Li Feng Wei coughed out a mouthful of blood, his gaze fixed on Li Zhao Ling as she flew toward them.
But suddenly, she stopped mid-air. A voice transmission reached her.
> "Don't come any closer. Keep your distance, Zhao Ling," came Li Feng Wei's trembling voice. "Sorry... this is it for me.
But I'm not going down without a fight. If I'm going to die, I'll make sure it dies with me!"
"What are you saying?!" Zhao Ling yelled, panic rising in her chest.
Don't tell me you're going to... Damn old geezer, are you trying to wipe out the entire city?!"
Still grinning, Li Feng Wei flared his spiritual energy. It surged violently around him, raw and unstable.
Sensing the danger, Zhao Ling immediately turned and flew away as fast as she could.
> Crap! I need to get as far away from him as possible!
Down below, Wu Jian stared up at the sky, eyes narrowed as he sensed the storm of energy building.
> Crap... what's Old Feng thinking? Is he really trying to kill everyone inside the city?
> First things first—I have to save myself.
Without waiting another second, he dove into the ground, burrowing deeper and farther from the city's center.
High above, lightning continued to rain down on Li Feng Wei. Through the pain, he moved his arms and gripped the lizard's wings tightly still biting down on his neck.
> "Come on... let's take this a little higher. Just you and me."
He was preparing to self-destruct, planning to fly high and take the beast with him to avoid destroying the city. But before he could even move—
SHLK!
The lizard's tail suddenly pierced through his skull. At the same time, it concentrated lightning along the length of its tail.
A searing bolt blasted directly into his head, roasting it from the inside out and killing him instantly.
His self-destruction was interrupted. Lifeless, Li Feng Wei's body fell, and the lizard released its grip.
The corpse plummeted, smashing into the ground with a sickening crunch.
Far in the distance, Li Zhao Ling sensed his spiritual presence vanish—but there had been no explosion.
She stopped mid-air, turned, and saw it. The lizard stood beside Li Feng Wei's charred, smoking body, its bloody maw gleaming in the light.
Calmly, it pulled its tail from the corpse's head and licked the blood from its jaws.
> It's energy suddenly started running wild. I thought it was going to attack. So I killed it.
The creature's glowing eyes rose to meet Li Zhao Ling's. Lightning danced across his scales.
Then—In a flash, it vanished.
Zhao Ling's eyes darted around.
> Huh? Where did it go?
CRACK! A flash of lightning behind her. She turned—but it was already too late.
The lizard's tail slammed into her defensive talisman.
The barrier held, but the force of the strike launched her backward through the air.
> It's fast! Way faster than before! It didn't even vanish like before... and I still couldn't block its attack properly!
Lizarius narrowed his golden eyes, then glanced to the side.
> That defensive talisman again...
He turned his gaze toward the distance, sensing a growing power.
> The one at the Fifth Stage is coming. I have to kill it before it gets here.
His scales began to glow brighter, lightning intensifying along his body.
Li Zhao Ling sensed it too—another powerful aura fast approaching.
> A Fifth Layer... Looks like the Grand Elder is finally making a move!