Chapter 709: A Hundred Banners Settle the Void

While still puzzled, they saw the young man before them grab the formation banners, staring intently at the terrain below as if calculating positions.

"Teacher Zhang is going to set up the Phantom Maze Formation..."

Seeing his movements, the three renowned teachers' eyebrows twitched.

Not to mention the narrow canyon making success difficult, with the battle raging below, chaotic energy and turbulent spiritual power, even a compass couldn't find nodes—how could he set it up?

In such a situation, not even a five-star formation master, let alone a six-star or seven-star, could probably succeed!

Most critically, once he started setting up the formation, whether it succeeded or not, they would be exposed. With so many spirit beasts, they might turn and attack, and no one would escape!

Is this the good idea you came up with?

"Don't worry. Since Teacher Zhang says he can save them, he must be confident!"

Seeing their tension, Ruohuan Gongzi smiled reassuringly.

He had spent the most time with Teacher Zhang and knew him best. This young man seemed to possess infinite magic, effortlessly reversing situations that seemed utterly impossible.

Like that alien clansman, whom he talked into suicide... anyone else would find it hard to believe, but he actually pulled it off.

And as for himself, with his strength, how could he have qualified to come here? It was precisely this young man's methods that made it possible.

This time, though it seemed difficult, perhaps he could still manage it and earn everyone's admiration.

"Let's hope so..."

The three shook their heads with bitter smiles.

While they were talking, Zhang Xuan, who had already observed the terrain, suddenly took a deep breath and transmitted a message.

"Everyone, get ready!"

Hearing this, everyone focused their minds, clutching spirit stones in their palms, ready to follow orders.

Whoosh!

Just as they wondered what the young man would do, they saw him leap, stamp his foot on the ground, and dash straight toward the area where spirit beasts and humans were fighting.

"This..."

Their pupils contracted, and everyone was startled.

That was the center of a battle with hundreds of spirit beasts. Charging in like that—were you sure you were saving people, not seeking death?

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Sure enough, seeing someone flying over the rocks, the spirit beasts besieging the renowned teachers roared simultaneously, unleashing a storm of attacks into the air.

The spirit beasts' attacks were like a hurricane. If hit, not even Zhang Xuan, let alone a Mortal Transformation Seventh Layer expert, might survive.

Whoosh!

Just as everyone thought he couldn't dodge and would likely be killed before reaching them, the young man moving through the air strangely shifted three feet to the right.

Though only three feet, it caused the combined attack to miss, falling harmlessly.

Roar!

Seeing their attack fail, the spirit beasts grew enraged, roaring again as dozens more attacks came from all directions.

This time was different.

Earlier, the spirit beasts' combined power was strong and hard to withstand, but now the attacks were scattered, almost completely sealing off the path forward.

"These attacks might be weaker, but if hit, he'll definitely be injured. Once he falls, he'll be surrounded. Forget saving others, he won't even be able to save himself..."

The renowned teachers clenched their fists.

Judging by the spirit beasts' attack power, killing a Spirit Fusion Realm expert mid-air might be impossible, but if hit, he'd be injured and fall. Then, even without attacks, the beasts' weight alone would trample him to death!

"Look!"

Just as they were filled with worry, someone shouted, and everyone looked up, stunned.

They saw Teacher Zhang, darting along the cliff rocks, his figure weaving through the attacks as if he could predict their positions. Though dangerous, he dodged each time unscathed.

Like dancing on blades, dangerous yet unharmed.

"It's powerful calculation... and terrifying eyesight!"

Their pupils contracted.

Everyone here was a renowned teacher, knowing how difficult this was. It required complete understanding of every spirit beast's habits, attack methods, power, speed... to pull it off!

In other words, while standing there, he hadn't just calculated the positions for the formation banners but also predicted the possible attack directions and methods of these spirit beasts, planning his route in advance!

Otherwise, there was no way he could be so smooth and effortless!

How much calculation ability did that require? And how keen was his eyesight?

Was he even human?

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Unaware of everyone's shock and amazement, Zhang Xuan kept shifting his form. After a dozen breaths, he finally reached the air above the besieged group. Taking a deep breath, he raised his eyebrows, and true energy burst from his palm.

"Go!"

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

The hundreds of formation banners in his palm immediately emitted a sharp whine, then scattered with a "swoosh," shooting in all directions.

"Th-this... is the [Hundred Banners Settle the Void] that only seven-star formation masters can use?"

The renowned teacher who had given him the banners turned pale, nearly falling off the rock in fright.

"Hundred Banners Settle the Void? What's that?"

The crowd was baffled.

This was a specialized term for formation masters. Among the many masters, most had not taken this as a secondary profession, so few knew of it.

"Legend says that a Seven-Star Formation Master, with a powerful spirit, can find the corresponding node for each formation flag without a compass, then throw all the flags at once to instantly set up the formation... How, how did he do it?"

This master's lips trembled.

Formations were not fixed; they had to be adapted to the environment through various deductions.

Even for a Seven-Star Formation Master, casting the Hundred Flags Settle Void was for low-level formations, such as fourth or fifth grade... This young man before them, only at the Harmonious Spirit realm, was already straining to set up a five-star formation, and he used such a brilliant technique...

Was it real?

Could I be seeing things?

Boom!

Amid the shock, the formation flags whistled down. Some landed among the crowd, others on the cliffs of the canyon. The many flags fluttered in the wind but showed no movement.

"Trouble... This is a place of chaotic spiritual energy. Without spiritual energy to replenish, even if the flags are placed correctly, they can't be activated..."

Seeing the flags fall but no formation appear, this master thought of something and his brows jumped again.

He hadn't reached the Bridge Heaven realm, yet he could set up a fifth-grade elementary formation, not because of his talent, but because this set of flags had been refined and imbued with some of his teacher's power.

This power, in stable spiritual energy, could gather qi, maintain operation, and unleash the formation's might.

But now... a battle was raging below. In the valley, spiritual energy surged violently like a storm, without any pattern. Even if the flags were positioned correctly, they couldn't activate the teacher's power to smoothly trigger the formation!

"Get ready! East, two fists left, shoot your spirit stones! West, four fists right..."

Just as he was stunned and at a loss, a voice rang in his ear—the young man's urgent telepathic message.

"Yes!"

Not knowing his intention, but with no time to think, the masters of the east, west, south, and north teams simultaneously burst forth with true qi and shot the spirit stones from their palms.

Whoosh!

Fifty-two people shot spirit stones at once; 520 stones broke through the air to above the many spirit beasts.

Roar!

Seeing so many spirit stones, the beasts were startled and attacked the air.

Crash!

The powerful attacks, like a storm, deflected all the stones shot by the four teams, changing their trajectories.

"It's over..."

Everyone clenched their fists.

From Master Zhang's tone, his order to shoot the stones must have been calculated precisely. Now that the trajectories were knocked off course by the beasts, the plan was likely useless!

Buzz!

Just as they were sure of failure, the deflected stones from the four teams simultaneously arrived at the spot beneath Zhang Xuan and collided.

Boom!

The stones collided and exploded at once, instantly sending a surge of dense spiritual energy straight down toward the formation flags below.

"This..."

"Master Zhang... knew in advance that these beasts would attack?"

Everyone's eyes widened, nearly biting their tongues.

The scene before them was clearly still within Master Zhang's calculations.

In other words, he had already calculated that the beasts would attack upon seeing the stones, and had predicted the trajectories so that the stones would collide beneath him, instantly releasing massive spiritual energy!

This...

Even witnessing it with their own eyes, everyone felt as if they had seen a ghost.

"Activate!"

Just as everyone's faces paled in fear, Zhang Xuan in the air let out a cold shout, stomped his foot in the void, and shot a beam of true qi straight down.

Hum!

The formation flags, having absorbed the spiritual energy from the stones, instantly vibrated. A thick fog enveloped the beasts and the masters in the blink of an eye!

The Phantom Maze Formation was activated!

"Using the impact of the stones' spiritual energy to disrupt the chaotic true qi from the battle and seize the chance to activate... How familiar with the Phantom Maze Formation must one be to achieve this? Even Tao Ran, the master who created this formation... couldn't do it!"

The three masters from the Fallen Yuan Empire all trembled.

Though it was only a few breaths, this guy was too damn terrifying!

Step by step, everything others thought impossible, he handled as easily as unraveling silk!

"The formation is set. All beasts and masters are trapped. If handled properly, we can rescue the masters!"

Seeing the formation take shape, Luo Xuan, Ruohuan Gongzi, and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

The maze trapped both beasts and humans, making further combat impossible. Even if they couldn't rescue anyone, it could at least ensure the masters' safety for now.

"Indeed! As expected of Master Zhang, to think of such a method and actually pull it off..."

Everyone nodded.

Boom!

As everyone relaxed, feeling rescue was in sight, a rumble came from the formation below, and the mist churned.

"Trouble... These beasts are too powerful. They intend to... break the formation by force!"

The master from the Fallen Yuan Empire, realizing something, couldn't help shouting out.