The seven from Shrek huddled tightly together in the center of the arena. Every one of them was badly wounded, their clothes soaked through with blood. Their bodies swayed slightly in the howling wind, yet not one of them retreated half a step.
Chi Wang nestled at the very center of the team, his small body curled slightly inward. Two crimson streams of bloody tears seeped ceaselessly from his eyes, slid down his young cheeks, and dripped onto his collar, spreading into patch after patch of dark blood.
His vision had blurred to the point of near blindness.
The light and shadows, the figures, the outline of the arena, the glow of Soul Power-all of it had blurred into a black, murky fog. He could see nothing clearly.
An ordinary Soul Master who had completely lost their sight in such desperate circumstances would long since have panicked and broken down, leaving themselves at others' mercy.
But Chi Wang had not.
At the very moment his physical eyes failed, his Spirit Eyes instead awakened completely.
Chi Wang closed his constantly bleeding eyes. His fine Mental Power spread like water, as intricate as a net, steadily enveloping the entire arena.
The next instant, a clear, three-dimensional image of the battlefield silently took shape within his pitch-black Sea of Consciousness.
The technique Uncle Lan Changsheng had taught him when they first met was precisely suited to the situation he faced now.
"Uncle Changsheng..."
Chi Wang drew his thoughts back.
Within his mind, who was moving, who was gathering strength, whose Soul Power was stirring, and the cold, savage Rakshasa Divine Power entwined around everyone from Spirit Hall-not a single detail escaped him.
"Everyone, hold steady! Circular defense! Don't charge. We mustn't rush to counterattack!"
Chi Wang's voice was soft, hoarse and weak from