38: Chapter 38 Betrayed

Wang Bin had already keenly detected that slight movement when the sounds of battle, dozens of miles away, first began.

As the sounds grew closer, like thunder exploding in his ears, his expression became increasingly solemn.

He looked up at the sky a few miles away and saw Chen Fei and the others flying rapidly towards them. Wang Bin was about to step out from his hiding place and greet them, as they were all fellow disciples, and he wanted to ask what was happening.

But just as he lifted his foot, his gaze swept past Chen Fei and the others, catching sight of the group of Yao Beasts pressing in behind them like a dark cloud.

Immediately following, deafening roars and heavy thumping sounds surged towards him like a raging tide. The sounds were like the roar of death, startling him and making him immediately stop in his tracks. In his brief moment of hesitation, Chen Fei and the two others had already flown like meteors through the Formation in the valley.

In the blink of an eye, a group of Foundation Establishment Stage Yao Beasts also arrived at the valley, their Aura formidable.

Seeing this, Wang Bin's heart tightened abruptly, feeling as if an invisible hand was tightly clutching his heart.

His gaze swept over this group of Yao Beasts, among which the most conspicuous was the Black Bear. Its body was enormous, a full three zhang (approximately 10 meters) tall, and its strong muscles were like hard rocks. Each step it took caused the ground to tremble slightly.

The snake next to it was even more astonishing; its winding body was over ten meters long, its scales shimmering with a cold glint in the sunlight, and the way it flicked its tongue sent shivers down one's spine.

There was also a bird in the air, also three zhang (approximately 10 meters) in size, radiating a chilling sense of danger, as if it were a demon that had flown out of Hell.

Wang Bin secretly thought to himself, with such a lineup, if he were to fight them head-on, it would undoubtedly be like throwing an egg against a rock.

If he rushed out to fight, the disparity in strength between them was so vast that it would likely be a nine-to-one chance, with him having a 90% probability of defeat. Moreover, even if he fought with all his might, for these powerful Yao Beasts, it would merely be a snack, at most satisfying them by one-tenth.

At this moment, Wang Bin was caught in a dilemma, hesitating whether to wait until the Yao Beasts had fully entered the trap before activating the Formation.

Just as he was struggling internally, suddenly, a colossal azure light barrier, like a celestial curtain, enveloped the entire valley. The light was dazzling and contained powerful spiritual energy fluctuations.

"Blazing Inferno!"

"Explosive Talisman!"

"Explosive Talisman!"

A series of incredibly powerful offensive Spells and Talismanic Incantations flew out from the valley, raining down haphazardly on the Yao Beasts that were not yet trapped by the Formation.

For a moment, flames soared into the sky, explosions deafened the ears, and smoke and dust filled the air.

Seizing this chaotic opportunity, Chen Fei and the two others reacted extremely quickly, each swiftly slapping a Swift Travel Talisman onto themselves.

With a flash of three lights, they vanished from their original spots like ghosts, completely disappearing from Wang Bin's sight in the blink of an eye.

Wang Bin watched this series of thrilling maneuvers unfold in just a few breaths, and it took him a good while to recover his senses.

He was full of doubts: How did this Yi Wood Azure Spirit Formation activate? He hadn't activated the Formation!

He subconsciously used his Divine Sense to re-examine the Formation Flag hundreds of meters away, only to find the Formation Flag standing quietly there, completely motionless.

In that instant, his eyes suddenly widened, and a chill surged through his heart.

Could it be... they actually had a way to activate the Formation without needing the Formation Flag? And, no one notified him to retreat?

In this flash of lightning, Wang Bin felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over him from head to toe. He suddenly realized that, from the very beginning, he had been treated as cannon fodder!

If he hadn't subconsciously felt unsafe, sensed that something was wrong, and cautiously kept an extra eye out, having a sudden idea to hide hundreds of meters outside the Formation to ambush, he would undoubtedly be trapped within the Formation like those Yao Beasts, becoming a stepping stone for Chen Fei and the others to escape.

Realizing all this, Wang Bin felt a chill run down his spine, and cold sweat poured from his forehead like rain, streaming down his cheeks.

His body trembled slightly, and he kept muttering, "Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!"

He never expected the Cultivation World to be so complex and treacherous, human hearts so unfathomable, and deceivers everywhere.

Originally, they had no grudges, and they were even fellow disciples, yet for their own survival, they unhesitatingly put him in a deadly situation.

At this moment, Wang Bin was still hiding in the stealth Formation, staring blankly with a terrified expression.

Outside the Formation, the smoke and dust gradually dispersed. The male Azure Flame Bird, relying on its ability to fly in the sky, escaped the restraint at the very last moment before the Formation closed, thus not being trapped.

However, it also suffered a wave of frontal attacks from those humans, and its already injured body was now further aggravated. It looked in the direction where Chen Fei and the others had disappeared, its eyes burning with rage, and it angrily let out chirping sounds towards the sky, filled with unwillingness and fury.

The Black Bear and that snake, on the other hand, were trapped within the Formation. They crashed wildly within the Formation, attempting to break free from its restraints.

Seeing this, the Azure Flame Bird's eyes almost spewed fire. It furiously launched attacks towards the Formation, and with each flap of its wings, streaks of azure flames blasted towards the Formation.

Just then, a red, two-tailed fox suddenly ran up from behind.

This fox had a lithe body, stood one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) tall, and its entire body of red fur resembled burning flames, shimmering with a luxurious luster in the sunlight.

Its steps were light and elegant, and though it was a Yao Beast, it exuded an innate noble Aura.

It actually spoke human words directly, its voice clear and pleasant:

"My Lord, the Black Bear and that annoying snake are currently unharmed. This Formation is merely a trapping Formation; it won't cause them substantial harm, only hold them for a period of time.

If we want to break through this Formation, it will take at least the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. If we delay any longer, those humans will be long gone."

The Azure Flame Bird stopped its attack upon hearing the fox's words and turned to look at the fox with a puzzled expression.

The fox immediately introduced itself respectfully: "My Lord, I have given myself a name, Fox Seven.

As for why I, a second-tier Yao Beast, can speak human words, it's a long story, which I will report to you in detail when there is time in the future.

My Lord, there is a city of human Cultivators about four hundred miles away. Those humans will definitely pass through there.

We might as well rush there first and wait for them. Coincidentally, over the past few decades, many of our kind have been hunted by humans. This time, we can avenge them all together!"

"Awoo! Awoo! (I agree, damn humans, they killed many of my wolf cubs.)"

A group of wolves also arrived from behind. The two leading wolves were massive and majestic, both second-tier Yao Beasts, their eyes gleaming with hatred.

Behind them followed dozens of first-tier Yao Beasts, their glowing green eyes flickering like Will-O-Wisp in the darkness, full of bloodthirsty desires.

Then, several more second-tier Yao Beasts arrived successively, roaring, howling, or chirping, creating a chaotic scene.

As the strongest and most noble-blooded Yao Beast present, and having come from the depths of the Demon Beast Mountain Range, the Azure Flame Bird was naturally revered as the leader amidst this chaos.

It lowered its head and glanced at the Formation trapping its companions below, a flicker of determination in its eyes, no longer hesitating. It suddenly spread its wings, and powerful Mental Energy spread out like surging waves:

"Go! Today we will devour all the humans in that city to avenge our fallen kin!"

"Chirp chirp!"

"Roar roar!"

"Howl!"

Various cries intertwined, as if proclaiming the death of humans, and a bloody storm was about to unfold in that human city.