Lin Xuan, get up and get to work

On the other hand,

Lin Xuan was being treated by Elder Yan. In truth, his recovery was nearly complete—after a day of rest, he had regained much of his strength.

Yet the moment he felt better, Lin Xuan insisted, "I need to return to the fight."

Even while recuperating, he could sense the situation outside.

Every bit of effort he contributed would ease the burden on others, reducing injuries and deaths.

Lin Xuan believed he shouldn’t remain idle any longer.

But Elder Yan held him down. "Don’t rush. Once you’re fully healed, you’ll have your chance to fight. For now, focus on recovery."

"But—"

"No buts," Elder Yan said firmly.

Those around them agreed.

"There’s no need to hurry. The battle won’t end in an instant."

"We’re all resting too. Don’t overthink it—this is necessary."

"Lin Xuan, just the fact that the Beast Lord targeted you is already remarkable."

None of the others had even drawn the Beast Lord’s attention.

In the end, Lin Xuan relented and continued his treatment.

Meanwhile, the battle raged on.

Across the battlefield, everyone fought in their own way—killing or being killed.

The demon beast horde advanced relentlessly, undeterred.

Another half-day passed. Though the demon beasts held the advantage in numbers, even they couldn’t endure such relentless slaughter.

As the Grand Priest fought against four Mahayana cultivators, his mind raced for a solution.

He hadn’t expected the human forces to surpass them in overall strength.

The root of the problem was clear—the Beast Lord hadn’t been able to tie down enough of the human elites, leaving them free to slaughter the lesser beasts.

The Grand Priest knew he couldn’t blame the Beast Lord. Against Jiang Ningshu, who had gone all-out from the very beginning, the Beast Lord couldn’t afford to be careless.

But the Grand Priest refused to admit defeat.

Once Jiang Ningshu fell, the Beast Lord would be freed, and no one could stand against him.

Victory would belong to the demon beast horde!

Suddenly, an idea struck the Grand Priest, and his resolve hardened.

The four Mahayana cultivators fought with everything they had, knowing the Grand Priest’s pivotal role among the beasts. They hoped to eliminate him quickly.

Yet, by combining his strength with the surrounding beasts, the Grand Priest could unleash even greater power.

Abruptly, the Grand Priest’s vision turned red as he chanted an eerie incantation.

Ten Great Secret Arts—Bloodline Bond!

A crimson thread linked him to a group of nearby demon beasts.

Power surged and converged.

"Not good!"

The four Mahayana cultivators tried to sever the crimson threads, but it was futile.

They immediately shifted their focus to attacking the Grand Priest directly.

But several beasts sacrificed themselves, detonating their cores to blast the attackers away.

The brief delay was all the Grand Priest needed.

Three staffs rotated behind him as he clapped his hands together.

"Ten Great Secret Arts—Divine Beast God!"

A colossal figure materialized behind him—vivid, lifelike, and brimming with intricate details, as though it were real.

This was a manifestation of power—the stronger the caster, the more tangible the Divine Beast God.

Its appearance stunned not only the four Mahayana cultivators but also the human elites across the battlefield.

Such terrifying power.

They wanted to intervene, but the demon beast horde gave them no opening.

The four Mahayana cultivators braced themselves, preparing for offense and defense alike.

But the Grand Priest wasted no time.

"Axe of Annihilation!"

The Divine Beast God raised an enormous axe and brought it down with a force that seemed capable of splitting heaven and earth.

The four Mahayana cultivators joined forces to block it—but in an instant, they were sent flying, grievously wounded, their bodies flung far into the distance.

The Grand Priest coughed up blood, having overtaxed himself. But it wasn’t over yet.

The Divine Beast God behind him gradually dissipated, but its fading energy coalesced once more—this time forming a spear before the Grand Priest.

He wasn’t done.

Channeling his own life force into the spear, the Grand Priest amplified its power further.

The effort made him vomit blood again—he was burning his very essence.

Clearly, he was unleashing consecutive ultimate techniques.

Ten Great Secret Arts—Piercing Spear.

And his target was Jiang Ningshu.

The Beast Lord might reprimand him later, but victory demanded it.

The Grand Priest knew the Beast Lord had his pride—interfering in his duel would displease him.

But for the sake of the greater battle, the Grand Priest was willing to bear the consequences.

Gripping the spear, he assumed a throwing stance, gathering strength.

After a moment, he gritted his teeth and roared,

"This spear will pierce through you!"

The spear shot forth at blinding speed, streaking toward Jiang Ningshu’s back.

This attack concentrated all its power into a single point, capable of piercing through anything.

As one of the Ten Great Secret Arts, its might was undeniable.

The Grand Priest watched as Jiang Ningshu remained focused on his assault, seemingly unaware of the danger approaching from behind.

A smile crept onto the Grand Priest’s face—

Only to freeze the next instant.

His Piercing Spear… had been blocked.

Blocked?!

The Grand Priest stared in disbelief. In his mind, this spear thrust should have been unstoppable—even the Beast Lord would have been forced to bleed and be sent flying by its force.

Yet, the spear was halted. By nothing more than a single hand.

Su Luo caught the Piercing Spear mid-flight with her bare hand, and just like that, its momentum died. All its terrifying power dissipated as if it were nothing more than a child’s plaything, harmless and insignificant.

"Ambushes are beneath you," she remarked coolly.

With a single squeeze of her fingers, the so-called Piercing Spear shattered into nothingness.

The Grand Priest’s voice trembled with fear. "Who are you?!"

Su Luo remained cloaked in her black robes, her identity concealed—it wasn’t yet time for her grand entrance.

"I think you should remember me," she said.

"It’s you!"

The Grand Priest recognized her voice instantly—the mysterious powerhouse he had encountered in the Untamed Wasteland.

More importantly, she was the one who had forced him to expend one of his lives.

His mind raced, desperately searching for a way to counter this human opponent. But instinct screamed at him to leave this battle to the Beast Lord—he couldn’t fathom a way to defeat her.

For the first time, the will to fight abandoned him.

The Grand Priest gritted his teeth, refusing to surrender to such thoughts.

But before he could act, Su Luo was already before him, her hand closing around his face.

"You have other opponents to deal with," she said.

"What—?" The Grand Priest didn’t understand, but being gripped like this, he had to resist.

Su Luo’s fist lashed out. The Grand Priest stiffened, his strength draining away as his consciousness began to blur.

Then, with a casual toss, she hurled him aside. "Lin Xuan, time to work."

The Grand Priest shot through the air like a living cannonball, hurtling toward the Northern Heavenly Gate.

Somewhere in the haze of his fading awareness, a primal instinct screamed at him—danger, death approaching.

Yet his body no longer obeyed him.

All he could do was realize he was flying—with no way to stop.