Chapter 328 Fierce Battle

Wan Lei and his companion immediately fled, their only hope that the formation would delay their pursuers.

The pursuing beasts did not wish to engage them directly, instead hurling a formation at the fleeing pair.

The Vermilion Bird frantically assaulted the formation, with the Qilin and Black Tortoise arriving soon after to aid in its destruction.

A hastily cast and not yet stabilized formation naturally could not withstand the combined assault of three Mahayana-stage Thunder Beasts. It was soon broken.

"So fast? Here's another one for you!"

Wan Lei turned and tossed out another formation.

The Vermilion Bird was ensnared once more.

The lightning within the formation continuously struck the beast, and though it couldn't inflict damage, it was enough to hold it captive for a period.

The Vermilion Bird's rage meter continued to rise.

Its two companions arrived from behind, helping it break free from the formation, and the chase resumed.

These three Thunder Beasts were quite clever. They did not pursue Wan Lei and his companion separately, fearing that if they were sealed by a formation, they might not be able to break free in time.

Thus, they continued to flee and be chased. During this time, Wan Lei deployed over a dozen formations. The Vermilion Bird, like a dim-witted brute, was repeatedly caught within them, only to be freed by its companions.

This eased Wan Lei's mood. If things continued like this, they would smoothly escape back to the Hunyuan Wuji Formation.

Perhaps such a mundane plot was insufficient for the Vermilion Bird, so it decided to teach the presumptuous and ignorant young Wan Lei a lesson.

The Vermilion Bird flew swiftly, its flames suddenly surging. A fireball shot towards Wan Lei and his companion at breakneck speed.

The fireball was as fast as lightning, reaching them in the blink of an eye.

Wan Lei and his companion were startled and immediately activated their armor, attacking the fireball.

Boom!!!

The fireball exploded, transforming into a sky full of flames. However, the duo remained unharmed.

As they puzzled over this, the widespread flames suddenly contracted, reforming into the Vermilion Bird.

The distant Vermilion Bird had vanished without a trace.

"What the hell, teleportation divine ability?"

Young Master Lei grabbed Fang Xiaoyu and activated his Thunder Escape, managing to dodge the Vermilion Bird's fiery assault and repositioning himself at a distance.

However, his Thunder Escape's teleportation range was far inferior to the Vermilion Bird's. The distance between them was now reduced, and the Vermilion Bird, no longer fearing his formations, immediately unleashed its ultimate speed and charged at him.

Wan Lei pulled Fang Xiaoyu and retreated again. This time, his luck would not be as good.

The Vermilion Bird's flames were much faster than his movement. A fire dragon slammed into them, and a fierce blaze erupted.

The terrifying heat seared their bodies, sizzling audibly. Wan Lei and his companion stood unmoving amidst the flames.

"This armor is good," they said in unison.

"This armor is good," they said in unison.

"Let's go!"

Wan Lei, carrying Fang Xiaoyu, again activated Thunder Escape, vanishing from the flames. But before they could even catch their breath, a massive head appeared before them.

Thump!!!

"Ah!!!"

The duo were sent flying backward, their cultivation disturbed, and they spat out a mouthful of blood.

After the Qilin had knocked them away, it charged forward with its maw agape.

Its hatred for these two little creatures was etched into its very bones.

Wan Lei, still being flung through the air and not yet stabilized, flapped his wings and, along with Fang Xiaoyu, fled towards the northwest.

However, due to the delay caused by the Vermilion Bird, they were now very close to the three Thunder Beasts. Moreover, the beasts behind them were faster, making escape impossible.

"Haa—"

The Vermilion Bird let out a sky-piercing cry. Numerous flames erupted from its body, streaking across the sky and descending upon Wan Lei and his companion in a relentless deluge.

The number of fireballs was overwhelming; they had no way to evade them.

Wan Lei shouted, drawing a formation bead. The Tianluo Wanxiang Formation materialized, enveloping him and Fang Xiaoyu.

He dared not pause for a moment, frantically stabilizing the formation's foundations. The grand formation vibrated violently under the bombardment of countless fireballs, but it held.

"Phew, finally set up."

Wan Lei wiped the sweat from his brow.

"But, are we just going to be cowards forever? The formation will be broken sooner or later," Fang Xiaoyu said earnestly, opening his small hands.

"I know. This time is just for us to rest and recover. Once they break the grand formation, we'll continue to flee," Wan Lei replied.

"Alright then, we can only do this for now... What... what is that?!"

Fang Xiaoyu suddenly exclaimed in surprise. Wan Lei looked and saw a ball of flame within the grand formation.

"How did a ball of flame get in? Did it slip past when I was setting up the formation? I'll go extinguish it."

"Don't go!"

The flame suddenly exploded with a bang and then transformed into the Vermilion Bird.

The Vermilion Bird outside had, of course, vanished.

"I say... couldn't you have set up a teleportation formation to send us straight back? Teleportation formations are formations too, right?"

"There are such single-use teleportation formations, but... I haven't learned them yet."

"Then, after we get back this time, learn teleportation formations first."

"Okay."

"And now..."

"We fight for our lives."

"Merge!"

Two illusory Sword Immortal projections appeared, then merged into a single Dharmakaya, rivaling the Vermilion Bird in height.

"Roar!"

The Sword Immortal roared, wielding a massive sword, and charged at the Vermilion Bird.

The Vermilion Bird shrieked and screamed. Its three tail feathers abruptly elongated, transforming into fiery whips that lashed out at the Sword Immortal.

Two fire whips wrapped around the Sword Immortal, while the other was seized by the Sword Immortal's Dharmakaya. With a violent pull, the Vermilion Bird was rapidly drawn towards the Sword Immortal.

The Sword Immortal thrust its great sword forward, piercing directly through the Vermilion Bird's abdomen, impaling it with a single strike.

The Vermilion Bird let out a pained cry. Flames ignited at the wound on its abdomen and spread along the sword to the Sword Immortal.

The Sword Immortal flicked its great sword, flinging the Vermilion Bird away.

The Vermilion Bird steadied itself in mid-air, roared, and then desperately attacked the Sword Immortal.

The Vermilion Bird was incredibly fast, but its combat power and defense were clearly inferior to the Qilin. The Sword Immortal could barely fend it off.

But outside, the Qilin and Black Tortoise were still furiously battering the formation.

Both of them possessed thick hides and were ramming against it relentlessly. Under their assault, the formation, which had not been fully perfected, soon began to falter.

Seeing the cracks spreading across the formation, Wan Lei no longer hesitated. He and Fang Xiaoyu jointly controlled the Sword Immortal and unleashed the Wind-Thunder Annihilation Slash.

The Sword Immortal's Dharmakaya strained itself, raising its great sword high. Wind and thunder power swirled around it, changing the color of the sky and earth.

That single sword strike, splitting the heavens and earth, annihilating all things, cleaved the Vermilion Bird's body in two.

"Ah!!!"

The Vermilion Bird let out a sharp shriek. Its bisected body was about to reassemble.

Ignoring it, the Sword Immortal's Dharmakaya sprouted wings and soared upward.

The formation automatically opened. The Sword Immortal's Dharmakaya moved at incredible speed, vanishing into the distance in an instant.

Seeing this, the Qilin and Black Tortoise immediately moved to pursue, but then...

Boom!!!

The formation exploded.

The Qilin and Black Tortoise were flung outwards.

And within, the Vermilion Bird, already cut in half, bore the brunt of the explosion and was torn to shreds, utterly destroyed.

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Da Zhuang wishes everyone a happy Lunar New Year's Eve and a joyful family reunion.

I was extremely busy today, managing to write six thousand words, just enough to update after midnight.

Readers who know me are aware that I always update my chapters after midnight to ensure you can read them as soon as possible.

From "Da Yu Wei Chen" to "Tian Jie Bai Du Ren," I have always maintained this practice and have never missed an update. Even when extremely busy, I stay up late to finish the chapters that need to be published. This is my commitment as an author.

Those who have read the "The End" chapter might have guessed that I am a chef, and a head chef at that.

As the year-end approaches, everyone goes on holiday, and the catering industry becomes exceptionally busy.

As the head chef, I have countless瑣碎 (suǒsuì - trivial) matters to attend to, overseeing everything big and small.

As for holidays and going home, it's something I dare not even think about.

But I will not miss an update, nor will I delay it. Regardless of the circumstances, I will ensure you have something to read at the earliest opportunity.

While you enjoy your reading, I hope you will also remember to spend time with your families. After all, Da Zhuang cannot go home, and I can only wish all readers the very best in accompanying their loved ones.

Let's go, 2022, let's work hard together.

As long as we strive, I believe that everyone is a hero.