With the disciples joining the fray, the horde of Primordial Beasts was unexpectedly beaten back by the several hundred fighters. Watching the horde retreat, the faces of the crowd were filled with wild joy.

Before, they could only flee for their lives from these Primordial Beasts; now, they were finally paying them back in full. And it was all thanks to one person: Shen Haoran! Everyone turned to look in his direction, unable to help but feel a sense of awe.

Shen Haoran, wielding a giant, black-flamed ruler, caused a huge swath of Primordial Beasts to explode with every swing. The massive black wings on his back flapped, launching scorching Fire Feathers that rained down on the horde like arrows. The Primordial Beasts fell in droves, like wheat before a scythe. Shen Haoran alone had slain more of them than everyone else combined!

Seeing how ferocious Shen Haoran was, the disciples fought with renewed vigor, swinging their longswords and sabers even more viciously as they cut down the Primordial Beasts.

But these disciples were already exhausted. Even with Shen Haoran’s Elixirs to sustain them, they couldn’t possibly recover their Peak strength in an instant. Their current bravery was simply an infection of his spirit! And now, the Demonized Primordial Beasts had regrouped. They organized and launched a frenzied assault against the several hundred disciples. Moments later, the disciples were once again forced to retreat.

"Leader, this is bad! This horde of Primordial Beasts is fighting like they’re possessed, just throwing their lives away to drain our stamina! The other disciples can’t hold on much longer!" Zi Mo found a moment to rush to Shen Haoran’s side, speaking between ragged breaths. He wasn’t in much better shape himself.

At his words, Shen Haoran turned to look. The disciples were struggling to hold their ground, the Sub-fire of the Fire Spirit Black Obsidian on their bodies growing ever dimmer. The Sub-fire was fueled by their Spiritual Power, so its fading glow was a clear sign that the disciples were truly at the end of their rope.

"Leader, we should retreat for now," Zi Mo suggested. "These disciples have expended too much energy. Even with your Elixirs, they can’t last much longer. Let’s fall back to the main peak. After a short rest, we’ll be able to slaughter these little mongrels without leaving a single one alive!" As he spoke, he swung his heavy warhammer, crushing an attacking Primordial Beast.

Shen Haoran gazed at the endless horde of Demonized Primordial Beasts still swarming toward them, his brow furrowed. After a moment’s thought, he said in a low voice, "Retreat. You go first!"

"What? We go first? Then what about you, Leader...?" Zi Mo asked, surprised.

"I’ll stay behind to hold them off," Shen Haoran declared, swinging his giant ruler to once again clear the surrounding area of Primordial Beasts. "Their savagery has been fully awakened; they won’t give up. Retreating together won’t work. You go first, I’ll cover the rear!"

"No! That’s too dangerous!" Zi Mo objected at once, his brow furrowed. While Shen Haoran was the main force slaying the Primordial Beasts, the other disciples were still absorbing a great deal of pressure. If they all left, Shen Haoran would have to face the entire horde’s onslaught alone!

"Don’t worry. I have a way," Shen Haoran said flatly, seeing the worry on Zi Mo’s face. "Now go! Quickly!"

"But..." Zi Mo knew that once Shen Haoran made a decision, no one could change his mind. He immediately turned toward the other disciples and roared, "Fall back! Retreat to the main peak!"

Hearing Zi Mo’s call, the disciples began to regroup, breaking away from the horde of Primordial Beasts and retreating toward the main peak.

"Hm? Where’s Brother Shen?" During the retreat, Shui Ruolan suddenly noticed that Shen Haoran wasn’t in the crowd and immediately asked.

"The Leader is covering the rear," Zi Mo said.

"What? Why didn’t you pull him away with you! Don’t you remember that Brother Shen almost died last time holding back that black monster for us? And now you’re letting him face the pressure of the entire Primordial Beast army all by himself to cover our retreat?" Shui Ruolan demanded, looking at Zi Mo with fury in her eyes.

Scolded by Shui Ruolan, Zi Mo didn’t dare to talk back. He just made a pained expression and said, "You know what the Leader is like. Once he’s made a decision, no one can change his mind. There was nothing I could do!"

Hearing this, Shui Ruolan let out a cold hmph. Zi Mo was right. Shen Haoran had his own principles, and no one could sway him. All she could do now was gaze down at the dark, roiling Beast Tide with a heart full of anxiety, praying that he would make it out unscathed.

"ROAR!"

Down below, having lost their other targets, the horde of Primordial Beasts swarmed toward Shen Haoran from all sides. In the blink of an eye, they had him surrounded, leaving no escape. Roaring, their eyes blazing red, they lunged. They would tear this human limb from limb, devour his flesh, and drink his blood!

The rampaging Beast Tide instantly submerged Shen Haoran. Behind them, countless more Primordial Beasts surged forward, piling on top of the mass. Soon, his figure vanished completely from view.

At this sight, a chill ran down everyone’s spines and their hearts clenched with tension. If Shen Haoran was killed, there would be no one left to stop the army of Primordial Beasts!

"BOOM!"

Just as everyone was fraught with worry, a pillar of Black Flame erupted toward the heavens, incinerating the horde of Primordial Beasts piled on top of Shen Haoran into nothing. With a powerful beat of the Vermilion Bird Wings on his back, Shen Haoran shot into the air and hovered there.

Gazing down at the roaring Primordial Beasts, Shen Haoran took a deep breath. He drew on his Spiritual Power, splitting it into two different elemental attributes that churned in his left and right hands. As the wielder of the Chaos Divine Body, Shen Haoran was the master of the Five Elements Spiritual Power. He watched the two attributes dance in his palms, then his gaze hardened, and he fiercely smashed them together.

BANG! BANG...

A series of small explosions rang out from Shen Haoran’s hands. The two energies of different attributes began to violently repel each other, and a wild gale of Spiritual Power erupted from his palms.

Seeing this, Shen Haoran’s expression didn’t change. Fusing two different attributes was now effortless for him. He ignored the two streams of Spiritual Power’s resistance and ruthlessly forced them together.

He opened his palm. A sphere of impossibly deep Energy materialized in his hand, sending out arcs of power that made one’s heart palpitate.

"Here’s a big present for all of you!" Shen Haoran said with a grin, looking down at the army of Primordial Beasts. Then, he hurled the sphere of Energy straight down!

"Flame Sun Burst!"

The profound sphere of Energy descended into the center of the army. Shen Haoran’s hands flashed through a Seal Technique, and then, under the shocked gazes of the onlookers, it suddenly detonated!

"BOOM!"

A Heaven-Shaking boom resounded as the very earth began to tremble. The next moment, a terrifying storm of Spiritual Power instantly spread through the army of Primordial Beasts. It took the form of an Ancient Fierce Beast, devouring every last Primordial Beast in its path...