Lie Tian’s face was ashen. He knew he had to stabilise the situation as quickly as possible.
“All elders, follow me to suppress the rebellion! Shi Yan, Ying Wu, you lead a team of elites to protect the young ones and the important scriptures. Be ready to evacuate at any time!”
The orders had just been issued when several key nodes of the core area’s protective formations suddenly exploded violently!
Clearly, insiders had sabotaged them long ago. The light of the mountain-protecting grand array dimmed instantly, leaving the entire core area of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect completely exposed!
“Not good!”
Lie Tian’s heart sank to the bottom.
At the same time, more shouts of killing came from all directions.
The fused beast clan’s rebellion had evidently been planned for a long time. Not only the core area, but peripheral strongholds had also risen up simultaneously.
Many originally neutral or dissatisfied mixed-blood beast clans, and even a small number of pure-blooded beast clans that had been incited, joined the rebel forces.
The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect instantly fell into complete internal chaos!
“Sect Leader! The formations have been broken. The rebels are overwhelming, and they have external assistance. We are surrounded!”
A blood-soaked deacon rushed to report in panic.
Lie Tian looked at the sect plunged into a sea of fire and confusion, his heart twisting like a knife.
He saw Zhen Gu fighting madly, saw familiar disciples falling in fratricidal slaughter, saw the sinister and triumphant smiles of those hidden demon sect agents…
He knew the general situation was lost. If they fought to the bitter end, the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect’s legacy might be severed forever.
“Pass the order… All disciples loyal to the sect, retreat deep into the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range! Scatter and preserve our strength!”
Lie Tian issued this humiliating command through gritted teeth.
“Sect Leader!” The elders cried out in grief.
“Execute the order!”
Lie Tian roared furiously, then transformed into a majestic silver giant wolf. He howled towards the sky, the sound carrying endless sorrow and resolve. “All clansmen, follow me in breaking out!”
He personally covered the rear, his wolf claws unleashing a sky full of silver blade light, temporarily repelling the encirclement by Zhen Gu and several demon sect experts, buying time for the retreating forces.
Shi Yan and Ying Wu had tears in their eyes, but knew this was not the moment for recklessness.
Shi Yan carried a storage bag containing the sect’s important scriptures and resources on his back, while Ying Wu protected a group of panicked young beasts. Leading a group of core disciples, they forced a breakthrough along a pre-planned secret route.
The battle was exceptionally brutal.
The rebels and demon sect agents pursued relentlessly.
To cover Lie Tian’s retreat, Elder Xiong Tuo burned his essence blood, erupting with earth-shattering power to firmly block Zhen Gu and the others’ path.
In the end, amid an unwilling roar, he was besieged by several experts, exhausted his strength, and perished. His massive bear body crashed to the ground.
“Elder Xiong!”
Shi Yan and Ying Wu sensed the annihilation of that familiar aura behind them. Their hearts ached intensely, yet they dared not look back. They could only flee faster, carrying boundless grief and rage.
Lie Tian fought while retreating, adding countless wounds to his body. His silver fur was dyed red with blood.
Relying on his familiarity with the terrain and his late-stage Heavenly Immortal realm strength, he finally shook off the pursuers and escaped into the vast, perilous primeval jungle deep within the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range.
After several days of fleeing and regrouping, Lie Tian, Shi Yan, Ying Wu, and some surviving elders and disciples gradually converged at several predetermined hidden locations.
Taking stock of their numbers, the once-thriving Ten Thousand Beasts Sect now retained less than thirty percent of its core strength, most of them injured and with low morale.
They hid in an extremely secluded valley, surrounded by concealment formations.
Lie Tian reverted to human form, his face pale, his injuries serious, his eyes filled with exhaustion and pain.
The sect’s foundation destroyed in a single day, countless disciples and elders dead. This blow weighed unbearably heavy on him.
“Sect Leader, take care of your health.” Shi Yan handed over a healing spiritual herb and spoke gravely.
Ying Wu silently tended to Lie Tian’s wounds, her eyes red-rimmed.
“Have we investigated clearly? Why did the fused beast clan suddenly rebel? And those people helping them…” Lie Tian asked in a hoarse voice.
