With the resolution set, there was no further dispute.
Looking at the crowd with their hands raised, Ma Xiaotao's cold expression softened slightly. Her gaze towards Ning Tian still held a hint of displeasure, but she ultimately refrained from reprimanding him. Ning Tian's hands, hanging by his sides, slowly clenched. His eyes were filled with helplessness and worry, but he understood that things had come to this point and he was powerless to change anything. He could only stand silently in place.
Looking at the divided group, Wang Yan sighed inwardly, but he could only proceed according to the decision. He said in a deep voice, "Since the majority of people have chosen to continue the surveillance mission, we will set off immediately after we have rested. The border guards have prepared soul beasts for us to use for transportation. Everyone must be vigilant and look out for each other along the way, and do not give the enemy any further opportunities."
Everyone rose and silently packed their belongings, no one uttering another word. The oppressive atmosphere inside the tent was even more intense than before. The pre-existing suspicions were completely transformed into an invisible barrier by this argument, and everyone had their own thoughts.
Huo Yuhao remained lying unconscious in the center of the tent, his brows furrowed, as if tormented by endless pain even in his sleep. Within his spiritual sea, apart from the faint fluctuations of his own spiritual power, there was no trace of Ilex's presence. The remnant soul from the Necromancer God had completely vanished, as if it had never existed in his life.
Jiang Nannan walked to Huo Yuhao's side, squatted down, and gently smoothed his furrowed brows, her eyes filled with worry. Although she hadn't participated in the argument, she knew the road ahead was fraught with danger, but now, she could only follow the team and pray that everyone could safely get through this ordeal.
Xiao Xiao stood beside Ning Tian, her face pale and her heart filled with fear. She could only silently follow the group. She really didn't want to face those vicious evil spirit masters again, but she was alone and couldn't leave. She could only hope that the group would turn the tide.
Half an hour later, escorted by the border guards of the Star Luo Empire, the group left the camp and once again entered the dense forest in the direction of the Mingdou Mountains.
The border guard escort team stopped at the edge of the dense forest. They were all ordinary soldiers, and even the few soul masters among them were of low strength and dared not venture into the area inhabited by evil soul masters. The officer in charge clasped his hands in a fist salute to Wang Yan and the others and said, "Teacher Wang, the road ahead is dangerous. We can only escort you this far. Please take care."
Wang Yan nodded his thanks, then led the group alone into the deep, dark forest.
The dense forest remained cold and gloomy, the sunlight blocked by layers of branches and leaves, casting only dappled spots of light. The air was filled with the smell of decaying vegetation and a faint stench of blood. Traces of the previous battle were visible everywhere along the way: broken trees and dried bloodstains, constantly reminding everyone of how brutal the ambush had been.
The group moved forward in a deathly silence, everyone on edge, their soul power subtly circulating, vigilant for any movement around them. Ma Xiaotao led the way, fiery red soul power swirling around her. Even with her injuries not yet healed, she still exuded a powerful aura, serving as the vanguard. Dai Yueheng followed closely behind, his eyes scanning the surroundings, constantly on guard against any potential sneak attacks.
Ning Tian walked in the middle of the group, her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial spirit always hovering in her palm, a pale golden aura slowly flowing around it, nourishing her own meridians while ready to support her teammates at any moment. Her gaze constantly swept over each person in the group, her mind still searching for the hidden traitor. However, everyone had gone through hardships, their clothes stained with blood, making it impossible to find any flaws, which only intensified her unease.
Less than two hours into the journey, a sudden change occurred.
Thick black fog suddenly rose from the surrounding dense forest, emanating a nauseating stench and a chilling aura of death. It instantly enveloped the entire area, cutting off all sight. From within the fog came eerie roars that sent chills down one's spine.
"Watch out! It's an evil spirit master!" Ma Xiaotao shouted sharply, her fiery soul power suddenly surged, and the blazing fire tried to dispel the surrounding black mist, but found that the black mist contained extremely strong necromantic power. Under the burning flames, it not only did not dissipate, but became even denser.
Wang Yan's expression changed drastically, and he immediately ordered, "Everyone, gather together and form a defensive formation!"
The group quickly gathered, standing back to back, each releasing their martial spirits, their spirit rings rising, ready for battle. The next second, dozens of figures slowly emerged from the black mist. These people wore jet-black robes, their faces were ferocious, and they were surrounded by a dense aura of death. Their eyes were empty and cruel; they were the evil spirit masters who had previously intercepted them.
In front of this group of evil soul masters stood three men with exceptionally powerful auras. The leader was pale-faced, wearing a black robe embroidered with skull patterns. His body was surrounded by surging necromancy, and his eyes were sinister as he stared intently at the Shrek group, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"The Grim Reaper!" Dai Yueheng's pupils shrank as he recognized the other party's identity, and his heart sank to the bottom.
The Death Messenger is an extremely ruthless group of powerful figures in the evil soul master camp. Each of them is strong, skilled in necromancy, cruel in their methods, and has committed numerous evils. Unexpectedly, this time they personally took action to intercept them.
"Shrek kids, you're so stubborn. You could easily live a life of ignominy, but you insist on walking the path to death." The leader of the Death Messengers spoke, his voice hoarse and grating, like a ghostly whisper. "Since you're so eager to die, then I'll grant your wish. Today, I'll make sure you all perish here, and none of you will leave alive!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and waved it. Dozens of evil soul masters behind him instantly went berserk, releasing their martial souls and soul skills. The dark soul skill light flashed, carrying endless coldness and killing intent, and swept towards the Shrek group.
"Defense!" Ma Xiaotao roared, and the Fire Phoenix Martial Soul behind her was fully unleashed. The blazing flame soul skill erupted and transformed into a wall of fire, blocking the front of the team.
Dai Yueheng followed closely behind, his White Tiger Martial Soul activating, unleashing a burst of White Tiger Blazing Light Waves that clashed with the evil soul master's soul skills.
A deafening roar instantly echoed through the dense forest, the shockwaves from the collision of soul skills spreading outwards, kicking up clouds of dust. The Shrek Seven Devils, already injured and with their soul power not yet restored, were immediately at a disadvantage against the well-prepared and powerful army of evil soul masters.
Ning Tian immediately activated the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and the first, second, and third soul rings lit up in succession, amplifying soul power, defense, and speed. Three auxiliary halos descended upon everyone, barely boosting their combat strength. Even so, the difference in strength between the two sides remained enormous.
Taking advantage of the situation, a malevolent spirit master broke through the defenses, his dark claws imbued with necromancy, heading straight for the reserve team student in front of him. The student's face turned pale, and he had no time to defend himself. Seeing this, Dai Yueheng immediately turned around to help, his white tiger claws striking out fiercely, repelling the malevolent spirit master. However, the wound on his own arm reopened, and blood gushed out.
Ma Xiaotao single-handedly withstood the combined attacks of two powerful evil soul masters. Her fiery soul power was rapidly depleting, her internal injuries were worsening, blood kept spilling from the corners of her mouth, and her body was gradually becoming unsteady. She gritted her teeth and forcibly urged her soul power, unleashing a series of fire phoenix soul skills. However, the opponent's necromantic power was precisely the counter to her fiery soul power, and after a prolonged battle, she gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.
The reserve team members were forced into a continuous retreat, with many being struck by the evil soul masters' soul skills, screaming as they fell to the ground. Their wounds were corroded by necromantic power, causing excruciating pain and making their soul power circulation increasingly sluggish.
Wang Yan used his martial spirit to continuously command everyone to resist, but his strength was limited. Faced with the siege of several evil spirit masters, he was already overwhelmed and suffered repeated injuries, leaving him in a sorry state.
Ning Tian watched her retreating troops, her heart sinking. Her worst fears had come true. The enemy had laid a trap, determined to annihilate them. At this moment, they had absolutely no chance of victory.
"Hahaha, Shrek's genius is nothing special!" The Death Messenger laughed wildly, his figure flashed, and he directly attacked Ma Xiaotao. The necromantic power around him condensed into a huge skeletal claw, carrying a world-destroying aura, and fiercely grabbed at Ma Xiaotao.
Ma Xiaotao's expression changed drastically. She used all her soul power to unleash her strongest soul skill to resist, but the difference in strength between the two was too great. The skeletal claws instantly tore through her flame defense and slammed into her chest.
"puff--"
Ma Xiaotao coughed up blood, her body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground. She was too weak to get up, her martial spirit dimmed instantly, her soul power became completely disordered, and she fell into a serious coma.
"Senior Sister Xiaotao!" Dai Yueheng's eyes were bloodshot as he rushed towards Ma Xiaotao without regard for anything else, but he was held back by two evil soul masters and could not break free at all.
After succeeding in his mission, the Grim Reaper turned his gaze to the unconscious Huo Yuhao, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes: "That kid has a peculiar aura of death on him. Capture him and take him back to the sect for careful study!"
The two evil soul masters immediately obeyed the order and rushed towards Huo Yuhao.
Seeing this, Jiang Nannan immediately flashed in front of Huo Yuhao, unleashing the full power of her Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul. Her movements were agile as she engaged the two evil soul masters in battle. However, her strength was already inferior to theirs, and coupled with her previous injuries, she was struck by the evil soul masters' soul skills after only a few rounds. She staggered backward, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
"Nan Nan!" Xiao Xiao exclaimed, wanting to rush forward to help, but was forced to retreat repeatedly by an evil soul master, barely able to protect herself.
In the blink of an eye, the Shrek Seven Devils suffered heavy casualties, some seriously injured, others unconscious, and were completely plunged into a desperate situation.
The Grim Reaper slowly approached Huo Yuhao, a cruel smile on his face: "Little brat, your luck has run out!"
He reached out to grab Huo Yuhao, trying to capture him. Just as his hand was about to touch Huo Yuhao, a faint golden light suddenly emanated from Huo Yuhao's body, who had been unconscious.
The light was extremely faint, yet it carried a supreme and majestic aura that reigned supreme over heaven and earth, instantly suppressing all the surrounding necromantic aura.
The once arrogant and domineering Grim Reaper's expression changed drastically the moment he sensed the golden light. Extreme fear appeared in his eyes, and he froze on the spot, trembling all over, as if he had encountered the most terrifying being of his life.
Not only him, but all the evil spirit masters present stopped attacking, their bodies stiffened, their faces filled with terror, and the necromantic power around them trembled wildly, almost collapsing.
The next second, a detached yet majestic divine power silently descended from the void.
This divine sense did not possess any earth-shattering power, yet it seemed to control all the laws of the world. With a gentle sweep, it rendered all the evil soul masters immobile, their souls trembling in fear.
A vague golden figure slowly emerged in the void. The figure was blurry and the face was not visible, but it had an aura of dominance over the world, as if it were the ruler of all the heavens and myriad worlds.
"Evil Soul Masters indiscriminately kill innocent people and disrupt the order of the continent; they deserve to die."
The indifferent voice, devoid of any emotion, yet carrying an undeniable will, resounded in everyone's ears.
As soon as he finished speaking, the golden divine sense gently swept over him.
In the void, golden light surged, instantly dispelling all the black necromantic mist. Then, under the golden light, the evil soul masters, including the three death messengers, were reduced to ashes before they could even scream, completely disappearing into the world without leaving a trace.
In the blink of an eye, all the attacking evil spirit masters were wiped out.
The dense forest returned to its usual silence, leaving only the shocked gazes of the Shrek members and the sounds of their panting.
The golden figure in the void slowly lowered its gaze to the unconscious Huo Yuhao, its eyes carrying a hint of gentleness and concern.
His divine sense gently swept over Huo Yuhao's body, checking his condition. He sensed the emptiness within Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea and the completely dissipated remnant soul of the dead. He paused slightly, and then a wisp of extremely weak yet incredibly pure golden divine sense power slowly flowed into Huo Yuhao's body, nourishing his damaged spiritual sea and meridians.
After doing all this, the golden figure did not linger at all, gradually fading away and finally disappearing completely into the void, as if it had never existed.
All that remained were the Shrek members, still in shock and dumbfounded.
After a long while, everyone recovered from their extreme shock, looking at each other with disbelief in their eyes.
The figure they had just seen, the supreme majesty, and the overwhelming power that instantly annihilated all the evil soul masters, stirred up a storm in their hearts.
"Just now… that was…" Dai Yueheng struggled to stand up, looking into the void, his voice trembling. He could feel that the divine power contained unparalleled righteousness and majesty, and was definitely not an evil being.
The Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda in Ning Tian's palm trembled slightly. She looked at the figure that disappeared into the void, her eyes filled with shock. As a successor of the Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda, she had heard countless legends since childhood and had a vague, unbelievable guess in her heart, but she dared not speak it out.
Wang Yan, supporting his injured body, walked to the center. Looking at the mess on the ground and the completely vanished evil spirit master, he was filled with awe and relief. If it weren't for that mysterious power arriving in time, they would all have perished here today.
Everyone snapped out of their daze and immediately checked the injuries of their companions. Although Ma Xiaotao, Jiang Nannan, and the others were seriously injured and unconscious, they were not in mortal danger. They were just exhausted of their soul power and needed a long period of rest.
Wang Yan walked to Huo Yuhao's side and saw that he was still unconscious, but his brows were gradually relaxing, his breathing was becoming more and more steady, and a faint golden aura remained around him. Wang Yan was full of doubts.
Why did that mysterious force intervene to save them? And why did it pay special attention to Huo Yuhao?
All of this remains an unsolved mystery.
But without a doubt, they escaped with their lives.
"Everyone, check your injuries immediately, rest where you are, and do not move around unnecessarily." Wang Yan ordered in a deep voice. At this moment, they were already too weak to continue. Let alone complete the surveillance mission, even their own safety had become a problem.
Everyone nodded and found a place to sit down, circulating their soul power to heal their injuries, still shocked by what they had just witnessed.
Dai Yueheng walked to Ma Xiaotao's side, carefully helped her up, fed her healing pills, his eyes filled with lingering fear. If it weren't for that mysterious power, they would have already turned to dust by now. Ma Xiaotao's stubbornness almost led to the annihilation of the entire team.
Ning Tian stood aside, looking at the disheveled group, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Her earlier worries had all come true; if it weren't for the miraculous rescue, everyone would have perished. Now, she was even more determined to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible and head to Star Luo City.
After resting for an hour, everyone's injuries stabilized slightly. Although they were still weak, they were able to move around with difficulty.
Wang Yan looked at everyone with a heavy expression and said, "If it weren't for the intervention of the mysterious expert, we would have been wiped out long ago. Now we are still seriously injured and our strength has been greatly reduced, so we can no longer carry out the surveillance mission in the Mingdou Mountains."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and continued, "Staying here any longer will only increase the danger. I have decided to abandon the surveillance mission and set off immediately for Xingluo City to participate in the Soul Master Competition. At the same time, I will report back to the academy about the encounter with the evil Soul Master, the mysterious expert's attack, and Elder Xuan's disappearance, and request the academy's support."
This time, no one objected.
Having survived this brush with death, even Dai Yueheng, who had previously insisted on completing the mission, nodded silently. They all knew that the team was no longer capable of carrying out the mission, and escaping to save their lives was the only option.
Ma Xiaotao remains unconscious and unable to express her opinions. Even if she were to wake up, she would be powerless to change the current situation.
Without further delay, the group quickly tidied up and took turns supporting the unconscious Ma Xiaotao and Huo Yuhao, carefully retracing their steps and heading towards Xingluo City.
Along the way, everyone remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts. The sudden rescue and the mysterious golden figure lingered in everyone's minds like a nightmare, especially the strange behavior of Huo Yuhao, which filled them with doubt.
They didn't know who the mysterious figure was, what dangers they would encounter in the future, or the whereabouts of Elder Xuan. They could only proceed step by step, first reaching Xingluo City before making any further plans.
Sunlight filtered through the dense forest, illuminating the weary figures of the group. The road ahead remained unknown, but having survived life-or-death experiences, this shattered Shrek team had finally embarked on their journey to Star Luo City. What awaited them was the gathering of the entire continent's Soul Master Competition, as well as many unknown crises and challenges.
Unaware of this, Huo Yuhao, still unconscious, was immersed in a chaotic state of consciousness. The wisp of golden divine power within him gently nourished his body and spirit, planting a crucial seed that awaited its future sprouting. The faint pressure left by the figure in the void had long since dissipated, but that supreme majesty was forever etched in the hearts of everyone present, becoming an unforgettable memory.