After resting for a night, the group entered the Bright Battle Mountains.
Xuan Zi remained hidden in the shadows, responsible for protecting everyone. The visible command was handled by Teacher Wang Yan.
However, although Teacher Wang Yan was an instructor, his words carried little weight in front of the Inner Court students. Especially Ma Xiaotao, as the official captain of the Shrek Seven Devils, she was immensely powerful and had a fiery temperament, not putting this Outer Court teacher in her eyes at all.
"Teacher Wang, you're being too cautious. It's just a few Evil Soul Masters, is there any need for such prudence?" Ma Xiaotao said impatiently.
Teacher Wang Yan's expression remained unchanged; he merely pushed up his glasses: "Better safe than sorry."
Relying on Huo Yuhao's mental detection, the group quickly found the cave where the Evil Soul Masters were hiding. Just as Teacher Wang Yan was about to lay out tactics, Ma Xiaotao had already charged in with the official team members.
"Let's go!"
"Wait—" Teacher Wang Yan reached out to stop them, but it was already too late.
Huo Yuhao and the others, as reserve team members, were the weakest in strength and were arranged at the very back of the group. When he entered the cave, he always felt something off about the surrounding atmosphere—it was too quiet, unnervingly quiet.
"Teacher Wang, this cave..." He had just started to speak but was interrupted by an official team member ahead.
"Reserve team, just stay in the back. Don't cause trouble."
Huo Yuhao closed his mouth and could only follow behind.
The cave grew deeper and deeper, and the smell of rot in the air grew stronger and stronger. Corpses began to appear on the ground—one, two, ten, dozens... densely packed, piled up like a mountain.
"How many people have these Evil Soul Masters killed?!" Dai Yueheng's face was ashen.
Ma Xiaotao snorted coldly: "Stop the nonsense, keep pursuing!"
However, just as they penetrated deep into the heart of the cave—
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Violent explosions suddenly erupted!
Hidden beneath those corpses were densely packed spirit tool bombs! Flames shot toward the sky, rubble flew everywhere, and the entire cave trembled!
"Watch out!"
"Ah—!"
Screams, explosions, and the sounds of collapse mingled together.
Huo Yuhao's mental detection frantically warned him one second before the explosion. He violently tackled Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao beside him: "Get down!"
The shockwave from the explosion swept over his head; rubble struck his back, the pain searing.
When the dust settled, the cave was a scene of utter devastation.
Three corpses lay quietly in pools of blood. Four official team members were severely wounded and collapsed on the ground; Chen Zifeng's lower body was blasted to a bloody pulp, and he had already lost consciousness. Although Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Ling Luochen were physically intact, they were also in a sorry state.
The reserve team members, being at the rear of the group and with Huo Yuhao's timely warning, mostly suffered only minor injuries.
However, a black shadow suddenly rushed out from the darkness, heading straight for Huo Yuhao!
"Kid, you're a bit special. Come with me!"
Before Huo Yuhao could react, he was grabbed by the black shadow and dragged deeper into the cave!
"Huo Yuhao!" Wang Dong screamed, wanting to chase after him but was blocked by rubble.
...
Outside the cave, the moment Xuan Zi sensed the explosion, his expression changed drastically!
He exerted his full power. The pressure of a ninety-eighth rank Super Douluo erupted violently; his figure shot like lightning straight into the depths of the cave!
However, when he arrived, he only saw corpses littering the ground and severely wounded students.
"Where is Huo Yuhao?!" he roared.
"He... he was captured by the Evil Soul Master..." Wang Dong's face was deathly pale, his voice trembling.
Xuan Zi's face turned ashen. He expanded his mental force with all his might but could no longer sense that Evil Soul Master's aura.
He had arrived too late.
...
Black World, Douluo Continent.
Inside the tavern, it was deathly silent.
Then—
"Three dead, four severely wounded?! Is this the strength of the Shrek Supervision Group?!"
"Isn't Xuan Zi a ninety-eighth rank Super Douluo? How could he fail to protect even a few students?"
"He was too complacent! Thought nothing would go wrong with him around!"
"Those official team members were too arrogant! They wouldn't listen when Teacher Wang Yan wanted to lay out tactics! They wouldn't listen when Huo Yuhao warned them! And now, three are dead!"
Someone said angrily: "Is this Shrek's education? Only teaches students to fight, not to use their brains?!"
Others analyzed calmly: "Those spirit tool bombs were laid in advance by the Evil Soul Masters. This means the Evil Soul Masters knew they were coming and set a trap. On Shrek's side, their intelligence work was practically zero."
"If they had spirit tool detection, those bombs couldn't have been hidden! But how many of Shrek's students know how to use spirit tools?"
"What now? Three official team members dead, four severely wounded. For the upcoming Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, are they going to send the reserve team?"
...
Shrek City, Inner Court.
Xuan Zi looked at the images on the Sky Screen, his face ashen.
He remembered that mission. Remembered those three corpses, remembered Chen Zifeng's blasted legs, remembered the helplessness when Huo Yuhao was abducted.
"It was my fault," he said hoarsely. "I was too complacent."
Yan Shaozhe said in a low voice: "Elder Xuan, you did your best..."
"My best?" Xuan Zi smiled bitterly. "A ninety-eighth rank Super Douluo who couldn't even protect his own students—is that called doing my best?"
"And such things have happened more than once already. I..."
Qian Duoduo said gravely: "If they had had spirit tool detectors at the time, those bombs couldn't have been hidden. But we at Shrek... still don't place enough importance on spirit tools."
Everyone fell silent.
...
White World, Sun Moon Empire, Bright Capital.
The common people watched the Sky Screen, discussing animatedly.
"Is this Shrek's strength? Three dead, four severely wounded? And led by a ninety-eighth rank Super Douluo?"
"That Evil Soul Master was too strong, wasn't he? He snatched Huo Yuhao right under Xuan Zi's nose?"
"It's not that the Evil Soul Master was strong; it's that Shrek was too arrogant. The official team members wouldn't listen to commands, the teacher's tactics were ignored, and Huo Yuhao's warnings went unheeded. For a team like that, it's a miracle they weren't wiped out."
"If they had spirit tools, those bombs couldn't have been hidden. Too bad those Shrek folks look down on spirit tools."
"What about the upcoming Soul Dueling Tournament? Are they going to send the reserve team? Wouldn't that be suicide?"
"Even if it's suicide, they have to go. Shrek's face is more important than the students' lives."
...
White World, Reincarnation God Realm.
Gu Yuena gazed at the Sky Screen, her brow slightly furrowed.
"That World's Yuhao was captured."
Wang Qiuer snorted: "These official team members, each one arrogant and conceited. Not only did they get themselves killed, but they dragged others down too. If I were there, I'd knock them out one punch each."
Snow Empress said softly: "That Evil Soul Master... captured Yuhao?"
Gu Yuena shook her head: "He couldn't capture him. Yuhao's sea of consciousness has Electrolux. Although that World's Electrolux isn't as powerful as ours here and woke up later, dealing with one Evil Soul Master is more than enough."
Wang Qiuer asked curiously: "How do you know?"
Gu Yuena smiled faintly: "Because he lived just fine later on."
...
Deep within the cave, the Evil Soul Master grabbed Huo Yuhao and was about to flee.
However, just as he prepared to leave—
A terrifying surge of mental force erupted violently from Huo Yuhao's sea of consciousness!
"What—?!" The Evil Soul Master's expression changed drastically. Before he could react, his consciousness was completely submerged by that mental force.
Electrolux's remnant soul annihilated him the moment he made his move.
Huo Yuhao fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
Moments later, Wang Dong arrived with the others. Seeing Huo Yuhao safe and sound, they were both shocked and overjoyed.
"You're alright?!"
Huo Yuhao shook his head: "I'm fine."
He didn't explain how he escaped.
Because he knew that speaking up would only invite more trouble.
...
Xuan Zi returned to Shrek Academy with the fallen and severely wounded students at the fastest speed possible.
His expression had never been so grim.
This mission: three dead, four severely wounded. The Shrek Supervision Group had never suffered such heavy losses.
And he, a ninety-eighth rank Super Douluo, had actually accomplished nothing.
"It was my fault..." he silently thought to himself.
"I was too complacent."
"I am the sinner of Shrek Academy! Something happens every time I lead a team. After I return, I will directly resign from my positions as Shrek's Elder and Vice-Leader of the Supervision Group!"