With Lin Chen and Zhang Ying’s formation blocking their path ahead and over twenty Core Formation cultivators pursuing them relentlessly from behind, survival seemed impossible unless Wu Quanyuan were to be resurrected.
"Rest assured, you have all been so loyal to me. How could I possibly let you down?" Wu Zhixiong smiled again, and with a casual reach into his storage bag, produced a steel nail.
"I obtained this steel nail by chance. It should be a fragment of a magical treasure left behind by some ancient powerful being. Now, with this treasure fragment, as long as others can hold off Lin Chen's attack, we can use this fragment to break the formation and escape!" A glint flashed in Wu Zhixiong’s eyes as he spoke. This treasure fragment was his true trump card for escape. Originally, he had intended to flee alone, but since the Wu Long and Wu Hu brothers had shown such loyalty, bringing them along wouldn't be a major issue. After all, besides these two brothers, seven others would be tasked with holding off Lin Chen, creating enough time for them to escape might not be too difficult.
"My heavens, a treasure fragment! I never imagined you, Sect Master, would possess such a treasure!" Seeing the steel nail in Wu Zhixiong’s hand, Wu Long and Wu Hu were astonished once more. While spirit artifacts were plentiful in the current cultivation world, treasures of the magical artifact level were not something ordinary powers could possess. Legend had it that when the heavenly dao shifted, all magical artifact-level treasures in the world were destroyed under the wrath of heavenly lightning. Therefore, finding a usable magical artifact was virtually impossible. However, if some precious treasures managed to survive the tribulation battle and retain a trace of spiritual energy, they could still serve a purpose. Even if only a fragment remained, it was still a legitimate magical artifact, wasn't it? Both in terms of utility and the inherent hardness of the artifact, it was absolutely incomparable to ordinary spirit artifacts. Such treasures were typically in the hands of major powers. In remote regions like the southwest, possessing such a treasure was practically impossible. Yet, here was Wu Zhixiong with such a precious item! If this treasure fragment could be used to carve through the formation, it might just be feasible!
"Everyone, I possess a treasure that can break the formation. I only need you to buy me some time!" Wu Zhixiong turned back, looking at the inner sect elders currently locked in combat with Lin Chen, and promised, "Once I break the formation, you can all flee immediately, and I will cover your escape!"
"Alright! Please break the formation quickly, Sect Master!" Hearing that Wu Zhixiong had a way to break the formation, the elders' faces lit up with excitement. More importantly, Wu Zhixiong had already stated that the elders would be allowed to leave first, which filled them with even greater hope. After all, Wu Zhixiong was the Sect Master of the Blazing Fire Sect, and his words carried immense weight, ensuring he wouldn't deceive them at such a crucial moment. Especially with so many people present, they had no reason to fear Wu Zhixiong was lying. They knew very well that if Wu Zhixiong were to lie now, with so many cultivators present, the matter would spread, and his reputation in the entire cultivation world would be utterly ruined!
"Very well! You only need to buy me the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, and I will break this formation!" Seeing that they had agreed, Wu Zhixiong nodded, his expression filled with determination! "Wu Long, Wu Hu, when the formation is broken, you two run out immediately. Don't mind me, I have my own ways of escaping." Seeing that they had believed him, Wu Zhixiong looked at Wu Long and Wu Hu beside him. At this moment, only these two brothers were worth bringing along. As for the other Blazing Fire Sect elders, who, as elders, failed to protect their Sect Master’s safety, he was deeply disappointed. Since that was the case, let these people die here completely, serving as a lesson for their next lives!
"Yes, Sect Master!" Hearing their Sect Master's words, Wu Long and Wu Hu exchanged glances, a sense of relief washing over them. Although they had been prepared to repay Wu Zhixiong with their lives, strictly speaking, they were still human! No human was without fear of death. Since there was hope of survival now, why would they willingly seek death?
"Heart-Piercing Nail, break!" Receiving an affirmative reply, Wu Zhixiong injected his spiritual energy into the steel nail in his hand.
"Bang!" The steel nail instantly struck the formation’s barrier, creating a small hole.
"Not good! Lin Chen, be careful, Wu Zhixiong is destroying my formation!" Zhang Ying immediately sensed the breach in the formation and quickly alerted Lin Chen, who was currently fighting the elders. Lin Chen was able to face so many powerful cultivators with his mere mid-Core Formation cultivation because of the formation's existence. If this formation were destroyed, the barrier protecting Lin Chen would vanish, and he might truly be no match for them then!
"Don't worry, Senior Sister!" Hearing Zhang Ying's words, Lin Chen narrowed his eyes and instantly looked in Wu Zhixiong's direction. "Sword Shatters Stone!" Aware of the severity of the situation, Lin Chen flicked his hand casually, and the White Dragon Sword flew into the air, descending fiercely towards Wu Zhixiong's head.
"Sect Master, be careful!" Seeing Lin Chen's formidable sword strike, Wu Long and Wu Hu, in their capacity as loyal servants, directly used their spiritual energy to block it. However, how could the moves of the Spirit Sword Art be easily resisted? Even the half-step Nascent Soul realm Wu Quanyuan dared not underestimate this sword!
"Boom!" With a dull thud, Wu Long and Wu Hu were instantly struck on the head by the giant sword. Fortunately, Lin Chen’s attack was somewhat hasty, so the impact wasn't too severe, merely injuring Wu Long and Wu Hu.
"Hmph, nothing more than this!" Seeing that they had managed to block Lin Chen’s strike, the two exchanged glances, a sense of relief evident on their faces. They had previously met the Twelfth Elder and had heard about Lin Chen's entire process of killing Wu Quanyuan. It was said that Wu Quanyuan had nearly died under the Sword Shatters Stone move. They never expected that they, the two brothers, would survive this very move!