After Laipishe's death, the contestants began a chaotic free-for-all.
The disorderly slaughter broke out instantly; this was no longer just a battle targeting the three of them. It had turned into a melee, but most people's targets were still Su Ze, Mo Ziang, and Xuanyuan Jin.
The three had demonstrated terrifying strength, which had already intimidated many. Even though they were heavily injured, at the same level of cultivation, anyone who could land a sneak attack would almost certainly kill them!
But who could pull it off?
Killing those three seemed less likely than stabbing a temporary teammate in the back.
However, this didn't mean that Su Ze and the others were without enemies. Trying to escape while surrounded by so many killers made it nearly impossible for them to break free.
Although many had been intimidated, the majority still wanted to eliminate the trio here! After all, even if they backstabbed their temporary teammates, the spatial laws gained wouldn't be much, and it would only incite dissatisfaction among these temporary alliances.
Killing Su Ze and the others would basically fulfill the goal of entering this secret realm!
In the chaos, everyone could sense that Mo Ziang, who was using wings to fly and kill at high speed, was gradually growing fatigued, his speed slowing down.
"You alright?" Su Ze beheaded one of the contestants attacking Mo Ziang and reached his side.
"I... think so," Mo Ziang replied, covering his heavy head with one hand. The continuous days of fighting had drained his spiritual energy to the brink of exhaustion.
"Let's try to break through again," Su Ze suggested. He wasn't in much better shape either, with large chunks of skin peeling off his face, revealing white bone and crimson muscle tissue. If a dozen or so more pieces fell off, it might even be enough to "redeem" a hero...
Mo Ziang nodded. They had already tried several times to break through, only to be blocked each time. Even though they were strong, these contestants were no pushovers, especially not in their heavily injured state.
Xuanyuan Jin stood firm, his massive Buddha apparition dispatching foes with single punches.
His chant echoed like ethereal melodies, his golden eyes shining brightly. His body was covered in numerous cracks, resembling a Buddha statue weathered by time and riddled with fissures.
"Once we open a gap, you take the monk and run. Don't look back," Su Ze took a deep breath, putting his miaodao into the long scabbard at his back. His white hair and trench coat danced wildly in the wind, while his weapon, the [Demonic Child of Heaven's Wrath], emitted a sharp, resonating hum.
Mo Ziang's combat power had been significantly reduced. During the battle against Laipishe, he was the one who had bore the brunt, directly engaging the snake to create opportunities for Su Ze and Xuanyuan Jin.
Su Ze had battled Laipishe by constantly seeking its weaknesses, though he had also been injured, it wasn't as severe as Mo Ziang's wounds. Among the three, Su Ze currently possessed the highest combat power.
From Mo Ziang's current state, Su Ze could tell that as his spiritual energy depleted, his mental faculties were becoming unstable. Therefore, he couldn't be the rear guard and had to run first! Following him would be Xuanyuan Jin, while Su Ze could conjure doppelgängers to follow them.
"Monk, clear the path!" Su Ze roared.
Xuanyuan Jin thrust his palm forward, a massive golden hand surged out and shattered the barriers constructed by the contestants using spatial laws, pushing outward.
However, it only managed to shatter part of the barrier before the energy of the golden palm was exhausted and it dissipated.
Suddenly, like a dark red lightning strike flashing through the air, Su Ze instantly shattered the remaining barrier!
"Run!" Su Ze shouted.
Mo Ziang dove, grabbing Xuanyuan Jin and charging through the gap Su Ze had opened!
"Did I say you could leave?"
Lightning interwove, forming a sea of thunder that instantly blocked Mo Ziang and Xuanyuan Jin's path.
A hand emerged from the thunderous sea, hurling a punch toward the two!
Xuanyuan Jin reacted quickly, turning back and pushing his palm forward!
Boom!
Blood and shattered bones splattered as Xuanyuan Jin's entire arm crumbled like porcelain!
These contestants were no simple cannon fodder. They all hailed from various planes of existence, Lamp Realm powerhouses who wielded spatial laws. Even if they were inferior to Su Ze and the others, in the trio's heavily injured state, they might still prove a match!
Su Ze, as if an enraged beast, cycled through thousands of doppelgängers, unleashing cascading blades of light like a barrage of falling leaves, blocking the contestants before the gap, buying time for Mo Ziang and Xuanyuan Jin.
Meanwhile, hundreds of his doppelgängers each tried to escape through the gap, only to be obliterated by a handful of contestants wielding spatial laws.
His doppelgängers weren't invincible. Composed of mere fractions of his power, dispelling them was enough to render them null.
Mo Ziang slashed through the thunder sea, tearing a gap. Folding his wings, he nearly flew out of the battlefield instantly, suffering from the lightning's infliction!
The duo leapt thousands of meters in moments, escaping the battlefield in no time.
With the targets of Mo Ziang and Xuanyuan Jin out of reach, Su Ze naturally became the contestants' next easy prey.
The chaos subtly shifted into a competition, each vying to be the one to kill Su Ze!
The battlefield wasn't a place for talking, only bone-crushing battles resonating with blood, screams, howls, and roars.
[Demonic Child of Heaven's Wrath] was hoisted by Su Ze. Thousands of doppelgängers surged out in all directions, scattering throughout the battlefield.
Immense barriers created with spatial law formed an invisible, indestructible prison that trapped him.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his white hair and trench coat dancing wildly in the gusty wind.
There was no hope left for escape. However, with Mo Ziang and Xuanyuan Jin having fled, all he had to do was survive for a day or two. By then, the contestant count would probably be halved, and they would be able to leave.
China would rise due to the vast amount of spatial laws they would bring back.
He felt somewhat bitter, thinking about the little witch girl waiting at home for his triumphant return, his naive girlfriend...
His urgency disappeared now. In everyone's astonished gaze, he stood there calmly, leisurely reaching into his pocket with slow movements.
The others, fearing a trick, dared not approach.
From his pocket, Su Ze pulled out a crushed pack of cigarettes, sifting through it to find a half-decent one, which he then put in his mouth. Feeling around his pocket once more, he produced a lighter.
Actually, there was another pack in the long scabbard behind him, but he couldn't be bothered to get it.
Their tense ceasefire gradually eased as everyone became wary of Su Ze's seemingly bizarre actions, since it was perfectly clear that he was on the brink of death, yet he remained so composed!
They feared the most that Su Ze might decide to take everyone down with him!
The lighter’s flint clicked, sparking, but no flame emerged.
"About to die, and I can’t even get a smoke in?" Su Ze chuckled, tossing the lighter onto the devastated street.
His gaze wandered and suddenly landed on a creature with a fiery crown, a sly grin spreading on his lips.
He pointed at the creature, "Hey, come down here, light my cigarette."
The creature, seeing Su Ze pointing at it, was plainly bewildered.
What would it know in Mandarin?
"Get down here!"
Su Ze suddenly roared, bursting with immense spatial laws! Gravity instantly doubled, crashing down on the creature!
Boom!
The creature plummeted to the ground, its body pinned, struggling to lift its head against the crushing gravity.
The contestants were horrified! The spatial force Su Ze unleashed at this moment seemed even stronger than the one he used in the fight!
Everyone understood dimly — this young man might be breaking through his limits at this moment of life and death, advancing to the mid-Lamp Realm!
Yet, even so, what could a breakthrough achieve in this predicament? Even if he directly broke through to the peak of the Lamp Realm, it would be impossible for him to escape their siege in such a severely injured state!
Su Ze stepped on the creature's head; its flaming crown could not even scorch his boots.
Leaning down, he brought the cigarette close to the fire, lighting it. He took a deep drag and smiled, slowly exhaling the smoke.
His eyes suddenly sharpened! Swiftly pivoting, he swung his blade!
A crimson flash sliced through the air, severing limbs as an assassin flew backward, desperate to escape, its eyes wide with shock! Su Ze's reflexes had been too quick! Seeing Su Ze so relaxed earlier, it had thought the opportunity was ripe!
Su Ze dashed instantly, slamming his hand against the assassin's head and pounding it into the ground!
A dull thud resounded; [Demonic Child of Heaven's Wrath] followed in swiftly, piercing its skull and pinning it to the ground!
Dropping his cigarette butt, Su Ze pointed his finger at the group, the smoke curling out the corner of his mouth. "Come on, all of you. I’m in a hurry to meet my demise."