As Dai Yueheng led the team deeper into the lair of the Death Messenger, they found themselves in a natural cave, somewhat artificially excavated and repaired. Everywhere they looked, there were mutilated corpses and broken bones, and a pungent stench of decay assaulted their senses.
Soon, they began to encounter Evil Soul Master under the command of the Death Messenger, or corpses that he had already transformed into puppets.
Dai Huabin seemed eager to demonstrate his value, always fighting on the front lines. Even Wang Yan, who was recording the battle from the rear, nodded repeatedly, praising his bravery.
Soon, the Evil Soul Master and corpse puppets under the Death Messenger lay dead on the ground. At that moment, a chilling voice echoed from deep within the Death Messenger's lair, "You Shrek Academy people actually killed so many of my men! You deserve to die! Pay me with your lives!"
After the chilling voice finished speaking, an evil wave of Soul Power spread throughout the depths of the cave. Then, the low-level Evil Soul Master and corpse puppets that had been killed by the Shrek Team stood up one by one.
Seeing these people come back to life sent a chill down the spines of everyone present. Then, as if they had no regard for their lives, these corpses rushed frantically towards the crowd.
Just then, with a loud "boom," the dozens of corpses at the forefront exploded violently at the same time, with a power no less than that of Soul Saint's strongest attack.
At the critical moment, Dai Yueheng instinctively changed his position, immediately shifting most of his defense to stand in front of Dai Huabin.
As the smoke gradually dissipated, this single attack had left eleven members of the Shrek Academy either severely injured or dead. Wang Yan, standing at the back, possessed the cultivation of Soul King. Although his injury wasn't fatal, he had temporarily lost his ability to move. The other ten team members fared much worse.
Dai Yueheng, with the highest cultivation level, lost his right arm and collapsed to the ground screaming in agony. Xi Xi and Chen Zifeng were nowhere to be found. Yao Haoxuan only had half a body left, and his death was only a matter of time.
Gongyang Mo lost both legs and immediately fainted.
The situation for the new Shrek Seven Devils in the back row was also dire. Although not at the epicenter of the explosion, a flying sharp rock easily pierced He Caitou's neck. He collapsed, desperately clutching his neck with both hands, trying to stop the flow of his life. Unfortunately, it was all in vain.
Zhu Lu and Jiang Nannan were in similar situations; although their bodies were intact, they had suffered severe internal injuries and collapsed helplessly to the ground. At this moment, the corpses that had not yet activated their Corpse Explosion stood up again, preparing to continue their attack.
Dai Yueheng glanced at his younger brother, Dai Huabin, whom he had protected, and shouted, " Huabin, run! Quickly!"
Dai Huabin was so frightened that he sat there, too scared to move.
Upon seeing the corpse, they were about to launch an attack. Xu Sanshi, who was also seriously injured, cried out "Ah!" and, enduring the pain, ran towards the area outside the cave where there were no corpses.
Seeing this, Jiang Nannan simply turned her head away, thinking disdainfully to herself: Men are nothing special.
Despite the pain in his body, Xu Sanshi ran for dozens of meters in one breath. He was near the exit, and there were no corpses. Only then did he stop. A purple Soul Ring flashed beneath his feet, and he shouted, " Fourth Soul Skill, Xuanming Displacement!"
The next moment, Jiang Nannan arrived at the safe area that Xu Sanshi had desperately run to, while Xu Sanshi returned to the spot where Jiang Nannan had been, surrounded by corpses.
Zhu Lu glanced at Jiang Nannan with envy.
Jiang Nannan then realized she had truly misunderstood Xu Sanshi. She shouted, " Xu Sanshi, you have to hold on!"
Hearing Jiang Nannan's words, Xu Sanshi seemed to find the motivation to continue living. At this moment, he was already seriously injured and had no strength to run again. He subconsciously hugged his head and curled up his body to minimize the possibility of injury.
The corpses did not continue their Corpse Explosion, which temporarily saved the lives of both the crippled and severely injured members of the Shrek Team.
Just then, a dark figure appeared— the Shrek Team's target, the Death Messenger. His face was ashen, like a zombie, his features twisted, sending chills down one's spine.
The moment he appeared, his gaze locked onto Dai Huabin. Dai Huabin wasn't particularly strong, yet the strongest student in the Shrek Team had risked his life to protect him, ensuring he wasn't injured at all. This made the Death Messenger subconsciously think that Dai Huabin was a very important person.
He immediately reached out and grabbed Dai Huabin by the neck, lifting him up and saying, "I'll make you self-proclaimed heroes wish you were dead!"
Just as the Death Messenger was about to strike, Xuan Zi was outside the cave, rushed in after hearing a violent explosion.
Dai Yueheng and his companions were not people the Holy Spirit Cult wanted to eliminate. Xuan Zi had no intention of killing them and even regarded them as defenders of Shrek's glory.
The Death Messenger felt the oppressive presence of a powerful figure approaching, and he prepared to flee. Realizing that a direct escape might be futile, he immediately retrieved a secret medicine from the Holy Spirit Cult headquarters and splashed it on the surrounding corpses, maximizing the toxicity within them.
Then the Death Messenger grabbed Dai Huabin and ran towards the depths of the cave. This naturally formed cave was bottomless and complex. Once inside, it was easy to lose one's way out.
Immediately after the Death Messenger left, the corpse exploded, releasing a large cloud of purplish-black toxic corpse fluid. Instantly, the toxic corpse fluid filled the entire cave.
As Xuan Zi rushed into the cave and came into contact with the poisonous mist of the corpse water, he instinctively sensed a threat. Inhaling too much of this poisonous mist would also be fatal to him.
This left Xuan Zi with no way to pursue the Death Messenger. If he did, the students in the cave, still immersed in the poisonous fog, would surely die soon; if he didn't, Xuan Zi, knowing he had committed a grave offense, would be unwilling to give up.
Just as he hesitated, Wang Yan, who had collapsed to the side, managed to say, " Xuan Zi, quickly rescue the students, or they'll all die!"
Xuan Zi gritted his teeth, abandoned the pursuit of the Death Messenger, and after circulating his Soul Power to protect himself, he moved all the students outside the cave, regardless of their lives. A final headcount revealed: two were completely dead, Xi Xi and Chen Zifeng; Yao Haoxuan He Caitou died on the spot; Dai Yueheng and Gongyang Mo were crippled; Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Zhu Lu, and Wang Yan were seriously injured; and Dai Huabin was captured.
Xuan Zi's team is now completely wiped out, except for himself. Moreover, all the trainees have been infected with the Death Messenger's corpse poison; it's uncertain how many will survive.
Left with no other option, Xuan Zi had to return to the Western Army Group's base for help.
Meanwhile, in the central command tent of the Western Army Group, Dai Hao and his generals were discussing military affairs.
Just then, a soldier came to report from outside the tent, "Your Excellency, the Xuan Zi master of the Shrek Academy has returned."
Dai Hao looked puzzled. What was Xuan Zi doing back here? But he still said, "Please invite him in."
"Yes."
Soon, Xuan Zi was hurriedly brought in. Upon seeing Dai Hao Xuan Zi, Xuanzi grabbed him. Dai Hao quickly asked, " Xuan Zi, please don't be agitated. What's wrong? Let's talk this out."
Xuan Zi then said, "Quickly, dispatch the best healing Soul Master from your camp to come with me. Today, our Shrek Academy was ambushed while annihilating Evil Soul Master, and suffered heavy losses."
At this moment, Dai Hao grabbed Xuan Zi and hurriedly asked, "How are my sons Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin?"
Xuan Zi was quite blunt, saying, " Dai Yueheng is missing an arm, and Dai Huabin has been captured by Evil Soul Master; his fate is unknown."