Wang Zhan did not slow his pace.

Other than his brief panic instigated by Yuan Mengru, which almost made his clone self-destruct on the spot and force his return to his main body, there were no obvious changes in his demeanor.

Yuan Mengru could barely conceal her inner trembling, her face losing much of its color.

Do...Do you dislike me that much?

If not, why could Wang Zhan remain so calm?

…

BOOM!

Three minutes had passed. A violent radiance lit up most of the night sky.

The stars had lost their original brightness. A tiny black dot in the center of the light was frantically retreating. Nonetheless, it could not escape the destructive power from behind.

Everything was gone.

A circular source of light appeared. Under the scheme of those old men with an unknown conspiracy, the light was suppressed for an entire three minutes before finally extending its sharp and dazzling talons towards the Federation.

"HAHAHAHAHA, unexpected, isn't it? You puny humans actually dared to oppose me, the Beast Clan! Today, as I, Laozi, sacrifice my realm level as bait, wiping out your Human Race Martial Emperors is a rewarding deal!"

Without hesitation.

Strong energy waves abruptly broke out from the Four Symbols Formation, revealing its intention to erode all that it could see.

The Four Symbols Formation immediately resembled a mosquito net riddled with holes. It was suddenly full of tiny apertures emitting a dim light, much like the neon lights on a human dance stage, beneath which countless performers and spectators bustled.

It was like a mischievous Sun hiding behind a sieve, radiating its charm and power in a brilliant and magnificent way to impress everyone.

However, when the dazzling light finally reached the bodies of the four old codgers of the Federation, sudden astonishment and anger rose from the bottom of the Beast Nest's heart.

How is this possible! How could you escape so quickly!

Not to mention, the Martial Emperors of Jing State had long since fled completely. Even the four prominent Martial Emperors hadn't remained, leaving only their abandoned weapons for the Beast Nest.

"TEE HEE HEE, this guy is really stupid!"

"Nonsense, it's not a human, it's a tool!"

"But aren't we tools too? Does that make us not human?"

Several immature voices quietly sounded in an unnoticed corner, seemingly debating something.

The Beast Nest heard them too. If it had a face and skin, it would probably have turned completely livid by now.

"Didn't Master say before that everything has a spirit and humans are not unique? Therefore, as long as we have human thoughts and awareness, we are humans too!"

"True. But... But it has been a long time since I last saw Master. I wonder if he is doing well..."

A touch of sadness tinged their words.

Although they were weapons, they were ancient divine weapons. Especially under the influence of the ancient people, they had long possessed human thoughts and self-awareness.

So at this moment, they finally couldn't help but reveal their long-hidden secret. Perhaps it was due to the powerful existence before them, or perhaps it was the whisperings in their hearts.

Suddenly, a voice, like that of an older sister, decisively settled the matter among them.

"It's okay. As long as we finish this fight, we can see Master! I believe he is also thinking of us."

"MMM HMM, MMM HMM, MMM HMM..."

…

Mmm hmm your sister!

The Beast Nest was on the verge of going crazy.

As a formidable level 9 Martial Emperor, was he, the great Laozi, supposed to just stand here and listen to a bunch of sentient ancient divine weapons, these little brats, prattling on? Did he have no dignity?

He didn't even notice how resentful the voice in his heart was.

If this race hadn't been slightly luckier, with a better environment, a stronger foundation, and more experts… Back when these humans first arrived, the Beast Clan could have crushed these ants. But they lost, precisely because of their weaker foundation.

Take these ancient divine weapons, for instance. Every influential individual in the Human Race seemed to possess one. Robbing them was an extremely difficult task, especially since these shameless humans, who treated wealth as nothing, usually used their weapons to self-destruct.

So, until now, the Beast Clan's descriptions of these ancient divine weapons were entirely compiled from the testimonies of survivors. Their key characteristics were their possession of wisdom and human-like thought.

Should they really be this unreasonable? Could they be any more ostentatious?

By now, he didn't have to guess anymore; the Human Race must have learned of the Beast Clan's plan.

However, this operation had, in fact, already succeeded. His desire to drag a few more Martial Emperors down with him now was both to eliminate witnesses and to collect some interest.

So, the humans wanted to run, hated dying? Laozi would take their four ancient divine weapons with him. Even if they thought these weren't valuable, at least it would reduce some damage to his clan.

"Go to hell! AHHH..."

The Beast Nest did not hesitate and directly shattered the Four Symbols Formation. A massive round light source emerged on the spot, growing bigger and inflating, covering an increasingly wider range.

Unexpectedly, the tone of the three childish voices suddenly changed.

"This guy is really noisy, yapping about, so rude."

"If Master were still here, and he dared to be so noisy, Master would definitely use me to stomp him flat!"

"...So annoying, my ears are about to explode! Let's hurry up and slice it apart, then go find Master, okay?"

"MMM, MMM, MMM..."

It was then that four divine weapons set out together.

Only then did several complete silhouettes appear, vaguely revealing their identities. Among them were a shield, a spear, a halberd, and a saber of an exotic design, completely different from those of the Federation or even Ancient times, radiating an arrogant and unrestrained aura.

Swords and sabers unsheathed—DIE! DIE! DIE!

Trapped beasts uncaged—EXTINCTION! EXTINCTION! EXTINCTION!

…

RUMBLE...

People on the edge of the battlefield's core had no leisure to take a close look at what exactly happened.

They only detected a thunderous roar, and then a ring of light, like a rolling tide, spreading outwards from the center.

"RUN!!"

"GET THE HELL OUT!!"

"HAHAHA, exciting, so exciting! If I survive this, I'll have bragging rights for life..."

Behind them, the Four Symbols Formation was gone, the four Martial Emperors were gone, and all the support was gone.

Only a blinding whiteness remained, a rolling white light like the rising sun, sweeping towards them. Even as Wang Zhan approached the edge of the battlefield, he couldn't stop the trembling in his heart.

He felt the terrifying might of this energy. If it struck him, he truly might be better off dead. His Essence Energy, mental energy, internal energy, and even his flesh and blood would all be utterly pulverized, leaving nothing behind.

"Damn old man, what the hell are you doing!"

Wang Zhan no longer concealed his presence, roaring angrily into the sky.

If Yun Tianyi didn't come to his rescue soon, he was truly going to die here.

Given the relentless, stampede-like advance of the energy tide and its unmasked speed, Wang Zhan didn't believe his short legs could outrun it.

Amidst his urgent tasks, Yun Tianyi hastily replied,

"Brat, I can't save you now. We are creating a diversionary great formation up ahead to block these destructive forces; otherwise, the best outcome for Jing State would be being half destroyed, with at least tens of millions of its people dead.

So, run like hell! Once you run another kilometer, you will be safe! Remember, don't ever look back, and never stop! The energy within it isn't from a simple level 9 Martial Emperor; we're running out of time…"

Yun Tianyi's partial explanation left Wang Zhan dumbfounded.

Looking back at the ring of light that would sweep over him in just over ten seconds, and the final kilometer that the old man had mentioned... his eyes practically bulged from their sockets; a terrible premonition struck him.

Damn you…

He was beyond frustrated. 'The last kilometer,' he'd said so lightly! Didn't that old fool know it was the hardest part? If I don't hurry, I'm dead!

"Everyone, listen up! KILL! Target only the leader-level beasts, then hide inside their stomachs! Remember, even if you suffocate, don't you dare come out! KILL!"

Without daring to pause or rest, Wang Zhan took the lead. He knocked out a leader-level beast with a single punch. For the first time, his Liyun Blade was not used to cleave an enemy but was plunged directly through its skull.

"KILL! KILL! KILL!"

The others also surged forward, with no time for second thoughts. It wasn't just Wang Zhan who understood the desperate race against time; anyone with a strong will to live did.

Wang Zhan's intentions were brutally clear: if they didn't want to die, they had to quickly get inside a leader-level beast's stomach. They had to pin their hopes on the beast's hide protecting them, rather than dying helplessly while fleeing in a panic.

Even if they died, they would die as part of the 'spoils,' their contribution recorded.

Similarly, their trust in Wang Zhan and the camaraderie forged in a night of fierce battle led everyone to follow his decision. Wang Zhan's strength was no less than theirs, especially his speed.

This also meant that Wang Zhan himself lacked confidence in outrunning the danger, so they might as well stake everything on this desperate gamble.

…

"Are you seeking your own death?" Yun Tianyi seethed.

According to his understanding of Wang Zhan, he could have escaped to a kilometer away within ten breaths, yet he had foolishly chosen to remain. If this wasn't courting death, what was?

Wang Zhan's expression grew even colder as he relentlessly pursued the horde of beasts, felling one with a fatal blow in at most half a breath.

Upon hearing Yun Tianyi's words, he immediately cursed aloud,

"Damn it! I, Laozi, can't run anymore! Do you get what that means? Another three hundred meters, and Laozi will probably collapse! I've reached my limit; I'm only holding on thanks to your elixir! If I don't gamble everything now, Laozi is really going to die!"

Only then did Yun Tianyi recall.

When the Beast Nest's attention had fallen upon Wang Zhan, he had already started to fight with conscious, desperate effort.

None of them had expected the situation to change so rapidly, leaving Wang Zhan with absolutely no path of retreat.

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