Chapter 1257


    Chapter 1257 Race


    After saying his piece, Sterio darted forward.


    Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Due to his unexpected interruption, the chaotic fight surrounding Jonathan and the others inexplicably


    came to a standstill.


    Despite identifying Sterio as one of the bounties that were worth three coveted envoy positions, no


    one attempted to stop him.


    The reason being the man appearedpletely detached from the ongoing battle, showing no interest


    or involvement in the fight.


    In other words, he was actually making his escape in an unnaturally smooth and effortless way.


    After all, it was highly unusual for someone to voluntarily rush into this encirclement.


    However, not only did Sterio charge in on his own, but he also chuckled and uttered a few words


    before running out again.


    What was even more puzzling was thest sentence that he said, implying that staying put would mean


    facing certain death.


    The crowd wondered what could push a guy to charge into a circle of over a hundred people.


    What could possibly be chasing after him that is even more terrifying than the presentpany?


    Perched atop the mountain, a curious onlooker looked toward the direction in which Sterio was


    sprinting from.


    All they could see were several figures swiftly approaching from the mountaintop.


    It was evident that before his arrival, Sterio was being pursued by several God Realm cultivators.


    However, the difference between a few individuals and a group of over a hundred people was ringly


    obvious to anyone with even a modicum of intelligence.


    As such, it didn’t make sense for Sterio to flee from the few cultivators chasing him from behind when


    he showed no fear in the face of the current situation.


    Among the crowd, it was Jonathan and Merilyn who were the quickest to react.


    After all, they had personally witnessed the terror unleashed by those bugs on Mount Boisvista


    firsthand.


    The moment Sterio darted away, the two swiftly turned on their heels and fled without hesitation.


    Even Seboxia instinctively retreated into Jonathan’s body, choosing not to get involved in the


    impending battle, for he knew that his presence was no longer necessary.


    What Jonathan and his twopanions needed to do at that moment was focus on finding a way to


    escape.


    Meanwhile, Hayden, still oblivious to what was happening, found himself being hauled forward by


    Jonathan.


    He stumbled through the forest, his face stinging from the tree branchesshing at his face, causing


    him to yelp in pain.


    He cursed, "What the h*ll? Mr.


    Goldstein, do put me down first.


    What is happening? What could possibly frighten you all like this?"


    "Bugs,"


    Jonathan responded, using his spiritual energy to guide Hayden and help him regain his footing.


    He then used strands of spiritual energy to pull thetter along as they continued their mad dash


    forward.


    The local cultivators around them stood frozen in disbelief, unable toprehend the reactions of


    Jonathan and hispanions.


    All four of them are running away in such synchronized movements that it seems as though they’re


    being pursued by some demonic entity hell-bent on iming their lives.


    Although the crowd was baffled by their actions, they were determined not to let the group slip away so


    easily.


    After all, thebined bounty on their heads could secure ten envoy positions.


    With such a golden opportunity right in front of them, they couldn’t just stand by and watch them


    escape.


    Thanks to Seboxia’s spell, Jonathan and hispanions effortlessly evaded the oing assault of


    des and projectiles.


    Meanwhile, ahead of them, Sterio could be heard cursing vehemently.


    "F*ck you all! Are you people out of your minds? Why are you still chasing after me? If we don’t make a


    run for it, we’ll be goners!"


    Shielded by Seboxia’s spell, Jonathan and hispanions easily brushed off the attacks around them


    as they swiftly closed in on Sterio.


    "Come on! Let’s go!"


    As he spoke, Jonathan hurled a magical item that tightly coiled around Sterio’s waist.


    With a firm tug, he swiftly pulled the man toward him.


    "You’re as reliable as always, Jon!"


    Sterio eximed, his eyes fixed on the shimmering green specks of life force surrounding Jonathan.


    A wave of relief washed over him, for he knew that the Divine Realm deity residing within Jonathan had


    come to their aid.


    The four of them broke through the blockade of local cultivators and swiftly made their way toward


    Ascension Peak.


    As for those cultivators who had surrounded Jonathan and the others earlier, they were now left


    bewildered as they tried to keep up.


    They couldn’tprehend the motivation behind Jonathan and his group’s reckless sprint.


    They didn’t even fight with such tenacity when they were on the brink of death, surrounded by over a


    hundred assants just moments ago.


    What could have happened to these outsiders in such a short period for them to act like this? However,


    their confusion was swiftly reced by terror as agonizing cries emanated from behind them.


    The local cultivators’ faces fell, their expressions a mix of fear and shock.


    When the crowd looked back, they witnessed a dark mist-like entity descending from the ridge,


    sweeping through the terrain with an ominous presence.


    As the ck mist swept over them, the affected cultivators began thrashing their arms frantically before


    copsing on the ground in a matter of seconds.


    "It’s the hidden-wing insect!" a cultivator eximed in a terrified voice as he used his spiritual energy to


    restrain one of the small ck bugs.


    Hidden-wing insect… Those three simple words were enough to send shivers down the spines of


    everyone present.


    For the local cultivators in the small world, their activities were restricted to a specific area.


    Although the small world boasted vastnds, the regions beyond the border viges, such as the


    Mountain Vige, remainedrgely uncharted.


    As for the seemingly expansive territories between the viges, they had long been thoroughly


    explored and mapped by cultivators.


    Mount Boisvista, where the hidden-wing insect resided, was one of the few forbidden areas in the


    southern region of the small world where entry was strictly prohibited.


    Despite their fearsome reputation, the hidden-wing insect has never ventured beyond the boundaries of


    Mount Boisvista.


    So how could they have made their way here? Moreover, judging by the current situation, it appears


    that these insects have already multiplied and formed a sizable poption.


    Could it be that someone intentionally released them in the arena? But that’s ridiculous, isn’t it? Even


    though the local cultivators found the whole thing hard to believe, the presence of these insects right


    before their eyes left them with no choice but to ept the truth.


    While it might be true that each cultivator could easily crush one or two of these small insects without


    much effort, once they form a swarm, these hidden-wing insects would be an overwhelmingly


    terrifying presence.


    With their sheer numbers, they could devastate and annihte any living creature with ease.


    At that moment, all the cultivators had the same thought shing through their minds.


    We need to run! A flurry of figures dashed up from the hillside, their movements filled with a sense of


    urgency as they raced toward the distance.


    Meanwhile, the spectators in the arena stands were left utterly dumbfounded as they witnessed the


    chaos unfolding below.


    Being an arena with a history veiled in mystery, the people only knew that the ce existed in ancient


    tales and legends.


    However, never before had anyone witnessed such astonishing events unfold within its hallowed


    grounds.


    Without engaging in any battles or fights, over two hundred God Realm cultivators seemed to have


    gone mad, running frantically in all directions.


    Is this an arena or a track meet? They’re supposed to fight, not run like madmen.


    As the events unfolded, Neil, the influential ruler of Outer City, wore an unsettling and enigmatic


    expression on his face as he watched from his seat in the highest section of the arena’s grandstand.


    "These outsiders sure know how to stir up troubles! If this continues, the arena will bepletely


    ruined."


    In front of Neil, thousands of holographic screens were disying scenes from different areas of the


    arena.


    Among these screens, dozens of them showed the presence of the hiddenwing insect.


    As a result of losing their queen, the swarm of insects created by Sterio had already begun to divide


    and multiply.


    The ones chasing after the cultivators were merely thergest cluster of insects.


    As for the remaining insects that had separated from the main force, they started to multiply rapidly,


    spreading across the entire arena like a rampant tide.