Within accelerated time, everything moved with agonizing slowness. By the time Ji Liu carved a bloody path forward, the man blocking the outer entrance, already cleaved cleanly in two, had yet to finish collapsing to the ground.

Ji Liu didn’t look back or allow himself a moment to breathe. Blood and fire flared around him as he smashed through the wall before him, his great halberd pushing through the layers with unstoppable force. Suddenly, he sensed an immense spirit matter reaction close at hand, as though he had struck an invisible wall. 

Ji Liu was overjoyed. Found it! The outer defenses of the esoterism core!

In the slowed stream of time, he had no attention to spare for the chaos and attacks behind him. He entrusted his back and his life entirely to his companions and charged forward without looking back. With both hands above his head, all the rushing blood and fire tangled around his battle axe and great halberd. At last, all flames vanished, leaving only mottled crimson rust coating the blades. All their power of ruin and destruction had been concentrated within. 

His eyes flew wide with fury. Within his pupils, a scarlet light turned into flames. “Open up!”

The shout that followed was so loud that even telekinesis couldn’t fully isolate...