Self-Rescue!

Chu Yuan felt a sense of irritation rising in his heart.

A feeling of things slipping out of his control emerged, much like that time back in Chenyang City.

Before, when he saw the giant beast and that suspicious martial artist in the Sky Pit, he had only been seventy or eighty percent certain that something had gone wrong in the Secret Realm.

But the failure of the Secret Realm portal confirmed with one hundred percent certainty that a major disaster had occurred within.

Yet he could not understand it; this trial had gathered the martial arts geniuses of the entire Great Qin for this year! How could a trial of this caliber have such weak defenses? How could it be infiltrated so easily?

The experts outside, the military, the Martial Suppression Bureau... what on earth were they doing!?

Chu Yuan did not pin his hopes on the outside world suddenly discovering the anomaly in the Secret Realm and sending high-level martial artists to open the portal.

Ever since the Blood Sacrifice Array incident in Chenyang City, he had realized that the enemies of Great Qin were not low-intelligence fools.

They were beings who formulated meticulous plans, knew how to endure, and understood how to lie in wait...

Since the enemy had decided to stir up trouble in the Secret Realm, they would certainly have corresponding arrangements in place!

Chu Yuan also did not believe that the giant beast and that martial artist in the Sky Pit would just stay there doing nothing.

Right now, he had to find a way to save himself!

But this situation was different from Chenyang City.

In Chenyang City, he could touch the Blood Sacrifice Array and convert it through the system! This time, there was no such array for him to convert.

Could it be that if he touched that giant beast, the system could turn it into a spirit pet?

Chu Yuan shook his head, casting that ridiculous thought out of his mind.

A way to break the deadlock...

With his current Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation, there was absolutely no way to do it.

To break the deadlock, he had to improve his cultivation!

But another problem remained: although he had cultivation resources, he lacked the subsequent cultivation techniques... otherwise, he would never have needed to come to this Secret Realm in the first place!

Perhaps... he should find a place to hole up and wait for the experts outside to discover the anomaly in the Secret Realm?

If no one came out after the trial ended, they would surely realize something was wrong...

In any case, Secret Realm No. 7 was neither too big nor too small; if he was determined to hide... it wouldn't be that easy to find him, right?

However, before that, he still had to find where Yang Yi was.

If he could save him, he would...

No, wait, he still had one trump card!

Chu Yuan remembered the most powerful method he currently possessed: the Blood Sea Soul-Locking Array!

If he could set up this array, even if he couldn't eliminate all the enemies immediately, he could at least hold out until reinforcements from the outside arrived!

As long as the materials were sufficient, with his own spiritual power reserves at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, he could barely manage to get this great array running!

Materials...

Chu Yuan looked at the girl who had spoken to him earlier; she had already returned to the center of her original small group.

Two boys seemed to be comforting her about something...

He certainly couldn't collect the materials on his own; back then, Yan Xuan and his cohorts had spent who knows how long lurking in Chenyang City to set up the Blood Sacrifice Array.

Although Chu Yuan's mastery of the Blood Sea Soul-Locking Array was superb, and he had no external interference to prevent him from focusing on the setup, he still needed a complete set of materials, even if some items not found in Secret Realm No. 7 could be substituted...

The problem was, how could he get these students to willingly help him collect materials?

He couldn't just say: You are all about to die, but I can save you, as long as you go find...

It would be a miracle if they didn't treat him like a lunatic. These people were already hiding on the Stone Platform because they were afraid of the danger posed by the Blood Beasts; how could they possibly risk their lives to go searching for materials everywhere?

And he didn't have any organization or the ability to incite others.

"Tian Tian? Can we step aside and talk?" Chu Yuan approached them and spoke.

A boy looked at Chu Yuan with hostility: "What for? Didn't you say you didn't want to team up with us?"

Chu Yuan knew the mindset of such a little sycophant perfectly well and couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind, simply looking quietly at Tian Tian.

Tian Tian was silent for a moment: "Alright."

In truth, she wasn't some manipulative girl; the reason her expression was poor when she returned earlier wasn't because of Chu Yuan's rejection.

It was because of what Chu Yuan had said...

How could the information left by the military in the terminal be wrong?

If it said one could leave the trial through the Vortex, then it must be possible to leave!

The speculations of these people were likely just wishful thinking!

They were simply unwilling to face reality...

"How much further?" There was a hint of wariness in Tian Tian's tone, and her pace slowed down.

It was just a request to "step aside" for a word; did it really require leaving the Stone Platform and walking into such a remote area?

She had a clear understanding of her own appearance and figure, and she knew well that many perverts were fond of her type.

Do not assume that martial artists are all noble and lofty, dedicated solely to the pursuit of the martial path.

In fact, martial artists are human too; they possess all the same desires! They are just as inseparable from food, drink, and pleasure!

Chu Yuan glanced back at the Stone Platform. In truth, there had been no need to walk this far, but he had been organizing his words and had wandered here unconsciously.

"Something has gone wrong in the Secret Realm."

Tian Tian asked in confusion, "Isn't that obvious?"

"It is not as simple as you think." Chu Yuan shook his head. "I am stronger than you all, so I followed the direction the Blood Beasts were fleeing to investigate.

In the 'Blood Abyss' marked on the military map, I discovered a giant Blood Beast that is constantly devouring ordinary Blood Beasts to grow stronger!

Beyond that, there is a high-level martial artist guarding its side...

Guess what it will do once it stops devouring?"

Tian Tian imagined the scene Chu Yuan described, her face turning pale as she spoke unnaturally, "It should... be fine, right?

There are many disciples from great families in this trial, as well as geniuses from the super-cities!

It is said that many of them have already reached the Internal Breath Realm.

They... should be able to handle the giant beast and the martial artist you mentioned, right?"

Chu Yuan sighed softly, then channeled his spiritual energy and struck the empty ground beside him with his palm!

A dull explosion rang out, and dirt and rocks flew everywhere!

A massive crater several meters in diameter appeared before Tian Tian.

"Is this the kind of Internal Breath Realm you are talking about? They aren't even as strong as I am...

If the giant beast truly begins to move, they will only be able to stretch out their necks and await slaughter."

Tian Tian's mouth hung slightly open as she stared at the crater Chu Yuan had created, her face full of shock.

"This..."

"You..."

"I..." A moment later, she finally regained her composure, her voice trembling slightly, seemingly on the verge of tears. "Then... then why are you telling me this? I have only just entered the Blood-Qi Realm; I cannot help..."

The heavy reality made it almost impossible for her to breathe.

She had originally thought that even if the sky fell, the tall ones would be there to hold it up.

But at this moment, Tian Tian suddenly realized that even the tall ones could not hold it up... wouldn't small fries like her in the Blood-Qi Realm die even more miserably?

If only she had known... she wouldn't have participated in this trial!

Chu Yuan looked at her and said in a deep voice, "I have mastered a formation that might help the situation.

However... I need you to mobilize people to help me search for the materials to set it up!

Until the materials are collected, do not reveal this news for the time being."

"Why me?"

Chu Yuan said faintly, "Because I have discovered that you seem to have a knack for handling men..."

Tian Tian's face flushed, somewhat annoyed and embarrassed. "It is not what you think..."

"I am not thinking anything at all. In any case, do you agree?"

"I don't seem to have a choice... but why not choose those experts to collect the materials?

Since you are stronger than them, you should be able to suppress and persuade them, right?" Tian Tian asked, puzzled.

Martial artists in the Internal Breath Realm would naturally collect materials at a speed many times faster than those in the Blood-Qi Realm.

"Them? They have likely all gone to their deaths... I don't even know if any of them will make it back alive..." Chu Yuan's tone was inscrutable.

Confidence is a common flaw among geniuses.

Especially those with great natural talent and powerful family backing.

To them, in a place like Secret Realm No. 7, which had been managed by Great Qin for many years, all dangers were controllable and would never exceed the limits of their own abilities!

Therefore, when faced with the abnormal movement of the Blood Beasts, their first instinct, just like Chu Yuan's, was to go and investigate!

But Chu Yuan felt lucky just to have escaped with his own life; as for those Internal Breath Realm practitioners, most of whom were forced to advance through special means...

Whether any of them could actually run back alive was truly uncertain!

But there would always be some who survived.

"Chu Yuan!" An angry shout rang out from the Stone Platform.

Chu Yuan, who had been mentally rehearsing the layout of the Blood Sea Soul-Locking Array, opened his eyes only to see a flash of cold light piercing his vision!

The disheveled girl was lunging toward his brow with a dagger in hand: "How dare you scam us!?"

With a flick of his thought, the Wind Cutter resting by his leg was instantly in his grip, and he struck out with the sheathed sword!

A figure flew backward, slamming into the Stone Platform and bouncing a few times before finally being caught in someone's arms.

Li Ji held the girl, his eyes burning with fury: "How dare you strike with such force!?"

"I hit her, not you, is that a problem?"