"Hahaha, it's too late! You're all going to die!"
"No one leaves here alive!"
Ancestor Wenjian laughed maniacally, detonating his dantian and meridians without hesitation. His entire being turned into a shooting star, hurtling toward Luo Yi.
"Get back!" Luo Yi shouted, thrusting out his palm in a desperate attack. But before the strike could connect, Ancestor Wenjian exploded.
A massive surge of energy erupted from his body, overwhelming the very fabric of reality. The void itself seemed to shatter, with cracks spider-webbing outward as a shockwave of destruction swept through everything in its path, reducing all it touched to dust.
Luo Yi's eyes widened in shock. Even he, a formidable warrior, felt a tremor of fear in the face of this power.
"It's too late!" Luo Yi thought, panic gripping his heart. He might escape unscathed, but the Lord...
Luo Yi made a decision. Turning, he bellowed, "Eighteen Riders, heed my command!"
"Yes, sir!" came the unified response.
"No more retreat! We must face this head-on to buy the Lord time to escape!"
He had already sent word to Orion that Ancestor Wenjian had self-destructed. Now, Orion and the others were fleeing, but they needed more time. Time that Luo Yi and his men had to secure at any cost.
"Understood!" The seventeen remaining Yanyun Eighteen Riders halted their retreat. Turning back to face the oncoming tide of destruction, they stood firm, ready to sacrifice everything.
"Form up!" Luo Yi ordered, his voice filled with resolve. "We must hold back this attack to buy the Lord time!"
If they failed, everything within a thousand-mile radius would be obliterated. Everyone would be doomed. Luo Yi would not allow that to happen.
The seventeen riders at the peak of Martial Saint level readied themselves, their faces set in grim determination.
"Boom!"
The energy wave surged toward them like a ravenous beast.
"Kill!" Luo Yi roared, taking a deep breath as he pulled out his purple-gold bow, drawing it into a full moon shape.
A golden arrow shot forth, turning into a radiant beam of light hundreds of feet long, its sonic boom echoing as it collided with the energy wave.
But the wave only paused for a split second before swallowing the light and charging forward with even greater ferocity.
"Brothers, attack!" Luo Yi yelled, charging forward with his spear, leading the charge with unyielding determination. The seventeen riders followed, unleashing their most powerful techniques in unison.
"Crack!"
The collision of forces created cracks in the void, spreading like an enormous chain, causing the void to expand even further.
"Argh... Break through!" Luo Yi grunted, his legs trembling as he strained against the immense force. Cracks appeared in his golden skin and jade-like bones, blood seeping from the wounds.
The seventeen Yanyun riders fared worse. Blood poured from their orifices, bones shattered, and organs were severely damaged. Yet they stood firm, refusing to retreat even a single step.
"Hold on!" Luo Yi growled, sweat and blood mingling on his pale face. The riders gritted their teeth, knowing they could not fall. The Lord's life depended on them.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, the energy wave, amplified by the void's distortion, surged with even greater power, swallowing Luo Yi and his men.
"Argh!" Luo Yi felt his bones crack, his body riddled with countless wounds as blood gushed out. The seventeen riders were thrown back, unable to withstand the force any longer.
In the blink of an eye, only Luo Yi remained, struggling to hold the line.
"Damn it!" Luo Yi cursed, his teeth clenched as he refused to give ground. He couldn't afford to relax or give up—not with the Lord's life on the line.
He didn't even have time to check on his fallen comrades. As long as the Lord escaped, their sacrifice would be worth it.
...
After what seemed like an eternity, Luo Yi finally felt the pressure ease. The void, repairing itself, had swallowed up the energy tide.
"It's over... finally..." Luo Yi gasped, his clothes drenched in sweat, relief washing over him. But exhaustion quickly set in, his eyelids growing heavy as his battered body gave out, and he fell from the sky.
...
"Luo Yi! Luo Yi!"
A distant voice echoed in his ears as Luo Yi slowly regained consciousness. He opened his eyes to find himself lying in a strange valley, surrounded by rubble.
"Lord...?" Luo Yi muttered as he recognized the face before him, struggling to sit up.
"Don't move," Orion commanded, gently pressing him back down. Despite Orion's status as a Martial Emperor, his hands revealed how severe Luo Yi's injuries were.
"My lord... I'm glad you're safe," Luo Yi whispered weakly. "How... are my brothers?"
"They're all alive, thanks to you. Though they're seriously injured, they'll pull through," Orion reassured him.
"That's good..." Luo Yi smiled faintly, his heart finally at ease as he drifted into unconsciousness again.
...