"This is going to be trouble," Wang Yan muttered with a smile. As the oldest among them, he had seen far more than the students and immediately responded with calm composure to Xu Yi.
"Haha, just a small matter," Xu Yi said with a smirk. "Being able to serve the noble Soul Masters of Shrek Academy is my honor."
There was sarcasm in his voice, drenched in passive aggression.
Ma Xiaotao's face instantly darkened, her anger level nearly maxed out. Ever since entering this military camp, she had felt utterly uncomfortable.
"Here's the intel on the Death's Hand bandit group. Please take a look," Xu Yi said casually, unfazed by Shrek's increasingly blackened expressions. He handed over a document and laid it out for everyone to see.
Despite their irritation, the group suppressed their emotions and picked up the intelligence to review.
Zhu Ziyang examined the crude and blurry intel and immediately felt overwhelmed. Was this really the kind of intel provided by a 500,000-strong army? Was this some kind of joke? Had the military of the Star Luo Empire truly rotted to this extent?
"Is there no more accurate or detailed information?" Zhu Ziyang asked.
The intel Xu Yi had provided couldn't exactly be called vague, but it was far from precise. It mentioned that the Death's Hand group operated mainly in the central region of the Mingdou Mountains. They only descended to plunder when targeting specific groups and would return immediately afterward. The entire group numbered over 300, all able-bodied men, with around one-tenth being Soul Masters. As for their leader, the so-called Death God Envoy, no accurate data existed. They only knew he was at least at the Soul King level, with unknown abilities.
"Haha, student, you must be joking," Xu Yi chuckled, his eyes flashing with mocking disdain. "This intelligence was retrieved at the cost of our soldiers' lives. How could you say it's not detailed enough? Besides, you're from Shrek Academy. What, the top talents of Shrek can't act without precise intel?"
His sarcasm ignited fury among the team, but to Zhu Ziyang, it revealed something critical—Xu Yi's hostility wasn't due to a conspiracy. He simply disliked Shrek Academy itself. Considering Xu Yi was a member of the Star Luo royal family, the reason was obvious.
Xu Yi was a hardcore royalist.
"That's enough!" Ma Xiaotao didn't want to waste another moment. She waved her hand, burning the intel to ashes with a flick of flame. "We're leaving!"
She strode out of the tent. As everyone followed, Xu Yi called out behind them, "Hope we meet again!"
No one responded. They left the military camp without looking back.
Outside the camp, the team regrouped and began discussing their next steps. Elder Lin and Xuan Zi soon appeared, and Wang Yan reported everything that had happened in the camp to them in full detail.
"Heh!" Elder Lin and Xuan Zi sneered in unison after hearing the story. "Don't bother with fools like them. Our mission continues. We only need to wipe out the bandits. As for what's in their lair, don't touch it. Do they really think Shrek students are mercenaries?"
Hearing that, Dai Yueheng felt his face burning. As a citizen of the Star Luo Empire and the heir of the White Tiger Duke, he felt deeply ashamed.
"Xiaotao, you'll take command from here. Wang Yan, you lead the Reserve Team and cover the rear. Elder Lin and I will remain on standby to support you," Xuan Zi instructed.
"Understood!" Wang Yan and Ma Xiaotao responded in unison.
The team soon arrived at the entrance of the Mingdou Mountains. Ma Xiaotao quickly arranged the formation.
"Maintain the formation. I, Zhu Ziyang, and Dai Yueheng will take the lead, ten meters apart. The support and control types will be in the middle, protected by Chen Zifeng and Jiang Nannan," she said.
"Huo Yuhao, come with me. Your martial soul and skills are well-suited for scouting," Zhu Ziyang suddenly called him over.
The team officially set out. Zhu Ziyang led the front with Huo Yuhao, using his Spirit Detection Sharing to clearly observe the surrounding terrain and atmosphere. Behind him were Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng.
As they advanced, Zhu Ziyang noticed they had entered a forest dominated by Wenlan trees. These trees thrived in cold, dark environments—typically found in mass graveyards or old battlefields. Their presence here meant one thing—they were close to the Death's Hand base.
"Stay alert!" Zhu Ziyang raised his hand. The team immediately halted and understood his signal. They all donned their Shrek Inspector uniforms, circulated their soul power, and prepared for combat.
Ahead, they spotted a slope. Below it was a cave entrance guarded by several bandits, expressionless and shrouded in deathly aura. Without a doubt, this cave was the Death's Hand hideout.
Everyone felt a surge of anticipation. Flames already surged between Ma Xiaotao's palms, ready to strike. Zhu Ziyang repositioned Huo Yuhao to the rear, then summoned the Stillness Fate Ending Scythe. The seven main team members gathered power, waiting for Ma Xiaotao's command.
"Attack!" Ma Xiaotao shouted and shot forward like a rocket, instantly smashing into one of the guards. The others barely had time to react before attacks from Zhu Ziyang, Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and Jiang Nannan rained down.
Zhu Ziyang's Stillness Fate Ending Scythe radiated holy punishment as it cleaved a bandit in half. The pure light energy instantly reduced the target to ashes.
With the guards eliminated, Ma Xiaotao charged into the cave. Zhu Ziyang originally intended to lure the bandits out for easier cleanup but couldn't stop her in time. Dai Yueheng and Chen Zifeng followed without hesitation, leaving him no choice but to enter as well.
Inside, the cave was surprisingly vast, enough to hold over a thousand people. But it reeked of blood. The walls and stone columns were lined with dried corpses of all sizes. The sight ignited a fury within all seven team members.
The bandits had gathered in the cave's central chamber, a massive hall capable of holding five hundred people. At its center stood a towering bone throne made entirely of human skulls—at least three thousand souls rested upon it.
More than 300 bandits crowded the space, over thirty of whom were Soul Masters. These thirty stood before the throne, where a black-robed figure sat—their leader, the Death God Envoy, a Soul Emperor-level evil Soul Master.
Ma Xiaotao was about to strike, but Zhu Ziyang stopped her just in time. They hadn't been detected yet.
Ma Xiaotao wanted to ambush them, but Zhu Ziyang noticed something alarming. Behind the Death God Envoy stood three black-cloaked individuals. Their auras were similar to the envoy's—but even stronger. They seemed to be discussing something with him.
Zhu Ziyang's instincts screamed danger. Those three were definitely not foes they could handle alone.
"Kekeke! Some little rats have snuck in!" one of the three suddenly cackled. The ear-piercing screech forced the team to cover their ears and step back. Then they struck.
Since they'd been discovered, there was no point in hiding. Best to strike first.
Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Zhu Ziyang immediately unleashed their strongest wide-area attacks. Phoenix Meteor Shower and White Tiger Meteor Shower rained down upon the bandits, killing dozens in seconds.
Zhu Ziyang then activated his Silver Right Eye's Time Stop and the Silver Dragon Wolf Right Arm Bone's Frozen Time. The five seconds of time halt gave the Shrek team a tremendous edge. He himself had only one goal—the Death God Envoy.
That Soul Emperor-level evil Soul Master was the perfect target for his Death God First Trial. And Zhu Ziyang was going to claim that final blow—no matter what.
(End of Chapter)
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