This Is Bad!

After more than three days of travel, Cao Longyan and the others arrived near their destination.

Xuan Zi signaled for everyone to stop. He chose a hill with a clear view and had them conceal themselves there, then fixed his solemn gaze on the Evil Soul Master camp in the middle of the valley and began to investigate carefully.

Over the past three days, apart from traveling and cultivating, Cao Longyan had been turning one question over and over in his mind.

Why was Sister Lexuan angry?

He had even asked his Guardian Spirits. Scarlet King and Tian Meng could only shake their heads, unable to make sense of humanity's complicated emotions, while the other four gave him smiles he couldn't understand.

What frustrated him most was that even Xu Chu seemed to know the reason. That was more agonizing than killing him!

Fortunately, Zhang Lexuan hadn't changed how she treated him since then. He just felt that the way she looked at him had changed somehow, though he couldn't put his finger on what was different.

"Su Qingyue, Zhao Rui, go check the area around the camp. Confirm how many Evil Soul Masters are inside and what their cultivation levels are. Don't let your guard down."

Xuan Zi's voice was low. Through a gap in the leaves, his eyes remained fixed on the camp in the valley.

The camp was small, with crude tents arranged haphazardly. A dozen or so Evil Soul Masters in black robes, their bodies wreathed in chilling Soul Power, ambled around lazily. Some polished their weapons, while others chatted. They seemed completely unprepared.

"Yes, Elder Xuan."

The two bowed slightly to Xuan Zi, then turned and concealed their tracks as they headed toward the camp.

Before long, they returned looking relaxed.

"Elder Xuan, there are only fifteen Evil Soul Masters in the camp. The strongest is a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor. The rest are all two- or three-ring Soul Masters."

"There's no one keeping watch around the perimeter, either. This rabble of Soul Master scum is completely slack. It looks like an ordinary little Evil Soul Master outpost, nothing to worry about."

At those words, everyone's tense nerves relaxed at once.

Li Meng toyed with the heavy hammer in his hand and grinned.

"Just a dozen or so nobodies? Looks like this mission will be a breeze. We'll be done in no time. How about we see who can take out the most Evil Soul Masters?"

Wang Hao patted the Storage Soul Tool on his back and laughed in agreement.

"Yeah, I even brought plenty of food, but it looks like I won't need any of it. Still, I'll sit out the contest. I'm a defensive Soul Master, after all. Once the mission's over and we're back in Shrek, I'll treat everyone to a meal at a new restaurant in western Shrek City. Let me tell you, this place..."

Lin Xiaoran closed her eyes and let out a long breath.

"Wonderful. I can finally take it easy for once. I've been longing to go back and soak in a nice, comfortable bath. These nonstop missions have worn me out."

Wen Wenxuan waved his fan, his voice gentle.

"We mustn't let our guard down. Even if the enemy is weak, we should finish this quickly and avoid complications."

Chen Mo adjusted his glasses and nodded in agreement. He gently folded away the map in his hand, apparently convinced this would be a battle without suspense.

A rare hint of a smile appeared on Su Qingyue's usually cold face.

Zhang Lexuan stood to one side, her gaze on the valley, her expression still composed.

Seeing everyone relax, Xuan Zi offered no lengthy reminders. He merely nodded.

"Get ready for battle. Keep the formation as planned, and finish this quickly."

Just as they finished scouting and began looking forward to the end of the mission, a warning from Sky Dream Ice Silkworm suddenly sounded in Cao Longyan's Spiritual Sea of Consciousness, laced with caution.

"My lord, something's wrong. The fluctuations in the surrounding soul energy are very strange. I don't know why they're so faint, but they definitely aren't coming from the fifteen or so Evil Soul Masters in front of us."

Cao Longyan's heart tightened. He immediately focused and drew on the powerful spiritual force contained in Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Million-Year Spirit Head Bone, carefully sensing the surrounding auras.

But no matter how thoroughly he searched, all he could sense were the Soul Power fluctuations of those fifteen Evil Soul Masters. There was nothing else out of the ordinary.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm spoke again.

"My lord, I can't say exactly what's wrong, either. It's just a gut feeling, like something is watching us. Something dangerous."

Cao Longyan frowned. He trusted Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's instincts.

But the other Guardian Spirits mocked Sky Dream Ice Silkworm for being a coward.

Those dozen or so Evil Soul Masters were far too weak. Compared with the Shrek Inspectorate's lineup, they were utterly outmatched. And yet the more he thought about it, the stronger his unease became.

To be safe, Cao Longyan didn't hesitate. He activated a Spirit Detection skill from the Million-Year Spirit Head Bone, and an invisible Mental Network instantly spread out. Its range was just large enough to cover the valley camp before them, and he clearly detected every faint fluctuation of energy.

At that moment, on another concealed hill in the distance, a black-robed figure stood motionless, wreathed in a dense, chilling aura. It was Zhongli Wu, the leader of the Holy Spirit Cult.

In his hand was a pitch-black Soul Tool, specially made for him by the Sun Moon Empire. It could perfectly conceal the Soul Power fluctuations of him and his subordinates, keeping them undetectable to outsiders.

Five Soul Douluo in black robes stood silently behind him. Fifteen Soul Saints stood in orderly ranks, while several Soul Emperors were scattered through the woods, forming a vast encirclement that had the entire valley firmly in its grasp.

They had also taken special care to avoid running into the Shrek group.

Zhongli Wu's lips curled into a cold smile. Through a gap in the leaves, he stared at the Shrek group concealed on the hill, his voice low and icy.

"Since the people from Shrek have come, they can forget about leaving... Today, every last one of them will be buried here!"

His eyes settled on the red-haired boy in the group, and he frowned, but quickly relaxed.

Who was that? The intelligence hadn't mentioned him, had it? But he looked like an inexperienced brat. He posed no threat at all...

"Move out!"

At Xuan Zi's command, everyone immediately followed the planned formation and charged toward the camp in the valley.

Su Qingyue and Zhao Rui led the group.

Li Meng followed close behind, heavy hammer in hand.

Wen Wenxuan, Lin Xiaoran, and Chen Mo walked in the middle.

Zhang Lexuan and Wang Hao took up positions on either side.

Cao Longyan and Xuan Zi brought up the rear.

The group moved at great speed, without the slightest hesitation, and rushed into the valley camp in an instant.

The Evil Soul Masters, who had been lounging around, showed no panic when they saw the group charging toward them. Instead, as if they had expected this, they immediately stopped what they were doing and retreated out of the camp in an orderly fashion. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, without any of the confusion or disarray one would expect from a sudden attack.

But at that moment, everyone except Cao Longyan was so caught up in the thought of completing the mission with ease that no one noticed anything strange.

Li Meng roared and swung his heavy hammer, about to chase after the retreating Evil Soul Masters.

"Trying to run? Not one of you will get away!"

Zhao Rui and Su Qingyue also immediately picked up speed, preparing to intercept them.

Just then, Cao Longyan's Mental Network detected an extremely faint fluctuation of energy. The area ahead of the fleeing Evil Soul Masters had entered its range.

His heart tightened. He immediately focused on probing the area, but what he found made his whole body go rigid and his heart pound violently. A chill swept up from the soles of his feet and spread through his entire body.

At the exit of the valley where the Evil Soul Masters were fleeing, tens of thousands of Soul Tool bombs lay buried, one after another. Each had been concealed in a special way, and an ordinary person could never have detected them without activating a Mental Network.

The energy fluctuations from the Soul Tool bombs were terrifying. If they detonated, their power would be enough to flatten the entire valley—let alone kill them all, caught completely off guard!

If they kept chasing, everyone except Xuan Zi would be wiped out!

At that moment, Su Qingyue and Zhao Rui, who were at the front of the group, were only about ten steps away from the area where the Soul Tool bombs were buried.

They remained oblivious, still speeding toward the direction the Evil Soul Masters had fled. Their eyes were fixed only on the fleeing enemies ahead.

Cao Longyan's pupils shrank. Looking at the nearby blast zone and the two people's utterly unguarded backs, he cursed himself bitterly.

This is bad!