A few days ago, in Xingluo City, Xingluo Empire.
Jiang Li sat leisurely in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, playing with a gold soul coin in his hand.
Although he accepted the commission to kill Huo Yuhao, he was not in a hurry.
After all, Huo Yuhao is the chosen one of destiny born from this world; who can guarantee a fatal blow in one go?
Furthermore, besides Electrolux and the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm within his spiritual sea, there was also the Tang God King secretly spying on him.
Presumably, King Tang wouldn't want Huo Yuhao to die so easily.
Therefore, Jiang Li could not guarantee that he could succeed in one strike.
So he had planned ahead and sent the evil spirit masters to lead the charge.
Even if he didn't do that, Huo Yuhao would still have been subjected to the baptism of the strongest Soul King.
Jiang Li felt that one Death Messenger was far from enough; more cannon fodder were needed to deplete Huo Yuhao's trump cards.
For this reason, Jiang Li released several bounty missions.
Furthermore, in order to avoid arousing Tang San's suspicion, the bounty target was specifically changed to the entire Shrek Academy team.
As for why those desperate criminals who accepted the bounty knew the Shrek team's movements, we have to ask Ling Luochen.
——
My thoughts returned to the present.
Ma Xiaotao and her group were in a very sorry state.
The sounds of battle echoed wildly through the mountains and forests, and the intense light from the clash of soul skills tore through the darkness time and time again.
Ma Xiaotao was surrounded by raging flames, and the scorching fire waves swept in all directions. Any evil spirit master who got close was burned by the flames and screamed in agony.
Her eyes were icy cold, and her Soul Emperor power erupted without reservation. She suddenly activated her third Soul Skill, and a vast sea of fire instantly spread out, engulfing several evil Soul Masters on the west side.
Dai Yueheng held the front line firmly, unleashing the power of his White Tiger Martial Soul and unleashing a series of Soul Skills. Each strike carried immense force, forcefully withstanding the fierce attacks of the Soul King and the Evil Soul Master. His Soul Rings shone brightly, combining offense and defense to firmly block the frontal assault.
With lightning crackling around him, Bei Bei unleashed the domineering power of his Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex Martial Soul. As he moved nimbly, his lightning claws tore apart the incoming black energy. He would occasionally call out to his teammates to stabilize their formation and direct the reserve team to stick together and defend against the enemy.
Xu Sanshi, with his Xuanming Turtle Martial Soul shrunken, stood in front of everyone, his heavy shell shielding them from countless corrosive soul skills. The shell was already covered with cracks, yet he still refused to budge an inch.
Jiang Nannan moved like a ghost among the evil spirit masters, her legs swift and fierce, targeting the enemy's vital points. Each flash brought down an evil spirit master.
Wang Dong flapped his wings, and golden light blades rained down, severing one dark soul skill after another, protecting Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao. Ning Tian's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda shone brightly, amplifying soul power and enhancing defense, with two auxiliary lights firmly enveloping the core team.
Huo Yuhao continued to spread his mental power, accurately locking onto the movements of each evil soul master. He continuously released mental interference to disrupt the enemy's offensive. His Ice Wolf Martial Soul exuded a chilling aura, and he worked with his teammates to block the evil soul masters' escape routes. Even though his soul power was greatly depleted, he dared not slacken his efforts in the slightest.
Yao Haoxuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, reactivated his soul power, and joined forces with Xixi and Gongyang Mo to guard the flank. The three of them worked together seamlessly, blocking the evil soul masters who were flanking from both sides. Even with new injuries on their bodies, they did not retreat a single step.
Only Ling Luochen remained seated, ice spreading outwards from her body. The icy chill isolated the approaching evil spirit masters, and the murky black energy froze upon contact. Yet, she never launched an attack, her eyes blankly watching the chaotic battle before her, as if the life-and-death struggle around her had nothing to do with her.
Although the evil spirit masters were numerous and their attacks were fierce, the Shrek Academy members were all elites. After a brief moment of panic, they quickly regained their composure and their teamwork became increasingly seamless.
Ma Xiaotao's flames completely suppressed the evil soul master's cold soul power. Dai Yueheng defeated the leading evil soul master in a head-on battle. Bei Bei led the team to eliminate the remaining enemies one by one. Huo Yuhao's mental interference caused the evil soul master's formation to fall into chaos. Without its commander, the evil soul master gradually fell into a slump.
Half an hour later, the last evil spirit master fell under the lightning, the black aura around him slowly dissipated, and he was no longer alive.
Silence returned to the mountains and forests, leaving only the heavy breathing of the group and the lingering cold and hot aura of their soul skills.
The ground was littered with the corpses of evil spirit masters, their tainted soul power slowly dissipating. The ground was riddled with holes, and the simple tents that had been erected were long gone, with ashes from the campfire scattered all over the place, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation.
The Shrek team members were all in a sorry state.
Ma Xiaotao's hair was disheveled, her fiery soul power gradually receded, her cheeks were covered in dust, and her breathing was slightly rapid. The excessive consumption of her fiery soul power made her face turn slightly pale.
Dai Yueheng's arm was scratched by the corrosive soul skill, his black clothes were torn, and there was blood at the corner of his mouth. His soul ring slowly retracted, and his soul power fluctuated unstablely.
Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and the others all had wounds, their clothes were torn and covered in dust and blood. Yao Haoxuan, Xi Xi, and the others were so exhausted that they had to hold onto the tree trunks next to them to keep their balance.
Xiao Xiao was pale and still in shock. She leaned against Huo Yuhao, panting heavily. Huo Yuhao was exhausted, his forehead covered in cold sweat, and his eyes were tired. He had already put away his Icefield Wolf Martial Soul.
Wang Dong folded his wings, the golden light dimmed, Ning Tian's Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda slowly dissipated, his auxiliary soul power was exhausted, and his face looked slightly haggard.
The chill emanating from Ling Luochen gradually subsided, and the frost beneath her feet slowly melted. She remained seated, her eyes devoid of any emotion, as if she had merely been an observer of the fierce battle that had just taken place.
No one had the strength to speak anymore. They all collapsed to the ground, closed their eyes to regulate their breathing, and frantically circulated their soul power to recover their strength. The air was filled with the smell of blood, the residual aura of soul power, and the exhaustion of everyone.
Wang Yan frowned and looked at the mess and disheveled students.
He quickly checked everyone's injuries and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that no one was seriously injured or fatal, but his worries did not diminish at all.
This group of evil spirit masters was clearly lying in ambush beforehand, and their numbers and cultivation levels were not low, which is enough to show that evil spirit master activities in this area are extremely frequent. Tonight's surprise attack is just the beginning, and there is a high probability that there are other evil spirit master teams in the vicinity.
The mountains and forests are fraught with danger at night. This place has just experienced a great battle, and the chaotic atmosphere will inevitably attract more evil spirit masters or ferocious beasts. If they are attacked again, the group, who are already exhausted and injured, will be powerless to resist.
Wang Yanqiang suppressed the consumption of his soul power, walked to the middle of the group, lowered his voice, and said firmly, "Don't rest for too long, we can't stay here any longer."
Everyone slowly opened their eyes and looked at Wang Yan, their eyes filled with doubt.
Wang Yan glanced around and said in a deep voice, "The fighting just now was too loud and the aura spread far and wide. There must be other evil soul masters around, which will also attract wild beasts from the mountains and forests. If we stay any longer, we will definitely be attacked a second time."
We are currently extremely exhausted and our injuries have not yet healed; we cannot withstand any further surprise attacks.
He paused, looking at everyone's exhausted appearance, and said with an unquestionable authority: "Immediately treat the wounds, pack up your belongings, and we will travel through the night, taking advantage of the darkness to cross this area as quickly as possible, heading straight for the Mingdou Mountains to rendezvous with the guards. It is relatively safe there, and we can rest after dawn."
No one objected; at this moment, they were also aware of the risks of staying put.
Despite their aching bodies, they forced themselves to stand up, quickly wiped away the blood, treated their superficial wounds hastily, and without saying a word, gathered up the remaining supplies.
Dai Yueheng and Ma Xiaotao took the lead and resumed their duty of clearing the way. Their eyes were alert, and their soul power was slowly circulating as they remained vigilant about their surroundings.
Xi Xi and Yao Haoxuan remained on either side, their eyes fixed on the depths of the dense forest, not daring to relax for a moment.
Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and Wang Dong stood in the middle, surrounding Huo Yuhao, Xiao Xiao, and Ning Tian, ready to respond to any unexpected situations.
Ling Luochen slowly stood up and silently followed at the back of the group. A chill emanated from him, and he remained indifferent, numbly following the group forward.
Wang Yan walked slightly ahead of the middle of the group, holding a map in one hand and sensing the surrounding atmosphere with the other. He constantly adjusted the route, trying to avoid the depths of the dense forest and choosing relatively open paths. At the same time, he lowered his voice to remind everyone to keep their breathing quiet, walk lightly, and not make any noise.
The night was pitch black, and the forest was so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face. Using the faint moonlight, the group moved forward quickly, the fallen leaves crunching under their feet. No one spoke, only the sound of their orderly but heavy footsteps and their suppressed breathing could be heard.
Everyone was on edge, exhausted, yet they dared not slow down for a moment. The battlefield behind them gradually receded into the distance, but their vigilance remained undiminished.
Ma Xiaotao was always surrounded by a faint aura of flames, resisting the increasingly dense and cold atmosphere around her; Dai Yueheng's soul ring was hidden in his body, his soul power was always in a state of readiness, and his ears twitched slightly, capturing any unusual movement in the forest.
Huo Yuhao strained his exhausted mental energy, compressing it around the team to maintain only basic danger perception and reduce soul power consumption.
Ling Luochen walked at the back, fine white frost occasionally condensing under his feet, isolating him from the surrounding cold aura, and remained silent throughout.
The team traveled through the night without stopping for a moment. Wang Yan checked the map from time to time, corrected the direction, and made sure that the route was heading towards the Mingdou Mountains. At the same time, he kept an eye on the condition of the students in the team to prevent anyone from falling behind due to exhaustion.
A chilling wind blew through the forest, and the distant roars of beasts echoed intermittently. A foul, cold aura lingered in the air, reminding everyone that this place was still dangerous.
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