Ma Xiaotao was voluptuous, with long, fiery red hair. Dai Yueheng had blond hair and mismatched eyes. There was the cool and aloof senior, Ling Luochеn; Chen Zifeng, who carried the Soul-Chasing Sword; the confident-looking Yao Haoxuan; the slightly feminine Gongyang Mo; and Xixi, who had little presence.
The seven main-team members of Shrek Academy all stared at the dark cave before them. Vines obscured the entrance, making it impossible to see what lay inside.
But there was no doubt about the evil aura within. Bands of black mist drifted out, and all the surrounding plants had withered.
"So it really is the work of an Evil Soul Master!"
Ma Xiaotao's pretty face turned icy. Two yellow, two purple, and two black Soul Rings appeared beneath her feet. She took the lead and charged into the cave.
"Xiaotao!"
"Don't be reckless!"
Seeing Ma Xiaotao rush in first, the others couldn't help but feel alarmed. The evil aura before them was so thick. If the enemy had set a trap, wouldn't they be walking right into it?
A clear phoenix cry rang out from within the cave. The blazing Phoenix Flame lit up the entire cavern.
Even Dai Yueheng, Xixi, and the others, standing outside, could feel the heat on their faces. Ma Xiaotao had already made her move.
Two yellow, two purple, and two black Soul Rings appeared beneath Dai Yueheng's feet. His muscles bulged, his blond hair turned black and white, and the character for "king" appeared on his forehead.
The others exchanged glances. The remaining five were all Soul Kings, and they followed Dai Yueheng into the cave, ready to slaughter their way through.
Inside the cave, skeletons littered the ground.
"First Soul Skill, Phoenix Fire Line."
A pair of burning phoenix wings spread from Ma Xiaotao's back. Her First Soul Ring lit up, and she spewed orange-red Phoenix Flame from her mouth.
The Skeleton Soldiers blocking the way let out a series of clattering, shrill wails. Their bones began to melt, and the broken weapons in their hands melted into iron that stuck to their bones.
"You're all too slow! I could slaughter my way through them all without you!" Ma Xiaotao complained as she attacked.
"Is that so? Watch your back." Dai Yueheng smiled slightly. His Second Soul Ring lit up, and a milky-white orb of light formed in his mouth before he unleashed the White Tiger Blazing Light Wave.
Behind Ma Xiaotao, a Skeleton Archer had drawn its bow. Its gleaming arrow was aimed at her head.
The next instant, the White Tiger Blazing Light Wave struck with pinpoint accuracy. The Skeleton Archer exploded, its bones flying in every direction.
"Hmph!"
Ma Xiaotao wasn't grateful. She snorted, her hands burning with scorching Phoenix Flame. Clenching her fists, she charged into the Skeleton Soldiers alone.
Bones flew wherever she went. With broad, forceful movements, she let the Phoenix Flame seep through every gap and swiftly carved a path forward.
"Everyone, be careful! Every one of these Skeleton Soldiers has the strength of a Soul Ancestor. The Evil Soul Master we've encountered must be terrifyingly powerful." Ma Xiaotao's expression grew more serious as she spoke in a low voice.
"Then why didn't we ask the Soul Hall for help before we left? They specialize in taking down Evil Soul Masters, after all." Xixi was struggling to keep up. Skeleton Soldiers were pouring out of the cave without end.
"As Inner Court Students of Shrek Academy, why would we need help from outsiders? Don't say things like that again. If people hear you, they'll laugh at Shrek Academy for being useless." Ma Xiaotao's Sixth Soul Ring suddenly lit up.
"Sixth Soul Skill, Phoenix Meteor Shower."
At the same time, Ling Luochеn's Third Soul Ring lit up. The purple Soul Ring merged into the ice staff in her hand.
In an instant, the oncoming Skeleton Soldiers were separated one by one, trapped in cages of ice. They couldn't move, and even as they swung their weapons, they could only leave small chips in the ice.
"Rumble—"
Scorching meteors of flame fell from the sky. The Phoenix Flame burning behind Ma Xiaotao gave off a terrifying heat, distorting the very air.
The moment the fiery meteors hit the ground, they melted the icy cages and crashed into the Skeleton Soldiers, causing heavy casualties.
Everyone fell silent and gathered together, their eyes fixed on what lay ahead.
When the dust settled, the Skeleton Soldiers before them turned into streams of gray air and sank underground, disappearing without a trace.
Silence. Stillness. Not a sound could be heard anywhere in the cave.
"Something's wrong. Everyone, be careful." As team leader, Ma Xiaotao stood before the others, her Soul Power surging. She flicked her hand, sending two streaks of flame ahead to light the way.
They all drew sharp breaths. What they saw was something they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Hundreds of Skeleton Archers had drawn their bows, the strings pulled taut into full moons.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"
Bright arrows streaked through the air, shrieking like vengeful spirits as they cut through it.
Just then, Dai Weisi stepped forward. His Fourth Soul Ring lit up, its purple light casting a cold look across his face.
"Fourth Soul Skill, White Tiger Meteor Shower."
Countless yellow fists of light appeared behind him and collided with the rain of arrows, clanging against them one after another.
"You have some nerve, coming all the way here! Since you've shown up, none of you are leaving." An ominous laugh echoed through the cave, growing louder as it reached everyone's ears.
"Damn Evil Soul Master! I'll kill you!" Ma Xiaotao blazed with anger and tried to rush ahead, but Dai Yueheng stopped her.
"Why are you stopping me?" Ma Xiaotao knitted her delicate brows and glared at Dai Yueheng.
Dai Yueheng shook his head helplessly. Her temper was as fiery as her Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul.
"We can't break through the arrow storm right now. And you're the strongest among us. If you charge in and something happens to you, we'll be in trouble." Dai Yueheng turned to Yao Haoxuan.
Yao Haoxuan understood at once. His body grew enormous, and he pounded both fists against his chest. Then he stepped in front of everyone, crossing his arms to block every arrow that came at them.
The arrows couldn't pierce his thick skin, leaving only white marks.
Yao Haoxuan gritted his teeth and struggled to hold on. Meanwhile, Gongyang Mo stayed behind Ling Luochеn as streams of seven-colored light flowed into Yao Haoxuan and the others in front.
"Chen Zifeng, you're the only one among us with a weapon-type Martial Soul. Make the most of your advantage. We'll carve a path through shortly. Don't worry about us; if you find the Evil Soul Master, kill him immediately. We've already made inquiries before coming. That Evil Soul Master is only a Soul King. Don't forget—you're an Inner Court Student of Shrek Academy."
After quickly laying out the plan, Dai Yueheng exchanged a nod with Ma Xiaotao. The two steadied themselves, then unleashed their full strength, their Soul Power surging.
The White Tiger Meteor Shower and the Phoenix Meteor Shower, two wide-area Soul Skills, battered the Skeleton Archers ahead, leaving them disarmed and in disarray.
Chen Zifeng seized the chance to charge into the Skeleton Archers' line of sight. With the Soul-Chasing Sword in hand, he moved as if no one stood in his way.
The Skeleton Archers ahead had just started to raise their bows when a ghastly white flash of sword light swept past. Chen Zifeng darted through them, the Soul-Chasing Sword gleaming coldly. The Skeleton Archers behind him were decapitated one after another, their bones tumbling to the ground.
Chen Zifeng didn't dare let down his guard. He raced toward the deepest part of the cave.
Green ghost flames burned inside. Qin Chuan, clad in a black robe and holding the Rakshasa Demon Scythe, sat cross-legged on the ground.
"Tap, tap, tap—"
Footsteps sounded ahead.
Qin Chuan opened his eyes and gave a cold smile. "Chen Zifeng of the Soul-Chasing Sword. Today, I'll use your head to announce the start of the oath I made a year ago."
Chen Zifeng stepped into the cavern. Before he could even see Qin Chuan, a streak of dusky violet blade light came slashing toward him.
Instinctively, Chen Zifeng raised the Soul-Chasing Sword with both hands to block it. His Fifth Soul Ring lit up.
"Fifth Soul Skill... Aah!!!"
The Soul-Chasing Sword was split in two. The Rakshasa Demon Scythe cut through it with ease, cleaving it cleanly in half. With his Martial Soul severed, Chen Zifeng felt a tightness in his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.
The Rakshasa Demon Scythe then rested against Chen Zifeng's neck. As panic seized him and his mind went blank, Qin Chuan gently drew the blade to the left.
Chen Zifeng was beheaded!
A column of blood spurted into the air as his head was severed. The cut was clean. His headless body stood frozen for two seconds before falling straight to the ground.
"Ding! Host used the Rakshasa Demon Scythe to kill Chen Zifeng, an Inner Court Student of Shrek Academy. Reward: 8,000 Snow Hatred Value."
Current Snow Hatred Value: 563000
Qin Chuan looked at the headless body lying in a pool of blood and gave a cold laugh. "Chen Zifeng, you're the first, but you won't be the last. A blood feud that's lasted ten thousand years will be settled today. It starts with you."
Qin Chuan picked up Chen Zifeng's head, its eyes still wide open, and tore a strip of cloth from his clothes. He hung the head from the Rakshasa Demon Scythe and strolled toward Ma Xiaotao and the others.
"Rumble—"
Hooves thundered. Skeleton Knights wielding spears rode atop enormous skeleton horses, trampling over bones as they launched a deadly charge at Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and the others.
"Ugh—"
Dai Yueheng spat up bile, his chest heaving violently. A huge horse was charging forward with its chest pressed against his, while the Skeleton Knight mounted atop it readied its spear to pierce his brow.
"Sixth Soul Skill, White Tiger Annihilation Strike!"
Dai Yueheng's Sixth Soul Ring lit up sharply. He crossed his arms over his chest, and a giant character for "slaughter" cleaved the Skeleton Knight and its horse to pieces.
"Why do these damned things never stop coming?" Gongyang Mo huddled in the center, protected by the others.
The six remaining members had formed a circle. Surrounded by the charging Skeleton Knights, they were struggling to keep up, and their Soul Power was nearly depleted.
"Why hasn't Chen Zifeng dealt with him yet?" Xixi Fu asked with a frown.
But in the next instant, a figure flashed through the darkness.
All the Skeleton Knights around them stopped. They surrounded the six of them.
"The Skeleton Knights have stopped moving. Could Chen Zifeng have succeeded?" Gongyang Mo let out a sigh of relief.
But a chilling voice came from behind them.
"Right. Chen Zifeng succeeded—he succeeded in sending himself to the afterlife."
The others were horrified, their backs slick with cold sweat. That wasn't Chen Zifeng's voice.
Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Xixi, Ling Luochеn, and Yao Haoxuan scattered in every direction.
They saw a black-robed figure holding a scythe standing where they had just been.
As for Gongyang Mo, the scythe had pierced through his chest and emerged from his back. He was already dead.
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