Chapter 708: To Save or Not to Save?

"Could it be that they discovered someone was following them, feared trouble, and simply retreated?" Luo Xuan said.

"That's possible too!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as he was about to say something, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "Look, there are people ahead!"

The group moved forward and indeed saw three new students sitting on the ground, covered in blood, with minor injuries.

These three were all only at the peak of the Mortal Transformation Realm Fourth Layer. Seeing so many people arriving at once, their expressions changed simultaneously: "We haven't hunted any spirit beasts yet..."

After saying this, they remembered that master teachers could not snatch from each other, and they breathed a sigh of relief.

"I've seen these people before; they are from the Luoyuan Empire!"

Luo Xuan transmitted a message.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

The Luoyuan Empire, like the Huanyu Empire, was a second-class empire. They had lived close by during the Scholar Sea, so he could recognize them.

"Were you injured by spirit beast attacks?"

Zhang Xuan didn't say much and looked at the three.

"Yes!" Knowing that they meant no harm, the three did not hide anything.

"Over a dozen spirit beasts at the Spirit Convergence Realm. If they wanted to kill you, it should have been simple. Why did they only inflict minor injuries and then leave?"

Zhang Xuan frowned.

A single Spirit Convergence Realm spirit beast could easily kill three Mortal Transformation Realm Fourth Layer master teachers, let alone over a dozen. If they had truly attacked, the three would have died in less than a breath.

There was no need to only inflict minor injuries and then leave.

"How... do you know we were attacked by over a dozen Spirit Convergence Realm spirit beasts?"

One of the three master teachers couldn't help but be startled.

"We were tracking these spirit beasts, so naturally we know!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Oh, we don't know the specific reason either. We were walking when we suddenly encountered so many. We thought we were doomed, but... they only attacked once and then turned and left, as if afraid of something..." the master teacher replied.

"It should be because they were afraid of being caught up by you!" another master teacher interjected.

The group of spirit beasts had just left not long ago, and the people before them had chased after them. They should have been afraid of being tracked and dared not stay.

"If they were afraid of us tracking them, they would certainly be very angry at humans. Seeing you, they would not have shown mercy..."

Luo Xuan also saw the problem now.

If these creatures had truly discovered them and feared being caught up, encountering other humans blocking their way, they would have been ruthless. How could they only inflict minor injuries?

"What place is ahead?"

Raising an eyebrow, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask.

"Ahead is the One-Line Sky, one of the most dangerous canyons in Leiyuan Peak..." said the first master teacher who had spoken.

"Most dangerous? Damn..." Remembering something, Zhang Xuan leaped up and rushed forward hurriedly. The others, puzzled, followed closely.

Before long, they arrived at a huge valley. All around were steep cliffs. Looking up from below, the sky was like a single thread, giving a sense of one man holding the pass against ten thousand.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

Before even reaching the spot, they felt the air ahead vibrating with true energy, and the sounds of weapons clashing rose and fell.

"There's a battle ahead..."

Hearing this sound and feeling the vibration of true energy, the group understood that there was a battle ahead. They all looked over in confusion.

"Go up and see, and we'll know..."

Zhang Xuan pointed.

It was a high point of the canyon, with countless rocks standing in midair, a large area from which the scene ahead could be clearly seen.

The group filed up and all turned pale.

They saw hundreds of spirit beasts surrounding over two hundred master teachers in the middle.

These spirit beasts included those at the Spirit Convergence Realm and the Bridge Heaven Realm, each immensely powerful. Although the master teachers surrounded in the middle were not few in number, facing such a siege of so many spirit beasts, many were severely injured and gradually losing ground.

"Surrounded... Could it be that the dozen or so spirit beasts earlier deliberately showed a flaw to lure master teachers here, and then... encircle and annihilate?"

Their mouths twitching, the group's faces turned pale.

Although they had many people, once surrounded by so many spirit beasts, they would surely die!

Even if Master Zhang had the half-step Ninth Layer Purple-Winged Heavenly Male Beast, the latter's body was too large, and the One-Line Sky before them was too narrow. Even if it came, it couldn't maneuver. Worse, under the siege of so many spirit beasts, it might even fall into danger and be unable to protect itself!

Zhang Xuan's expression was grave.

His mental cultivation level surpassed the others, and his analysis of events was much deeper. When he first discovered these creatures turning and leaving upon seeing humans, he had been suspicious. Now it seemed it was indeed a conspiracy!

Green-Backed Savage Bears, Iron-Toothed Leopards, Yellow Southern Tigers, Golden-Armed Iron Apes... these spirit beasts were all extremely fast on land. Even Bridge Heaven Realm initial stage master teachers would find it hard to catch them if they truly sprinted. Yet they had deliberately made a big detour, luring group after group of master teachers, surely with some scheme.

Only, he hadn't expected that they would lure humans here to encircle and annihilate them!

"Alliance..."

Everyone thought of uniting to hunt spirit beasts, but they might never have imagined that the spirit beasts had already formed an alliance, some acting as bait, others as ambushers, with clear division of labor and orderly arrangements, planning to wipe out humans in one fell swoop!

Terrifying!

If they hadn't encountered this, would they too have fallen into the spirit beasts' trap and been surrounded?

"Master Zhang... what should we do?"

A renowned master couldn't help but look over.

As a renowned master, seeing a companion besieged, he had to step in to save them, but... even if he went over, with their numbers, it would be a drop in the bucket, utterly futile!

Even if the Purple-Winged Heavenly Bear came, it couldn't save so many people!

"The duty of a master is to protect the human race; no matter how dangerous, we must keep the flame of humanity alive... If we see our kind suffering and do nothing, even if we leave, we betray our principles, and we'll never advance an inch!"

"But... if we really try to save them, we'll all be wiped out without any effect!"

"Yes, in this situation, saving them is impossible, and not saving them is also impossible..."

The crowd fell silent.

Saving them, given their strength, was certainly impossible; not saving them, watching their companions be killed, would inevitably bring guilt and a loss of the moral principles they had always upheld.

"We must save them, but going in like this won't work!"

Zhang Xuan frowned, tapping his clothes with his fingers, his mind racing.

"Then what do we do?"

Everyone looked at him in unison.

Now all of them placed their hopes on this young man, hoping he could create a miracle as he had before.

"Does anyone have the formation flags and diagram for a Five-Star Illusion Array?"

After a moment's hesitation, Zhang Xuan looked at the crowd.

"I... do!"

A master from the former Luoyuan Empire said.

He was an array master, capable of setting arrays to capture spirit beasts, which was why he dared to act alone with two others; otherwise, with their peak Turbid Clarity realm strength, they wouldn't have dared to leave on their own.

"Give it to me!"

Zhang Xuan extended his hand.

"Alright!"

Knowing it was to save their companions, the master nodded, flicked his wrist, and a pile of formation flags along with a jade talisman appeared before him.

"This is the [Illusory Trace Maze], a Five-Star initial array, created by our empire's array master Tao Ran, inspired by the tides. But... setting up this array is extremely troublesome; even after studying it for three years, I need at least an hour to succeed! Most importantly... this canyon is so narrow, how can we set it up?"

The master looked at him in confusion.

Even if he set up this array, it would take one or two hours to succeed. Moreover, setting an array requires on-site inspection, adapting to the terrain, and using a compass to find nodes where spiritual energy converges—it's incredibly complex.

Now, with the battle raging below, even if they could set it up, with so many spirit beasts attacking, these masters couldn't hold out that long!

Furthermore, how could they set it up without going down? If they went down, they'd be trapped too, and they'd be as good as dead!

Among the two hundred besieged masters, there were certainly array masters, and they were all helpless. What could you do?

"Let me take a look first!"

Ignoring the other's words, Zhang Xuan tapped the jade talisman, infused it with true energy, and the Illusory Trace Maze recorded within appeared before him.

"Flaws!"

He murmured inwardly, his eyes fixed on the jade talisman, but his mind was already immersed in his sea of consciousness.

The Illusory Trace Maze was a type of illusion array, created by Luoyuan Empire's array master Tao Ran. It could use terrain to confuse and trap any life form caught within; once trapped, even a Bridge Heaven realm expert would find it hard to escape.

Reading in the library was extremely fast; after a few breaths, all the key points of the array were memorized.

Opening his eyes, he looked at the crowd again: "Does everyone have spirit stones?"

"Spirit stones?"

Everyone nodded simultaneously: "We all have some!"

Though mid-grade spirit stones were precious, for these peak Four-Star, half-step Five-Star masters, they all carried some.

"Take them all out, ten each. If you don't have enough, borrow from others!"

Zhang Xuan instructed.

"Alright!"

Everyone nodded.

They might not have much, but ten mid-grade spirit stones each was manageable.

"We are now fifty-three people in total. Excluding me, there are fifty-two. Divide into four teams, named East, West, South, and North!" Seeing everyone had prepared their spirit stones, Zhang Xuan continued.

Though they didn't know his intention, they could only follow orders. Everyone nodded and split into four groups.

As masters, they moved quickly; all this was done in just ten breaths.

"Alright, everyone be ready. When I give the command, execute it strictly. If you make a single mistake, the people below might not be saved..."

Zhang Xuan looked at the crowd with a grave expression.

"Rest assured, Master Zhang!"

"We'll follow your orders!"

Though still puzzled, seeing his firm gaze full of confidence, they were thoroughly inspired and nodded.

The three masters from Luoyuan Empire had wanted to ask questions, but seeing the others' attitude, they swallowed their words, took a deep breath, looked at the young man before them, and were filled with doubt.

This young man wasn't the oldest among them, so why did everyone trust him so much?

In their view, given the current situation, unless an expert of Elder Mi's level personally intervened, no one could save them!

Could it be... this guy really had a way?