Chapter 677: Zhang Xuan, Thank You!

"Sixth Princess, you've seen much of the world. Do you know what's going on?"

Swallowing his saliva, Xing Yuan couldn't help asking.

"I... I..."

Yu Fei'er was on the verge of tears.

Although she was a princess and had seen many imperial secret manuals and heard of many imperial secret arts, she could never have dreamed that someone beaten all over like rubber clay could still stand up!

"What about you?"

He then looked at Wu Zhen.

This one was skilled in mechanisms and puppets; perhaps he could see something different.

"I..."

His mouth twitching wildly, Wu Zhen's face trembled.

He did understand mechanisms, but faced with such a monster, he was also completely baffled, utterly at a loss!

The few people were going crazy, and the two puppets were even more frantic.

Beaten like that, yet he could still stand up, completely fine—were you even human?

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The crooked-headed puppet also seemed terrified. It patted the other puppet's shoulder and pointed at the flattened one, signaling for it to go help as well.

The puppet hesitated, nodded, and also charged straight at that guy.

The two puppets, with murderous intent, converged on him.

But this time, Zhang Xuan, whose face was already twisted, did not continue to wait for a beating; instead, he turned and fled.

Whoosh!

His body flickered and disappeared into the darkness.

Roar! Roar!

Not expecting that even beaten flat like this, he could still run so fast, the two puppets were nearly mad. They stamped their feet and hurriedly chased after him, soon also disappearing into the darkness.

Yu Fei'er and the others clearly hadn't expected that this guy, beaten like that, could still run; they were even more dumbfounded.

Since you could run, why didn't you do so earlier?

Now that you're nearly beaten to death, you leave—aren't you just asking for trouble?

"Open the light shield quickly, and leave immediately!"

Just as they were bewildered, they heard Zhang Xuan's voice.

Startled, they looked up at the sound and saw that it was the crooked-headed puppet speaking.

"Teacher Zhang?"

The few people stared wide-eyed at the puppet before them.

"It's me. I just used a secret technique to trick those two guys away. Follow me quickly, or it'll be too late when other puppets come!"

The crooked-headed puppet said hurriedly.

"You... are really Teacher Zhang?"

Seeing this guy holding his head with one hand, looking fierce, they couldn't believe it.

They had clearly seen him beaten into a meat patty just now... how had he become a puppet?

Even the most skilled impersonator couldn't fake something so outrageous!

"I really am. You lost a bet to me and are still my maidservant..."

Knowing time was pressing and that his appearance made their suspicion understandable, Zhang Xuan didn't dare hesitate. He said a sentence, then looked at Xing Yuan again: "You came to find me at the Purification Pool, wanting me to concede..."

"I believe you..."

"You are Zhang Xuan!"

Yu Fei'er's face flushed, and Xing Yuan was covered in black lines.

Few knew about Yu Fei'er becoming a maidservant, and Xing Yuan's bet was known only to themselves. If it weren't Teacher Zhang, he couldn't have spoken so clearly.

Whoosh!

Identity confirmed, no more words wasted. Yu Fei'er gently grasped, and the light membrane around them disappeared.

"Go!"

Knowing the clone could at most delay the other party for a while, Zhang Xuan, holding his head, strode forward.

After taking two steps, he found no one following. He quickly turned around and saw the four still sitting on the ground, faces pale.

"What's wrong?"

He turned to look.

"Our injuries are quite severe; we might... not be able to walk..."

Xing Yuan and Yu Fei'er looked embarrassed.

He had gone to such lengths to rescue them, yet they couldn't even stand due to their injuries—it was too disappointing.

"We might not make it. Please take Senior Wu Yangzi's body back and tell the academy we completed the mission and didn't disgrace it in the end..."

Xing Yuan said through gritted teeth.

Their injuries were so severe, and the stone steps were at least seven or eight kilometers away; even if they wanted to flee, they couldn't.

Rather than all dying, it was better to let him take the body back, at least proving they completed the mission even in death, rather than accomplishing nothing!

"What use is taking a body..."

Not expecting him to say that at this moment, Zhang Xuan shook his head, but lost his grip and his head fell off.

He quickly picked it up and put it back on his neck, then turned to Wu Zhen: "Any wine left?"

"Wine?"

Startled, Wu Zhen nodded, flipped his wrist, and produced a gourd.

He too loved wine and often carried some.

Taking it casually, Zhang Xuan focused his mind and communicated with the "corpse" in his storage ring.

He was now only a soul; his body lacked Heavenly Dao true qi, so he could only draw it through the physical body.

Previously, he would have had to release the physical body and then enter it with his soul to do this. Now, his physical body could achieve thoughtlessness, so even inside the storage ring, it could release true qi.

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle!

After injecting seven or eight streams of true qi into the wine gourd, he handed it to Yu Fei'er.

"Drink a few mouthfuls!"

"Mm!"

Though she didn't know his intent, seeing his grave expression, Yu Fei'er didn't dare hesitate. She uncorked the bottle and drank.

As the fine wine entered her stomach, she felt a warm current flow through her body. In less than two breaths, her previously severe injuries became numb and completely healed.

"This..."

Looking at her restored body, Yu Fei'er's eyes were dazed.

Was this... the miraculous healing medicine Wu Zhen had mentioned?

Was it really that effective?

She quickly gave the medicinal wine to the other three, and soon they all recovered.

"Xing Yuan, collect Senior Wu Yangzi's body. Let's go!"

Seeing everyone recovered, Yu Fei'er instructed, and the group hurriedly followed Zhang Xuan forward.

With their bodies restored, they moved very fast. The only drawback was that Zhang Xuan had to keep holding his head, or it would fall off.

"Faster..."

Knowing time was of the essence, Zhang Xuan couldn't care less. He even pulled his head off, held it to his chest, and rushed ahead.

Although his soul and the puppet weren't fully attuned, the latter was extremely powerful. The strength of the Saint domain was no joke; with a single step on the ground, he could leap far.

Yu Fei'er and the others used all their strength just to barely keep up.

Before long, the four people and one puppet had covered nearly two or three kilometers, getting closer to the stone steps.

"Everyone, hurry! Once we escape onto the stone steps, we'll be safe..." Zhang Xuan urged.

Once on the stone steps, they could set up formations again to block the enemy, meaning they could escape.

Roar!

Just as they were sprinting, they heard a roar. Their speed had finally attracted the attention of other puppets.

With this roar, figures flickered around them. The many puppets that had gone to the river to replenish energy rushed over, blocking their path.

"Damn..."

Zhang Xuan's face darkened.

He had worried earlier that this group would return after replenishing their energy, and they had hurried as much as possible, but they were still a few dozen breaths too late!

"What do we do?"

Not expecting to be surrounded by so many puppets after escaping this far, Yu Fei'er and the others all turned pale.

Previously, they had many life-saving methods to resist, but now those were exhausted. Surrounded again, how could they escape?

Roar!

Zhang Xuan stepped forward, about to explain something, when a puppet rushed over and kicked him.

Bang!

His head and body separated; the body flew backward and crashed heavily to the ground.

"These puppets... can distinguish friend from foe?"

His pupils contracted.

Zhang Xuan's current body was still that puppet. Although his head fell off occasionally, his appearance was identical to a puppet's.

All being puppets, under normal circumstances, they shouldn't recognize him and should treat him as a companion, allowing him to slip through. But now they attacked directly... meaning they could distinguish!

Weren't puppets a type of mechanism without independent intelligence?

How could they tell friend from foe?

"Damn it!"

Slapping the ground with his hand, the headless puppet stood up again and charged at the one that had attacked him.

Fists whistled, and all his strength surged out.

Bang!

Fists and palms clashed, and the headless puppet was sent flying again.

Even though the puppet was powerful, Zhang Xuan's soul was only at the peak of the Harmonious Spirit realm, unable to exert its full strength, so naturally he was no match.

Creak, creak!

As they fought, the remaining puppets also surrounded Yu Fei'er and the others.

They were about to be slaughtered at any moment.

"This way, they'll surely die..."

Zhang Xuan, as a soul, might still escape with his life, but Yu Fei'er and the others would have no chance to flee and would be killed on the spot.

What to do?

Had he saved them only to fail at the last moment?

"I'll risk it!"

Just as he was at a loss, he suddenly remembered the giant heart he had seen in the river and the reverent worship of the puppets. An idea popped into his head, and he gritted his teeth.

"Since you want me dead, let's all die together! I'll crush that heart now, and we'll all perish!"

With a loud shout, the puppet controlled by Zhang Xuan leaped up and charged straight toward the river.

Roar?

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Hearing his shout and seeing his direction, the puppets were first stunned, then went berserk, abandoning Yu Fei'er and the others to chase after him.

"You go on, don't worry about me..."

Seeing that this group indeed valued that heart and were chasing him, Zhang Xuan, still in the air, couldn't help but sigh in relief and shouted to Yu Fei'er and the others.

"Teacher Zhang..."

"Zhang Xuan..."

Not expecting Teacher Zhang to lure away all the puppets alone to save them, Yu Fei'er, Xing Yuan, and the others felt their hearts tighten, their eyes reddening.

If they had previously held some grudges or even jealousy toward him, now it had all turned into gratitude!

To save them, he risked his own life, even knowing it was a near-certain death...

No wonder this Teacher Zhang commanded such respect from his students and unconditional trust from those from Wanguo City...

Such character deserved everyone's admiration.

Teacher Zhang, thank you!

"Go!"

Xing Yuan gritted his teeth and led the group swiftly toward the stone steps.