Chapter 163: The Mad Mantis Woman

The sudden accident didn't stump the Dark World crowd.

Just when the Mantis Plane mantis thought they could hold back the ringleaders who were plundering their Mantis civilization's resources amid the chaos,

they instead saw Fulade and the others, Level Three outsiders who had not yet entered the Spacetime Passage, their expressions calm as they gave them a contemptuous smile.

"Little Jinjin!"

With Fulade's shout.

Ma'erjin couldn't help but give Fulade an irritated glare, speechless at his having the nerve to make a move on her now.

Nevertheless, she nodded in understanding, pulled a metal rod etched with a Magic Rune from her Space Ring, and tossed it toward the lower part of the Spacetime Passage.

The metal rod glowed with the Magic Rune the instant it was thrown, resonating with the pre‑placed Magic Array nearby.

Third Empress Leila. Brante saw the scene, her eyes widening; sensing trouble, she didn't wait for the Mantis civilization's strongmen to react, and a massive magic shield instantly enveloped the entire Spacetime Passage.

Fulade saw the Mantis civilization's strongmen turn ashen, smiled lightly, and deliberately glanced at Leila. Brante with a hint of provocation.

Then, without paying any heed to the mantis strongmen who kept assaulting the magic shield in an attempt to stop their escape, he and the others rushed into the Spacetime Passage, heading for the parent plane Dark World.

Hearing the continual roar behind them, Fulade knew that the defensive Magic Array they had set up could not hold out for long.

They had to escape the Spacetime Passage and return to the Dark World as quickly as possible, lest the enraged Mantis Plane mantis destroy the passage.

If the Spacetime Passage were affected, the consequences would be unimaginable.

At best they'd be exiled by spacetime, cast into some unknown nook of the vast Star Realm, never finding a way back to the Dark World.

At worst they'd vanish together with the passage, turning to ash and returning to the embrace of the Star Realm.

Clearly, none of these outcomes were what Fulade and his companions wanted to see.

As everyone raced forward, the Spacetime Passage showed vague signs of instability, but at least it hadn't collapsed, allowing the Dark World group to let out a heavy sigh of relief.

When they were halfway through, a wisp of aura, disregarding the passage's stability, surged rapidly toward them.

Fulade's expression shifted; he recognized the aura—it was the Mantis civilization's Third Empress Leila. Brante! "She's gone mad!?" he muttered, staring at the Spacetime Passage behind him in disbelief.

Leila. Brante, the Third Empress, ignored the Mantis civilization's strongmen and forced her way, sprinting at full speed toward the Spacetime Passage.

Seeing this, Fulade was stunned; even the others from the Dark World were baffled, muttering that the woman was a lunatic as they watched the Mantis female pursue recklessly. When Leila. Brante entered the Spacetime Passage, numerous Level Three strongmen from the Mantis Plane, upon seeing Princess Prince chase after it, exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and reluctantly followed.

After all, the most honored Princess Prince Leila. Brante had entered; as subordinates, they could not simply watch her venture alone.

That very action directly caused the Spacetime Passage to begin collapsing.

Watching the Space Rifts pop up around them like gaping maws ready to devour, or like Death's scythe swinging, they kept appearing along Fulade's path.

This forced everyone to proceed even more cautiously, yet at a faster pace toward the Dark World.

And this very move accelerated the tunnel's collapse, creating a vicious cycle.

The slower they ran, the longer they lingered, the more dangerous it became—any moment a surrounding Space Rift could shred them into mush, or the spacetime forces could descend into chaos, forming turbulence that would kill them here.

To avoid that fate, they had to run even faster, which meant exerting greater power, further hastening the collapse.

Confronted with this, the group could no longer hold back, surging forward in a scramble. "Ah!!"

A spray of fresh blood splattered onto Fulade as a nearby Witch was sliced in half by a suddenly appearing Space Rift; shocked, Fulade muttered under his breath about the mantis woman's madness.

The mantis woman's frantic actions stemmed from a sudden message she received.

Just as the mantis woman and her allies shattered the magic shield, their faces full of rage, ready to destroy the Spacetime Passage to vent their hatred.

A message appeared, disrupting the mantis woman's and the Mantis civilization's strongmen's plan to annihilate the passage.

Because they learned that the Great Prophet's prophecy spoke of a person who might bring a turning point to the Mantis Plane, possibly among these Plane Invasion invaders.

At the same time, they received an image sent by General Kaide; upon seeing it, the Mantis Plane Third Empress Leila. Brante instantly recognized Fulade's likeness.

After all, she had a deep memory of Fulade's aura, and the moment she sensed his presence, she had firmly etched his appearance in her mind.

Moreover...

As everyone accelerated without hesitation, the collapse grew ever more violent.

Not only were the passage riddled with countless, hard‑to‑avoid Space Rifts, but massive energy fluctuations also caused large sections of the Spacetime Passage to collapse.

Watching the rear collapse into multicolored spacetime turbulence, like a raging hurricane and surging flood that erases all matter, it instantly swept toward the dozen spellcasters and Blood Race members of the Dark World nearby.

Since most of them were allies, Weiluona was also among them; Fulade instinctively halted, raised his arm to activate his law arm ring, and cast a shield over the group.

"Don't resist!"

As the terrifying spacetime turbulence surged toward them, the crowd had no time to react; fear flashed in their eyes and their minds went blank.

A voice, as if from heaven, sounded beside their ears.

Born of instinctive trust in Fulade, when a wave of spatial force enveloped them, they all chose to surrender resistance.

In the instant the turbulence roared past, they vanished.

Although most chose to believe the Dark World leader, a few instinctively resisted.

Seeing the terrified faces, not even a hint of remorse, those few people instantly disappeared before his eyes; Fulade's expression remained cold as he accelerated and pressed onward.

Fulade, swift and agile, narrowly dodged a tiny Space Rift that appeared at his nose; before he could celebrate, a sudden surge of psychic energy slammed at him.

Turning his head, he saw the mantis woman Leila. Brante.

"Madwoman!" At this moment, Fulade wished he had simply ended her back then.

Now, all this just because she chased him!

She dared such a huge risk, causing the Dark World considerable loss.

"Stop, I can get you out."

Just as Fulade seethed inwardly, the mantis woman's voice, Leila. Brante's, came urgently.

(End of Chapter)