Although the Heaven Dou Empire also had some large groups of bandits, their intelligence network was very good. For someone to dare attack such a convoy,what gave them that confidence?
Looking at the falling rocks from the mountain, it was clear this had been planned in advance, not a mere accident.
Because the rockfall seemed so well prepared, the Royal Knights were gradually unable to hold their ground. Some especially large boulders were already smashing into the convoy.
At this moment, the strength of the soul masters was revealed.
The elite students from the major advanced soul master academies of the Heaven Dou Empire did not panic at all. Each released their martial soul, surrounding the support-type soul masters inside their protection, while the assault-type and defense-type stood on the outside.
Whenever a stone came flying, the soul masters would immediately smash it apart. Even this carefully prepared rockfall failed to slow the convoy's retreat.
Seeing that they were about to pass through this section of road between two hills, the Royal Knights at the rear also began their withdrawal.
Just then, a loud whistle suddenly rang out from somewhere. Immediately, thousands of black-clad men appeared on the hills on both sides. They moved with perfect order and charged down at terrifying speed.
At this time, the Royal Knights were still in the process of retreating. The soul masters from the fifteen academies could only rely on their own strength to protect themselves.
Brilliant lights of various colors appeared on the soul masters' bodies. Martial souls were released, soul rings shone brightly,they were ready for battle.
Although there was almost no coordination between the academies, each academy quickly formed its own small group. The sudden appearance of the enemy only ignited their fighting spirit.
Instead of retreating, they charged forward. They did not need anyone to organize them,they rushed toward the enemy on their own.
But then something unexpected happened. When these young soul masters thought they could easily crush their opponents, they were hit hard.
In their eyes, these attackers were just ordinary people. They might have had numbers on their side, but in absolute strength, the soul masters were clearly superior.
There were over two hundred teachers and students from the fifteen academies combined, while the "bandits" from the hills numbered around fifteen hundred.
The moment the two sides clashed, the bandits displayed astonishing coordination. Three or four of them surrounded each soul master, attacking with simple but effective techniques. The soul masters were immediately caught off guard.
After all, the combat experience of these academy students was built mostly on small skirmishes. This was their first time in such a large-scale battle.
Dazzling soul skills began to appear, but the black-clad attackers were cunning. With their good speed and coordination, ordinary first- and second-level soul skills barely harmed them.
Moreover, among these black-clad men there were actually soul masters,at least fifty of them were above rank fifty, leading the assault.
Whenever a powerful soul skill appeared, these soul masters immediately stepped up to block it. Each academy faced an average of two soul masters. This way, the bandits' pack-hunting tactics worked perfectly, and the battle quickly became a deadlock.
The appearance of so many powerful soul masters among the "bandits" made the academy teachers even more certain that this was an organized ambush.
After all, fifty soul masters above rank fifty plus several Soul Saints and Soul Douluos,such power was not something any ordinary force could possess.
In this world, how many soul masters were there? Fewer than one hundred thousand in total. Those above rank fifty numbered fewer than thirty thousand.
Thirty thousand might sound like a lot, but spread across the entire continent, that was pitifully few.
For a group of "bandits" to launch such an organized attack and even have so many high-level soul masters was almost unimaginable.
Fifteen hundred men attacking fifteen academies meant that each academy faced about a hundred enemies, and among them at least two Soul Kings, or even Soul Emperors, led each group.
The Soul Saints and Soul Douluos observed the battlefield, rushing to wherever a Soul Saint-level opponent appeared, showing extremely strong organization.
Right at the start of the battle, everyone realized that these black-clad men were far stronger than ordinary people.
By now, the Shrek Academy group had already left their carriage. Flender and Zhao Wuji kept the young monsters in the center, making no moves yet.
Oscar raised an eyebrow at the black-clad men because he already knew where these so-called "bandits" came from.
Earlier, Oscar had been wondering whether Spirit Hall would act. Now it seemed his doubts had been unnecessary.
But why was Spirit Hall making a move this time? Tang San had not revealed his twin martial souls. Dai Mubai, though powerful as a Soul King, was not enough of a threat to Spirit Hall.
So what was Spirit Hall's reason for this attack?
Oscar suddenly remembered how Salas had observed him several times before. Could it be that these people were here for him?
Were they trying to kill him first to win over Ao Yue? But if that was the case, were they not afraid of Sword Sect's retaliation?
Given the strength that Sword Sect had recently displayed, they had already surpassed any of the original Upper Three Sects. No matter how crazy Bibi Dong might be, she could not possibly do something so foolish at this point.
Seeing a group of black-clad men heading toward them, Oscar, Du Gu Yan, and Ma Hongjun chose not to act in order not to alert the hidden Title Douluo who was watching. If they fought, they would expose themselves.
If the enemy really was here to kill geniuses, and they saw three Soul Kings like Oscar, Du Gu Yan, and Ma Hongjun, things would get far more troublesome.
So to avoid attracting fire, the three of them simply did not attack.
After all, Tang San, Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, Tai Long, and Dai Mubai could handle these small-time ambushers.
Besides, Shrek Academy had Flender and Liu Erlong,one Soul Douluo and one Soul Saint,sitting in command. There was no need for the kids to take action.
But just as Oscar was still thinking about Spirit Hall's real motive, he noticed that the number of black-clad enemies targeting Shrek Academy seemed too high.
At the same time, a Soul Saint and a Soul Douluo appeared in the sky, completely holding Flender and Liu Erlong at bay.
But Tang San, being a control-type soul master, did not move slowly. He quickly took a black box out of his soul tool. Aside from Oscar and Du Gu Yan, every member of Shrek Academy had one too.
This was a hidden weapon Tang San had personally crafted, called the Godly Zhuge Crossbow. Ning Rongrong had even contacted Tang San about buying some for herself.
Because of Oscar's influence in this timeline, things were slightly delayed. Otherwise, according to the original story, Tang San would have already received a down payment from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan by now.
"Cock the bows," Tang San said in a low voice. After using his Blue Silver Emperor to slow the enemy's movements, he did not rush to attack but commanded his teammates to counterattack.
The black boxes appeared in everyone's hands. In perfect coordination, they aimed in different directions and quickly cocked the mechanisms.
When the loading was complete, Tang San shouted, "Fire!"
With a series of sharp metallic sounds, dozens of Godly Zhuge Crossbows unleashed death. Sixteen bolts per person, over a hundred in total, forming a deadly net.
Screams rang out as the crossbows' terrifying piercing power tore through the black-clad "bandits," dealing massive casualties.
Most of the black-clad men were not soul masters, and the Godly Zhuge Crossbow was a weapon designed to fight soul masters. Against ordinary people, it was overwhelming.
Tang San gave a cold laugh. "Everyone hold your ground and defend."
After saying this, he charged forward.
At this time, the other academies were all surrounded, so no one noticed him. Tang San's arms moved like phantoms, scattering countless glimmers of light from his fingertips. In that instant, it looked like he had eight arms.
At this moment, he seemed to have become the Thousand-Armed Shura, bringing death to all enemies.
Once an enemy was confirmed, there was no mercy.
This was one of the core rules of the Tang Sect. Tang San would never forget it. No matter who these masked people were, they clearly came with hostile intentions.
Most of Tang San's hidden weapons were throwing needles. Because of their small size, they were harder to defend against and easier to carry.
From ordinary refined iron needles to Bone-Piercing Needles, Armor-Breaking Needles, and Tyrant Needles,all with deadly power,he launched them without pause.
Purple-gold light shone from his eyes, and everything around him was within his senses. Almost every shot brought down an enemy.
The countless hidden weapons Tang San had stored in his Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges were rapidly being used up.
Except for Oscar, the others from Shrek Academy were seeing Tang San fully unleash his power for the first time. Even those most familiar with him could only see dazzling flashes of light as more and more enemies fell.
Within thirty meters of Tang San, the enemies collapsed like cut wheat. None of those who fell could get back up.
In just a short time, not only were the low-level bandits around Shrek Academy wiped out, but even some surrounding black-clad men were caught in the slaughter.
Tang San's hidden weapons were terrifying,silent and unstoppable. By the time the enemies realized what was happening, they had already been poisoned.
At this moment, Tang San was the most eye-catching figure on the battlefield. Oscar could not help but smile. He had been worried that attacking would expose him, but now, with Tang San drawing all the firepower, Spirit Hall would have no choice but to target him instead.
Using his hidden weapons, Tang San became even more confident. His Blue Silver Grass soul skills now acted purely as support. None of the enemies could even get close to him.
He did not even need to use his fourth soul skill, because most of these enemies were only Soul Elders. The Soul Saints and Soul Douluos were still being held back by Flender and the others.
But just as Tang San was in full form, three figures suddenly charged at him at once. The smooth flow of his movements was immediately broken.
Even though the three had not yet released their martial souls while charging, the pressure they radiated was intense.
When they got within ten meters of Tang San, they finally released their martial souls and soul rings, confirming Tang San's suspicions.
Two yellow, two purple, four black.
Two yellow, three purple, two black.
Three yellow, two purple, two black.
One Soul Douluo and two Soul Saints!
Seeing these three appear, even Flender and Liu Erlong felt their hearts tighten.
They were already fighting a Soul Douluo and Soul Saint. Now another Soul Douluo and two Soul Saints appeared to target Shrek Academy?
Could it be that Shrek Academy had been their target all along?
Seeing this, Flender and Liu Erlong no longer held back and both used their Martial Soul True Bodies. Even with Oscar and Du Gu Yan present, they might not be able to face one Soul Douluo and two Soul Saints.
The three shadows approached quickly, and the faces of the Shrek students grew serious.
Two Soul Douluos and three Soul Saints,this was a terrifying lineup.
Even Oscar's expression hardened. This was enough to confirm that Spirit Hall had indeed come for Shrek Academy.
Could they really be here to kill him? Thinking of how he had flirted with Hu Liena through his clone Ao Yue, it might actually be possible. After all, that fox was definitely a hopeless romantic.
But Bibi Dong should not be that foolish. If they really killed him here, Sword Sect would never let them go.
Dai Mubai and the others stared at the three incoming experts. At this point, who could back down?
Hoping for reinforcements was impossible. The other academies were trapped, and the Royal Knights had been blocked by the black-clad bandits. No one would be coming soon.
Besides, the other academies were competitors. Even if they could lend a hand, they might not.
Soul Douluos above rank eighty were already near the peak of the soul master world. Could they really face such opponents? But even if they could not, so what?
They still had the ability to fight back. Oscar, Du Gu Yan, and Ma Hongjun were all Soul Kings, and none of them had attacked yet.
But what shocked everyone was that after the Soul Douluo and two Soul Saints rushed forward, their eyes locked only on Tang San. A sharp light appeared in their eyes, and with a long cry, the Soul Douluo soared into the air, rushing straight at Tang San.
In their eyes, it was as if only Tang San existed.
Golden light erupted from the black-clad Soul Douluo. His arms turned into golden wings, and a giant golden shadow appeared behind him. His clothes transformed into golden feathers, revealing his true martial soul,a massive golden eagle.
When his wings fully formed, his arms detached and became razor-sharp talons. His body shrank and changed rapidly as he merged with the golden eagle phantom.
The two Soul Saints also released their martial souls, and all three attacked Tang San at the same time.
The Shrek students' faces changed drastically. The pressure from above was not enough to crush them, but a Soul Douluo and two Soul Saints attacking together was overwhelming.
Run? Against opponents of this level, running was impossible. Even with Oscar's Swift Like the Wind Mushroom Sausage, there was no chance at this range.
Tang San's expression grew solemn. Clearly, these people were targeting him specifically.
Was it because of his talent? But in the tournament, his performance had not even been as outstanding as Dai Mubai's. Why were they ignoring Dai Mubai and going after him?
Tang San did not know, but he had no intention of sitting still and waiting to die.
At this moment, Oscar could no longer stay still. With such a lineup charging forward, while Flender and Liu Erlong were pinned down, even he might not be able to protect Tang San, let alone let him face this alone.
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