Earlier on in the battle, Zhao Changhe had refrained from activating the buffed state of No Man’s Land.0

Back in the day, activating it would push him into a state of mindless frenzy. Later on, it became somewhat controllable, allowing him to retain a bit of clarity, but he still would not be as lucid as in his normal state. More importantly, the aftereffects of the buffed state would still leave him severely weakened. He could not afford to use it recklessly, because the situation was unpredictable and he thus needed to stay rational and analytical.0

But at this moment, he could no longer hold back.0

Tang Wanzhuang’s condition clearly showed signs of her being about to unseal her cultivation to the third layer of the Profound Mysteries.0

This damned woman never believed she could fully recover. She’s always been ready for a fight to the death. Now that things have come to this, she probably thinks that “the prince can carry on her legacy” or some such bullshit, so she must feel even more at ease with the thought of dying…0

“If you dare casually unlock the third layer of the Profound Mysteries, just wait until you’re too exhausted to move. Let’s see how I deal with you then! I’ll make sure to do everything in front of Vermillion Bird. She’ll surely be very pleased!”0

Tang Wanzhuang was dumbfounded, and she forcibly halted her attempt to unlock the third layer of the Profound Mysteries.0

The next moment, as Maitreya charged forward like a heavy tank, she raised her sword to block, nearly getting thrown off her feet, her back slamming heavily into… hm?0

A pair of very gentle hands supported her from behind as if worried that she might get hurt. Vermillion Bird’s voice, half-teasing, half-serious, came from beside her, “Don’t die now. I’d quite like to see how you get played with.”0

Tang Wanzhuang was both embarrassed and furious, her mind scrambling for a suitable retort, but before she could respond, Vermillion Bird had already passed her by, her palm slamming heavily onto Maitreya’s chest.0

Unlike his underlings, this massive blob of flesh was not of the invulnerable variety, but it did absorb energy and collapse inward, causing Vermillion Bird’s force to be swallowed...0