Zhao Kun finally landed firmly on the ground, feeling the support of the earth beneath him. He sighed in slight relief. As a martial artist, especially one at the peak of the Qi Transformation stage, only when firmly grounded could he truly feel at ease, and his power could fully harness the earth's stability. However, the next moment, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his left foot, as if a sharp blade had sliced through it. The pain almost caused him to lose his balance. Before he could even look down, he felt the flesh of his heel being torn away, exposing the bone.
It was the Shengmie Shuttle, controlled by Lin Tian. Zhao Kun had previously deflected it, but he hadn't destroyed this mid-grade magical weapon. Lin Tian seized the opportunity to once again control the shuttle, timing its descent perfectly to make it silently lie in wait, ready to strike. Even though Zhao Kun's body was as tough as steel, he couldn't escape the power of this weapon. The shuttle's weight and sharpness easily cut through his tough flesh, taking away a chunk of flesh from the bottom of his foot.
Zhao Kun let out a painful growl and quickly circulated his Qi to seal the wound, slowing the bleeding, but he had lost his previous agility. At that moment, a ghostly green fire snake shot toward him, its tongue flicking out before rapidly expanding into a huge fireball. Zhao Kun instinctively felt an unprecedented sense of danger, but there was no time to dodge. The explosive flames instantly enveloped him, turning him into a massive green fireball.
Lin Tian took advantage of the fire snake's explosion and decisively jumped into the water, having already coordinated with the Purple Lightning Serpent. If the fire snake detonated, they had to immediately dive into the water, or the explosive force would turn both him and Zhao Kun to ashes. The depths of the water served as the key location for their ambush and the final escape route.
The shockwave from the explosion reverberated through the valley, and the surrounding rocks melted into glass-like liquid from the intense heat. However, Zhao Kun still didn't die. Though his hand was obliterated, his body charred, and his wounds severe, if not for the fact that he was still alive, he looked like a poisoned slave from the jungle. His face contorted, muscles bulging, resembling a monster with nothing left but willpower.
Just as the aftershock of the explosion continued to spread, Zhao Tian quickly dove next to Zhao Pingping, shielding her from the worst of the blast. His ears twitched, and he instantly caught a low, rumbling long howl. Although the sound was faint, he knew immediately that the one who made the sound was not someone like Zhao Kun, at the peak of the Qi Transformation stage, but an existence far stronger than him! That howl was the trademark of a Heavenly Realm expert.
Zhao Tian's heart sank, and his gaze turned to Lin Tian. He could sense the situation was deteriorating rapidly. If a Heavenly Realm expert had truly arrived, they stood no chance of resistance.
Zhao Kun had gone completely insane. Seeing that he had lost one hand and his body was covered in wounds, he no longer cared. "You're dead! All of you are dead! Even if I die, I'll take you all down with me!" His voice was deep and furious, as if he intended to unleash all his pain.
Lin Tian watched Zhao Kun's almost broken state with wariness in his heart. He knew such a person was no longer rational and could act in extreme ways at any moment. But what alarmed him more was the premonition brought by that near-silent howl—the Heavenly Realm existence, stronger than Zhao Kun, was closing in.
With that thought, Lin Tian wasted no time. He submerged himself back into the water and swiftly swam toward the whirlpool at the bottom of the pond. The depths of the water seemed to lead to an unknown domain, perhaps hiding some secret. For him, staying here to face a potential Heavenly Realm expert was a dead end. It was better to take a risk and dive into the whirlpool, where perhaps a chance at survival awaited.
The Purple Lightning Serpent had been affected by the explosion. Although its scales protected most of its body, it still suffered injuries. Its energy surged, almost reaching the level of a Heavenly Realm expert. Despite the serious injuries, it was not fatal. At this moment, Zhao Kun had completely lost his sanity. Even though one of his hands was gone, he still refused to give up, clutching his magical weapon long sword with his remaining strength and attacking the Purple Lightning Serpent again.
Purple Lightning, enraged, turned its head abruptly, opening its massive mouth, preparing to devour Zhao Kun. Zhao Kun gave everything he had, using both hands to grab the upper and lower jaws of the serpent, trying to stop it from closing its mouth. However, he had forgotten about the serpent's sharp weapon hidden in its throat—the venomous tongue. In an instant, it pierced Zhao Kun's eye, going straight to his brain.
Zhao Kun's body trembled violently. With the last ounce of strength, his blood surged uncontrollably, and in an instant, his body turned into a mist of blood and flesh, completely dissipating into the air.
At that moment, the Purple Lightning Serpent, in a rage, completely ignored the incoming elders and jumped toward the water to chase after Lin Tian and Zhao Pingping. Zhao Jia's Third Elder, Zhao Xiqian, along with other elders, quickly arrived at the water's edge. What they saw was a battlefield in utter disarray. The stench of blood filled the air, and Zhao Jia's disciples' bodies lay scattered, while the Purple Lightning Serpent had already leapt into the water, seemingly unwilling to let Lin Tian escape easily.
Faced with the imminent powerful enemy, Zhao Xiqian's face darkened like ink, and he had already made up his mind. No matter what, this matter could not be allowed to stand. This evil force must not be allowed to run rampant!