Saint King Mu Zhao's death caused the remaining four to calm down and have a re-think on what next to do.
Although it had long been disposed that Ling Feng was in possession of the god-slaying artifact and could threaten the Saint Emperors, no one was truly willing to buy such crap. Unless a person had witnessed the terror of the weapon, their thoughts on it would always be erratic.
In fact, not only the Saint Kings but also every cultivator out there thought the same as well. It might be believable that through the strength of the royal blood, he could trigger the power of the god-slaying Earth Vanquishing Wheel. But they believed that the cost would definitely be unbearable for him due to his cultivation.
Last time, Ling Feng had nearly drained his vitality and life force from the fiendish weapon if not for Saint Emperor Tian Xuan's timely intervention. Since then, Ling Feng had always been cautious and hesitant to use this weapon and he evidently didn't use it to force the Dark Wind Emperor and the Ice Empress to their deaths.
The two were half-step Saint Emperors and so the weakened Earth Vanquishing Wheel might not be able to truly protect him from a clash between the two parties. The duo also possessed a strange energy that was bestowed by the Dark Sovereign that could temporarily withstand the deity-exterminating power of the wheel. Ling Feng himself was cautious not to act as he was not guaranteed of durability of the remaining power left in the Earth Vanquishing Wheel after the cruel passage of time.
Most people only knew that Ling Feng was in the possession of a powerful god-slaying artifact that could temporarily make him near-invincible in the Azure Thunder Continent. Perhaps, only Ling Feng and the Dark Sovereign himself was aware that the glory of the divine artifact would be short-lived.
It wouldn't be too long before the ultimate divine power would be completely exhausted and he would be completely vulnerable to the Dark Sovereign. The only soothing balm to his pain was that no-one including himself and the Dark Sovereign knew the very day.
Why would he wait till that day and become vulnerable without causing mishap to the enemy's camp? Everyone in the Azure Thunder Continent presently believed that the Dark Sovereign's faction was invincible due to its great multitude of Saints and Saint Kings. With such level of manpower and nine Saint Emperor Realm experts under his beck and call, who could go against him.
Not even the powerful and loyal Saint Emperors like the Heavenly Profound Saint Emperor could survive under his coercion. By his descent alone, he crumbled down the history of the Azure Thunder Continent and imbued fear into the denizens of the continent.
But he would definitely deal a blow to the prestige of the Dark Sovereign even if he were to die. Nevertheless, Ling Yue still bore the holy bloodline of the Thunder Emperor Ling Tianyi, the family would not totally be destroyed as long as she survived.
By levelling the Dark Sovereign's military, the rest of the unwilling factions might have a chance to make a comeback. He could not achieve this by himself, however, he had the will of the denizens of the Azure Thunder Continent and the Earth Vanquishing Wheel to boost his spirit.
"Ling Feng... you dared to kill the Wood Element Saint King, we won't let you go scot free just yet" Saint King Huo Yang spat out furiously as he couldn't hold in his anger from Ling Feng's innocent looking face. But although his words sounded as a threat, Ling Feng saw through it with a glance that this wasn't a usual threat as Huo Yang was seeking for means to retreat.
"You want to run?..." Ling Feng wore a cold smirk as his gaze fell on Saint King Huo Yang. The latter shook with instinctual fear and dared not to look at Ling Feng in the eyes due to the royal suppression he was exuding.
Even when they were five and had casted the Five Elemental Deity Extermination Array, Mu Zhao had lost his life. They weren't fools and valued their lives preciously. After witnessing the terror of the Earth Vanquishing Wheel, they would only be courting death as each second delayed.
Not to mention the array was chaotic and disorderly, it wouldn't be set again in a few years as Ling Feng had dealt a major blow to the core. Despite the seemingly fearless expressions they displayed, their hearts were cold in fear as the only useful thought in their minds was to just flee.
"He-he!"
Ling Feng laughed mockingly with his lips curled into a sneer as he watched the four Saint Kings tossing about without aim. He was no fool and he knew that the divine weapon in his hands demanded his vitality and energy to destroy his opponents. It would be inappropriate for the Saint Kings to come and go as they pleased.
"You don't know how the word 'death' is spelled right" Ling Feng wore a smile of gloom on his demonic and cute face. The killing intent he directed towards the Saint Kings was encompassing forcing them to feel true fear. They could see themselves as useless ants in Ling Feng's starry eyes.
"Quickly! Let's leave"
Saint King Shui Ling urged the four to immediately flee without hesitation so as not to repeat Mu Zhao's fateful incident again. They knew that as long as Ling Feng held the divine weapon, they would die unarguably. But if they truly decided to put their all into flight, not even Ling Feng a mere Saint could keep up with their pace.
The faces of Saint King Huo Yang and the others blushed as they fled without hesitation. Just a moment ago, they had stormed overbearingly with the 'heavenly mandate' to seize Ling Feng in the name of the Dark Sovereign. But they never expected that not only did Ling Feng murder through the employed troops, he also killed Mu Zhao, one of their own.
Now even if they didn't wish to, they could only run with their tails between their legs. Who didn't want to live? Not to mention Saint Kings like them that had yet to come to the end of their lifetime.
"Hmph!"
Ling Feng harrumphed coldly as he soared to the skies with the Earth Vanquishing Wheel in his grasp. The Saint Kings had experience and were much wiser in a sense as they scattered like flocks without a shepherd. Ling Feng pondered for a while before he decided to go in the direction of Saint King Huo Yang.