The instant Gu Qingnian's words fell.
Huo Yuhao and the other five retreated in unison. Pillars of icy light erupted from their bodies at the same time, and six streaks of golden light mingled with jade-green radiance carried them swiftly backward.
At the heart of the explosion, the seven Inner Court students were locked in fierce combat and had already slain many enemies. Hearing Gu Qingnian's shout, and remembering his earlier warning, they all raised their defenses at once.
Even so, the Corpse Explosion was simply too powerful. The corpses' bones, flesh, and blood vessels all became weapons in the blast.
The stronger a corpse had been in life, the more powerful its explosion. In particular, when the Soul King whom Dai Yueheng had torn limb from limb exploded, it felt as though the mountains shook and the earth quaked.
The instant the explosion erupted, Gu Qingnian steadied his mind and charged without hesitation into the heart of the blast. At the same time, he divided his attention to control the Ice Soul, shielding himself and summoning a Soul Power phantom to protect him with all its might.
At the heart of the explosion-five seconds earlier.
"Watch out! Everyone, scatter!"
"Who dares oppose the Death Messenger? You will all die and become my Corpse Slaves." The two shouts rang out almost simultaneously.
The expressions of Ma Xiaotao and the other six changed. Almost at the same instant, they all raised their defenses. Three pillars of icy light rose around Ma Xiaotao and two others, enclosing all three within them.
An azure-blue light flashed behind Ma Xiaotao, releasing a fluctuation of Soul Power that felt profoundly familiar to her. A gleam of jade-green light flashed and vanished, and a layer of Ice Empress's Pincer coated her body.
A moment later, explosions