"Shit!"
Bebe felt the terrifying blast of the explosion, and a flood of familiar memories suddenly surged into his mind.
Damn, back during the selection tournament, I almost got blown up by Huo Yuhao's attack like this! I know this feeling all too well!
"Fourth Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon's Head!"
A massive blue-purple dragon head suddenly appeared, descending from above, engulfing Bebe, Xu Sanshi, and Jiang Nannan, protecting them securely within its jaws.
However, in an instant, the Thunder Dragon's Head began to crack like shattered porcelain. Bebe spat out a mouthful of blood as he forcefully channeled his soul power to shield his companions.
"Nannan, Bebe can't hold on any longer! Activate your Invincible Golden Body to block for us! I can protect us, but I need time!"
Jiang Nannan had never heard Xu Sanshi speak to her so seriously before. She instinctively nodded.
A golden light spread across her body, and she rushed forward to stand in front of Bebe, shielding both of them behind her. At the same time, the massive Thunder Dragon's Head shattered, and the explosive shockwave hit them directly.
Although Jiang Nannan's Invincible Golden Body absorbed most of the damage, the residual impact still shook Bebe and Xu Sanshi's bodies, causing them to vomit blood.
"Blood Sacrifice Xuanwu!"
A nearly frenzied roar erupted from Xu Sanshi's mouth as he spat blood onto his Xuanming Turtle Shield, slamming it heavily onto the ground.
A powerful black aura instantly spread out from the shield, covering an area of over ten square meters, pushing outward like a giant barrier. As it expanded, it emitted a rumbling sound.
A dense, thick pattern suddenly appeared on the Turtle Shield—a dark green snake with blood-red eyes. With its appearance, Xu Sanshi's shield grew significantly, reaching nearly five meters in height.
"Xuanwu Substitution!"
The Invincible Golden Body only lasted for three seconds, and Jiang Nannan had already endured two and a half seconds. Just as despair began to creep into her heart, she suddenly found herself standing behind Bebe.
In front of them now stood Xu Sanshi, holding the Xuanming Turtle Shield, or rather, the Xuanwu Shield, in front of them.
Breaking through the seal on his martial spirit, Xu Sanshi himself seemed to have changed. His stature had grown larger and more imposing, resembling that of an adult man. His short hair glowed with a faint green light, and his muscles swelled. Standing there, he looked like an insurmountable mountain.
"I told you, I would protect you."
Xu Sanshi's voice was now deeper, more resonant, with a magnetism that wasn't present before. His usual light-hearted attitude had completely vanished.
Being cool can be addictive, but reality is often harsh. Suddenly, several Soul Elders' corpses exploded around them, and even though Xu Sanshi had activated the Xuanwu bloodline due to the intense pressure, he couldn't hold on any longer.
The massive Xuanwu Shield shattered in an instant, and all three of them were sent flying. Fortunately, most of the blast's power had been absorbed, so they weren't fatally wounded.
But compared to the three reserve team members, the official members were in a far worse situation.
They were deeper in the cave, surrounded by the most corpses, and they had killed some of the strongest soul masters, including a Soul King.
Because Huo Yuhao, who had foreseen this in the original timeline, wasn't there to warn them, most of them didn't have time to react defensively.
The explosion's power was terrifying; the corpses' bones, muscles, and blood all became deadly shrapnel in the blast.
The stronger the soul master had been in life, the more powerful their corpse explosion. The Soul King's explosion felt like an earthquake.
As the explosion echoed through the cave, Xuan Zi, who had been casually enjoying a chicken leg outside, suddenly stiffened. His eyes flashed with panic. Immediately, his body turned into a streak of light, shooting into the cave.
He hadn't expected such a dramatic turn of events. The explosion's power had reached the level of a full-force strike from a Soul Saint. And from the sinister, poisonous aura lingering in the air, there was bound to be even more insidious secondary damage.
The cave was filled with the thick stench of blood, and everything felt wet and slick. Everyone was drenched in a layer of blood.
The corpse explosions didn't discriminate between friend or foe. Not only were the Shrek Academy students affected, but many of the still-living bandits had also been taken out. Though, some had managed to avoid the worst by hiding in alcoves in the cave walls.
Most terrifying of all, the liquids generated by the explosion were highly corrosive, like acid. From the ceiling to the walls, the sound of hissing corrosion echoed throughout the cave.
The hidden Soul King not only triggered the corpse explosions but also imbued the corpses with a deadly poison.
Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng were blown aside, vomiting blood and falling unconscious, barely clinging to life.
As a mage, Ling Luochen had inherited the typical mage survival instinct. She always kept her distance and constantly reinforced her Ice Armor to protect against AoE damage. That Ice Armor saved her life, making her the least injured among them.
But Gongyang Mo and Xixi had completely disappeared—or more accurately, they were scattered across the cave. Their weak physiques, combined with the lack of defensive soul skills, left them nothing more than blood and bone.
Unlucky Yao Haoxuan wasn't spared either, leaving behind only his upper body. Chen Zifeng had been blasted to the side, his right leg missing, screaming in agony as the poison continued to eat away at him.
When the enraged Xuan Zi finally rushed into the cave, the scene that greeted him was one of utter devastation. His mind seemed to spin, and he collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
It's over. It's all over! The current generation of Shrek's Seven Monsters had been wiped out right before his eyes, reminding him of the time in Star Dou Forest when the team he led had almost been annihilated by a 100,000-year soul beast.
That moment back then was just like this one now.
"Bastard!"
The old man's enraged roar echoed throughout the cave, causing it to tremble violently. Xuan Zi raised his right hand and made a pulling gesture towards the cave.
Immediately, a terrifying force pulled a figure from the depths of the cave towards him.
The figure Xuan Zi yanked out was a skinny person cloaked in black, their face hidden. Only the three yellow and two purple soul rings around them were visible.
That's right, it was me, the strongest Soul King!
Caught by Xuan Zi's force, the strongest Soul King let out a terrified shriek. But even in his panic, he acted quickly, grabbing the lifeless upper half of Yao Haoxuan's body and hurling it towards Xuan Lao.
At the same time, the already dead Yao Haoxuan, whose body had been partially blown apart, swelled once more.
Instinctively, Xuan Lao swatted Yao Haoxuan's corpse aside, sending it flying towards Chen Zifeng.
"You son of a ****!"
Chen Zifeng let out a despairing curse as the violent explosion followed. Yao Haoxuan's remains disintegrated, leaving no trace, and Chen Zifeng met the same fate, turning into a spray of blood and bone fragments.
"Elder Xuan, you!"
At the back of the group, Wang Yan, who had been blown against the cave wall, struggled to open one eye.
His cultivation was weaker, but since he was farther from the blast, he only suffered a couple of broken ribs, and his glasses had shattered. But when he finally wiped away the blood on his lenses and saw the scene before him, he was left in shock.
Xuan Zi stood there, staring dumbly at his hands, his lips trembling. He opened his mouth as if to speak to Wang Yan but couldn't make a sound.
Seeing such a golden opportunity, the strongest Soul King's fifth purple soul ring flared to life, and his body transformed into a wisp of smoke. Instead of fleeing, he grabbed the unconscious Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng before disappearing from the cave.
Wang Yan, meanwhile, clutched his head, curling into a ball, trying in vain to escape the horrific reality that had just unfolded before him.
"I'm sorry, children. I'm so sorry..."