Ma Xiaotao smashed a Soul King's chest with one punch. Golden-red flames burst from her fist, burning the lifeless corpse to charcoal. Dai Yueheng's White Tiger Claws tore through the defensive line, while Chen Zifeng's Soul-Chasing Sword streaked through the air like a meteor, cutting down several bandits.
Just as the preliminary team was about to advance, a piercing shriek rang out from inside the cave. "So someone actually dares to oppose the Death Messenger. You're all staying here!"
At the sound of that voice, the bandits who had been steadily losing ground quickly retreated.
"Fall back," Lin Shuo said as soon as he sensed the Death Messenger.
"Watch out for the corpses!" After Lin Shuo shouted, Huo Yu'er's Spiritual Detection revealed that the corpses were swelling and turning red, so she hurriedly called out a warning.
The moment her voice fell, Lin Shuo raised both hands.
Behind them, a thick stone wall appeared out of nowhere in front of Ling Luochеn and Gongyang Mo. Ice shields also formed in front of the reserve team, one after another, translucent and pale.
At the very instant he finished doing all this—BOOM!!!
The corpses exploded all at once.
Those corpses had become weapons of destruction. The stronger they had been in life, the more terrifying the explosions.
Knowing that the strongest member of the bandit group was no more than a Soul King, the Shrek Inspection Group had charged straight into the cave. But nobody had expected that the narrow cave would turn out to be the deadliest trap.
The reserve team had only just entered, and Lin Shuo had already put defenses in place for them, so they were untouched.
The main team, however, had been almost directly at the center of the explosions.
Ling Luochеn and Gongyang Mo were in the rear and had managed to take cover behind the stone wall Lin Shuo summoned. Ling Luochеn also had her own ice defenses, so she was almost unhurt. As an auxiliary Soul Master, Gongyang Mo had only suffered minor injuries.
Xi Xi reacted fastest. On top of that, the Lightning Leopard had given her incredible speed, and she immediately fled at Lin Shuo's warning. She avoided the poisonous blood, but the blast still sent her tumbling beside Ling Luochеn and Gongyang Mo. She was coughing up blood.
Chen Zifeng had been right beside Dai Yueheng, so he'd managed to take cover behind him in time. But he was still splattered with poisonous blood. He hadn't lost an arm or a leg, but his screams now echoed throughout the entire cave.
Ma Xiaotao had initially been at the center of the Corpse Explosion, but Lin Shuo's warning and the two leg Soul Bones she possessed allowed her to escape at once, shielding herself with flames. Even so, the blast wave slammed her into the stone wall. Blood spilled from her mouth, and the golden-red Phoenix Flame flickered around her several times, nearly going out.
But Yao Haoxuan and Dai Yueheng were in dire straits.
After using his Martial Soul, Yao Haoxuan had become the largest target and taken the brunt of the explosions. He hadn't managed to escape in time, and half his body had been blown away.
Dai Yueheng had been between the corpses of two Soul Kings, where the explosions were most concentrated. He had three enhancement skills, but he wasn't fast, and hadn't been able to escape the blast in time. The shock wave hurled him through the air and slammed him hard against the rock wall before he slid to the ground. Both his legs were gone, the ends of his bones jutting out, and blood gushed from his wounds like a spring. His face was as pale as paper, and his consciousness hovered on the brink of unconsciousness.
The explosions continued for more than ten seconds before gradually subsiding. The liquid left behind began corroding everything around it. The Corpse Explosion had not only caused terrifying blasts; it was also highly poisonous.
Of the seven members of Shrek Academy's main team facing three Soul Kings, only Gongyang Mo and Ling Luochеn were unharmed. Of the other five disciples, one had died and four were gravely injured.
"Ke ke ke ke! How was my Corpse Explosion? Even if you weren't blown to pieces, the poison would kill you!"
"You wretched bastard!"
An old man's furious roar rang through the cave like a thunderclap, cutting off the Death Messenger's laughter.
Xuan Zi appeared in the center of the cave as if he'd teleported there. At his roar, the whole cavern shuddered violently, and the aura of a Level 98 Super Douluo burst forth without restraint. His Soul Power swept through like a raging tide. The poisonous blood corroding the ground evaporated as soon as it touched his power, dissolving into black smoke.
Xuan Zi had been outside the cave, eating meat and drinking wine. Once he'd sensed that the highest-ranked enemy inside was only a Soul King, he'd confidently let the team enter on their own. But as he sat outside eating chicken legs and drinking, the cave had suddenly erupted with injuries far beyond what a Soul King—or even a Soul Emperor—could inflict.
Xuan Zi reached straight for the Death Messenger. The phantom of Taotie appeared behind him as a gigantic palm tore through the air, its world-destroying force sweeping toward the depths of the cave. At the same time, his spiritual sense scanned the area, checking the injuries of every student.
When he sensed that the reserve students, Ling Luochеn, and Gongyang Mo were safe, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was a blessing amid disaster: Lin Shuo and the two inner-court disciples were still alive. With those three, they still had a chance of winning the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament.
Deep inside the cave, a figure shrouded from head to toe in a black robe was seized from the darkness by Xuan Zi. Three yellow and two purple Soul Rings revolved around him. It was a pitifully unimpressive Soul Ring configuration, yet he had caused such horrifying casualties.
The Death Messenger let out a hideous shriek. He was just about to be dragged in front of Xuan Zi when Yao Haoxuan's body began to swell.
Xuan Zi's pupils contracted. He raised both hands, and a mass of white light enveloped Yao Haoxuan's corpse. At the same time, the Death Messenger's fifth Soul Ring lit up, and his body turned into a wisp of smoke that sped toward the cave entrance. He was on the verge of escaping.
Lin Shuo struck at once. A terrifying dragon's breath appeared in an instant, piercing the Death Messenger's body. The pure force of its Light Flame was powerful enough to burn away every evil thing. The moment the Death Messenger touched the dragon's breath, he began to burn like dry grass caught in a blaze.
The Death Messenger let out a shrill scream as his entire body burned to ashes, blackened like charcoal.
A long silence settled over the cave. Everything had happened too quickly, and the other members of the reserve team could only stare in a daze.
They were shocked not only by the Death Messenger's terrifying power, but also by the fact that Xuan Zi, a Super Douluo, had nearly let a mere Five-Ring Soul King escape. In the end, Lin Shuo had been the one to kill him.
Xuan Zi gave Lin Shuo a long look but said nothing. He turned and strode toward the gravely injured main team members, crouching to check each of them. His fingers trembled, though it was impossible to tell whether from anger or grief.
Wang Yan quickly treated the four wounded with healing and antidote pills.
When the treatment was finished, Xuan Zi said gravely, "Wang Yan, I'll have to leave the difficult task to you. Take the reserve team, Ling Luochеn, Xi Xi, and Gongyang Mo to Star Luo City for the tournament. I'll take Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Chen Zifeng back to the academy for treatment immediately. There's no time to lose. We leave at once."