Supreme Dragon Lord

Upon witnessing this, Long Chen and the others couldn’t help but frown. The Heavenly Demon Sect’s group had only delayed them for a moment, yet the Bloodthirsty Bat was already catching up at a frightening speed.

There, in the midst of the sandstorm, the Bloodthirsty Bat fixed its gaze on Long Chen’s group. Upon seeing them, it immediately exuded a palpable killing intent.

It let out a roar that seemed to reach the heavens, commanding the bats to attack. Upon receiving their leader’s command, the bats shot toward Long Chen’s group, launching powerful attacks as they flew.

"Not good! Get in, quick!"

Lei Shishi was startled. She rapidly formed hand seals, summoning the Thunder Treasure Box. Long Chen and the others hastily entered it.

No matter how relentlessly the bats attacked the Thunder Treasure Box, they couldn’t cause it any harm.

"With this Thunder Treasure Box, these bats can’t touch us," Tang Le said with a faint smile. "Let’s leave this place quickly and head to the Third Layer as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Lei Shishi gave a slight nod and began to guide the Thunder Treasure Box forward once more.

This time, however, the Bloodthirsty Bat had no intention of letting them go. Seeing that its swarm’s attacks had no effect, it issued a new order to stop Long Chen’s group from leaving.

After receiving the command, the bats ceased their assault and instead formed a thick, solid wall in their path. Although the bats couldn’t harm them while they were hidden within the Thunder Treasure Box, they had certainly managed to impede them. The wall of bats had effectively blocked the Thunder Treasure Box’s advance.

Meanwhile, behind them, the Bloodthirsty Bat gave chase, bringing with it a powerful and terrifying sandstorm.

Lei Shishi frowned, her hands rapidly forming seals as she urged the Thunder Treasure Box to attack. Instantly, a dazzling cold light shot toward the swarm, attempting to shatter the wall of bats.

Countless bats perished, but it was still not enough to disperse the swarm. Their sheer numbers were overwhelming, and they showed no fear of death. Even as the Power of Thunder struck them, they refused to scatter. Instead, they surged forward wave after wave to maintain the wall, even creating a powerful magnetic field that trapped the Thunder Treasure Box.

"This is madness!"

"These bats are absurd," Long Xin said, a grave expression on her pretty face. "To think that even this can’t disperse them."

Tang Le also added in a stern voice, "Watch our back! The Bloodthirsty Bat is catching up."

Long Chen glanced behind them and saw the massive Bloodthirsty Bat, now no more than ten meters away. It opened its great maw and roared at the Thunder Treasure Box!

The sound was not loud, but it carried powerful sonic waves that grated on their nerves. Even with the protection of the Thunder Treasure Box, Long Chen and the others were still affected. The potent sound waves immediately gave them a piercing headache and threw their thoughts into disarray.

Luckily, Long Chen reacted promptly. He circulated his Battle qi to form a Defensive Barrier around them, successfully blocking the sound waves. Freed from the sonic assault, Long Xin and the others finally recovered as color returned to their faces.

"You ants dare trespass here? You’re simply courting death!"

"Surrender quietly and become our food!" the Bloodthirsty Bat’s low, hoarse voice echoed, its eyes fixed on Long Chen. "To become my food is a blessing you’ve earned over lifetimes."

Tang Le glanced over at Long Chen. "Brother Long, do you have a plan?"

Faced with this situation, Long Chen shook his head. "We can only fight our way out! Are you all ready?"

Tang Le revealed a cold smile. "Then let’s charge! They’re just a few bats. I, Tang Le, am not concerned in the least."

Seeing that Long Chen’s group still refused to emerge, the enraged Bloodthirsty Bat struck the Thunder Treasure Box directly!

BANG!

A deafening crash echoed. The force was immense, more than the Thunder Treasure Box could withstand, and it was sent flying. Before Lei Shishi could stabilize the artifact, it was engulfed by the swarm of bats at their leader’s command.

Simultaneously, the sandstorm swept in, swallowing the Thunder Treasure Box once again. The sandstorm’s intensity was far greater than before, sending the Thunder Treasure Box spinning completely out of control. Even though Lei Shishi was trying her best to command it, her efforts were ultimately futile.

The Bloodthirsty Bat flew into the sandstorm and stomped down hard on the Thunder Treasure Box. The immense pressure made the box vibrate violently, causing Long Chen and the others inside to stagger and lose their footing.

Fortunately, the Treasure Box was impressively sturdy. Although it was shaken violently, it managed to hold firm.

"The strength of this Bloodthirsty Bat is immense!" A worried expression crossed Lei Shishi’s face. "If this goes on, the Thunder Treasure Box won’t last much longer."

"This Bloodthirsty Bat is highly intelligent," Long Chen mused. "It knows we don’t dare emerge into the sandstorm, so it plans to trap us and crush us here."

"Unbelievable!" Tang Le said with an exasperated look. "It ignored everyone else and came straight for us! Damn these bats!"

Long Chen looked at Lei Shishi. "Is there any other way to control the Thunder Treasure Box? Our only chance of survival is to escape this sandstorm. Otherwise, we’re all going to die here."

Lei Shishi pondered for a moment, then her eyes hardened as she slowly said, "There is one other method we could try."

Upon hearing this, everyone present turned their eyes to her.

Lei Shishi didn’t immediately explain but instead said to them, "However, if I do this, clearing the rest of the trial will be up to you."

As if sensing her hesitation, Long Chen replied firmly, "No matter how difficult the challenges ahead are, we will give it our all."

Chu Lingjun, Long Xin, and Tang Le all nodded at Lei Shishi in agreement.

Seeing their resolve, Lei Shishi pointed two fingers toward the center of her brow. A potent surge of the Power of Thunder materialized between her brows.

This was a Taboo Technique.

She would never use it unless absolutely necessary. Its use would cause a severe backlash; not only would her power be greatly diminished, but her body would also be left extremely weak.

With a sharp flick of her fingers, she drew out that immense Power of Thunder.