Forest Team Battle (Part 2)

"Third Spirit Skill: Rising Dragon Overlord!"

"Third Spirit Skill: Karma Fire Whirlwind!"

"Third Spirit Skill: Gale Piercing Shadow!"

Taking advantage of the moment when Yao Liang, the strongest on the opposing side, was bound by Eden, Xiao Yu, Zilong, and Yi Hui all unleashed their strongest attacks.

Within a windlike black shadow, a longsword thrust straight ahead, shattering the martial soul of the enemy's knife-wielding soul master before piercing straight through his chest in one fluid motion. A blue dragon soaring through the nine heavens rose into the air and, with a roar, sent the goshawk crashing to the ground. Karma fire from hell condensed into a terrifying whirlwind, burning away the enemy's flesh, mind, soul, and martial soul alike.

At the same time, Xie Wu, as an agility-attack-type soul master, displayed the ability of his class to cut into the enemy's backline. His Third and Second Spirit Skills lit up simultaneously, and a pair of gleaming wings extended from his back. His body accelerated as he shot into the air, crossing over the crowd and charging directly at the support-type soul master.

In the soul master system of Douluo World, support-type soul masters generally had no means of self-defense, and this support-type soul master was no exception.

Xie Wu dived down from the sky and delivered a flying kick squarely into the support-type soul master's chest. The man sprayed blood wildly as he flew backward, crashing through several branches before finally coming to a stop.

"Fourth Spirit Skill: Bursting Strike!"

In order to break free from Eden's restraints, Yao Liang used his Fourth Spirit Skill. Eden was only a Soul Elder, after all. Yao Liang's fourth soul ring had likely come from a soul beast around two thousand five hundred to three thousand years old, so even Eden's Third Spirit Skill could not restrain him.

Yet once he broke free, he discovered that not a single one of his teammates remained. Xiao Yu and the other six were already glaring at him like tigers eyeing their prey.

"Damn it!"

Yao Liang cursed and turned to flee. He had been a teacher for many years, after all. How could he not see that these Soul Elders were far stronger than ordinary Soul Elders? If they joined forces, even he might not be able to defeat them. Besides, Xiao Yu's guards could arrive at any moment. Of the thirty-six stratagems, retreat was the best.

"Trying to run?"

At that moment, Iao, who had been acting like an invisible man all along, made his move. His martial soul had evolved from the abilities of his previous life and possessed an exceedingly peculiar power: each of his spirit skills could transform into a soul beast that produced soul rings.

"First Spirit Skill: Giant Serpent Constriction!"

His first soul ring lit up, and Iao's martial soul instantly transformed into a several-meter-long python. It moved with incredible speed, coiling around Yao Liang and binding him tightly.

"Get lost!"

Yao Liang roared angrily as his second and third soul rings lit up. Iao was only using his First Spirit Skill, after all, and could not possibly hold him forever. Yao Liang broke free after just two spirit skill attacks.

But that brief moment was already enough. Xiao Yu, Yi Hui, and Zilong, the three powerful attack-type soul masters, had surrounded Yao Liang from the front, left, and right. They unleashed their most destructive Third Spirit Skills with full force and attacked him.

Yao Liang's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly mobilized all his Soul Power to protect himself.

Boom!

Soul Power collided violently. Facing the combined assault of three powerful attackers, Yao Liang was ultimately one move short. The hastily formed Soul Power shield around him shattered completely, and the three spirit skills struck him directly, reducing him to nothingness.

After dealing with Yao Liang and the others, Xiao Yu dared not linger any longer. He feared that the repeated battles had caused too much commotion and might attract some terrifying soul beasts, creating needless trouble. He quickly led everyone away, only setting up camp and beginning to recover their Soul Power after they had moved far from the area.

By nightfall, everyone had stopped their day-long search. They set up simple tents, ate some dry rations, and returned to their tents to rest. Milo and Hui Huo no longer followed from afar at this time. Most soul beasts shared the same routines as humans, but some unusual soul beasts chose to emerge at night. Such soul beasts were invariably highly aggressive, and even their methods of attack were extremely strange and difficult to guard against. If anything happened, it would be disastrous.

In the latter half of the night, everyone inside the tents had fallen asleep. Although soul masters could spend the night meditating and cultivating, the greatest drawback of meditation was that it required intense concentration. After cultivating for an entire night, one's physical condition would improve, but there would be a period of mental exhaustion. Such a state could not be allowed when hunting soul beasts. If one could not focus under a soul beast's attack, it could lead to irreparable losses. Therefore, when hunting soul beasts, everyone had to rely on sleep at night to restore themselves to peak condition.

Only Xiao Yu, Zilong, and Hui Huo, who were keeping watch outside, remained awake. They were responsible for the latter half of the night, having just relieved Yi Hui, Eden, and Milo, who had stood guard during the first half.

"Something's moving!"

Hui Huo, who had been sitting with his eyes half-closed, suddenly rose to his feet and released his spiritual perception in one direction.

Before long, a blood-covered man came stumbling, crawling, and rolling out of the depths of the dense forest. He collapsed only a few steps from Xiao Yu's camp.

"Help... help me!"

His voice was faint due to his injuries, but in the dead silence of the night, it still reached Xiao Yu and the others clearly.

"Young Master, what do you think?"

Hui Huo asked for Xiao Yu's opinion.

One must always guard against others, especially in a place as perilous as the Star Dou Great Forest, where murder and robbery were commonplace. Thus, when faced with a stranger they had only just met, even if he appeared to be in grave danger, soul masters would generally keep their distance and watch from the sidelines. Who knew whether it was a trap laid by someone waiting for you to walk into it, only to stab you in the back? This was no alarmist talk, but a bloody lesson countless soul masters had paid for with their lives.

"Let's take a look."

Xiao Yu had been in Douluo World for more than eight years and understood all this as well. Yet after some thought, the moral values instilled in him during his previous life on Blue Star ultimately drove him to make this decision. Of course, it was also tied to his confidence in their own strength. With a Titled Douluo and a Soul Douluo among them, what was there to fear even if it was a trap? Unless Spirit Hall's elders had gathered together to set one specifically for them.

Seeing that Xiao Yu had made his decision, Hui Huo nodded. Still somewhat wary, he walked over to the man, lifted him lightly, and brought him back.

Xiao Yu had learned some wilderness first-aid knowledge at the Soul Master Academy. He immediately took the man from Hui Huo and examined his injuries. The moment he did, Xiao Yu could not help drawing in a sharp breath. The man's injuries were truly too severe. Wounds covered his entire body, with barely a patch of intact flesh left. The exposed skin was blackened and charred like coal, as if he had been struck by lightning.

Xiao Yu could only shake his head. He had nothing but a few basic medicines on hand, which would be useless against such horrific injuries. They had no healing soul master among them. If Ye Lingling were here, then with the heaven-defying healing abilities of her Nine Star Begonia, perhaps they could still wrestle him back from death. But now, this man could not be saved!