Loshaar stroked his long white beard thoughtfully. He then smirked at Calla before speaking to her in a cold and sarcastic tone.
“Security, you say? The Cavereach City’s walls are perfectly intact. Neither you nor we from the demonic faction have broken the neutral treaty on the city zone.
Yet, here you are, intruding on our affairs. The man you chase has sought refuge with us. He has also done me a great service by handing me something that originally belonged to me. I cannot simply hand him over.”
Zeesham Zhan, his scarred face reflecting his annoyance, stepped forward and spoke to his allies in an unhurried tone.
“Elders, to be honest, Loshaar is a bigger threat to the stability observed among the Big Five Sects than Ruan is right now. We can’t let this old demon leave after he has revealed himself out in the open following his retreat in the Purple Poison Marshland. It looks like we’ll have to split up.”
No one objected to his opinion.
Ruan Lui, now a distant figure in the sky, had managed to create a sizable distance between himself and the city’s enforcement forces.
He had handed the Bloodfiend manual to Liana Lakir mere seconds ago, but in that brief time, he had used every ounce of his remaining strength and talismans to evade confrontation with the righteous faction. Nobody would believe him if he said the so-called reinforcement that he had met outside in the eyes of the righteous faction was nothing but a chance to meet.
However, one could see that Ruan’s speed had noticeably decreased, a clear sign that he was running low on Spirit essence and his precious talismans were nearly exhausted.
Zeesham Zhan, with his scarred face and piercing eyes, observed Ruan’s dwindling speed. He knew that this was the moment to strike, to take advantage of Ruan’s weakened state. Turning to his allies, he spoke with a calm yet commanding tone.
“Calla, Reesha, and Sia, you three ladies go ahead and chase after Ruan and that unknown girl. Meanwhile, we’ll take care of this damn demon Loshaar and the rest with him.”
Calla Wei, her eyes narrowing with determination, nodded. Reesha Ru adjusted her stance, ready to move at a moment’s notice. Sia Cai also prepared herself for the chase.
“Let’s go,” Calla said, her voice steady. With a swift motion, the three women leaped into the air, their flying artifacts carrying them towards the fleeing figures of Ruan and Liana.
Meanwhile, Loshaar Lakir stood unfazed by the approaching threat. He stroked his long white beard thoughtfully, his eyes gleaming with various emotions. He could have tried to stop Calla and the remaining two Foundation Building ladies. However, he decided the split initiated by the enemy was also for his own benefit.
After all, no matter what kind of tricks he had up his sleeves, it would be impossible for Loshaar to handle all six Foundation Building Experts on his own. With three Foundation Building Experts from the enemy group out of the equation, both sides now had an equal number of Foundation Building Experts.
‘Lass, don’t blame me for being practical. You’ll have to deal with the headache coming your way on your own merits,’ Loshaar thought, sighing as he considered his talented descendant Liana Lakir. He then glanced at Shen Ji and Kau Lou, who stood beside him with tense expressions.
Zeesham Zhan, Wen Lin, and Mo Jie advanced towards Loshaar, their auras flaring with power. Zeesham, his scarred face set in a determined grimace, spoke to his allies.
“We need to take down Loshaar quickly. Don’t underestimate him. His real capabilities lay in his use of the Blood fiends.
However, he won’t use them right off the bat unless we force him to. Don’t hold back. Attack with all you got right from the start.”
Wen Lin and Mo Jie tightened their grips on their respective weapons.
Loshaar chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Come then, show me what the so-called Big Five Sects are capable of.”
Loshaar Lakir’s eyes glinted with malice as he unleashed a wave of Blood Thorns. The crimson thorns shot forward like a barrage of arrows, their trajectory aimed directly at the incoming Foundation Building Experts.
Zeesham Zhan reacted instantly, summoning his Spirit essence to form a protective barrier around himself. The scarred elder launched a barrage of fireballs towards the oncoming Blood Thorns, each explosion lighting up the sky with a fiery glow.
Beside him, Wen Lin conjured a swirling vortex of water, the liquid mass crashing into the Blood Thorns with a forceful wave. Mo Jie, the last of the trio, called forth a swarm of wind blades that sliced through the air, intercepting the Blood Thorns and reducing them to shreds.
However, Loshaar’s assault was relentless. The Blood Thorns seemed endless, each one more vicious than the last. Shen Ji and Kau Lou, standing on either side of Loshaar, joined the fray.
Shen Ji summoned a storm of lightning bolts that streaked towards the opposing Foundation Building Experts. Kau Lou, not to be outdone, unleashed a barrage of earth spikes from the ground, each one aimed with deadly precision.
Zeesham, Wen Lin, and Mo Jie countered with their own offense-type Spirit spells. Zeesham’s fireballs exploded in mid-air, creating a wall of flames that burned through the Blood Thorns and lightning bolts.
Wen Lin’s water vortexes clashed with Kau Lou’s earth spikes, the elements collided in a spectacular display of power. Mo Jie’s wind blades continued their onslaught, slicing through the air and deflecting the incoming attacks.
As the battle raged above, the late-stage Spirit Refining subordinates on the ground began their own preparations. They quickly formed a debuff-type battle formation, their breaths synchronized and their Spirit essence pooling together.
A sphere-like barrier materialized around the six Foundation Building Experts, suspending them in mid-air and trapping them within its confines.
The barrier’s effects were immediate. Zeesham, Wen Lin, and Mo Jie felt their Spirit essence becoming unstable, their spells faltering as the debuff took hold.
The physical debuff weighed heavily on their bodies, slowing their movements and sapping their strength.
Zeesham’s face contorted with frustration as he struggled to maintain his fire barrier. “Damn it! They’re using a debuff formation!” he shouted to his allies.