Chapter Sixty-Four: The Swift Escape

Chapter Sixty-Four: The Flight at Breakneck Speed

The stampede of countless beasts surged behind them, drawing ever closer. Everyone pushed themselves to the limit, channeling all their strength into running, their bodies aglow with spiritual brilliance. Now was the time to show their prowess—whoever could run the fastest might survive.

The chaos of the beast tide swept forward, all the monsters pursuing them. To stop now meant certain death, trampled beneath the horde. The group soon lost cohesion; each person’s speed varied, some lagging behind, others surging ahead.

Chu Jie and Duan Kun remained at the rear. A foreboding sense told them escape was impossible; battle was inevitable. Yet with so many monsters, how could they possibly win? Even if they slew a thousand, or several thousand, the rampaging herd numbered at least ten thousand.

"Why have I never seen so many beasts before?" Chu Jie muttered, frustrated. Their past trials in the Abyss of Gods and Demons rarely involved monsters—perhaps they had all lain hidden.

"The abyss is vast; so many monsters isn’t surprising," Duan Kun replied.

They lingered at the end of the line, trying to keep the group together. If the team scattered completely, they’d all perish here. To fight the beasts, Chu Jie and Duan Kun alone would not suffice; only the whole team together could hope for victory.

Du Xuan, running ahead, shouted, "Everyone, hurry! The entrance to the eighth terraced field is just ahead—maybe we can shake off the monsters there!"

The deeper they ventured into the Abyss of Gods and Demons, the shorter their visibility became. Chu Jie’s keen eyesight could not see the entrance Du Xuan mentioned, but he didn’t doubt him; perhaps Du Xuan knew the terrain or had been here before.

With hope in sight, they ran harder, faster.

"You useless lot, hurry up! If I didn’t have to wait for you, I’d be long gone," Zhou Jie barked disdainfully from the front of the line. Though he could have fled alone, Zhou Jie dared not risk it—so many monsters, and if he found himself cornered, he’d die with regret.

So, after a brief initial chaos, the group steadied, realizing their best chance of survival lay in staying together.

Chu Jie and Duan Kun bore the greatest pressure, running at the very back, closest to the roaring monsters. If the beast horde caught up, they would be the first attacked.

Everyone pushed their speed to the utmost, but Chu Jie and Duan Kun held back, lest their pace leave the team vulnerable.

The horde drew nearer, led by several towering black apes, upright and massive, their eyes blood-red, their speed astonishing. These apes ran at the very front. Even the stone-spined beasts, though bulky, now moved with surprising swiftness, no slower than the others.

Chu Jie and his companions consumed spiritual energy at a furious rate, their feet carrying them like the wind, faster than any normal running. Yet still the gap shrank; the beasts gained ground.

"Hold on just a bit longer—almost there!" Du Xuan’s voice called from ahead.

The group’s spirits lifted—so long as hope remained, they could endure.

"How much longer is ‘almost’?" Chu Jie wondered, unsure if the beast tide would grant them the time. His body flashed like white light; as martial artists of the Spirit Gathering Realm, their speed was extraordinary.

If they had been of the Body Tempering Realm, escape would have been impossible—they’d have been wiped out already.

Just then, Chu Jie sensed a gust of wind behind him, instinctively dodging and glancing back. A three-meter-tall black ape, a shadow in the darkness, was nearly upon him.

He’d almost been struck! Now was not the time to retaliate, though Chu Jie felt a surge of irritation. The beast horde hadn’t caught up—just this black ape, alone.

One had managed to chase ahead! Chu Jie had never fought such an ape and could not gauge its strength, but its boldness suggested formidable power.

Chu Jie and Duan Kun sped up slightly, temporarily outpacing the black ape. Perhaps frustrated by its failed pursuit, the ape retreated to the horde, joining the other upright beasts in chasing them.

At last, Chu Jie glimpsed the entrance to the eighth terraced field. Not only he, but all the others saw it now. Passing through, the massive beast horde might be forced to split or slow, offering the group a chance at survival.

But danger was at its peak. From the corner of his eye, Chu Jie saw a dozen black shadows break from the horde, running almost right behind him and Duan Kun. If Chu Jie slowed even slightly, he’d be attacked. He didn’t know how deadly the black apes might be, but their speed was terrifying.

He felt a deep frustration—under normal circumstances, he would never be so helplessly pursued. Though angry, there was nothing he could do. Now was not the time for rash actions. Chu Jie made a mental note of the upright black apes.

Some monsters, realizing pursuit was futile, had the stone-spined beasts launch stones from their backs. Thousands of rocks formed a rain, pelting down in a torrent. The collective attack was impressive; everyone ran harder, hope so close they would not give up.

While most only suffered minor injuries, Chu Jie and Duan Kun were unharmed, their bodies resilient enough to resist the barrage.

The falling rocks worried Chu Jie—if they slowed the group, disaster would follow. Fortunately, their pace remained steady.

As the stone rain neared its end, a larger rock struck a martial artist’s thigh. The crack of bone was clear. The man, likely lacking physical training and cultivation, now suffered the consequences.

Chu Jie wanted to help, but was powerless. If he intervened, the rear would fall apart, and he might be lost as well. If he acted rashly, the whole group risked annihilation.

Yet he still wanted to help, if only because he hoped no one in the team would die. If the injured fell to the horde, they would surely perish.

The wounded man slowed, his leg crippled, hopping on one foot, sweat streaming down his face, despair written across his features.

As Chu Jie passed, he reached out to grab him, hoping to carry him along, perhaps if he pushed his speed further he could save the man.

But his grasp met only air! Chu Jie was startled; a shadow flashed past, and the wounded man was snatched by an upright beast.

A tearing sound echoed behind. Chu Jie turned to see two black apes, one on either side, ripping the man apart—a spray of blood mist exploded outward. Any monster touched by the blood mist had their eyes glow even redder.

The horde seemed suddenly invigorated, most of the beasts moving even faster.

"Run!" Du Xuan shouted.

The monster horde boiled over, the black apes more aggressive than ever, their dark forms flitting by, though never quite catching Duan Kun and Chu Jie.

They reached the entrance to the eighth terraced field, hesitating not at all as they plunged in. The horde followed, but their numbers were so great they couldn’t all pass at once. This eased the pressure on Chu Jie and his companions.

Once in the eighth terraced field, the impact of the rampaging horde diminished greatly.

Yet the death of a teammate cast a heavy gloom.

They had escaped with their lives—normally reason to celebrate—but all remained silent.

Zhou Jie’s voice rang out again, "I told you those two at the rear were useless—couldn’t even protect one person. Might as well give up martial cultivation."

"Shut up!" Chu Jie’s killing intent surged. Failing to save the man had left him deeply aggravated, and Zhou Jie’s words only stoked his anger.

Zhou Jie snorted, a malicious grin on his face, and said no more.

They now stood on a high ground, temporarily safe. Below, a few beasts still ran, but nothing like the previous overwhelming numbers.

Everyone immediately began recuperating, their spiritual energy drained by the prolonged flight.

Though they had escaped the horde, the monsters had not vanished. In the eighth terraced field, the horde split into smaller groups. If nothing unexpected happened, they would head straight to the lowest level, the ninth terraced field.

While replenishing their energy, Chu Jie recovered fastest. He was the first to open his eyes, surveying his surroundings. The air was foul, the environment of the eighth terraced field much harsher than the seventh.

Next to awaken was Zhou Jie, whose forehead protector glowed, a treasured artifact aiding his recovery.

Duan Kun was the third to recuperate.

Zhou Jie looked at Chu Jie, a cold smile on his lips, his thoughts unreadable.