Fire Phoenix reacted the fastest. Upon seeing this scene, she immediately rushed towards Wan Lei without looking back.
"Escape... escape!"
The disciples of the Five Elements Hall, these prodigies, all turned ashen with fear. Thoughts of revenge, of avenging past humiliations, of sect punishment, were all cast aside. They were no match for thousands of molten lava beasts, even as disciples of the Five Elements Hall.
They were out on a mission for experience, not for warfare. They couldn't possibly carry weapons of mass destruction.
Therefore, their only way out was to flee.
"Fire Phoenix King Elder, requesting support, requesting support!"
Some disciples of the Five Elements Hall cried out Fire Phoenix King's name, but her figure did not appear.
When disciples of the Five Elements Hall are on missions within the Lawless Land, they can do anything; the sect does not concern itself with life or death.
Fire Phoenix King's presence was merely to prevent cultivators of Immeasurable and Golden Immortal realms from other factions from slaughtering the disciples of the Five Elements Hall. As for enemies in the Grand Void realm and Grand Origin realm, she would not intervene.
The survival of these Five Elements Hall disciples was entirely up to their own abilities.
Fire Phoenix rushed to Wan Lei's side. Wan Lei grabbed her, and everyone began to flee.
Their speed was high, faster than Grand Void realm beasts, but not as fast as Grand Origin realm ones. Moreover, the Immeasurable realm beasts behind them were even faster!
As the beasts drew closer and closer, and the disciples of the Five Elements Hall ahead grew further and further away, Wan Lei was consumed by anxiety. He decided that exposure was better than dying here, no matter the risk of using the Wind Blade遁术 (dùnshù - escape technique).
Just as Wan Lei was preparing to unleash the Wind Blade遁术, Wan Qianxin produced a "Word as Law" talisman, shouting,
"We are fifty thousand li ahead!"
With a whoosh, their figures vanished.
Wan Qianxin's face was pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, but he had no time to tend to his injuries; he had to keep fleeing.
Fifty thousand li was not far for Immortal realm cultivators; they would catch up shortly.
"The airship!"
Xia Yu Bing produced a small mirror in her hand and roared. A streamlined airship with steel wings appeared in the sky.
The airship, shaped like a large bird, had its wings covered in cannon barrels and sharp spikes. Its head was extremely pointed, and its tail also resembled a bird's.
The airship's hatch opened, and everyone filed in.
Before Wan Lei and the others could properly admire the interior of the airship, Xia Yu Bing directly shouted,
"Featherwing, hasten the escape!"
Instantly, flames erupted from the airship's wings and tail, and it surged forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
In the sky, the thunderclouds closely followed the airship, not falling behind even a step.
"Wan Lei, you go to the top of the airship and deal with the heavenly tribulation."
Wan Qianxin said.
Wan Lei nodded and flashed to the top of the airship, clinging tightly to the steel above.
The sixth wave of lightning descended. Wan Lei alone bore the brunt of eight people's heavenly tribulations.
"You few go inside first. Apart from Fire Phoenix, I can't handle eight people's heavenly tribulations!"
Wan Lei's roar came from above, followed by the appearance of the Fate Controlling Diagram within the cabin.
"Can't you just control the lightning tribulation to strike elsewhere?"
"There's too much lightning tribulation; I can't control it."
"Understood."
"Featherwing, fly towards the entrance of the Lava Dead Domain!"
Xia Yu Bing gave the order and was the first to enter.
Everyone filed in, entering the world of the Fate Controlling Diagram, leaving only Fire Phoenix alone in the cabin.
Wan Lei endured for another half an hour before he finished dealing with all the heavenly tribulations. Then, he entered the cabin and subsequently the world of the Fate Controlling Diagram, replacing Fang Xiao Yu.
The wind tribulation was handed over to Fang Xiao Yu.
This was somewhat of a deviation from their plan. They had originally intended to use the wind and lightning tribulations to deal with the enemies, but fate, as they say, is unpredictable. The appearance of thousands of beasts had caused both them and the disciples of the Five Elements Hall to flee in disarray.
As Fang Xiao Yu just appeared and was about to head to the top of the airship, Fire Phoenix grabbed her.
"You should go back. This is my immortal tribulation; let me handle it.
Now that you don't have to deal with enemies, and you've helped me endure the lightning tribulation, I'll face the gale tribulation and the soul tribulation myself.
I've heard that undergoing the immortal tribulation benefits both the body and soul. Only by enduring a complete immortal tribulation can the body and soul undergo transformation."
Fang Xiao Yu pondered for a moment and then nodded,
"Alright, but I'll endure it with you. I won't interfere with your portion, but if you can't handle it, I will step in."
Fang Xiao Yu's implication was that she would only bear her own share, leaving Fire Phoenix's portion for Fire Phoenix herself.
"Why bother? Immortal tribulation is painful."
"It's alright. The gale tribulation won't harm me; instead, it can supplement my cultivation. The soul tribulation is also not much of a concern for me."
"Then, alright."
Fang Xiao Yu and Fire Phoenix flew to the top of the airship together. The airship remained pilotless, flying towards the entrance of the Lava Dead Domain.
The airship's speed was far greater than that of the beasts. This product, a fusion of cutting-edge technology and Dao principles, was a divine weapon of the Immortal Realm.
It was previously used against the God race, and now it was being used against the Demon race.
Above the airship, the gale tribulation continued.
Along the way, they encountered many rogue cultivators and beasts. Rogue cultivators, upon seeing the airship, would usually know that it was not something they could provoke and would immediately dodge. Beasts, lacking intelligence, would attack when anything approached their territory, but they were usually torn apart by the airship's cannons and lasers.
Even strong beasts of the Grand Origin realm could not withstand the power of a single cannon shot from the airship.
Fang Xiao Yu watched clearly from the top of the airship, but unfortunately, Wan Lei did not.
The immortal tribulation was soon completed, and Fire Phoenix's injuries were not severe. She returned to the cabin with Fang Xiao Yu.
Fang Xiao Yu picked up the Fate Controlling Diagram and released everyone, including Qing Wu and Yuan Jun.
"Tsk, just a petty immortal tribulation. If you ask me, we should have all gone to endure it together. What's an immortal tribulation? Who hasn't endured one? This young master can obliterate an immortal tribulation with a flick of his finger."
Upon hearing that the immortal tribulation was finished, Xia Yu Bing, who had been relieved, became energetic and started bragging.
The other three covered their mouths and chuckled.
Wan Qian Xin glanced sideways at Xia Yu Bing,
"Who was it that was crying their eyes out the last time you endured an immortal tribulation?"
"Wuuu wuuu, crying their eyes out~"
Bao Bao chimed in.
"Oh my, I seem to recall it was someone."
Han Xiao Yun also said sarcastically.
"It was someone~"
Bao Bao echoed.
"Wan Qian Xin, we agreed not to bring this up. No one with the surname Wan is good! Han Xiao Yun, you're a terrible person! Bao Bao, you incessant echo machine!"
Xia Yu Bing, embarrassed and angered, unleashed her group attack.
"Tsk, if you hadn't bragged, I wouldn't have brought it up. After you finished the immortal tribulation last time, didn't you run into your mother's arms and act spoiled?"
"You, you, you... you damned surnamed Wan, I'm breaking off our friendship! I'm challenging you to a duel!"
Xia Yu Bing awkwardly dug her toes into the airship's floor, causing it to crack.
Wan Lei and the others did not watch their performance; instead, they looked at the interior of the airship with great interest.