1252: Chapter 1252 The heroes, terrified, retreated.

Luo Xiu's aura broke through a certain critical point at this moment.

His God-Demon Flame surged violently; the dark golden flames shot into the sky, illuminating the Void Realm for tens of thousands of miles in dark gold.

His wounds had completely healed, his severed arm had fully regenerated, and his armor of gods and demons once again covered his entire body—thicker, more ferocious, and more perfect than before.

In his heterochromatic eyes, the dark golden light shone like two stars, dazzling and eye-catching.

He stood in the Void Realm, shrouded in the dark golden God-Demon Flame, his white hair fluttering and his eyes like lightning, resembling a god or demon stepping out of ancient mythology.

Dozens of corpses and ashes floated around him.

The power of those people had all become a part of him.

He slowly raised his head and looked toward the figures watching from afar—Tian Han, Yu Qianhuan, Lu Hongyuan, Sect Master Tuoba Shanyue, Yang Wuji... as well as those bounty hunters and Loose Cultivators who were still hesitant and watching.

A cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Who else?"

His voice was not loud, but it exploded in everyone's ears like a thunderclap.

This time, no one dared to answer.

Looking at Luo Xiu at this moment—his broken body reborn, his God-Demon Flame burning the heavens, his heterochromatic eyes like abysses, and dozens of corpses and ashes floating around him—a bone-chilling fear rose in the depths of everyone's hearts.

They had given their all, with ten Peak Powerhouses joining forces and hundreds of Tier 5 Powerhouses besieging him, blasting him into a broken shell.

Yet, not only did he not die, but he had also devoured the flesh, blood, and power of those greedy ones, standing up again in a way that was nearly impossible, and he was even stronger than before.

Although his aura had not yet recovered to its Peak, the pressure contained within that mass of dark golden flames was deeper and more bizarre than at the beginning of the battle.

The ice flames of Monarch Tian Han flickered, and his expression was livid.

Most of his extreme cold Qi had been exhausted, his ice armor was shattered, and his aura was withered.

He stared fixedly at the figure shrouded in dark golden flames, a feeling of unprecedented powerlessness surging in his heart.

His gaze inadvertently swept over the shadow at Luo Xiu's feet—that shadow should have disappeared under the illumination of the God-Demon Flame, but it was abnormally dense and profound, like a pool of stagnant water, and also like an eye currently spying on them.

Tian Han's heart suddenly shuddered. He recalled that battle from before; it seemed there was a fellow exceptionally skilled in stealth called Shadow.

He glanced at Yu Qianhuan, who had also noticed that strange shadow, a flash of realization and wariness crossing his pure white eyes.

The two exchanged a look; without needing words, they had already reached a consensus.

"Luo Xiu!"

Tian Han's voice was as cold as ever, but the composure within it had vanished completely. "The grievance of today is noted for now. We will settle our accounts in the future!"

Before his words had even faded, his figure had transformed into a streak of ice-blue light, shooting toward the outside of the battlefield.

That light was dim and hurried, lacking any of the composure and dominance he had when he arrived.

He left without hesitation, not even looking back.

Yu Qianhuan did not speak; he merely took a deep look at Luo Xiu, a flash of complex emotions crossing his pure white eyes—hatred, unwillingness, and a trace of fear he did not want to admit even to himself.

His wings vibrated, and his figure turned into a streak of pure white light, following closely behind Tian Han and vanishing into the depths of the Void Realm.

The leaders of the other major factions saw this, and their expressions changed drastically.

Sect Master Tuoba Shanyue clenched his fists, his tiger-like eyes full of struggle.

He glanced at Luo Xiu, then at the retreating Tian Han and Yu Qianhuan, and then at the scarred and weary Disciples of the Houtu Sect behind him; his heart sank.

No matter how deep the foundation of the Houtu Sect was, it could not withstand such attrition.

If even he were to fall here, the thousand-year foundation of the Houtu Sect...

"Retreat!" Sect Master Tuoba Shanyue gritted his teeth, squeezing the word out through his teeth.

He turned, transformed into a golden light, and led the remnants of the Houtu Sect to retreat from the battlefield without looking back.

Yang Wuji's complexion was deathly pale; the side effects of the Phoenix Nirvana Pill had begun to manifest, and his aura was declining at an alarming rate.

He glanced at Luo Xiu, then at the retreating Sect Master Tuoba Shanyue, a flash of unwillingness crossing his eyes—but he knew that staying here any longer would only lead to a dead end.

"Retreat!"

His voice was hoarse and weak, and the fleet of the Red Sun Star Domain began to turn around, retreating toward the outside of the battlefield.

Marshal Heiman remained silent, but his actions were faster than anyone else's.

The moment Sect Master Tuoba Shanyue spoke, he had already turned into a black streak of light and vanished into the Void Realm.

The black fleet of the Black Cloud Empire followed closely behind, fleeing in a panic like a wounded viper.

Lin Qingfeng, You Ying, Shen Xingyuan, and Tie Kuang—the lead generals of the various factions, after hesitating for only a few short breaths, all made the same choice.

"Retreat!"

"Retreat quickly!"

"This demon cannot be opposed; retreat!"

Command after command rang out in the Void Realm, and figure after figure turned into streaks of light, fleeing in panic in all directions.

Those bounty hunters, Loose Cultivators, and powerhouses from various factions who had originally been watching had long since run off without a trace.

Their greed was worthless in the face of the fear of death.

In just a moment, the eight-way army that had originally surrounded the area completely had already scattered by more than half.

— —

Lu Hongyuan stood in the Void Realm, his expression livid, his fists clenched tight, his fingernails digging deep into his palms.

He looked at the figures currently fleeing in panic, an indescribable anger and sorrow surging in his heart.

These so-called allies, these factions that had come under the banner of "Slaying the Demon," had chosen to flee without hesitation the moment danger arrived.

"Sect Master Tuoba Shanyue! Yang Wuji! You—" Lu Hongyuan's voice was hoarse and angry, "If you leave, what will happen to the billions of living beings in the Radiant Star Domain?!"

No one answered him.

Those figures had already vanished into the Void Realm, not even looking back.

The few Tier 5 Powerhouses of the Radiant Star Domain behind Lu Hongyuan had expressions that were equally ugly to the extreme.

They looked at the scattered Radiant Allied Forces, looked at those "allies" fleeing in panic, their eyes full of anger and unwillingness, but more so a deep sorrow.

"Marshal..."

An Elder at the Late Stage of Tier 5 spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying a trace of bitterness, "We..."

Lu Hongyuan turned around abruptly, his gaze like a knife, staring fixedly at that Elder.

"What, you want to retreat too?" His voice was low and cold, "Retreat where?"

He raised a hand and pointed to the battlefield behind him—there, the hundreds of millions of soldiers of the Radiant Allied Forces were still locked in slaughter with the Demon Beast Army.

Their front lines had shrunk with the participation of several Sequencers, and casualties were countless, but they were still fighting.

Because behind them were the billions of living beings of the Radiant Star Domain, their homes, and their loved ones.

"If we leave, what will happen to them?"