Chapter 86: Battle at the Camp
After witnessing the power of the landmines, Xue Qinghe finally decided to adopt Xiao Yu's strategy.
Lin Jun secretly laughed at Xue Qinghe's foolishness upon learning that he planned to divide his forces to attack cities affected by the rebellion—cities that were ultimately insignificant. Without hesitation, Lin Jun led a team and set off. Over the next few days, various forces also deployed, leaving the once-occupied camp of fifty thousand soldiers with fewer than a thousand remaining.
Several days later, on a moonless and windy night, when darkness engulfed everything, a silent force of several thousand men approached the Heaven Dou Empire's military camp.
"Brothers, charge in! Capture Xue Qinghe alive, and you'll be heavily rewarded!"
The leading general was none other than Ferreira, the mastermind behind the rebellion. With a wave of his arm, the troops surged like a tide into the camp.
Beep, beep, beep!!!
The camp was empty, but the area under their feet was filled with countless red dots flashing continuously, standing out sharply in the night.
"Not good, it's a trap!"
Before Ferreira could finish speaking, the once steadily blinking red dots began to flash rapidly, and a red halo expanded outward.
Boom!
A series of continuous explosions rocked the camp. The once formidable rebel army was instantly torn apart, with limbs and debris flung into the air amid the dust and chaos. The number of dead and wounded was staggering, and cries of agony echoed all around.
"Retreat, retreat quickly!"
Ferreira, a high-level Soul King with fifty-eight ranks of soul power, immediately activated his soul power to protect his vital points as soon as he sensed danger. Though he was battered and bruised at the center of the explosion, he barely managed to survive and swiftly gave the order to retreat.
At the same time, several commanders secretly planted by Qian Renxue within the Heaven Dou Empire, along with their loyal troops, ambushed from the surrounding areas. Seeing that the rebel army was in disarray, they raised their banners and charged out.
The rebel forces had already been devastated by Xiao Yu's landmine attack, losing their formation and morale. Most soldiers, now terrified, ran around aimlessly like headless chickens.
Though the Heaven Dou Empire's troops were fewer in number than the rebels, the latter's spirits had been shattered. They were like lambs to the slaughter, and under the relentless assault of the Heaven Dou army, they fled in disarray, leaving a trail of dead and wounded behind.
Yihui, Eden, Zilong, and other members of the Nine Stars battle team, led by Xiao Yu, formed an offensive formation and charged at the rebels with great power. Soul rings flashed in circles as they unleashed one soul skill after another into the densely packed rebels. Blood erupted everywhere, becoming the brightest, bloodiest color of the night.
"Damn it, break through!"
Ferreira roared, and five soul rings—two yellow and three purple—lit up around him. A grey rhino over a meter long landed heavily on the ground, leaving four large pits in its wake.
His first yellow soul ring and third purple soul ring both shone brightly. Ferreira's first soul skill increased his speed, while the third boosted his defense.
Under the effects of these two powerful soul skills, Ferreira started moving. The rhino charged forward with all its might, galloping straight toward the camp's exit.
Naturally, the Heaven Dou soldiers noticed the rebellious mastermind. Under the command of their leaders, countless arrows and spears rained down upon him. However, the rhino's defense was astounding, and the attacks felt like mere scratches to Ferreira. His speed didn't falter in the slightest, while the soldiers trying to block his path were trampled to death beneath his hooves.
"Everyone, target that rhino soul master! Attack with everything you've got—take him down!"
Before the battle, Xiao Yu had already received intelligence about Ferreira from Qian Renxue. Now, seeing the rhino rampaging through the crowd, he immediately recognized him.
Xiao Yu might not have studied military tactics formally, but he knew the importance of capturing the leader to win the battle. Without hesitation, he changed direction and led his battle team straight toward Ferreira.
"Get out of my way!"
Ferreira, who was charging with all his might, sensed multiple soul power auras converging on him. It was clear that the soul masters of the Heaven Dou Empire were targeting him.
Without wasting time or even assessing the strength of his attackers, Ferreira immediately unleashed his fourth soul skill. This skill, akin to an earthquake, used him as the epicenter, channeling his soul power into the ground and spreading it outward.
In an instant, the earth trembled violently. Surrounding Ferreira, aside from Xiao Yu and his team who were charging toward him, were numerous soldiers from both armies locked in combat. Most of these soldiers were ordinary people without soul power. Against a Soul King's fourth soul skill, friend and foe alike were shaken to the point of bleeding from their orifices, many dying on the spot.
"Yihui, Yuna, take to the skies! Aerial strike—interrupt his attack!"
The tremors momentarily halted Xiao Yu and his team's advance. While they could rely on their soul power to resist the seismic shock and push forward, why endure it when there was an easier way to deal with the situation?
A red and a green figure shot into the air. The red figure, Yihui, was the first to act, her pitch-black fourth soul ring shining brightly: "Fourth Soul Skill, Divine Phoenix Heavenly Flame!"
A massive fire phoenix emerged from behind Yihui, letting out a piercing cry as flames engulfed its form. It swooped down from the sky toward its target. Even with the rhino's thick hide, there was no escape from Yihui's ultimate fire. The searing pain from the flames forced Ferreira to scream in agony, his forward momentum completely broken.
"Third Soul Skill, Blazing Wind Cyclone!"
As Ferreira writhed in the flames, Yuna's soul skill hit him next. A fierce whirlwind engulfed the massive rhino, lifting it into the air, where it spun for several moments before crashing heavily to the ground.
Ferreira saw stars as he staggered backward, barely managing to keep from collapsing after retreating several steps.
The members of the Nine Stars battle team were in perfect sync, leaving Ferreira no time to catch his breath.
Just as he hit the ground, Zilong attacked. His fifth soul skill, Azure Dragon Sacred Sword Slash, concentrated and compressed soul power into a sword that cleaved down upon Ferreira. As the sword fell, brilliant light flashed, and the sharp blade easily tore through the rhino's defenses, splitting the rhino's shadow into two.
Ferreira suffered yet another devastating blow. He was forced out of his martial spirit avatar form, coughing up blood as he dropped to one knee, clearly no longer capable of fighting.
"Let me deliver the final blow!"
Huo Wu yelled excitedly as she launched herself toward Ferreira, her long, powerful legs propelling her forward with a burst of speed.
"Second Soul Skill, Crimson Flame Burst!"
This was Huo Wu's second soul skill, a single-target attack that concentrated her soul power between her arms, transforming it into flames that surged toward the target. Upon impact, the flames would explode violently.
(End of Chapter)
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