59: Chapter 59 The Master's Domineering Protection!

"Roar!"

Below, the One-Horned Thunder Beast did not give Zhao Ruoan much time to think, letting out another angry roar.

On its injured body, purple lightning crackled wildly, and energy even more violent than before gathered atop its single horn.

It was completely enraged.

"Not good, it's getting serious!" Elder Xiong's voice trembled.

In the next second, a pillar of destructive lightning, thicker than before and so deep in color it was almost black, tore through the sky and blasted toward the Azure-Feathered War Bird once more.

The power of this strike far surpassed the previous ones.

Elder Xiong's shield probably wouldn't even last a single breath.

Without hesitation, Zhao Ruoan activated his Revered Master's jade talisman once again.

*Buzz—*

Another cold sword light burst from the jade talisman. This was the second and final strand of Sword Qi sealed within.

The sword light was like a galaxy spanning the sky, precisely clashing with the world-destroying pillar of lightning.

*Boom!*

This time, it was no longer a silent annihilation.

The two extreme forces collided violently in mid-air, erupting with a deafening roar.

A terrifying storm of energy swept in all directions, instantly evaporating the rain in the sky and tearing a massive hole in the clouds.

The sword light and the lightning pillar consumed and annihilated each other frantically.

In the end, both vanished into nothingness.

*Crack.*

A faint cracking sound rang out.

Having exhausted its final bit of power, the jade talisman in Zhao Ruoan's hand turned into fine powder and slipped through his fingers.

His final trump card was gone.

"Go, quickly!"

Zhao Ruoan bellowed at Elder Xiong.

Elder Xiong jolted awake as if from a dream and desperately poured spiritual energy into the Azure-Feathered War Bird.

The war bird let out a mournful cry as its wings erupted in azure flames. Its speed surged to the absolute limit, turning into a streak of light as it fled for its life.

But as fast as they were, the One-Horned Thunder Beast was faster.

The speed of a Divine Ability Realm grand demon was simply incomparable to a war bird controlled by a Divine Soul Realm Cultivator.

That world-destroying pressure followed them like a shadow, closing the distance rapidly.

They couldn't escape.

Everyone's heart sank to the bottom.

"Senior Brother Zhao, what... what should we do?" Senior Sister Liu's voice carried a sob.

"We're dead. We're destined to die here today." A young Disciple's face was ashen, having abandoned all hope.

An atmosphere of despair spread through the crowd.

Zhao Ruoan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

He still had one last trump card.

A single-person teleportation talisman rewarded by the System, which could randomly teleport him a thousand miles away.

If he wanted to leave, he could do so right now.

But if he left, none of the thirty-odd people on the war bird, including Elder Xiong, would survive.

The Thunder Beast's target had been him from the very beginning; it had locked onto him because of his Revered Master's Sword Qi.

In the final analysis, he was the one who had brought about this crisis.

To abandon these fellow Disciples he had just saved and escape alone...

He couldn't do it.

Moreover, the way these people looked at him was filled with trust and reliance.

Zhao Ruoan's mind raced as he analyzed the deadly situation.

The only way to break the deadlock was for him to actively leave the group and draw all of the Thunder Beast's hatred onto himself.

As long as he jumped off, Elder Xiong and the others would have a slim chance of survival.

Meanwhile, he could take the opportunity to activate the teleportation talisman and escape.

This was the only feasible plan.

Although the teleportation was random and might lead to other dangers, it was still better than being wiped out here.

Having made up his mind, Zhao Ruoan hesitated no longer and turned, preparing to leap off the war bird's back.

"Senior Brother Zhao, what are you doing?!"

Senior Sister Liu, who was closest to him, grabbed his arm and shrieked.

"Are you going to throw your life away? No, absolutely not!"

"Senior Brother Zhao, you saved our lives! We can't let you risk yourself!"

"If anyone goes, it should be me! My life is worthless anyway, it's no loss if I die! You are the future of the Sect, nothing must happen to you!" a Disciple roared hoarsely.

Elder Xiong stepped directly in front of Zhao Ruoan, his old face filled with determination.

"Ruoan, listen to me."

"This old man will cover the retreat. Take them and make sure you return to the Sect alive!"

"This is an order!"

Elder Xiong's tone was extremely firm.

Zhao Ruoan felt somewhat helpless.

Elder, do you have some sort of misunderstanding about the Divine Ability Realm?

The other party hasn't even looked you in the eye from start to finish, okay?

Its target is me. You covering the retreat is no different from offering your head on a silver platter. You wouldn't even last a breath, and it wouldn't change the outcome at all.

He was just about to push Elder Xiong aside by force to prove his point.

Just then.

A cold voice, carrying a wave of towering rage, echoed from the sky.

"To dare touch my Disciple, you have quite the nerve."

The moment this voice appeared, the pursuing movements of the One-Horned Thunder Beast suddenly stiffened.

Immediately after.

A sword light that defied description tore through the vault of heaven.

The sword light spanned thousands of meters. Wherever it passed, space shattered inch by inch, as if even the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth had to yield before this single strike.

The target of the sword light was pointed directly at the insufferably arrogant One-Horned Thunder Beast.

"Boom—!!!"

A deafening roar resounded through the mountain range.

The One-Horned Thunder Beast let out a shrill cry of pain as its massive body was once again slammed deep into the earth.

This time, a bottomless crater was smashed directly into the ground, and the violent shockwave leveled the mountain forests within a radius of several miles.

The desperate situation was effortlessly resolved just like that, by a single sword light.

Atop the Azure-Feathered War Bird, there was a deathly silence.

Everyone raised their heads, staring blankly in the direction of the voice.

Ripples spread through space as a figure stepped through the air, landing on the back of the war bird in just a few steps.

The newcomer wore a light blue dress, her figure slender and graceful. Her long black hair fell loosely, and her makeup-free face was cold and peerless.

Simply by standing there quietly, an invisible pressure enveloped the area. Even the howling wind and torrential rain around them parted automatically three feet before her.

The world itself seemed to lose its color upon her arrival.

"Disciple pays respects to Elder Yun!"

Elder Xiong was the first to react, bowing deeply. His voice was filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and heartfelt awe.

The other Disciples also jolted awake as if from a dream, bowing their heads in deep respect, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

This person was the true stabilizing pillar and the absolute ceiling of combat power in the Qingxuan Sect.

Yun Qinghan paid no attention to their salutes. Her cold phoenix eyes merely fell upon Zhao Ruoan, scanning him from head to toe.

The freezing aura, cold enough to freeze one's Divine Soul, slowly dissipated the moment it touched Zhao Ruoan.

"Are you hurt?"

Her voice was very soft.

Zhao Ruoan shook his head, a warm current welling up in his heart. "This Disciple is fine. Thank you for your concern, Revered Master."

Just when everyone thought the crisis was completely resolved and was about to breathe a sigh of relief...

"Roar—!!!"

Another earth-shattering roar echoed from the crater in the distance.

The fury in that voice was more than ten times stronger than before.

An even more sinister aura soared into the sky.

The One-Horned Thunder Beast was not dead yet!

It stumbled out of the deep crater. Amidst the purple lightning gathering around its body, strands of bizarre, blood-colored mist were actually interwoven.

Its body size swelled, and countless twisted blood-colored patterns emerged on its originally dark scales. The single horn on its head was dyed an ominous purplish-red.