Yan's Backstab, Ji Xuan Heavily Injured

The next morning.

The group set out. Instructor Zhang did not accompany them; she would remain here to provide support. This was a trial meant for the students themselves.

Besides, there were as many as thirty of them. She could not possibly look after everyone alone.

Half an hour later.

The team had quietly approached their destination. Each group was preparing to split up according to the plan and infiltrate from different directions.

Ji Xuan suddenly halted, sensing an intense feeling of danger.

At that moment, a sudden change erupted!

An invisible spiritual fluctuation spread through the surroundings without warning, enveloping everyone within it.

"Watch out!" a student cried out.

But it was already too late. Most of the students' eyes instantly turned vacant and dull. They froze in place, having lost consciousness.

An illusion-type soul skill. This seemed to be a trap...

Ji Xuan's heart tightened. He possessed the Wisdom Skull and was not greatly affected.

Other than him, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan, whose Soul Power was relatively high, barely managed to stay conscious as well.

Ji Xuan summoned the Martial Soul Sword of Order. Two Purple Soul Rings emerged beneath his feet as his sharp gaze swept across the surroundings.

Xie Yue and Hu Liena did not hesitate, immediately unleashing their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Demon Charm.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."

Four figures rushed out from the distance.

One Soul King, two Soul Ancestors, and one Soul Elder—all with optimal Soul Ring configurations.

Among them, the Soul Ancestor man whose Martial Soul was the Blood Blade lunged straight at Demon Charm.

Another Soul Ancestor man, whose Martial Soul was a blood axe, charged toward Yan.

The remaining two were a man and a woman. The Soul King man's Martial Soul was the Blood Bat, while the woman Soul Elder's Martial Soul was the Soul-Devouring Vine.

The two flanked him from both sides, forming a pincer attack. Their auras locked firmly onto Ji Xuan.

"You're targeting me?"

Ji Xuan's gaze swept over the two of them as he spoke coldly.

This operation was far too strange. It seemed to have been premeditated...

The Soul King man sneered. "So what if you know, brat? Today is the day you die!"

The group had originally been meant to be escorted to the City of Slaughter, but someone had suddenly told them that if they got rid of Ji Xuan, they would regain their freedom.

"First Soul Skill, Soul Devour."

The woman Soul Elder struck first, unleashing her First Soul Skill. Several black vines surrounded Ji Xuan from all sides.

Soul Devour was a control-type soul skill that could bind enemies and absorb their Soul Power and life force.

"Second Soul Skill, Thunder Sword Gang."

Ji Xuan's Second Soul Ring lit up beneath his feet, golden arcs dancing along the blade.

With a flash of sword light, the vines were severed across the ground. Their broken ends had been scorched black by electricity, with wisps of black smoke rising from them.

"Second Soul Skill, Bat Shadow Clone."

The Soul King man unleashed his soul skill, conjuring two solid clones. They attacked Ji Xuan simultaneously from three directions, sealing off his escape routes.

"First Soul Skill, Wind Shadow Trace."

Ji Xuan's First Soul Ring flashed beneath his feet, and his speed surged. With a light tap of his toes, his body turned into an afterimage.

Boom—!

The attacks of the three figures landed at once. The clones dispersed, sending dust flying everywhere.

When the smoke and dust cleared, Ji Xuan was nowhere to be seen...

"Wind-Thunder Sword Intent."

Ji Xuan's aura suddenly soared, multiplying both his speed and attack power. The Power of Thunder on his sword abruptly became violent.

"Watch your back!"

The Soul King man hurriedly shouted a warning at the woman Soul Elder.

At some point, Ji Xuan had actually appeared behind her.

"Extreme Wind: Meteor Kill!"

Wind element frantically gathered around Ji Xuan. A solid golden sword qi suddenly tore through the air and shot toward the woman Soul Elder's back.

The woman Soul Elder's Soul Power was only Level Thirty-Six, and she was a control-type soul master with no defensive capability at all.

She hurriedly turned around, trying to control the vines in her hands to block in front of herself, but it was already too late.

Splat!

The sword qi tore through the female Soul Elder's chest. Her eyes widened in disbelief as blood spilled from her mouth, and she fell straight backward.

"What?!"

The Blood Bat Soul King's pupils constricted sharply. The intelligence had never mentioned that That Kid possessed such terrifying explosive power!

"Third Soul Skill, Bloodwing Dance!"

The Soul King swiftly composed himself and unleashed his third Soul Skill, condensing a pair of blood-red bat wings behind his back.

He flew into the air, and countless blood-red energy arrows poured down like a torrential rain.

Ji Xuan flashed forward and actually stood suspended in midair as well.

The Soul King's heart jolted. He had not expected That Kid to be able to fly too, and hurriedly redirected his attack.

"Extreme Wind: Sunset Radiance!"

Several streaks of sword qi slashed out.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The sword qi collided violently with the blood-red arrows, producing repeated explosions.

Where did this kid get so many Self-Created Soul Skills?!

"Fourth Soul Skill, Blood Claw."

The Soul King's hands turned into blood-red claws. With a beat of the bat wings behind him, he transformed into a blood-red streaking light and lunged at Ji Xuan.

"Divine Sword Controls Thunder!"

Ji Xuan drew upon the Power of Heavenly Thunder, greatly boosting his attack power as he rode the wind to meet him.

"Clang..."

Golden lightning and blood-red light flashed in constant alternation... In just a few breaths, the two had exchanged more than ten blows.

Ji Xuan borrowed the force to retreat, hovering in the air as he panted softly.

The gap in their Soul Power Levels was too great... The opponent was at least a level fifty-two Soul King.

If not for his Power of Thunder countering the other side, he would likely have already been defeated.

Just then.

The Blood Axe Man, who had been fighting Yan in the distance, was "sent flying" by one of Yan's punches. Blood spilled from his mouth as he crashed into a patch of ruins.

Before his "defeat," the Blood Axe Man gave Yan a look.

Yan's gaze flickered. Remembering Pope Bibi Dong's mission, he immediately understood.

Yan swiftly steadied himself and looked toward Ji Xuan, who was locked in fierce combat with the Soul King in the distance. Flames and stone covered his hands as he charged into the battlefield.

"Ji Xuan, I'll help you!" Yan shouted.

Ji Xuan swept his peripheral vision over the battlefield. Hu Liena and her brother's Demon Charm were still engaged in a bitter fight in the distance, so how had Yan finished so quickly?

A trace of suspicion crossed his mind, but the Soul King's fierce assault gave him no time to think further.

With his current strength, his chances of defeating the Soul King alone were slim.

Ji Xuan flipped his wrist and attacked the Soul King once more with his sword.

Yan attacked from the other side.

"Hmph, it makes no difference how many of you come!"

The Soul King flashed aside, easily evading their combined strike.

"Ji Xuan, I'll hold him back! Find an opening!"

Yan roared as he charged forward with a fierce assault.

The three immediately became locked in battle, while Ji Xuan focused all his attention on the Soul King...

After several exchanges, the Soul King unexpectedly revealed an opening.

Ji Xuan's eyes turned cold. Lightning burst from the Sword of Order as he pushed his Wind-Thunder Sword Intent to its limit and stabbed straight at the Soul King's heart.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Blood Armor."

Dark-red armor suddenly covered the Soul King's entire body.

"Shk—"

Ji Xuan's heart sank. The sword tip had only sunk in an inch.

"Got you!"

Just as Ji Xuan was about to retreat, the Soul King's claws clamped tightly around Ji Xuan's Sword of Order, and a savage grin appeared on his face.

Ji Xuan tried to pull out his sword, but the other man held it in an unbreakable grip.

Yan, standing to the side, saw this and threw a punch at the Soul King.

But just as it was about to hit, the fist that should have struck the Soul King changed its trajectory at the last moment... and headed straight for Ji Xuan.

Ji Xuan caught it from the corner of his eye. At such close range, he had no time to dodge!

"Crack!"

The sound of bones shattering rang out.

Ji Xuan flew away like a kite with its string cut, slammed into a distant tree trunk, and crashed heavily to the ground.