Ye Shuhua walked out of the tent, and under the calm gaze of Kraken, came to a slightly higher slope on the edge of the medical area. From here, you could barely see the outline of the main battlefield in the distance - the purgatory where the coalition forces and Sun-Moon Empire once fought fiercely.
At this moment, there is only boundless, suffocating silence and desolation left there.
As far as the eye can see, there is not a single standing figure. There are only countless broken flags, twisted metal, and dense, dense, curled or broken shadows that are indistinguishable from the scorched earth - the corpses of the most elite Soul Master and soldiers of the two camps.
The wind blew from the direction of the battlefield, carrying a strong smell of death, rolling up tiny ash and hitting Ye Shuhua's pale face. Her delicate body trembled slightly, not because of the cold, but because of a coldness and despair coming from the depths of her soul.
All dead.
Although she had already had a premonition, when this hellish scene was nakedly displayed in front of her eyes, the impact still almost broke her mind.
Dean Feng Yun, Ning Deyang Sect Master, those Titled Douluos who were usually majestic, generous, or silent... the soldiers she had personally treated and received the wounded from their hands... at this moment, they had all become part of the scorched earth, no longer distinguishable.
The coalition... is over. The huge coalition called by the Shrek Academy, which brought together nearly half of the mainland's top combat forces, disappeared in just one day, leaving mountains of corpses.
A huge feeling of dizziness came over him, and Ye Shuhua's vision turned black. He staggered and almost fell, but was supported by a steady hand stretched out from the side.
The one who followed her out was a Soul Douluo-level deputy captain of the medical team and a collateral descendant of the Ye Family. At this moment, his face was also pale, and his eyes were full of shock and sorrow.
"Ye, Elder Ye..." The deputy captain's voice was dry and trembling.
Ye Shuhua forced himself to stand firm, took a few deep breaths of air with a strong smell of death, and forced himself to calm down.
She looked back and saw that in the medical area, except for the occasional faint groans from a few dying patients who were too seriously injured and unable to move, there were less than twenty Soul Power at Soul Emperor to During Soul Douluo, most of them were injured. The members of the medical team and the remnant soldiers responsible for peripheral security were looking at her with confusion and fear. This is the Shrek Allied Forces base camp, the last viable force that can be gathered at this moment.
As for the scattered camps further away, belonging to the two empires or other sects, they had already retreated hastily after learning the news of the defeat on the front line, or fell into civil strife and dispersed. The former noisy and huge coalition garrison was now dead silent, with only the whimpering of the wind.
"Send the order..." Ye Shuhua's voice was a little hoarse, but with an unquestionable determination. She looked at the Soul Douluo vice-captain and a few other backbones who could barely maintain their composure, "Gather all the people who can move, bring the necessary medicines and supplies, pack lightly, we... will return to the Ye Family ancestral land immediately."
"Go... back home?" The vice-captain was stunned and subconsciously looked at the dead zone in the distance, "Then... then here... the dean and the others..."
"There is no dean anymore, and there is no coalition force anymore." Ye Shuhua interrupted him, his voice cold and clear, cutting off the last trace of illusion, "Stay here, you can only wait for death. Sun-Moon Empire will not let go of any remnants, not even those Evil Soul Master hidden in the dark..."
She paused and glanced at the surprised and uncertain faces of everyone. "This is an order. Those who are willing to leave, prepare immediately. Those who are unwilling... can find their own way out."
The order was issued, and the remaining team quickly took action after a brief commotion. Those who can become Ye Shuhua's direct subordinates have more or less trust in the character and judgment of this grandmaster.
Under this desperate situation, it seemed to be the only option to follow Soul Master, the strongest healing system, and return to the relatively familiar family territory. They silently suppressed their sadness and fear, and began to quickly pack up the most important supplies - mainly Ye Shuhua Refining's various high-end treatment elixirs, potions, and some portable medical equipment.
Kraken stood quietly from the beginning to the end, his gray robe fluttering slightly in the rising night wind, like an outside bystander. He did not urge or give instructions, but his ice-blue eyes occasionally swept over the busy crowd or looked at the embers of the distant battlefield, so calm that it made people feel heart palpitating.
When the last batch of supplies was packed and the team of about fifteen or sixteen people assembled in front of Ye Shuhua, it was almost dusk. The setting sun was like blood, dyeing the horizon and the blackened battlefield with a layer of sad red, adding to the sadness.
Ye Shuhua took one last look at this land that carried countless hopes and sacrifices, but now only death was left. His gaze paused for a moment in the direction where the Shrek flag once flew, but now only a blackened flagpole remained. A trace of deep sorrow flashed in his eyes, but was immediately replaced by a deeper determination.
"Let's go." She uttered a concise word, turned around, and took steps in the direction opposite to the battlefield, leading to the hinterland of the Heaven Dou Empire. The Soul Douluo deputy captain quickly led people to follow, protecting her and Ye Xuanxuan in the middle.
Kraken also took steps silently, following leisurely at the end of the team, like a silent ghost, keeping a subtle distance from the hastily evacuating team.
Their departure did not attract much attention. The entire coalition garrison had already fallen into the chaos and silence before the collapse. The few broken troops or those who stayed behind who noticed their movements only looked at them with numb or confused eyes, and then fell into despair or fled again.
However, just as they were about to completely leave the coalition camp and enter a relatively intact hilly area, a group of about thirty taxi soldiers, wearing broken Star Luo Empire standard armor, with faces mixed with fatigue, vigilance and a hint of stubbornness, blocked the way, led by a Soul Saint level captain.
"Stop! Elder Ye!" The captain stopped in front. Although he maintained respect for Ye Shuhua, his hand was already on the hilt of the knife at his waist. His eyes scanned the team behind Ye Shuhua warily, especially the conspicuous gray-robed figure. "Where are you going? The front line... what is the situation of the battle? Where is Dean Feng Yun?"
Ye Shuhua stopped and sighed in his heart as he looked at these taxi soldiers who had obviously been withdrawn from more peripheral outposts and whose information was relatively unavailable.
She slowed down her tone, but remained firm. "The front line has collapsed, and the main force of the coalition forces... is probably in danger. Dean Feng Yun... is missing. It is meaningless for us to stay here. We need to return to our family and make early plans."
"Collapse?! How is that possible?!" There was a commotion among the soldiers, with disbelief and panic written on their faces.
"Elder Ye, as the chief healer of the coalition, if you leave at this time, you may shake the morale of the army! Why don't you stay and guard the camp with us, waiting for reinforcements from the empire or messages from the dean!" the captain said urgently, obviously unwilling to accept this fact.
Ye Shuhua shook his head, with a tired but undeniable calmness in his voice. "There are no reinforcements. Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empire are experiencing changes in their territory, and they have no time to take care of themselves. Staying here is the only option. There are two ways to be wiped out by the Sun-Moon Empire's counterattack, or to be massacred by Evil Soul Master who took advantage of the chaos. I have made up my mind. If you are willing to go to the Ye Family for temporary refuge, you can go with me. If you wish to stay behind..."
She glanced at the dilapidated camp behind them and the silent battlefield in the distance. "Then stay and stay. However, you need to be alert to the Sun-Moon Empire's possible movement of troops."
After speaking, she said no more and signaled the team to move on.
The captain opened his mouth, looked at Ye Shuhua's determined back, then looked at the members of the medical team behind her who were obviously centered on her, as well as the man in gray robe with a strange aura, and finally put down his hand dejectedly and stepped aside to get out of the way.
The taxi soldiers behind him also looked at each other. Some of them showed signs of movement, but most of them were stopped by the captain's eyes. They were soldiers of the Star Luo Empire. Even if they were defeated, even if they were desperate, there was something imprinted in their bones that prevented them from giving up their posts easily and leaving with people from other countries.
Ye Shuhua's team silently passed through the group of confused but loyal taxi soldiers and disappeared into the shadows of the hills. The soldiers stood there, looking in the direction they left, and then towards the dead battlefield in the distance shrouded in the bloody sunset. Their faces were full of confusion, fear, and a heavy sense of responsibility that had been left behind.
Be alert to the possibility of the Sun-Moon Empire sending troops.
Elder Ye's last words may be their instructions with practical significance at this moment. Although, they all know in their hearts how powerless and ridiculous it is for them, with their thirty-odd defeated soldiers, to "be wary" of the Sun-Moon Empire Soul Engineer army that may appear at any time and have just won a tragic victory.
However, this may be the fate of soldiers.