After saving Li Luo, the group quickly retreated to the high wall.
The Others slinked back, afraid now that their leader was occupied.
Li Luo was greeted like a hero.
Two and Three Star Hall students alike cheered with reverence at their exhausted hero.
He had saved them all.
If not for the huge risk that he had undertaken, all of them would have been torn to bits and eaten.
If they made it back to the Astral Sage College, Li Luo's reputation would be godly.
He would definitely be showered with awards and rewards.
Jiang Qing'e set Li Luo down to rest, and the others crowded over.
"Li Luo, you're awesome! How did you manage to get the three-tailed beast here?" Tian Tian gushed.
"It ran over the moment it saw me. I think it was dazzled by my handsomeness."
Tian Tian and the others all laughed. He wasn't cheeky anymore. To them, he was their hero, and the funniest man alive.
"It’s a good thing our leader insisted on bringing you with us on this purging mission. Otherwise, we'd all be dead," Qiu Bai said piously. "I always knew our leader was perfect. I feel ashamed for ever doubting her."
Tian Tian looked at him in disgust.
Still, who would have thought that their savior would not be the strongest fighters like Jiang Qing'e or Duze Honglian, but a newcomer to the Umbra Cave and a first year?
Li Luo had exceeded all expectations this time.
Bai Mengmeng and Xin Fu squeezed their way past the crowd too.
"Leader," she said with glowing eyes, "you're going to be the school idol from now on."
Li Luo waved it away modestly.
"Leader, the moment you left the purified spot, I composed the quote for your grave, but it's okay—we can always use it another time."
Li Luo stared at his other teammate. Was this boy cursing him?
He should learn from Mengmeng.
But with the outpouring of gratitude and well-wishes from everyone else, Li Luo had to let Xin Fu go (resentfully) for now.
Duze Honglian hung back from the crowd, arms folded stiffly across her chest.
Not even she could find any fault with his accomplishment now.
He had laid his life on the line for it.
His courage had to be admitted.
In the past she had not really paid much attention to him. Jiang Qing'e had been her one and only rival. But now Li Luo was a real threat after he had proven himself in this crisis.
The young lord of House Luolan was a guy who was happiest flying under the radar, but he might just be as dangerous as Jiang Qing'e herself.
No wonder House Luolan had been recovering ever since he appeared.
She had thought it was Jiang Qing'e's credit alone, but Li Luo must have had a crucial hand in it.
Ultimately, Li Luo had saved all of them, which meant that she sort of owed him one.
Of course, it didn't mean that enemies could become friends. They were destined to be enemies.
The cheering on the wall continued for a long time, until their bubble of elation was popped by a particularly powerful energy explosion that rocked the entire spot.
Li Luo, now slightly rested, climbed back to his feet as well.
The spirit beast and Other were still duking it out, raw bolts of energy and corruption flying back and forth. The fury of their fighting left craters across the entire field.
They flinched with every impact, unable to keep their eyes open even though they knew it was coming.
"Well? Who do you think will win?" Li Luo asked.
"The three-tailed beast has a big advantage. It's unusually strong—seems like the rumors that it was trying to break into Duke Stage has some ground to it. It has had the grinning demon well in hand from the start of the battle."
"Although the grinning demon is a Heavenly Disaster Class, in terms of pure battle power, it's a little short. Plus, it spent a lot of its reserves breaking down the purification barrier. It's not doing well in the fight."
"I think the grinning demon will lose, but the spirit beast will pay a heavy price for the win."
The ideal outcome: one dead, one injured.
And when the three-tailed beast was injured, the seal in his hand would work just fine.
The epic battle was a bloody affair, now white-hot in intensity.
Both were throwing out their complete arsenal in order to deal as much damage as they could.
The three-tailed beast had raw gashes all across its flanks, still smoking with black gas.
The grinning demon's face was in even worse shape. It looked like someone had stomped all over it. Claw marks riddled its body, making its grotesque Other body even more hideous than it already was.
It was badly injured.
The grinning demon lurched forward again, but its corruptive power was markedly weaker now.
It was mad with anger. Just at the crowning moment of its victory, this damn animal had come to ruin everything.
It screamed an insane laugh, and the countless Others started to rush over as if commanded by some intangible force.
They were closing in on the three-tailed beast from behind.
The beast roared, sending jet after jet of its flame attack against them.
The horde was overwhelming.
Some of them fell, but they were immediately replaced by others. Their speed did not slow.
A torrent of black finally reached the three-tailed beast... and then moved past it.
They were not charging towards the three-tailed beast, but toward the injured grinning demon!
They didn't seem to be in the mood to treat the grinning demon's wounds.
The grinning demon sensed that something was off, and it screamed in defiance.
The scream held no more power. Overtaken by waves of Others, it disappeared under their combined power.
Anguished screams from under the mass of monsters.
The students watched wide-eyed as the seemingly invincible grinning demon was pulled apart by its minions before their very eyes.
Some ripped off chunks of flesh and then scampered away to safe places to enjoy it.
Almost like a buffet.
Its army had backfired... When its power waned in its fight, so did its control over the lower level Others.
When its mastery faded, it was simply a resource for them to eat.
Like a swarm of raving piranhas, they tore their former master to bits, and then melted away into the gloom. Suddenly, the plains were quiet again.
They could see the three-tailed beast still standing, bleeding from its wounds.
Its crimson eyes were still bright as it now turned towards them.