Qin Chuan knew that with his current abilities, as long as he could get close to the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, a single Shadow Hypnosis would leave it dazed and confused.
Although it was less effective than when used on a Soul Master, it could still work on opponents of a higher level.
Qin Chuan didn't want to reveal this trump card. Showing his strength too early would only bring him more trouble and suspicion.
He weighed things over in his mind. He'd find a chance to slip away and head to Sunset Forest, where he could search for the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and complete the task issued by the system!
At the center of the battlefield, the fight had already reached its boiling point.
The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was astonishingly fast.
Before Tang San's web could descend, it whipped its tail, and its whole body sprang from the branch like a bolt of red lightning, easily dodging the web.
It wheeled through the air, its target fixed on Dai Mubai, who was charging at the very front!
"Hiss!"
Its jaws gaped wide, sending a gust of foul wind their way. Two sharp fangs gleamed coldly in the gloom.
Dai Mubai neither dodged nor retreated. He crossed his fists in front of his chest and took the hit head-on.
"Bang!"
The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's head slammed into Dai Mubai's arms with a muffled thud.
The tremendous impact knocked Dai Mubai back two steps, leaving two deep footprints in the earth. But his White Tiger Protection Barrier stood firm as a mountain, showing no sign of breaking.
"What a hard head!"
Dai Mubai roared and punched at the serpent's head.
The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent reacted even faster. It twisted its body nimbly, dodging Dai Mubai's fist, then swept its long tail at him like a steel whip!
Just then, a black figure appeared beside the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent like a wraith.
"First Spirit Ability, Hell Stab!"
Zhu Zhuqing's hands became claws, and ten flashes of cold light slashed toward the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's vital point!
The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent seemed to sense the danger and abruptly curled its body. Zhu Zhuqing's claws scraped across its scales, showering dazzling sparks, but failed to break through its defenses.
"What a tough defense!"
Zhu Zhuqing retreated at once after her attack missed, without lingering in the fight for even a moment.
"Hongjun, use fire!" Tang San shouted from behind.
"First Spirit Ability, Phoenix Fire Line!"
Ma Hongjun took a deep breath and spat out a searing stream of fire, shooting it straight at the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.
The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent had an instinctive fear of fire. Daring not to take the attack head-on, it darted into the air.
Tang San and Dai Mubai exchanged a glance. Understanding each other without a word, they began deliberately steering the battlefield toward Qin Chuan.
As they fought the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, they quietly shifted their positions.
Dai Mubai took the front, drawing the serpent's attention with his frenzied attacks.
Tang San stayed behind, using Blue Silver Grass to harass the serpent and force it to change course.
Surrounded and attacked by everyone, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent flew into a rage.
It abandoned its fight with Dai Mubai and lashed its tail, forcing him back. Then its whole body shot like an arrow toward the weakest point in their rear!
The direction it chose to break through was exactly where Qin Chuan stood!
"Look out!" Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong, who were fighting nearby, cried out at the same time.
Qin Chuan immediately dodged, seeing through Tang San and Dai Mubai's little scheme.
Heh, you're pretty convincing, but I'm not playing along. Until we meet again! Taking advantage of the chaos, Qin Chuan slipped into a blind spot and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Tang San saw it and curled his lips into a cold smile. This was the moment he'd been waiting for: Qin Chuan had finally left Zhao Wuji's protection.
But the next instant, his expression changed. Qin Chuan was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is he?" Tang San wondered in surprise. Dai Mubai looked around too, but found nothing.
Just then, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing hurried over. The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's tail had driven them back, so they hadn't been able to reach him in time.
"Where's Qin Chuan? Have you seen Brother Chuan?"
Xiao Wu dodged the gusts of wind flying everywhere as she shouted, her voice thick with tears.
"I don't know! It was too chaotic just now—I didn't notice!" Dai Mubai roared without looking back, swinging his tiger claws.
Tang San, feeling guilty, said, "Maybe he ran somewhere else while dodging! Let's deal with this beast first, then we can—"
Before he could finish, Zhu Zhuqing cut him off in a chilly voice. "You were steering the battlefield toward him just now."
"Zhuqing, what do you mean? Things change in an instant on a battlefield. How could we control that?" Dai Mubai forced out a defense.
Zhu Zhuqing said nothing more. Her cold, catlike eyes swept over the two of them, and the suspicion and frost in her gaze made them uncomfortable.
The girls didn't press them further. They returned to the fight.
But everyone could see that Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing had become unusually ferocious in their attacks, fighting as if they were ready to trade their lives for their enemy's. It was as though they were pouring all their worry for Qin Chuan and all their fury at Tang San and Dai Mubai into the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.
"Second Spirit Ability, Nether Hundred Claws!"
Zhu Zhuqing seized the opportunity. Her figure drew a black afterimage through the air as she brought her hands together and unleashed a rapid flurry of strikes, slashing viciously at the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's neck!
"Hiss!"
The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent cried out sharply in pain.
A wound deep enough to expose bone opened in its neck, and blood gushed out.
The agony fully roused the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's ferocity.
It abandoned all defense, its scarlet comb shining with an eerie light as its enormous body coiled in on itself!
It was the most terrifying move a Soul Beast could use when on the brink of death: self-destruction!
"Bad! Everyone, fall back!" Zhao Wuji's voice rang out beside them like a great bell.
Zhao Wuji had run over to prevent exactly this from happening.
"Third Spirit Ability, Gravity Enhancement!"
The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, which had been so invincible moments before, collapsed to the ground, crushed beneath the weight!
Zhao Wuji caught his breath and said to Oscar, "Quick, finish it off!"
Only then did Oscar come back to his senses. Trembling, he pulled a dagger from his Soul Tool, rushed forward, and plunged it viciously into the dying Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.
As the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent fell, a brilliant purple Soul Ring slowly rose from its body.
The battle was over, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Oscar's face lit up with delight. He immediately sat cross-legged and began absorbing the hard-won third Soul Ring.
Zhao Wuji and the remaining students stood guard around him.
Just then, Xiao Wu ran over and said, "Teacher Zhao! Qin Chuan's gone!"
"What?" Zhao Wuji furrowed his brow. "Where is Qin Chuan?"
"I don't know," Dai Mubai said, feigning confusion as he spread his hands. "The fight was so intense just now. He's a support type, so he probably got scared and ran off somewhere."
"Impossible! Brother Chuan wouldn't wander off alone!" Xiao Wu retorted.
Zhao Wuji's expression darkened. "This is bad. Could another Soul Beast have already carried him off?"
If only that were true! Tang San thought.
At those words, Xiao Wu and the other two grew worried.
"What should we do, Teacher?" Ning Rongrong asked anxiously.
For some reason, all three of them felt a fierce, instinctive urge to protect and possess Qin Chuan, as if he were their most precious treasure.
Now that their treasure was lost, their hearts felt hollow too.
"There's nothing we can do. Once Oscar finishes absorbing his Soul Ring, we'll search the nearby area together."
Zhao Wuji sighed. Things had come to this, and all they could do was do their best and leave the rest to fate.
Half an hour later, Oscar gave a long cry and sprang to his feet.
The third Soul Ring behind him gleamed with an eerie purple light.
"Third Spirit Ability, Fantasy Mushroom Sausage!"
After reciting his still lewd incantation, he produced a pink Sausage covered in mushroom spots.
"Quick, eat it! It'll let us fly for a minute!"
Nobody had time to complain about the name of his Soul Skill. Each person took one and swallowed it.
The next moment, it felt as if everyone had grown a pair of invisible wings. Their bodies grew light and floated into the air.
"Split up! Stay within sight of one another!" Zhao Wuji ordered.
Eight figures swept low through the forest, calling Qin Chuan's name again and again.
"Qin Chuan!"
"Brother Chuan!"
The only responses were the howling wind and the roars of unknown beasts.
They searched every inch of ground within several miles, every thicket, and every tree hollow where someone might hide.
But there was nothing.
Qin Chuan had vanished into thin air, without leaving even the slightest trace.
Two hours later, Zhao Wuji had no choice but to call off the search.
"Let's go back." He looked at the three girls, who seemed utterly bereft, his voice filled with helplessness and exhaustion. "Calling out loudly will only make this forest more dangerous. We can't stay here any longer."
"No! I'm not going back! I have to find Brother Chuan!"
Xiao Wu shook her head stubbornly, tears falling like beads from a broken string.
"Xiao Wu, listen to me!" Zhao Wuji's voice grew stern. "Are we going to put all our lives at risk for someone who may already be... already dead? That's an order!"
Under Zhao Wuji's unquestionable command, everyone had no choice but to give up.
Nobody spoke on the way back.
Dai Mubai tried to comfort Zhu Zhuqing, but one icy look from her sent him backing off.
Tang San tried to take Xiao Wu's hand, but she flung it away as if escaping a plague.
They couldn't understand why the three girls were reacting so intensely.