Xuan Zi was forced back step by step by Xiong Jun's frenzied assault. The blood at the corner of his mouth kept increasing, and more wounds were appearing on his body.
His heart was filled with confusion and shock. Xiong Jun had clearly taken such a heavy blow from him—how could he possibly be acting as though nothing had happened?
This defied all reason!
Yet Xiong Jun's attacks only grew fiercer. His dark golden claws carried all of his Soul Power, each swing bearing the might to destroy heaven and earth.
Above the battlefield, two streaks of earthen yellow and dark gold light collided wildly.
On Shrek City's walls, everyone's hearts rose to their throats.
"How is Elder Xuan suddenly being suppressed?"
Watching the situation, which had originally favored them, reverse in an instant, Yan Shaozhe immediately felt that something was wrong. His brow twisted into a tight knot.
Xian Lin'er, on the other side, was equally puzzled.
"Not only that. Did you see Xiong Jun? Elder Xuan's attacks landed on him, yet they didn't even knock off a single hair."
"Since when did Xiong Jun's defenses become this strong?"
As everyone wavered in shock and began discussing the matter, Song Yunzhi stepped forward.
"Shaozhe, guard the city gates. Let us old folks go provide support first."
Song Yunzhi, the most senior person present aside from Xuan Zi, waved a hand and spoke boldly.
Lin Huiqun beside her nodded deeply, her eyes full of resolve.
The moment she finished speaking, the two women shot out like twin streaks of light, flying straight toward the battlefield!
By the time Xiong Jun noticed them, Song Yunzhi, who was considerably stronger than Lin Huiqun, had already arrived before him like a bolt of green lightning!
"Green Shadow Divine Eagle! Martial Soul Avatar!"
Facing Xiong Jun, Song Yunzhi did not dare let down her guard in the slightest and immediately unleashed her Martial Soul Avatar.
Blue-green Soul Power gathered around her, transforming into a massive Green Shadow Divine Eagle. Its wings spread wide, blotting out the sky.
She beat her wings, streaked across the heavens, and slammed fiercely into Xiong Jun's abdomen!
"Bang!"
A muffled crash erupted. Xiong Jun was knocked back several steps by the sudden attack, widening the distance between himself and Xuan Zi.
But when Song Yunzhi focused her gaze, she found that Xiong Jun, standing right in front of her, was completely unharmed!
Her brows drew tightly together.
When she had watched from the city wall earlier, she had not felt much.
Only now, when she experienced it herself, did she realize how strange it was.
"What is going on? Even if Xiong Jun's defense is strong, he shouldn't have come through without losing even a single hair!"
Before she could figure it out, however, a thick earthen spike suddenly shot from the ground and forced her away from Xiong Jun.
Song Yunzhi flashed back to Xuan Zi and Lin Huiqun's side.
Two more figures had appeared beside Xiong Jun—King of Ten Thousand Demons and Scarlet King.
Three against three.
Song Yunzhi inwardly sensed trouble and lowered her voice as she spoke to the other two.
"From here on, fight while retreating. With us here, the Soul Tools in Shrek City can't be used for fear of accidentally injuring us."
Xuan Zi nodded solemnly at her words and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"What skill is there in ganging up on the few? You humans truly are despicable!"
Scarlet King sneered directly, his voice dripping with contempt.
Faced with that mockery, Xuan Zi and the other two had neither the means nor the mood to refute him.
The current situation was disastrous for Shrek!
After all, Di Tian had yet to appear!
Xuan Zi spat out a mouthful of congealed blood that Xiong Jun's reckless, berserk attacks had forced out of him. Pointing at the three Ferocious Beasts, he roared angrily.
"I came to negotiate in good faith, yet you attacked the moment you arrived! Your Soul Beasts aren't much better in terms of manners!"
He paused, his gaze fixed firmly on Xiong Jun.
"And Xiong Jun, what kind of vile technique is this? You can't even be injured?"
"Hmph, enough nonsense. Come again!"
Xiong Jun could not be bothered to answer.
All he could think about now was how to fight a little longer before the divine skill's effects ended.
After all, opportunities to fight with everything he had, without holding back or caring for his own life, did not come around often.
Seeing that Xiong Jun would not take the bait, Xuan Zi spat and roared furiously.
"You think I'm truly afraid of you?"
Before his words had faded, he shot forward and charged at Xiong Jun once more.
Meanwhile, Song Yunzhi and Lin Huiqun respectively engaged King of Ten Thousand Demons and Scarlet King.
Thanks to the divine skill's enhancement, even after the battle changed from one-on-one duels to a three-on-three melee, Xiong Jun and the other two Ferocious Beasts still held an overwhelming advantage.
Above the battlefield, six streaks of light crossed and collided. Every impact came with a deafening boom.
Soul Power of every color exploded across the sky, dyeing the entire heavens in dazzling hues.
Yet Shrek's side was steadily being pushed back.
After a staggered exchange, Lin Huiqun, the weakest of Shrek's three fighters, found herself facing Xiong Jun, the strongest of the Ferocious Beasts and one currently in a frenzied state.
It took only one careless misstep.
Xiong Jun's dark golden claws, carrying a world-destroying force, slammed viciously into Lin Huiqun.
"Pfft!"
Lin Huiqun spat blood. Like a kite with its string cut, she plummeted straight from the sky and slammed deep into the earth, carving out a crater several yards wide.
"Heavy Strike!"
Xiong Jun roared, crossing his hands together and raising them over his head.
He transformed into a small meteor falling from the sky, plunging fiercely toward Lin Huiqun on the ground with a shriek that tore through the air!
If this strike landed, Lin Huiqun would undoubtedly die!
"This is bad!"
Xuan Zi, who was confronting King of Ten Thousand Demons, sensed the danger.
He flashed forward, charging recklessly into Xiong Jun's path in preparation to block the attack.
But just as he was about to use a soul skill,
green vines had already wrapped around his entire body!
The vines were only as thick as an adult's arm, but they were extraordinarily tough!
They surged in from every direction, binding Xuan Zi tightly.
Not only could he not move, he could not even circulate his Soul Power!
Xuan Zi's expression changed drastically as he followed the vines toward their source.
At the far end, King of Ten Thousand Demons was grinning wickedly, countless branches swaying in the wind.
"With this, Shrek is finished!"
King of Ten Thousand Demons's voice was filled with triumph.
On the city wall, everyone widened their eyes and held their breath.
Xuan Zi was bound, Lin Huiqun lay heavily injured on the ground, and Song Yunzhi was entangled with Scarlet King and unable to break free.
Xiong Jun fell toward the ground like a meteor, his target being the immobile Xuan Zi in midair and Lin Huiqun on the ground!
At that critical moment.
From the direction of Shrek Academy, the ten-thousand-year Golden Tree suddenly erupted with blinding golden light!
That golden radiance was dazzling, like a blazing sun rising from within the academy and staining the entire sky gold.
Then, a heaven-shaking dragon roar rang out across the world!
An illusory dragon shadow flew out from the golden light. It moved too quickly for the naked eye to follow and arrived beside Xuan Zi in an instant.
The dragon shadow circled once, and the vines binding Xuan Zi shattered inch by inch!
"What is that?!"
King of Ten Thousand Demons's expression changed dramatically as he cried out in shock.
He focused his gaze.
At that moment, the dragon shadow had transformed into an aged figure.
His hair was entirely white and his body stooped, yet he still radiated an awe-inspiring authority.
It was the previous master of the Sea God Pavilion—Mu En!
"Teacher!"
"Elder Mu!"
The people of Shrek Academy cried out one after another, their eyes reddening.
No one had expected that Mu En, who had already passed away, would appear once more after death in the form of a remnant soul, protecting Shrek!
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