circles. They knew of, or had at least heard of, many other Divinity Transformation experts.

The Tiger Demon was one such individual.

This Tiger Demon was a Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarch who possessed the bloodline of a Roaring Heaven Demon Tiger. He was also a ruthless and bloodthirsty expert of the Demon Dao, slaughtering people indiscriminately, which had earned him his moniker.

In terms of age, the Tiger Demon belonged to the older generation of Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarchs.

However, a thousand years ago, at the height of his infamy, this Tiger Demon had suddenly vanished without a trace.

The three Palace Masters and other Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarchs had all assumed the Tiger Demon had died for some reason.

But now they knew that not only was he still alive, he had become a servant of the Third Prince of the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty.

And with his first move, he revealed a power even more terrifying than the legends claimed.

"Ah, no!"

"My head is splitting!"

With their offensive broken, the three Palace Masters reeled. The other Cultivators from the Desert Divine Palace were in even worse shape. Many clutched their heads as splitting pain wracked their minds, and some were even killed on the spot by the sound waves.

Still others spat up blood and collapsed to the ground.

This was only because the Desert Divine Palace cultivators were already in a formation that greatly enhanced their collective defense.

Otherwise, while they might not have been completely annihilated, their losses would have been far more severe.

SWOOSH!

However, some of the Desert Divine Palace cultivators who had fallen immediately seized the chance to cast the Earth Escape Technique, attempting to flee.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

But soon, it was as if they had all slammed into an iron wall. Not only were they blocked, but a black light suddenly shot out from the ground, striking them and tearing them to pieces on the spot.

"Trying to run? You think it’s that easy? Since you’re here, you might as well stay. Without my permission, not a single one of you will escape today! Whoever flees, I will kill!"

The cultivators were all horrified. Many who had been poised to act immediately froze, not daring to make a rash move.

The Third Prince of Great Qian had expected this and immediately sneered with disdain.

He hadn’t deliberately shouted, yet his voice clearly reached every corner of the area.

Clearly, he was the one who had killed the fleeing cultivators.

’This Third Prince is truly insidious!’

Even Zhang Chi was startled, and his gaze turned cold.

He had deliberately dropped to the ground, planning to use the opportunity to escape via Earth Escape. But now, it seemed he would have to wait.

"Third Prince, if you have any courage, come at us! Don’t harm these Low Tier Cultivators!" the Grand Palace Master said coldly. She was continuously forming Spirit Techniques and pouring her Magical Power into the Five-Colored Sand Grains to maintain her attack.

"Fine," the Third Prince of Great Qian replied nonchalantly, nodding in agreement. "I am not one to slaughter the innocent. But they cannot be allowed to flee. After all, the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty still has use for their service!"

The Desert Divine Palace cultivators on the scene collectively breathed a sigh of relief, looking at their three Palace Masters with immense gratitude.

Many of the Desert Divine Palace Cultivators also felt quite ashamed.

This included people like Qin Yushan and his sister.

As cultivators of the Desert Divine Palace, and in some cases even disciples of the Palace Masters, they were not only unable to help their leaders at this critical moment, but had become a burden for whom the Palace Masters had to plead.

’What a pity!’

The cultivators and Demon Beasts from the Beast Alliance and Heaven-defying Alliance, however, found it quite regrettable.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM...

The battle raged on. In the next moment, the Tiger Demon let out a continuous roar, his body shifting and transforming into a massive, thousand-foot-long golden Demon Tiger that lunged viciously at the three Palace Masters.

"Venerable Tiger Demon, let us lend you a hand!"

Fellow Daoist Zhou of the Heaven-defying Alliance and Fellow Daoist Long of the Beast Alliance were overjoyed at the sight. Not daring to stand by idly, they immediately took action and rejoined the battle.

ROAR!

Among them, Fellow Daoist Long directly revealed his true form, transforming into a thousand-foot-long black Flood Dragon.

He was clearly a Flood Dragon who had undergone Transformation, and he had adopted the surname Long in his aspiration to become a True Dragon.

Now it was three against three, and the situation instantly shifted. The three Palace Masters found themselves severely suppressed. The Tiger Demon alone was considerably stronger than the three Palace Masters, to say nothing of the two additional helpers.

The Third Prince watched from the sidelines, full of confidence. He clearly had great faith in the Tiger Demon, and it was likely his own Combat Power was no less than the demon’s.

"Third Prince, just you wait! We sisters will spare you today, but we will be back!"

The three Palace Masters knew this well. After fighting for some time and seeing no opening, they quickly conferred via voice transmission. They then joined forces to activate the Five-Colored Sand Grains for defense, transforming into a streak of five-colored light that shot into the distance with incredible speed.

They all delivered a parting threat as they left.

Unfortunately, the threat was completely empty.

"What..."

The many Desert Divine Palace Cultivators on the scene were immediately stunned by this development.

They never imagined their three Palace Masters would just up and flee, abandoning the Desert Divine Palace they had run for so many years, and even deserting all of their subordinates.

In that moment, it felt as if their world was collapsing, and they were all at a complete loss.

"Trying to run? In your dreams!"

"After them!"

However, the Tiger Demon and the other two Divinity Transformation experts didn’t hesitate at all and immediately gave chase.

"Stay!"

The Third Prince had anticipated this. With a cold laugh, he waved his hand, and a golden Grand Array materialized instantly, enveloping thousands of miles around them and trapping the three Palace Masters within.

It seemed he had done nothing, but in reality, he had long ago used some unknown method to encircle all his enemies with an array.

"Not good!"

Immediately, the expressions of the three Palace Masters and the countless cultivators from the Desert Divine Palace changed drastically.

Even Zhang Chi couldn’t help but frown slightly.

"Haha, let’s see you run now!"

The Tiger Demon and the other two Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarchs all sneered triumphantly.

"Explode!"

But the Grand Palace Master among the three Palace Masters gritted her teeth and gave a cold shout. A large portion of the Five-Colored Sand Grains circling them immediately flew out, crashed into the array, and exploded violently.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM...

A huge hole was instantly blasted through the array. Seizing the opportunity, the three Palace Masters, protected by the remaining Five-Colored Sand Grains, successfully flew through the Array Light Curtain and vanished over the horizon in the blink of an eye.

This time, even the Tiger Demon and the other Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarchs, and even the Third Prince, were caught off guard.

After all, the Five-Colored Sand Grains were a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure, and more than that, the Grand Palace Master’s own Lifebound Magical Treasure. For her to expend a portion of it so readily was an act that undoubtedly came at a great price, and it had completely exceeded their expectations.

SWOOSH!

But at that very moment, a slender beam of blood-red light, swift as lightning, shot through the gap in the array just before it closed, following far behind the five-colored Escape Light of the three Palace Masters.

"The Blood Shadow Divine Escape?"

"Trying to escape in the confusion? Dream on!"

The Tiger Demon and his allies were near the gap. They were stunned for a moment, then immediately unleashed attacks with their full power.

Clearly, they were furious, and even felt they had been greatly humiliated.

After all, besides the three Palace Masters, all the other enemies present had Cultivation below the Divinity Transformation realm.

It was one thing for Divinity Transformation Cultivators to escape, but now even a mere Nascent Soul Cultivator was trying to flee? This was sheer audacity, a complete disregard for them. They absolutely could not let this person succeed.

"Who... Who is that? The nerve!"

Even the other Cultivators and Demon Beasts from both sides were dumbfounded.

Especially the cultivators from the Desert Divine Palace; they had already resigned themselves to their fate and never expected someone to act so audaciously.

Within the blood-red light was Zhang Chi. He had originally planned to escape along with the other Cultivators amidst the army’s collapse, but now he could only take this risky gamble.

Of course, he could have stayed.

But in that case, he would likely be targeted by the Third Prince of Great Qian, as well as the Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarchs from the Beast Alliance and the Heaven-defying Alliance.

The reason was simple. He, along with Qin Yushan and the others, were survivors of the Exploration of the Divinity Transformation Cave Mansion. If the enemy wanted to get to the bottom of things, they would most likely perform a Soul Search on them.

Before, under the protection of the three Palace Masters and the Desert Divine Palace, and with the Third Prince of Great Qian absent, they had been relatively safe. But that was no longer true.

Furthermore, if they stayed behind, even if they weren’t killed, they would surely be subjugated and would never be given any significant responsibilities in the future.

Then, wanting to exchange for various Tier Four Peak resources or even find a Tier Five Spiritual Vein for his breakthrough would be next to impossible.

Therefore, leaving was undoubtedly the best choice.

In fact, Zhang Chi hadn’t fled alone. He had brought Chen Bufan and his sister, Xiao Yunhong, Zhong Yu, Female Cultivator Wen, and Qin Yushan and his sister with him.

They had been far apart before, but during the battle between the Divinity Transformation experts, Zhang Chi had already notified them via voice transmission to gather together.

’Can we really escape?’

’Oh well. If worst comes to worst, we’ll just die together!’

At this moment, Chen Bufan and the others were feeling both deeply moved and extremely worried.

After all, their enemies were Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarchs!

Even if the Third Prince of Great Qian hadn’t had time to attack, the other three could normally kill a group of Low Tier Cultivators like them with ease.

"Die!"

The three Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarchs thought the same, certain that Zhang Chi and the others were as good as dead.

"Back off!"

But at that moment, Zhang Chi, from within the bloody light, gave a cold shout. He raised a hand and pointed. Hundreds of Sword Lights materialized instantly, forming a profound Sword Array. The array whirred violently before unleashing a colossal, blinding beam of Sword Light.

KRAK!

A massive fissure was instantly torn in space. The three Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarchs were stunned, their powerful attacks dissolving in an instant.

They even retreated reflexively, terrified of being wounded by Zhang Chi’s attack.

But in that fleeting moment, Zhang Chi had successfully carried Qin Yushan and the others far away, disappearing from sight.

The Tiger Demon and the other two Divinity Transformation experts wanted to pursue, but it was already too late.

For one, their opponent had seized the initiative.

For another, their escape technique was incredibly fast, no slower than that of a Divinity Transformation Celestial Monarch.

More troubling still, his Combat Power seemed immense. If any one of them faced him alone, the outcome would be uncertain.

"Damn it, how could this happen?"

"Who was that person? Could they be a Divinity Transformation expert in disguise? Otherwise, there’s no way they could have ignored our spiritual pressure, much less stop all of us with a single sword strike!"

"A sword strike that powerful... it must have come from a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure, and not just any ordinary Spiritual Treasure!"

The Tiger Demon and the others watched the disappearing Escape Light, their expressions turning extremely ugly.

"They actually got away?"

"Who were they? Does anyone recognize them?"

"I couldn’t see clearly!"

The remaining cultivators and Demon Beasts on the scene were utterly flabbergasted.

"We failed to stop them. Our crime deserves death. Please, Your Highness, punish us!"

"It’s fine. This makes things more interesting. No matter where they run, they can’t escape the grasp of my Great Qian Immortal Dynasty. Since they want to play a game, then I shall play along!"

The three Divinity Transformation experts were terrified, but the Third Prince, though surprised, soon broke into a smile.