At this moment, no one had the mind to pay attention to them; even Violet Snow was too exhausted to spare a glance at Damien Gray.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."
Palms struck the spiders, turning them into fragments. Yet, when those sticky, viscous remains splattered onto people, a sizzling sound immediately followed.
"Ah..."
Those struck by the remains let out agonized screams. The parts of their bodies touched by the liquid corroded rapidly, emitting a foul stench. In the end, not even a trace of the living person remained!
Realizing the danger, everyone grew cautious with their attacks, fearful of being contaminated. But no matter how careful they were, accidents were inevitable!
Moreover, those at the outer edge were disciples from various sects, their skills far inferior to the major figures. Casualties were unavoidable. If any part of their body was touched, they had to sever it immediately; otherwise, even a moment’s hesitation could cost them their lives!
Gradually, those on the outskirts could no longer hold on.
"Ah..." Several people were already engulfed by the spiders. When the spiders retreated, all that remained were pale skeletons—without even a drop of blood left behind.
A chill ran through everyone’s hearts, despair creeping in. If this continued, they would all perish here. Some even wondered, was Healer’s Sanctuary truly a righteous place? Why did it feel crueler than the Evil Path?
Maxwell Jing quietly observed everything. Though this array differed from those before, it shared some commonalities. Finding a way to break it wouldn’t be difficult, but since Damien Gray hadn’t given the order, he remained silent. These people didn’t even care about their own followers, only hiding among the crowd—so why should he bother?
Susie Yun gripped Ryan Ouyang’s hand, her brow furrowing tighter and tighter, her face pale. Yet unlike the other heroines, she didn’t tremble in fear.
Watching more and more people get injured, Liam Duanmu grew increasingly anxious, his gaze sweeping the area in search of the key to breaking the array.
At this moment, Noah Duanmu—the notorious playboy—appeared calmer than the seasoned veterans. Though no one else paid him any mind, Morgan Shangguan noticed everything.
From the very first moment she saw Noah Duanmu and Liam Duanmu, she found Noah more agreeable. Later, as she discovered the persona he showed to the world, she realized he was hiding something. All in all, her impression of Noah was better than of Liam, though of course, that was just her personal preference.
Perhaps in others’ eyes, Liam Duanmu was a young hero—becoming chief of the Martial Alliance at such an early age, handsome, skilled, and possessing a chivalrous heart. He excelled in every way, yet somehow he just didn’t appeal to her.
Liam Duanmu’s gaze swept the surroundings, finally settling on what appeared to be randomly placed potted plants. His eyes darkened. He drew a few pebbles to his palm and scattered them, causing the positions of the plants to shift instantly.
The ground shook violently, then split open down the middle. Those with poor martial skills—and unlucky enough to stand over the fissure—plunged down. The group was split in two, and the spiders, as if drawn by something, swarmed into the crack.
In the blink of an eye, the spiders vanished, the fissure disappeared, and in its place was a thicket of trees—impossible to see the other group on the far side. The two parties were separated, but at least now the surroundings weren’t identical and utterly confusing!
Maxwell Jing glanced across at the other side and couldn’t help but curse under his breath. If he’d known, he would’ve broken the array himself. Now they were separated—if Ethan Gu found out he’d lost the sect master, he’d have his head!
He sighed, ignoring everyone else, and began searching for people.
Liam Duanmu hadn’t truly broken the array—the time was too short, and it wasn’t so easily undone. He had merely triggered another formation, but at least he’d saved everyone’s lives for now.
Violet Snow was equally frustrated. After finally seeing the Ghostmaster, she’d been separated from him again!
Meanwhile, Morgan Shangguan frowned and whispered, "Ouyang, take good care of Susie Yun!" She regretted bringing Susie here; though Susie’s martial skills were decent, that was no guarantee of safety now.
She and Damien Gray wouldn’t be hindered by these obstacles, but it was clear Galen Gu was determined to destroy them. If things started out this brutal, it would only get worse—and she might not be able to protect Susie Yun then.
Ryan Ouyang nodded seriously—the situation was indeed difficult! Susie Yun frowned, unhappy to be a burden, but she was sensible enough not to insist she could handle it alone.
Leon Feng, standing nearby, couldn’t help but spit, "Damn! How are these things even more sinister than the creatures in my Venom Sect?" As the sect master, he was more likely to survive here than those with greater inner strength, but even he—who lived among poisons—felt a chill in his heart.
He couldn’t help but admire Galen Gu—this place was a poison valley, yet it was called Healer’s Sanctuary and counted as one of the three righteous sects. Back then, he’d been hunted for dabbling in poisons, shunned by the righteous path. Galen Gu really knew how to play the game—what a hypocrite!
Before anyone could react further, thick smoke began to billow all around. The fog grew denser, obscuring everyone from view—only the sounds of coughing and screams could be heard, the cries of those who’d inhaled the poisonous gas.
Afraid of being separated from Morgan Shangguan, Damien Gray pulled her into his arms, gripping her hand tightly. Morgan shook her head, "Damien, I can’t move like this!"
Hearing this, Damien Gray frowned and loosened his hold, settling for an arm around her waist. But then, realizing how easily they could be pulled apart, he switched to holding her hand, their fingers interlaced tightly.