Chapter 667: Saving Lives

Zhang Xuan had met many beautiful women. Shen Biru, Mo Yu, Zhao Feiwu, Yu Feier, Luo Qiqi… His two students, Wang Ying and Zhao Ya, were no less stunning, and perhaps even more exceptional.

Among these beauties, many held affection for him; some had even confessed their feelings, opening their hearts and expressing a desire to be with him… Yet, he remained unmoved. It wasn't that he was unemotional or disliked beautiful women; rather, his heart simply wasn't stirred. With an unmoved heart, he had no desire to invite trouble or add to his worries.

He had always believed his detachment stemmed from the system in his mind or the impartiality of the Heavenly Dao. He never dreamed that merely a glance at this figure in white would make his heart stubbornly skip a beat. It was as if something within her was attracting him, compelling him to approach her irresistibly.

Her appearance was indeed beautiful, so much so that even Zhao Ya paled in comparison. However, his state of mind had reached a certain level of cultivation; he wasn't one to harbor wild thoughts just from seeing a beautiful woman. Yet, for some unknown reason, this person seemed incredibly familiar to him, as if he had met her before.

“She cannot be harmed…” This thought surfaced in his mind.

There were over thirty Spirit Beasts at the Manifestation Fifth-level surrounding them, along with seven or eight hunters. If they were to launch a silent ambush, the figure in white would surely be overwhelmed, unable to defend against so many opponents!

“Save her!” For some reason, this thought emerged with extraordinary conviction.

He did not want to see this figure brutally killed by so many spirit beasts.

“If I just rush in to save her like this, I’ll definitely be surrounded too, and I might even get trapped myself!” Although he wanted to save her, he couldn’t be so reckless.

With so many powerful spirit beasts heavily encircling the area, even if he could fly, escaping would be difficult. He had to find a way.

“Alright, I’ll continue pretending to be Master Yang and see if I can scare these guys away!” After thinking for a while, he realized there was no better method than resorting to his old trick… deception! If he could scare these guys into leaving immediately, that would be ideal. If that didn’t work… he’d have to fight head-on! At worst, he would summon his clone to fight alongside him. Even if they couldn’t win, they could still escape.

“That’s the plan!” Gritting his teeth, he refined the plan several times, then stood up, his muscles rippling as he transformed back into Master Yang.

He had barely finished preparing when he saw numerous spirit beasts, eyes gleaming, already surrounding the pond from all sides, poised to charge at any moment.

“No time left…” Raising an eyebrow, Zhang Xuan could no longer bother with anything else. He leaped straight towards the pond by the waterfall.

“Hmph!” While still in mid-air, a cold snort echoed like a dragon's roar, making the surrounding forest hum and vibrate. This roar utilized his soul power combined with all his True Qi, giving an overwhelming sense of irresistible might. Having long been accustomed to impersonating a master, he exuded an inherent aura; in the air, he gave off the impression of a divine being descending, radiating awe-inspiring power.

The numerous spirit beasts and hunters, who were just preparing to attack, were clearly startled to see a person descending from the sky, and they paused. While spirit beasts’ intelligence didn’t match that of humans, they weren’t foolish. This figure floating in mid-air and flying straight towards them likely possessed strength beyond their ability to contend with.

Seeing that the opponents didn’t charge immediately, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly moved to a position diagonally above the figure in white. This position allowed for the fastest possible action, whether to rescue or to escape.

Getting closer, he saw more clearly: it was a young woman around his age, with a calm expression, apparently unaware that she was already surrounded by numerous spirit beasts.

“I happened to pass by this place and found its scenery pleasant. I do not wish to witness further bloodshed. All of you, withdraw!” With his hands clasped behind his back, Zhang Xuan surveyed his surroundings. After speaking aloud, he secretly transmitted a message to the girl.

“In a moment, try to find a way to escape. The surroundings are already teeming with spirit beasts. I suspect… they might be targeting you!” After he spoke, he received no reply from her. He glanced back to see the white-clad woman looking at him with a calm expression, as if she hadn’t heard his words.

“Could it be… she doesn’t believe me?” He frowned. Those large creatures had surrounded them silently, now hidden and not showing themselves. Perhaps she didn’t believe him. It was understandable. If he were resting here and someone suddenly appeared, transmitting a message about being surrounded by spirit beasts, he might also think the person was crazy.

“What, are my words no longer effective?” Knowing that explaining now would reveal his true identity, Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow and flicked his sleeve: “Withdraw, now!”

Hearing his loud command, the surrounding spirit beasts indeed showed some fear. One couldn’t help but let out a roar, revealing itself from the bushes. Once one was revealed, the other spirit beasts and hunters seemed to know they had been discovered and no longer hid, emerging one by one. Over thirty Manifestation Fifth-level spirit beasts, accompanied by seven or eight hunters of the same level, exerted intense pressure.

“Do you believe me now? When I passed by earlier, I saw that they might be targeting you and that Snow Fox…” Seeing these creatures reveal themselves, Zhang Xuan felt sweat trickle down his forehead, but he continued his transmission. Upon seeing so many spirit beasts gather, the white-clad woman also seemed surprised. Understanding his meaning, she nodded.

“Don’t be afraid. Since I’ve seen this, I naturally won’t allow these spirit beasts to cause harm. Rest assured, I will help you drive them away!” Seeing that she understood, Zhang Xuan continued his transmission, then looked around again, raising an eyebrow.

“Do you truly wish for me to make a move?” *Boom!* The soul power between his brows erupted, sweeping across the scene and emitting a vast, majestic aura. His true strength wasn’t particularly remarkable, but when it came to soul power, even Ye Wentian at the Manifestation Eighth-level was far inferior! As his soul power was unleashed, the numerous spirit beasts and hunters immediately felt an intense pressure, genuinely sensing that the person before them was a peerless master.

*Thud!* A flying spirit beast lost control of its body and plummeted from the sky. Several terrestrial spirit beasts also trembled, seemingly unable to resist any longer.

Seeing their reactions, Zhang Xuan, though still tense, also breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed these spirit beasts weren’t foolish; they knew the might of a powerful expert.

Just as he thought they would surely be terrified and retreat, he heard a roar. The Scaled Bear Tiger, the first one he had encountered, let out a fierce bellow. Hearing the roar, the spirit beasts that had been somewhat fearful earlier suddenly regained their vigor. One by one, they looked back at him, their eyes gleaming with ferocity.

“What’s going on?” The numerous spirit beasts had just been trembling in fear, yet after this fellow’s cry, they changed their attitude. Zhang Xuan’s expression changed. Could it be… this Scaled Bear Tiger recognized him? He had followed because he saw this large creature pass by; it must have known his strength from their previous encounter. But back then, it saw Zhang Xuan, and now he was disguised as Master Yang. How could it possibly recognize him?

While he was wondering what was going on, the Scaled Bear Tiger let out another furious roar, its massive paw scraping the ground, and leaped into the air, being the first to charge forward.

“Damn it!” His face fell. Even an idiot would know that his disguise had been exposed somewhere. It seemed that impersonating a master worked in front of martial artists, but it was utterly impossible in front of spirit beasts! These creatures, though lacking human intelligence, possessed keener senses of smell and sight. Perhaps his disguise had been too careless just now, allowing them to detect something amiss. It was also possible that his soul and physical body weren’t perfectly aligned at the moment, preventing him from concealing his aura as perfectly as before. If his aura couldn’t be concealed, then naturally, the opponents could easily tell that his “master” persona was fake.

“I’ll have to fight…” Knowing that once this creature charged, he would have no choice but to fight, Zhang Xuan’s body swayed. He appeared before the white-clad woman, grabbed her hand, and exclaimed, “Run!” Before they could even move, the Scaled Bear Tiger was already upon them. Its massive paw slashed furiously, unleashing a wave of air that spread for tens of meters like a blade, cutting straight towards his arm.

“Damn it!” He hadn’t expected it to be so fast, and Zhang Xuan’s expression was grim. The Scaled Bear Tiger’s greatest strengths were its claws and power. Even though his physical body had been tempered by the Purification Pond, becoming tougher, directly confronting it would likely result in injury.

Releasing the woman, he flicked his wrist, and the Ice Rain Sword appeared in his palm. He pointed it in mid-air, meeting the incoming attack. He had never used a weapon when fighting humans, but the situation was critical now, and he could no longer afford to hold back.

*Whoosh!* The long sword swept through the air, and a wave of sword qi immediately extended for tens of meters, colliding with the wave of air created by the creature’s paw.

*Boom!* A violent explosion ensued, and two massive cracks, each seven or eight meters deep, appeared on the ground. Zhang Xuan remained motionless, while the Scaled Bear Tiger stumbled back, a shallow white mark appearing on its body.

Although the Scaled Bear Tiger possessed Manifestation Fifth-level strength and charged with terrifying momentum, it still fell short when compared to someone like Zhang Xuan, whose soul, physical body, and True Qi far exceeded his current energy level. Even so, it was still incredibly powerful. Had it been any other Manifestation Fifth-level creature, Zhang Xuan’s sword strike would likely have cleaved it in half. Yet, on this creature, it only left a white mark, demonstrating truly terrifying defense.

*Roar, roar, roar!* Seeing that his single sword strike had indeed repelled the Scaled Bear Tiger, but wasn't powerful enough to slay all the beasts, the surrounding spirit beasts seemed to have realized the truth. They all roared in unison and charged forward at once.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!* Several feathered arrows also shot forth, flying straight towards his face. These were from the hunters! These individuals excelled at long-range attacks. The arrows carried dense True Qi, and even before they arrived, they exuded a sharp, murderous intent.

His pupils contracted, and Zhang Xuan’s scalp tingled. There were flying creatures in the sky, crawling ones on the ground, and others skilled in defense, offense, and even… ranged attacks. If these creatures truly managed to encircle him, even bringing out his clone might not be enough to win!

“Escape!” His hand trembled, and several sword rays shot out, blocking the incoming arrows. Zhang Xuan pulled the white-clad woman and leaped straight into the pond before them. At this moment, they were surrounded on all sides, with only one path to survival!