Zhang Biao carefully observed the battle unfolding before him and calmly analyzed the situation.
"With their current firepower, they can't kill the Beast King from a distance. But if they choose close combat, at least two-thirds of them will die. The price is simply too high."
His gaze followed Zhao Mu's movements across the battlefield.
"Now all we can do is wait and see what kind of formation Zhao Mu is preparing."
---
Zhao Mu moved through the battlefield like a swift spirit serpent.
A current of wind supported his feet, allowing him to glide effortlessly across the broken terrain.
Collapsed buildings, scattered debris, twisted metal, and abandoned machinery littered the area, yet none of it slowed him down.
In his hands, the fifty-meter-long Tough Silk danced like a living creature.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Under his precise control, the silk sliced through the ground, carving an intricate Spirit Rune Formation with astonishing accuracy.
Every line was measured.
Every curve was perfect.
There was no room for mistakes.
Meanwhile, the Beast King grew increasingly furious.
"ROAR!"
"ROOOAR!"
The continuous bombardment from Meng Qiuqiu's Bobo Cannon and Mo Guanguan's Twin Tiger Heaven-Shaking Bow left wound after wound across its body.
None were fatal.
But they hurt.
More importantly, they were irritating.
The Beast King's patience finally snapped.
Its blood-red eyes locked onto Mo Guanguan's team.
Ignoring the danger of exposing its back to Meng Qiuqiu's attacks, it charged forward with explosive speed.
Its intention was obvious.
It would eliminate one team first.
Mo Guanguan's expression changed immediately.
If the Beast King managed to close the distance, her team would be in grave danger.
Behind her, several cadets had already turned pale.
Just then—
As the Beast King raised one massive leg to leap forward, a slender strand of Tough Silk shot through the air like a venomous snake.
The silk wrapped around its leg twice.
Zhao Mu immediately tightened his grip.
"Now!"
He pulled with all his strength.
The Beast King's balance instantly collapsed.
Its enormous body tilted forward before crashing heavily into the ground.
BOOM!
The earth trembled.
Dust exploded into the air.
The Beast King had completely ignored Zhao Mu until now.
Although Zhao Mu had been running around the battlefield nonstop, he had never directly attacked.
To the Beast King, he was merely an annoying insect.
As a result, it had lowered its guard.
And Zhao Mu exploited that mistake perfectly.
The moment the Beast King fell, Zhao Mu immediately withdrew the silk.
He had no intention of competing with a creature of that size in a contest of raw strength.
Being able to trip it once was already impressive enough.
Trying a second time would be suicidal.
"Attack!"
The Beast King's fall created a rare opening.
Both teams immediately increased their firepower.
Explosions erupted one after another.
Energy projectiles slammed into the Beast King's body.
Arrows infused with spiritual power pierced the air like streaks of lightning.
For a brief moment, the battlefield became a storm of destruction.
Meanwhile, Zhao Mu continued drawing his formation.
A complete Spirit Rune Diagram was incredibly complex.
Normally, it required extensive preparation and uninterrupted concentration.
Attempting to create one in the middle of a battlefield was almost impossible.
Not only did he need to finish the formation itself, but he also had to prevent the Beast King from destroying it before completion.
Fortunately, Zhao Mu wasn't trying to construct a complete formation.
He only needed part of one.
A simplified version capable of performing a single function.
That reduced the difficulty considerably.
The Beast King rose to its feet with an enraged roar.
As it blocked incoming attacks, it searched for the human responsible for tripping it.
Unfortunately for the Beast King, Zhao Mu had already moved elsewhere.
Unable to find him, the creature once again focused on the two teams.
Then its gaze landed on a ruined road roller nearby.
A cruel gleam flashed through its eyes.
With terrifying strength, it grabbed the massive machine and lifted it overhead.
Then it hurled it toward Meng Qiuqiu's group.
The giant road roller spun through the air like a meteor.
If it landed, everyone behind the defensive barrier would be crushed instantly.
There wasn't enough time to dodge.
"Leave it to me!"
At the critical moment, Lu Yan stepped forward.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly drew the long blade hanging at his waist.
The weapon had been forged from B-grade alloy and possessed exceptional durability.
As the blade emerged from its sheath, black flames erupted from his body.
Unlike ordinary fire, these flames radiated no heat.
Instead, they felt cold.
Deathly cold.
As though they had emerged from the depths of the underworld itself.
Around the blade appeared a phantom edge composed entirely of dark flames.
This was Lu Yan's A-Rank Talent.
Dark Killing Blazing Flames.
Over the past month, Zhao Mu had personally trained him.
His swordsmanship had improved dramatically.
After witnessing Lu Yan's ability for the first time, Zhao Mu had made only one comment.
"Lu Yan was born to wield a blade."
Facing the incoming road roller, Lu Yan steadied his breathing.
He recalled Zhao Mu's teachings.
Do not fear.
See your enemy clearly.
Trust your ability.
The blade flashed.
A crescent of black fire streaked through the sky.
The moment it touched the spiritual energy covering the road roller, something astonishing happened.
The Beast King's spiritual power melted away like snow under the summer sun.
Dark Killing Blazing Flames possessed a unique property.
It devoured spiritual energy.
Any spiritual ability struck by those flames would be weakened.
The black crescent passed through the road roller.
For a split second, nothing happened.
Then—
The enormous machine split cleanly in half.
Both sections crashed harmlessly to either side.
The cadets behind the barrier stared in shock.
Even Zhu Meng was stunned.
If he had attempted to stop that attack himself, he could have deflected it at best.
Splitting it apart was another matter entirely.
Only now did everyone truly remember something.
The quiet young man who usually followed Zhao Mu around was an A-Rank genius.
A Combat Level 12 prodigy.
His strength had simply been overshadowed by Zhao Mu's brilliance.
---
Despite Lu Yan's impressive display, the situation remained dangerous.
The Beast King's attacks grew increasingly violent.
Wave after wave of spiritual bombardment crashed toward the teams.
Although everyone worked together to defend, they were gradually being pushed back.
The pressure continued mounting.
Mo Guanguan and Meng Qiuqiu unleashed powerful attacks repeatedly.
Yet none of them could inflict a truly fatal wound.
At best, they created additional injuries.
The Beast King remained far from defeat.
If things continued at this pace, retreat would become their only option.
Then suddenly—
A voice came through their communication wristbands.
"The formation is complete."
It was Zhao Mu.
Everyone immediately looked around.
Their eyes widened in shock.
Without anyone noticing, Zhao Mu had completed a massive Spirit Rune Formation around the Beast King.
The enormous diagram covered a huge section of the battlefield.
Complex spiritual lines intertwined with one another, forming an intricate network.
"Miss Mo!"
Zhao Mu shouted.
"Go to the northeast corner!"
"Qiuqiu, take the southwest position!"
"Inject your spiritual energy into the formation!"
At this point, nobody questioned him.
They had already placed their trust in Zhao Mu.
Both teams immediately rushed to their designated locations.
Meanwhile, Zhao Mu secured the final component.
He wrapped his Tough Silk around two giant boulders and pulled it tight.
The entire formation was now connected.
"Now!"
At his command, everyone poured their spiritual energy into the formation.
More than a dozen elite cadets contributed simultaneously.
The amount of spiritual energy gathered was astonishing.
The power surged through the formation's pathways.
The spiritual lines lit up one after another.
Brilliant white light erupted across the battlefield.
The entire formation came alive.
At its center stood the Beast King.
Suddenly, its expression changed.
An invisible force descended upon its body.
The creature felt as though countless chains had wrapped around every limb.
Its muscles tensed.
Its spiritual power exploded outward.
Yet it couldn't move.
Not even an inch.
The Beast King roared furiously.
But the restraints held firm.
Only then did everyone understand.
What Zhao Mu had created wasn't a killing formation.
It wasn't designed for destruction at all.
It was a sealing formation.
A prison.
A formation created solely to immobilize its target.
Zhao Mu knew from the beginning that killing the Beast King directly was impossible.
Creating a complete offensive Spirit Rune Diagram during combat was unrealistic.
It would take too much time.
The Beast King would destroy it long before completion.
Therefore, Zhao Mu needed only one thing.
A single opening.
One brief moment.
One instant when the Beast King couldn't move.
And now—
That moment had finally arrived.
The formation shone brilliantly.
The Beast King struggled helplessly within its prison.
And at the edge of the battlefield, Zhao Mu lowered his stance.
A sharp light flashed in his eyes.
The decisive strike was about to begin.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)