High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2348: Chapter 569: Tug of War

The Guardian Array of the First University is a nested array. With the campus walls and fences as boundaries, it forms the inner array; with the winding coastline of Buji Island as the boundary, it forms the outer array——in other words, what people usually discuss as the Guardian Array is actually the inner array, whereas in reality, the entire Buji Island is shrouded within a massive safety barrier. However, to conserve magic power, its coverage is rarely expanded to its maximum.

Just like a giant dragon taking a nap, a few daring little mice crawling around it wouldn’t cause it to raise an eyelid and waste precious energy. But if the wind carries the scent of an ogre or a Houdou, the dragon must open its eyes, lift its head, and spit in the direction of danger.

”So, does this mean the school’s Guardian Array has already noticed us here?”

After hearing Xiao Xiao’s explanation, the first thought that appeared in Zheng Qing’s mind was confusion: ”Isn’t this a good thing? With the array’s help, wouldn’t dealing with those experimental entities be more convenient?”

While speaking, the Absolution Hunting Team of five had already organized themselves and unfolded a First Rank Bo Fu Clan battle formation. The pale blue magic envelope rose around them, like a flickering blue flame.

”Active assistance and passive assistance yield different results.”

Xiao Xiaoyan explained succinctly: ”To make an inappropriate analogy, a fire dragon that is awake versus one startled awake from a dream—who is more dangerous? It’s obvious...in other words, the counterattack launched by the school Guardian Array now is a passive response triggered by that small ’Floating City’. Naturally, the operation during the counterattack won’t be precise.”

These words were already very straightforward.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Qing’s face immediately turned as pale as the doctor’s earlier.

”Are you saying we might also be within the attack range?” He exclaimed.

”Remove the word ’might’,” Doctor Xiao pushed up his glasses while instructing Xin Fat Man, who was controlling the array’s key point, to adjust his position slightly. He sighed heavily and looked up at the sky: ”...We’re definitely within the attack range of the Guardian Array.”

Zheng Qing followed his gaze upward.

Only then did he notice that at some point, the sun, resembling a protein stone, had been completely swallowed by the increasingly thick layer of clouds, and the color of those clouds was growing darker. The coverage of the clouds completely encompassed the entire battlefield, and even extended far beyond, clearly aiming to eliminate any threat without leaving a trace.

This scene was extraordinarily familiar.

Even through the thick magic envelope, Zheng Qing seemed to smell the numbing scorched scent in the air.

”Really, it’s crude and straightforward. Lacking precision, using quantity to make up for it—this is the legendary miracle of brute force.” Dylan murmured while measuring the distance between the Hunting team and the area outside the cloud coverage. Suddenly, he turned to the doctor: ”Can we still run away now?”

”What do you think?” The doctor asked bluntly in return.

The blood werewolf went silent instantly.

Similar to the campus of the First University, the school’s Guardian Array is also ’alive’, having its own ’consciousness’. Normally, it pretends not to notice and lets some sneaky little mice go by, which is harmless. But when awakened from a dream, suddenly realizing there’s a Damocles’ sword hanging overhead, anyone would have a bit of a waking temper.

”So, our only solution now is to blast that laboratory before the Thunder Curse falls, right?” Zheng Qing tightened his belt, adjusted his obsidian cufflinks, and took a deep breath.

”It doesn’t necessarily have to be blasted, just knock it down, prevent it from hovering and provoking the Guardian Array, and it should be safe.” The doctor guessed with some uncertainty.

”Here it goes!”

Xin Fat Man interrupted his companions’ discussion.

Everyone looked towards the battlefield.

Only to see, at some point, several tall figures had appeared on the previously desolate battlefield—there were long serpents, giant wolves, large bears, and even a bronze ancient clock suspended in mid-air, surrounding the slowly ascending Pyramid from four directions, the serpents coiling, wolves attacking, bears roaring, clocks swaying chaotically, attempting to pull the Pyramid back to the ground.

”Is this the Second Rank battle formation of other Hunting teams?” The blood werewolf stroked his chin, a look of eagerness emerging: ”I wonder who’s stronger compared to our Bo Fu Clan...”

”I’m more curious which Hunting team’s Second Rank formation involved that bronze clock.” Xiao Xiao pushed his glasses, carefully observing the ancient, enormous patterns on the clock, muttering: ”The style of the Trident Sword has always been known for its simplicity and practicality, so they wouldn’t create something strange like this; the School Works Committee also follows the traditional style...so those three giant beasts should be the School Works Committee’s patrol team and two Trident Sword crisis support groups.”

Unlike his two detail-oriented teammates,

Zheng Qing was more concerned about the power of the Second Rank battle formations.

The first time he witnessed the Second Rank unfold was on the Black Prison Battlefield. At the time, the Black Prison had absorbed so much immense power that the true forms exposed by the powerful wizards seemed insignificant, let alone the pseudo-true forms condensed through Second Rank battle formations.

Later on, the Absolution Hunting Team mastered the Bo Fu Clan’s Second Rank formation through certain opportunistic means but never had a chance to truly go to battle. The few Hunting Competitions they participated in were restricted by the venue and perspective, preventing Zheng Qing from fully experiencing the power of the Second Rank formation.

Until today.

Originally, the twenty-plus wizards were being overwhelmed and besieged from all sides by over a hundred werewolves. But with the reassembly and initiation of the Second Rank formations, the battlefield situation was almost instantly reversed.

The werewolves continued their relentless attacks, but their sharp claws and teeth, landing on the giant beasts, only managed to scrape off chunks of magic flesh that dissolved in the wind—yet in a blink, those scraped pieces would regenerate in the magic’s flow.

More importantly, compared to the giant wolves, serpents, and other beasts, they were simply too small, like fleas on a human. Would people care about where fleas jump during a fight?

Just like now.

The four gigantic figures paid no heed to the bites of the hundred-odd werewolves, focusing intently on that slowly ascending Pyramid, determined to drag it back to the ground.

The long serpent sprawled, resembling a massive cable, its head entwined on the Pyramid, its tail coiled with the bears and wolves, as if engaged in a fierce tug of war between heaven and earth. Meanwhile, the bronze ancient clock dangled above the Pyramid, shaking haphazardly, its scattered sound waves causing the Pyramid to wobble incessantly, unable to make any headway.