Standing in the formation's field, Harold finished his reassessment in the time it took to take four breaths.
Lucas was feeling low. The fourth cultivator—the Spirit Root Realm one, who was supposed to be the least important factor in this whole situation—had dispatched his disciple in under five minutes. Now, he was casually walking back into the clearing, both swords still drawn and looking completely unscathed.
The formation's drain had been running for nearly five minutes. The Binding Ground Array's thirty percent additional cost had accumulated across every technique Harold had thrown at John, and John's Heaven-Splitting Mantle, while not capable of threatening him directly, had been forcing continuous defense rather than allowing Harold to build toward anything decisive. His reserves were not critically low. But they were lower than they should have been at this point in a fight he had expected to be straightforward.
He looked at Robert.
