The slaughter in the Star Dou Great Forest had finally come to a complete end.
The clearing was an utter mess. Withered branches lay shattered across the ground, and rotting leaves mixed with wet mud had been packed solid by the raging soul power.
Thousand Jun Ant corpses carpeted the entire clearing. Their dark-gold shells had cracked into countless pieces, many of which were embedded in the mud.
Thick beast blood seeped deep into the soil. Several odors mingled in the air: the heavy stench of blood, the damp smell of earth, and the scorched odor left by burning soul power. The oppressive mixture weighed on their senses and stung their noses.
Lin Chen and the other six slumped on the ground, unwilling to move a muscle. Their bodies ached all over, limp and utterly drained. They did not even have the strength left to brace themselves against the ground and stand.
That last group battle had been far too fierce. Their nerves had stayed taut throughout as they maneuvered, defended, and attacked. Both their stamina and soul power had hit rock bottom, leaving them completely hollowed out.
Dust covered everyone's clothes, dotted with tiny flecks of blood. Layer after layer of cold sweat beaded on their foreheads, streamed down their cheeks, and dripped onto the backs of their hands with a cool touch. Their breathing was heavy and rapid, their chests rising and falling without pause. Even each breath carried a deep exhaustion.
No one spoke. They all bowed their heads and closed their eyes to regulate their breathing.
Instinctively, they drew in great gulps of the surrounding world's soul power, slowly replenishing their empty meridians. The forest was terrifyingly quiet. Only their seven ragged breaths echoed through the open clearing.
Amid that deathly silence, three figures suddenly shot