Chapter 696 - Full On Defense

"Are all groups ready?" Kana yelled out as she looked over the tens of hopeful disciples. Each one was now split up into groups of four. Fan Zengya and Zhong Liuxian were in separate groups with the weakest female disciples. And Kana was looking out for Fei and two of the weakest male disciples. The only reason she did not have Fei lead a team of her own was because Fei was an archer and only good at long range, which would put her at a big disadvantage. 

"Let me remind you all that if I see anyone abandoning their team or using them as s.h.i.+elds when you are supposed to be the leader of the team, I will kill you myself." Kana was dead serious on this. She wanted these people to work together. If they killed their teammates or left them to save their own lives, she would not stand for it. It would be different if the person was beyond saving or if they were cut off from their teammate. Situations do arise, but she was not going to say this. She wanted these people to truly push themselves to their limits and work together as a team.

"My team will take the lead on defense. Fan and his team will send one team at a time onto the bridge while the rest hold off the demonic beasts. The first team to the other side will be Zhong"s team. He will keep you all on the other side. I will say this now, if any of you dare attack him, it is the same as attacking me. But I trust you all will work hard and work together. Alright, that is enough form me. Everyone, get into formation. Teams not going second and third will help push the demonic beasts back. Zhong"s team will go straight for the bridge. Move out!" 

On Kana"s command, everyone left the tunnel and spread out in a V shape. Zhong"s team was right behind Kana as she pushed their way through the demonic beasts towards the bridge. Each team worked together fighting the demonic beasts killing what they could as they pushed forward. Slowly the formation began to form a circle as they closed in on the bridge and the demonic beasts began to attack them from the rear. 

This push took almost twenty minutes. Even with Kana pus.h.i.+ng forward with all she had, the amount of damage she could produce was not enough to overwhelm so many demonic beasts at the same time. She could only swing the sword in her hand as best as she could, but even then, her clean strikes and sword qi were tearing through the demonic beasts in front of her. The others who were watching as they also did battle felt their blood boil, and their determination to get through this grew even more.

The demonic beasts they were fighting were all different, from wolves to tigers. Some were of a species Kana had never seen. Some had armor, while others had different elemental abilities. The attacks from these demonic beasts were getting stronger and stronger as they began to attack relentlessly. Kana felt the more she cut down, the more that appeared.

Watching things from the view pool outside the trial, Elder Ning knitted his brow. "Who set the last array up?"

"It was Elder Tuxian if I recall correctly…." Elder Shaun replied.

"Hmm… Isn"t he part of Elder Ye"s faction?" The sect master"s aura began to rise. "Bring Elder Tuxian here now. I would like an explanation as to what he was thinking of when he put the trial on the hardest mode for young cultivators." 

"Right away, Sect Master!" A man in black appeared and disappeared almost at the same time, answered.

Elder Shaun could only shake her head and wonder why people would be so dumb to try anything like this. "Sect Master, should we help them? If this keeps going, someone will die."

"No… just like the second trial, we can not enter once the trial has started. We can only hope they can all make it out alive. For those who do lose their lives in this final trial, the sect will honor them and make them core disciples and put their name on the board." The sect master could not do anything more than this. The array kept even him out so he could not interrupt the outcome.

Elder Shaun sighed as she looked at the young cultivators doing their best to finish the trial and stay alive. Many had already been wounded, but they still kept on fighting even with the blood dripping off their bodies.

Back inside the trial, they had finally made it to the bridge. "Zhong, get going! We will hold them off! After Zhong reaches the other side, the team with the most injuries will be going next. I know this is different from before, but we have no choice."

"Boss, you order, we follow! We have already all decided to follow you!" One disciple yelled out.

  "Yeah, Boss, we will die if you order us to! We will keep fighting to our last breath!" 

"Well, do not count on dying! Do your best to stay alive! Fight with everything you got!" Kana yelled as she cut down another demonic beast. 

Her willingness to stick it out with them and be there at the forefront of the fight had touched these young cultivators to the point they were willing to die for her if she ordered it. Of course, Kana would not want that. She just wanted everyone to get out of this alive. And since she took the role of being their leader, she did not want to abandon them either.

"Okay, Zhong has crossed! Next group, go! Be careful. Keep the injured safe!" Kana yelled out, allowing the next group to go. 

On Elder Ning"s side, he was surprised at how well Kana was giving out orders. It was like she had been in many battles and many wars. She was like an experienced general. "This girl never ceases to amaze me.. She may just be able to pull this group of kids through this."