The two grand ancestors of the Winged Demon lineage were both decisive individuals. Once they made the decision to break through the encirclement, they wasted not a single moment. Wrapping themselves in their most ferocious momentum, they drove their escape speed to its peak and crashed toward the perimeter.
They knew that this domain manipulation had only just been activated — this was their final window of escape. Once the domain was fully completed, or even fully empowered, their speed advantage would vanish entirely. Once they lost that edge, escape would become nearly impossible.
At this moment, the domain's binding force was still climbing, nowhere near its peak. Facing the simultaneous charge of both Winged Demon grand ancestors, the restraining power immediately showed signs of strain.
Against just one of them, this level of domain force would have had a strong chance of holding the opponent down. But with two Winged Demon ancestors striking at once, a domain that had yet to reach perfection simply couldn't hold firm.
After all, the domain had only just been initiated — it had not yet achieved its perfect form.
Vermilion Bird gritted her teeth. "I'll go hold them off!"
With that, Vermilion Bird's wings flickered, and she shot forward in an equally swift streak of light, positioning herself before them. True essence surged in rolling waves as the terrifying Celestial Flame of the Primordial Pearl erupted forth.
In an instant, the Celestial Flame of the Primordial Pearl spread into a roaring sea of fire, forming a barrier before the two demon grand ancestors. Once the Primordial Pearl's Celestial Flame swept over an opponent, the results were absolutely devastating.
Even the Winged Demon ancestors dared not meet it with their bare bodies. Seeing the heavenly fire surge toward them like dragons, they both scrambled to dodge.
The Black Tortoise seized the opportunity, muttering incantations under his breath. Rings of mist continuously billowed from his nostrils — the Corpse-Corrosive Qi of the Black Tortoise. This Qi could corrode physical flesh and attack the divine soul alike. Empowered by the Black Tortoise, its speed was greatly enhanced, and in the blink of an eye, it had swept toward the two Winged Demon ancestors.
"Damn it — there really is an ambush!"
Fortunately, these two great demon elders were no pushovers. Facing a variety of crises, their vast experience allowed them to respond with composure. Having barely managed to evade the trial of the Primordial Pearl's Celestial Flame, the Black Tortoise's Corpse-Corrosive Qi now coiled before them.
"This mist is dangerous — don't touch it!" the Curlew Demon ancestor bellowed. His wings, like two colossal fans blocking out the sky, swept forward with brutal force. A ferocious gale tore across heaven and earth, knocking the trajectory of the Black Tortoise's Corpse-Corrosive Qi aside by sheer brute strength.
The four divine spirits attacked in succession, but with their individual striking power, unless they landed a coordinated blow, there was little hope of truly wounding a demon grand ancestor. One-on-one assaults could only pose a threat — nothing more.
But they needed to manipulate the domain, and until it was fully completed, some of them had to dedicate their attention to that task. Naturally, that meant they couldn't form a coordinated strike.
As a result, the battle appeared unfavorable for the Winged Demon ancestors on the surface, yet in truth, it gave them an even more composed state of mind as they hammered against the binding domain.
Jiang Chen, lurking high above, was growing increasingly anxious.
He could see the situation clearly enough. With the combined might of the four divine spirits, dealing with one demon grand ancestor would have been more than sufficient.
But taking on two at the same time? They could only hold to a stalemate, with no way to suppress either.
"Am I really going to let these two Winged Demon ancestors slip away today?" Jiang Chen refused to accept it. He tested the divine sense and true essence within himself.
"If I force a single strike, I might not be able to activate the Treasure Mirror of All Beings, but activating the True Dragon Rope of Water and Fire or the Great Glazed Light Lamp should still be possible — barely. However, once I do, my divine sense will be pushed beyond its limits. What kind of consequences will follow, I honestly can't say."
Though Jiang Chen had already reached the third level of the Divine Dao, and though his divine sense was far more powerful than that of cultivators at the same stage, it was not, in the end, an inexhaustible wellspring.