The Skyclaw Tiger opened its massive, blood-stained jaws and swallowed several Pinnacle cultivators whole.
Chris’s face turned pale as he witnessed the scene.
“Thank goodness I ran in time,” he muttered to himself, his chest tightening. If he’d delayed even a moment, he would have been devoured as well.
Understanding the sheer power of the Skyclaw Tiger, Chris grabbed Lindsay Windson and bolted from the area without hesitation.
This time, nearly a thousand Aetherbinding cultivators had been sent to hunt him down. Most turned their attention to battling the vicious tiger, leaving only a fraction of them to pursue Chris.
The pursuers, however, were no match for him. Anyone who dared block his path was swiftly cut down.
Chris had become unstoppable. His blade knew no mercy, his pace relentless.
After surviving the trials of Dragon Hall, Chris’s strength had skyrocketed. What once were insurmountable odds now seemed trivial. His power had reached the mid-Solstice stage, rendering him nearly invincible against anyone below the late-Solstice realm.
The path behind him was littered with bodies-over a hundred Aetherbinding cultivators had fallen to his blade. Resistance was futile, and none could impede his escape.
Suddenly, a mid-Solstice expert appeared, blocking Chris’s way.
Chris’s eyes narrowed. He clenched his jaw-this opponent needed to be dealt with swiftly. If he delayed even a moment, the rest of the pursuers would catch up, leaving him with no escape.
Without wasting any words, Chris brandished the Dragon Slayer sword and charged.
The mid-Solstice cultivator, well aware of Chris’s terrifying strength, dared not underestimate him. He had seen the trail of carnage Chris left behind, including the deaths of multiple early-Solstice experts.
With a deafening roar, Chris’s blade struck, sending the mid-Solstice expert flying.
Fear overtook the man’s face as he stumbled back. He hadn’t anticipated such overwhelming power.
Sensing his life in jeopardy, the cultivator turned to flee.
But Chris would not let him go. With the Dragon Slayer gleaming in his hand, he pursued him relentlessly.
One final strike.
The mid-Solstice cultivator barely had time to react before Chris’s blade cleaved through him. He fell lifeless to the ground.
Meanwhile, the Skyclaw Tiger, besieged by hundreds of Aetherbinding cultivators, began to falter.
With a feral roar, the beast swept its razor-sharp claws, sending scores of attackers flying. Seizing the moment, the Skyclaw Tiger turned and fled at an incredible speed, vanishing in an instant.
“Chris has escaped!” someone shouted in alarm.
“What? He got away too?”
“Quick, after him!”
As the Skyclaw Tiger disappeared, the remaining cultivators realized Chris had also slipped through their grasp.
The pursuit resumed.
By then, Chris and Lindsay Windson had already fled over a hundred miles.
After slaying the mid-Solstice cultivator, Chris had pulled Lindsay along in a desperate flight.
Despite the distance they’d covered, Chris didn’t dare relax. Hundreds of Aetherbinding cultivators were still on their trail. If he stopped, their lives would be forfeit.
Turning to Lindsay, Chris asked, “Lindsay, are you holding up?”
Lindsay’s face was pale, her breath labored. The prolonged escape had drained her strength.
“I… I think I can last another hour at most,” she replied through gritted teeth.
Suddenly, the sound of breaking air reached their ears.
Chris glanced back and saw several Solstice experts closing in. The leader was a peak-Solstice cultivator.
Chris’s heart sank.
At their speed, it wouldn’t take long for them to catch up.
Gritting his teeth, Chris pushed himself to run faster.
But then, his vision blurred.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an entirely different place.
A desolate desert stretched out before him. The ground was cracked and dry, with not a single blade of grass in sight.
“Mr. Shelby, where are we?” Lindsay asked, her voice tinged with confusion.
“I… I don’t know,” Chris replied, his face clouded with disbelief. “How did we end up here?”
Just moments ago, they’d been fleeing for their lives. Now, they stood in an endless wasteland. The sudden shift was baffling.
Chris’s expression grew grim. “Lindsay, I think we’ve stumbled into an illusion array.”
Lindsay wiped the sweat from her brow. “Mr. Shelby, it’s so hot here!”
The scorching desert heat was a stark contrast to the icy terrain they had fled from earlier. Struggling to cope, Lindsay removed her outer coat.
Chris followed suit, shedding his own jacket.
“We need to find a way out of this array,” he said decisively.
The two began walking, searching for an exit.
But as they pressed forward, the heat grew more intense. Soon, both were drenched in sweat, their bodies weary from the oppressive heat.
Chris couldn’t help but marvel at the array’s craftsmanship. It was so lifelike, so convincing.
They trudged on for half an hour before coming to a stop.
Lindsay gasped for breath. “Mr. Shelby, I can’t go on… It’s too hot. I’m so thirsty. If this keeps up, we’ll die here.”
Chris frowned. “Lindsay, we need to move faster. I refuse to believe we can’t escape this desert!”
They pressed on for another hour.
Still, the desert stretched endlessly before them. The temperature had risen to unbearable levels, the ground beneath them searing hot.
Lindsay, unable to continue, collapsed to her knees.
Seeing her state, Chris pulled out a waterskin from his storage ring and handed it to her.
They drank sparingly, but their supply was limited. It wouldn’t last long.
If they didn’t find a way out soon, they would succumb to the heat.
Suddenly, Chris froze. “Lindsay, look!” he exclaimed. “We’ve been here before!”
Lindsay examined their surroundings and realized he was right. Her face darkened with worry.
“Mr. Shelby, what’s happening? How did we end up back here?”
Chris’s expression grew even more serious.
Two hours of walking, and they had returned to the starting point.
If this continued, they might never escape.
“Mr. Shelby,” Lindsay asked anxiously, “do you have any way to get us out of here?”