Xuanzi's figure rose and fell a few times before disappearing into the dense forest, leaving only a faint aura that quickly dissipated completely.
Looking in the direction Xuanzi left, everyone had different expressions.
Dai Yueheng gripped the signal flare tightly, his brow furrowed, a sense of worry creeping into his heart.
Ma Xiaotao walked up to him and said arrogantly, "We can do it even without Elder Xuan's help. He's just a mere evil soul master."
On the other hand, Bei Bei solemnly instructed the reserve team: "Everyone must be on high alert. With Elder Xuan not here, the team must take the lead. Do not act on your own. If any situation arises, regroup immediately."
The reserve team members nodded in agreement, and the previously relaxed atmosphere instantly became serious. Their initial anticipation for the mission was replaced by a sense of caution.
Wang Yan stood at the front of the group. Although he was only a Soul King, he still displayed the authority of a teacher and said to everyone in a serious tone, "Fellow students, Elder Xuan has entrusted the group to me. I will do my best to lead you to complete the mission. Now let's continue forward, maintain formation, look after each other, and do not get separated."
With no objections, everyone immediately adjusted their formation, with Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng leading the way.
Xi Xi, Yao Haoxuan, and Gongyang Mo were positioned on either side, responsible for guarding the left and right.
Bei Bei led the reserve team in the middle, protecting Xiao Xiao, Huo Yuhao, and others whose cultivation levels were relatively weaker.
Ling Luochen walked at the very back, still with that taciturn demeanor, as if Xuanzi's departure and the increased risks of the mission had nothing to do with her.
The group set off again, heading towards the Mingdou Mountains.
Soon, the dense forest blocked out the sun, and sunlight could only filter through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light.
The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which made a rustling sound when stepped on.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the sounds of footsteps and breathing, and the occasional roar of wild beasts in the distance.
The closer one gets to the Mingdou Mountains, the more a faint, chilly aura permeates the air.
Unlike the chill emanating from Ling Luochen, this coldness carried a hint of filth, causing a strange sense of unease. This was a unique aura found only in areas frequented by evil soul masters.
Wang Yan walked at the back of the group, constantly sensing the atmosphere around him, and occasionally taking out a map to check the direction, reminding everyone to watch out for traps and miasma under their feet.
The intense heat emanating from Ma Xiaotao intensified, and her fire-attribute soul power slowly circulated, resisting the surrounding cold aura.
His eyes casually swept across the dense forest ahead, his Soul Emperor-level soul power quietly surging, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.
Dai Yueheng's spirit rings have quietly appeared, two yellow, two purple, and two black, six spirit rings surrounding his body, fully demonstrating the strength of a Spirit Emperor.
Xi Xi and Yao Haoxuan on both sides also activated their soul power and entered a state of combat readiness. They were both veterans who had experienced missions and knew that such quiet often concealed deadly dangers.
The reserve team members also dared not be careless. Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi moved forward, ready to support the front at any time.
Jiang Nannan and Wang Dong stood on the left and right, protecting Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao and Ning Tian in the middle.
Huo Yuhao spread his mental power as far as possible. His mental power far exceeded that of other Soul Masters of the same level. Even though his cultivation level was not high, he could sense danger in advance.
Wang Dong slightly spread his wings, golden light swirling around them, ready for battle.
The group moved forward slowly, the atmosphere extremely tense. Everyone held their breath, walked lightly, and stared intently at the dense forest around them.
Ling Luochen walked at the back, his aura growing increasingly intense, and a thin layer of white frost even formed on the ground where he walked.
She kept her head down, her mind replaying the words Jiang Li had spoken to her the night before she left.
Those words were like needles, piercing her heart, making it impossible for her to let go, and causing her to lose her former enthusiasm for this mission and everything around her.
She didn't know what awaited her on this trip to the Mingdou Mountains, nor did she care about the success or failure of the mission.
At this moment, she simply followed the group forward numbly, like a soulless shell.
Soon, the dense forest ahead grew thicker and thicker, and the chilly atmosphere became more and more intense.
Wang Yan stopped and gestured for everyone to be quiet. He lowered his voice and said, "The area ahead should be the outer perimeter of the evil soul master's stronghold. Everyone be careful and don't make any noise. Sneake over there quietly, find out what they're capable of, and then take action."
Everyone nodded, slowed their pace, concealed their auras, and cautiously made their way forward.
As darkness gradually fell, the setting sun completely disappeared into the mountains and forests, and night quickly enveloped the earth.
When passing by an open space.
Wang Yan raised his hand to signal the group to stop, turned to look at everyone, and said in a low voice, "It's too dark at night. Let's rest for the night and continue our journey at dawn tomorrow."
Everyone nodded in agreement. After traveling for several hours, everyone was exhausted, and traveling in unfamiliar mountains at night was extremely risky.
Before long, the simple camp was set up. Jiang Nannan lit a campfire, and the orange flames leaped up, dispelling the surrounding darkness and cold, and allowing everyone's tense nerves to relax a little.
The group sat around the campfire, no one saying much, all quietly resting and replenishing their strength.
Wang Yan sat by the campfire, glancing occasionally at the team members on duty around him, and then repeatedly examining the map, marking the route for tomorrow's journey.
Time passed slowly, the night grew deeper, and only the crackling of the campfire and the occasional roar of a beast could be heard in the distance.
The team members on duty had taken turns, and a sense of fatigue spread among them, but no one dared to truly relax.
Sudden!
Without warning, a strong, foul soul force erupted from the dense forest on the west side of the camp, carrying a bloody and chilling malevolent aura, and rushed straight towards the camp!
"Watch out!" Huo Yuhao was the first to notice the disturbance and shouted sharply.
Before he could finish speaking, several dark soul skills burst forth from the forest and blasted towards the group around the campfire!
The evil spirit master's attack came without warning and was extremely fast. Everyone had no time to react and was caught off guard.
The pitch-black soul skill, imbued with corrosive power, struck first at the guards on the west side of the camp.
Yao Haoxuan was caught off guard and hastily activated his soul power to resist, but was forced to retreat repeatedly by the powerful force, with a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
Immediately afterwards, dozens of figures sprang out from the dense forest in all directions, each surrounded by murky black mist and with ferocious eyes.
Their soul skills rained down on the camp like they were free, clearly indicating that they had been lying in ambush, waiting for the moment when everyone let their guard down to launch a surprise attack.
"It's an evil spirit master! Everyone prepare for battle!"
Wang Yan suddenly stood up, unleashing his full Soul King power, and immediately shouted commands. However, the attack was too sudden, and the formation was instantly disrupted.
Ma Xiaotao's face darkened, and her blazing soul power erupted instantly. A fiery red soul ring appeared, and six soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and two black—surrounded her.
The first soul skill was activated instantly, and raging flames blasted towards the incoming evil soul master's soul skill.
Dai Yueheng flashed to the front of the crowd, his soul rings all appeared, his soul power surged, and he unleashed a soul skill to block several evil soul masters who were attacking from the front.
At the same time, he shouted, "Everyone, stay together, don't scatter!"
However, the number of evil spirit masters far exceeded expectations, and they were ruthless and deadly. Under the surprise attack, the camp was instantly thrown into chaos.
Xiao Xiao was knocked down by the aftershock of the sudden soul skill. Huo Yuhao reacted quickly and immediately used his mental power to interfere with the evil soul master who was close by.
At the same time, he reached out and pulled Xiaoxiao up. The Ice Wolf Martial Soul quietly appeared, and a light blue cold aura burst forth, forcing back the enemies beside him.
Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Wang Dong, Jiang Nannan, and Ning Tian instantly formed a circle to protect their teammates. Their martial spirits erupted, their spirit rings lit up, and they resisted the repeated attacks from the evil spirit masters.
Bei Bei's Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex Martial Soul burst forth with lightning, Xu Sanshi's Xuanming Turtle Martial Soul protected him, Jiang Nannan moved swiftly and flashed towards the nearby evil soul master, Wang Dong spread his wings and continuously slashed out with golden light blades, Ning Tian's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul appeared, and the auxiliary light instantly enveloped everyone.
Ling Luochen was awakened by the sounds of fighting. He looked up at the chaotic camp and the evil soul masters rampaging around him, his eyes still empty.
The corrupted soul power of the evil soul master rushed towards her, stimulating the ice-attribute soul power within her body. The cold aura around her suddenly surged, and the ice layer under her feet spread rapidly, but she did not take the initiative to make a move. She just sat there blankly.
The evil soul masters' attacks grew increasingly fierce. Each of them possessed considerable cultivation, with the lowest being at the Soul Venerable level, and several Soul King-level evil soul masters leading the charge.
Under the surprise attack, the Shrek team suffered repeated setbacks, and several of them were already grazed by soul skills, putting them in a passive defensive situation.
The campfire was extinguished by the evil soul master's soul skill, plunging the camp into complete darkness. Only the light from the clash of soul skills flickered continuously, and the sounds of fighting and soul power explosions instantly echoed through the mountains and forests.
A fierce battle, completely unexpected and fierce, broke out.
...............