"Wan Lei, keep going, break out of the Five Elements Hall!"
"As long as you survive today, you will forever be the top disciple of the Five Elements Hall!"
"You are our pride, go out and crush the brats from the Law Enforcement Hall!"
"Top disciple is awesome, the greatest of all time!"
"Charge out, let us witness your might!"
"Wan Lei is the best!"
"For the one you love, what if you shatter into pieces, you are a true hero, an example for all men."
"Go! You must survive!"
Countless disciples cheered Wan Lei on, their roars echoing through the heavens.
Over the past six months, Wan Lei had achieved one miracle after another, his name no stranger to them.
He had broken assessment records, returned with the head of a sage, defeated five hundred opponents in the combat arena with a single punch, and in the Tower of Creation, he had cleared a hundred floors in a hundred days – an unprecedented feat!
And now, he had done something even more extraordinary.
For the one he loved, he had defied the entire Five Elements Hall!
In the Sword Peak Hall, Jian Fanchen watched Wan Lei, who was spitting blood and fighting despite his injuries, his eyes filled with bitterness and complex emotions.
"So, this is what Master meant when he said you weren't using your full strength. You knew the Wind Blade Evasion technique. In that battle back then, if you had used it, with your physical combat strength, you probably could have utterly crushed me.
I always considered you my rival, but your true enemy was never me, but the entire Five Elements Hall."
Among the crowd of disciples, Xiao Jin furrowed his brows, his gaze difficult to bear, gritting his teeth fiercely.
"Brother Wan, keep fighting, you must survive. When we meet again, we'll still be brothers."
Among the Thunder Hall disciples, Lei Xinlei watched Wan Lei's fighting silhouette, praying silently.
"You are the most outstanding disciple our Thunder Hall has had in tens of thousands of years, you are our junior brother. Junior brother, keep going, break through, and survive. You are the one who creates miracles best..."
Outside the prison, Qi Heng held his wine flask and took a hefty gulp.
"If I had known you came to the Five Elements Hall just for her, it wouldn't have been in vain that I gave you the key. Escape. When we meet again, it will be my turn to treat you to a drink, Old Qi."
Some prayed for Wan Lei, some cheered him on, some wished for his demise, while others watched with folded arms, treating it as a spectacle.
Wan Lei knew none of this. He was already severely wounded but was stubbornly holding on.
He had taken the brunt of the attacks for Fang Xiaoyu, and the wood-elemental lightning within him constantly healed his wounds, while the small universe in his spiritual sea provided him with endless energy. The energy of the magnetic shield had long been depleted. He had no time to switch to a Dao charm reactor, so he could only put it away and use the Fate Diagram and the Creation Divine Disk for defense.
The Fate Diagram circled him, protecting his body, while the Creation Divine Disk hovered above his head, continuously emitting energy lasers that swept indiscriminately.
They had been fighting for a full hour now. Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu had fought their way through the enemy ranks, moving in and out like Zhao Zilong, and had not yet fallen.
The reason was not their bravery, for with so many people, they could have been crushed even by sheer numbers.
The primary reason was that the attackers had received orders to capture them alive, so they were hesitant in their strikes. However, Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu had no such reservations; if captured, they would suffer a fate worse than death.
It was like Cao Cao ordering no arrows to be shot at Zhao Zilong, but Zhao Zilong dared to fight desperately without restraint.
Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu, just the two of them, were small and agile, making them difficult to corner. Coupled with their Wind Blade Evasion technique, their speed was astonishing. They constantly sought gaps to exploit, preventing the enemy, despite their numbers, from surrounding them.
Moreover, their escape route was strategic. Although they weaved and turned, they were subtly heading south.
Their target was the formation in the sky to the south, and they were now very close.
The formation in the sky was only a hundred miles away, and with the Wind Blade Evasion technique, they could reach it in mere breaths.
At this moment, Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu threw their last wave of bombs, repelled the enemy, and then unhesitatingly charged upwards, leaving their pursuers behind.
Closer now, ever closer to the formation.
Suddenly, a figure appeared above them.
The moment that figure appeared, despair instantly gripped Wan Lei's heart, and the surrounding disciples felt a great sense of pity.
Qian Long, the Deputy Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, a Half-Saint expert.
Wan Lei tried to bypass Qian Long, but Qian Long instantly released his domain's pressure, firmly locking down the sky.
"Surrender," Qian Long said emotionlessly, looking down at Wan Lei.
Wan Lei remained silent but prepared to fight again.
"Alas, why must you do this? You were the top disciple of our Five Elements Hall, with an unlimited future. Why throw away such a bright prospect for a mere woman?
Now, if you return her to the prison and turn yourself in, I can guarantee you a spared life."
Wan Lei, covered in blood, his eyes red, roared hoarsely,
"Deputy Hall Master, this disciple does not seek a future, nor does he fear death. This disciple came to the Five Elements Hall solely for her!!!"
Wan Lei's roar shook the hearts of everyone. All the disciples fell silent. Even the approaching guards and Law Enforcement Hall disciples stopped in their tracks, their hearts stirred.
Not for future, but to be with the one they loved.
Give me liberty, or give me death.
If one cannot be with the person they love freely, what meaning is there in living?
"Stubborn. If I were to act, there would be no escape for you."
Wan Lei remained silent, lightning crackling around him. The thunderclouds in the sky also descended, unleashing endless lightning.
He had faced a Saint without waiting for death, and now, to survive, he was willing to risk his life.
Under the gaze of millions, Qian Long raised his palm and struck downwards.
Wan Lei's body instantly exploded into a bloody mist under that palm strike.
This strike was less an attack and more an execution.
Many could not bear to watch and closed their eyes.
However...
"Look quickly!"
Someone shouted. Everyone immediately looked up and saw that the spotlight in the sky was still shining.
Under that beam of light, Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu had passed through Qian Long's domain and reached the formation below.
He had manipulated the thunderclouds to strike down lightning. Just as Qian Long was about to kill them, he and Fang Xiaoyu transformed into lightning, using their doppelgangers to take the blow, while they themselves used Thunder Escape to appear above Qian Long's domain.
Although their true forms were revealed under the spotlight, they were now only a mile away from the formation.
No one could catch them now.
With enraged roars, the two unleashed their Wind Blade Evasion technique and instantly passed through the formation, truly emerging beyond the Five Elements Hall.
Inside the Five Elements Hall, cheers erupted.
Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu were ecstatic but dared not delay. Wan Lei was about to initiate a teleportation.
However, at this moment, a pressure that made heaven and earth retreat appeared, directly suppressing them.
Wan Lei knew. A Saint had made a move...