Teacher Mo Hen's stern shout still echoed through the woods as the panicked students rushed toward the center in a jumble of footsteps.
The roars of the disturbed Soul Beasts drew ever closer from afar, accompanied by faint tremors in the ground. A sense of crisis surged over them like an icy tide.
Yet what appeared before the Soul Beasts were people.
"Heh, Teacher Mo, what's got you so alarmed?"
A voice tinged with mockery and feigned ease came from the dense woods diagonally ahead.
Then the bushes shook, and several figures swiftly emerged.
At their head was none other than Xiao Li!
He wore a seemingly concerned smile, but the cold calculation deep in his eyes stood out in Ling Feng's enhanced "Danger Sense" as clearly as a beacon in the night.
Behind him followed several students from his group, along with another assistant teacher. That assistant teacher looked somewhat uncomfortable, his gaze wandering, as though he was reluctant to be here.
The appearance of Xiao Li's group made the already tense atmosphere even stranger.
Teacher Mo Hen knitted his brows tightly and stared at Xiao Li. "Teacher Xiao? Why are you here? Our group was supposed to be responsible for scouting this area!"
According to the sectors assigned beforehand, Xiao Li's fifth group should have been much farther to the right. They absolutely should not have appeared here by such a "coincidence," especially after Ling Feng had just caused a tremendous disturbance and drawn Soul Beasts over.
Xiao Li spread his hands, looking utterly innocent. "Teacher Mo, you can't blame me for this. Our group found a troublesome pack of ten-year Wind Wolves over there, and we accidentally crossed the boundary during the chase. When we heard that tremendous noise, we were worried something had happened to you, so we hurried over to check."
His gaze swept over the Netherworld Wolf's corpse on the ground, then Ling Feng, who had just risen and whose Soul Power fluctuations had yet to settle completely. His eyes lingered briefly on the conspicuous Yellow Soul Ring around Ling Feng, and his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
A Hundred-Year Soul Ring!
This brat... he actually succeeded in absorbing a Hundred-Year Soul Ring? And judging by these Soul Power fluctuations, the absorption went exceptionally smoothly, and his strength improved significantly!
A trace of barely concealed greed flashed through his eyes, but deeper coldness soon replaced it. The better his talent, the greater the threat, and the sooner he needs to be eliminated!
"Oh? It seems student Ling Feng was quite lucky. You actually managed to kill a hundred-year Netherworld Wolf and absorb its Soul Ring." Xiao Li's smile never reached his eyes. "Congratulations."
Ling Feng remained expressionless, merely looking at him indifferently, as though watching a clown capering about. He could clearly sense the intense killing intent surging beneath Xiao Li's seemingly congratulatory words.
Teacher Mo Hen had no time to examine the truth of Xiao Li's words. The distant Soul Beast roars grew clearer and clearer, and he could even hear the cracks of trees being snapped.
"This isn't the time to discuss that! Powerful Soul Beasts have been disturbed. We must evacuate immediately!" Mo Hen spoke urgently.
"Evacuate? Where to?" Xiao Li countered languidly, pointing in the direction he had come from. "We seem to have disturbed some things on our way here, too. If we retreat now, I'm afraid we'll run straight into them."
He pointed to either side and ahead. "Judging by the noise, that tremendous bang must have drawn Soul Beasts from every direction, right? Wouldn't running around recklessly be throwing ourselves into a net?"
His words made the already panicked students even more frightened. A few girls even began to sound tearful.
"Then what do you suggest?" Teacher Mo Hen forcibly suppressed his anger. He knew Xiao Li had a point, but something about the man's appearance and attitude felt wrong.
A glimmer of triumph flashed in Xiao Li's eyes, but his face took on a thoughtful expression. Then he abruptly clapped his hands and pointed at a small slope nearby, on slightly higher ground with a steep rock face behind it.
"Look! There! It's high ground, with a relatively open view and a rock face behind it. We'd only need to defend the front and flanks! With our two groups together, your strength as a Soul Elder, Teacher Mo, plus Teacher Liu and me, two Soul Grandmasters, we can hold that defensible position. Lasting until dawn or until the other teachers hear the commotion and come to reinforce us shouldn't be much of a problem!"
He spoke confidently, his analysis seemingly sound in every respect.
"Hold our ground?" Teacher Mo Hen looked toward the small slope. The terrain was indeed easy to defend and difficult to attack. But... that also means that once we're surrounded, it'll be a deathtrap! The risk is enormous!
"Teacher Mo, there's no time to hesitate!" Xiao Li urged, his tone carrying a hint of unquestionable authority. "If we delay any longer, we'll all be swallowed by the beast tide! Holding our ground is our only chance of survival! Teacher Liu, what do you think?" He turned toward the assistant teacher behind him.
Teacher Liu opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but under Xiao Li's pressing stare, he finally lowered his head and answered vaguely, "...Teacher Xiao has a point."
Ling Feng watched coldly from the sidelines.
Some "only chance of survival"!
He was almost certain that small slope was a trap Xiao Li had carefully selected!
This so-called "holding a defensible position" probably won't hold off the Soul Beasts, but it'll be perfect for trapping me in a relatively enclosed space! When that happens, it'll be as easy as turning his palm for Xiao Li to arrange some "accident" amid the chaos!
Even these Soul Beasts being drawn here might have been part of Xiao Li's calculations! Killing with a borrowed knife!
"Teacher Mo!" Ling Feng suddenly spoke. His voice was calm, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly. "I think holding our ground is too risky. Soul Beasts have keen noses. With all of us gathered together, our abundant blood and vitality will be like a bright lamp in the darkness, drawing more and more predators. Once we're completely surrounded, we might run out of ammunition and provisions before reinforcements arrive."
He turned his sharp gaze on Xiao Li. "Teacher Xiao, you're so certain reinforcements will come. Could it be that you've already arranged a backup plan?"
The question was exceptionally pointed, striking straight at the heart of the matter.
Xiao Li's expression shifted slightly before he snapped, "Ling Feng! What do you mean by that? I'm trying to find everyone a way out with nothing but good intentions, and you dare suspect me? Do you have a better idea, then? Let's hear it!"
He deftly turned the spearhead back toward Ling Feng.
"I may not have a better idea, but at the very least, we shouldn't lightly walk down a 'path to survival' that could be a dead end." Ling Feng refused to yield an inch. "We can try breaking through in one direction. If we keep the noise down, perhaps we can tear an opening. It's better than sitting here waiting to die."
"Break through? Easy for you to say!" Xiao Li sneered. "Break through a forest surrounded by Soul Beasts with so many burdens in tow? Ling Feng, don't think you can forget how high the heavens are and how deep the earth is just because you got lucky and absorbed a Hundred-Year Soul Ring! You're gambling with everyone's lives!"
He deliberately set Ling Feng against everyone else.
"Enough!" Teacher Mo Hen roared, cutting off the argument. Veins throbbed on his forehead. As the highest-ranking commander present, he had to make a decision immediately.
The distant beast roars and rushing footsteps were already close at hand. They could even see the silhouettes of trees shaking violently!
There's no time!
Teacher Mo Hen swept his gaze over the terrified students, then looked at the "righteously indignant" Xiao Li and the unusually composed Ling Feng. He gritted his teeth.
"Follow my orders! Everyone, head for the small slope ahead! Move quickly and establish a defensive position! Hurry!"
In the end, he chose the seemingly "safer" plan of holding their ground. After all, Xiao Li was an academy teacher and theoretically trustworthy. Although Ling Feng's performance had been astonishing, he was still a child, and his proposed breakout plan was indeed too risky.
"A wise decision, Teacher Mo!" An almost imperceptible cold smile curled Xiao Li's lips as he immediately called to his group. "Quick! Keep up!"
Ling Feng sighed inwardly.
Just as expected...
He said no more. At a time like this, questioning the leading teacher's final decision would be foolish. He glanced at Tang San and Xiao Wu.
Tang San's brows were tightly furrowed. He had clearly noticed something amiss as well, but he chose to obey Teacher Mo Hen's orders, merely giving Ling Feng a covert look to signal caution.
Xiao Wu moved closer to Tang San uneasily. She was more sensitive to the presence of Soul Beasts and could feel more and more malice gathering around them.
Led by Teacher Mo Hen, the group rushed toward the small slope.
Ling Feng followed among them, the Clear Sky Hammer already in his hand and his Yellow Soul Ring revolving slowly.
His "Danger Sense" was screaming warnings!
The Soul Beasts' killing intent came from every direction!
And... from beside him, that gaze as cold as a venomous snake, locked firmly onto him!
Xiao Li...
You've already laid out your game.
Then...
Let's see whether this game of yours can trap this Clear Sky Hammer of mine, capable of smashing everything to pieces!