Huang Yuan and Jing Ling stepped out of the carriage and were instantly stunned, standing frozen in shock.
The area was filled with flying dust and swirling yellow sand, and in front of them, huge boulders blocked their path. Each boulder was larger than an elephant, completely sealing off the surroundings. The carriage and its occupants were trapped inside a ring of massive, gray stones.
These boulders weighed thousands of pounds. The thought of one of them hitting the carriage was terrifying. If they had been struck, they would have been severely injured or worse.
Huang Yuan and Jing Ling felt a wave of fear. Neither of them had activated their martial souls, and their physical strength was only marginally stronger than that of an average person.
Jiangzhu clutched her chest, her face pale, gasping for air. She was a support soul master, and her physique was weak. If she were hit by one of these boulders, she would undoubtedly die on the spot.
"Don't be afraid. I've been on alert with my sensing abilities. If there were any danger, I would have taken you away earlier," Chen Xuan reassured Jiangzhu.
The boulders blocked the road, and for a thirty-meter radius, the area was filled with stones. This separated them from the rest of the Shrek group.
Chen Xuan withdrew his sensing power. Within thirty meters, there was nothing but boulders. Breaking through them would be impractical, as it would take too much effort.
Tyrone, eager to save the others but not foolish, also crossed over the boulders.
"Jing Ling, Huang Yuan, stay here and protect Jiangzhu. I'll go provide support," Chen Xuan said.
The enemies they were facing included many soul kings and soul emperors. The three of them had only reached the level of soul elders, and their help would be limited.
"Got it. Be careful," Jing Ling and Huang Yuan nodded. They knew their limitations and decided to wait.
"Chen, please be careful," Jiangzhu said worriedly.
"Don't worry. My strength outside the arena is completely different from when I'm inside," Chen Xuan smiled, then transformed into a streak of golden light and disappeared in an instant.
If it were only Tang San under attack, he wouldn't have bothered to help. But since Zhu Zhuqing and the mother of his child were involved, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
Xiao Wu was pregnant and had been betrayed by Tang San. Chen Xuan couldn't be certain if her feelings for Tang San had changed, or if her love had become tainted. There was even a chance that the Acacia Heartbreak Red flower might lose its effectiveness.
Huang Yuan and Jing Ling widened their eyes in shock. When had Chen Xuan become so fast?
Meanwhile, the Shrek Academy team was being besieged by powerful enemies. Wave after wave of black-clad attackers targeted Tang San and his companions.
The black-clad figures were formidable, even without activating their martial souls. Shrek's Seven Devils found themselves in a bitter struggle, with even Tang San unable to find a way to break the deadlock.
Flander and Liu Erlong were both engaged in battles of their own, each facing a high-level soul saint. Locked in combat in the sky, they were too preoccupied to help the younger generation.
At this moment, Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others were surrounded by twenty black-clad attackers. Wielding knives, daggers, and other weapons that gleamed coldly, the attackers advanced menacingly toward the Shrek Seven Devils.
"Fire!"
Tang San shouted, pulling out a black box.
The other members of Shrek raised their arms, aiming their Zhuge Crossbows at the black-clad attackers, and pulled the triggers.
In unison, seven crossbows emitted a metallic clang, and hundreds of bolts shot out, raining down on the attackers.
Shing shing shing!
The sky filled with a dense volley of arrows, and the black-clad figures had no time to react before the arrows were upon them.
With the sound of flesh being pierced, the twenty black-clad attackers were riddled with arrows, their bodies filled with holes. They fell into pools of blood.
The wide attack range of the Zhuge Crossbows left no escape. The attackers were turned into pincushions, some having their heads exploded, splattering blood and brain matter across the sand. Their deaths were gruesome.
The bolts dripped with a purple liquid that emitted a toxic vapor, clearly coated with poison.
Some of the attackers struggled, not dying immediately, but the poison had already infiltrated their bodies, destroying their internal organs beyond repair.
Screams!
Some of the black-clad attackers let out horrifying screams, writhing in agony. Their bodies turned purple, foaming at the mouth as veins bulged, before they quickly succumbed to death.
Thanks to the crossbows, the Shrek team managed to survive and take out a large number of enemies.
"Luckily we had Tang San's crossbows. Otherwise, we would've been in real danger," Dai Mubai sighed in relief, grateful to have Tang San as an ally.
Ma Hongjun, ever the opportunist, took the chance to flatter Tang San. "Yeah, Third Brother, you're amazing! Could you spare me a few more of these crossbows?"
He pocketed one of the Zhuge Crossbows, not planning to return it.
Tang San didn't care about Ma Hongjun's actions. Smiling at Dai Mubai, he said, "The Zhuge Crossbows are best used when catching the enemy off guard. If they had prepared and activated their martial souls, the crossbows wouldn't have been as effective."
"Why didn't they use their martial souls?" Ning Rongrong asked, puzzled.
"They're probably trying to avoid exposing their identities," Zhu Zhuqing, with her cold and intelligent demeanor, quickly analyzed the situation.
Tang San nodded, agreeing with her assessment. He had come to the same conclusion.
Dai Mubai laughed heartily. "My little kitty is getting smarter and smarter."
As he spoke, he tried to move closer to Zhu Zhuqing, intending to put his arm around her.
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes flashed with disgust. Recognizing his ploy, she quickly stepped back, evading his hand.
"We're not married yet. Mind your behavior," Zhu Zhuqing said coldly.
Dai Mubai forced a laugh, awkwardly withdrawing his hand and pretending nothing had happened.
No one noticed the cold, vicious glint that flickered in his eyes.
By this time, Chen Xuan had arrived. Using his Flying Thunder God Technique, he teleported to the top of a canyon, observing the situation without rushing down.
From this vantage point, he could gather more information. He had left a Flying Thunder God Kunai below, allowing him to instantly intervene if Xiao Wu was in danger.
Flander and Liu Erlong were each battling a soul king, far off in another part of the sky, unable to help.
Even Soul Emperor Qin Ming was tied up in a fierce battle with a black-clad opponent of equal strength.
Chen Xuan frowned as he sensed a powerful figure approaching, stronger than Liu Erlong, with soul power that was overwhelming.
Soon, the figure appeared, clad in black, their face completely hidden except for a pair of hawk-like eyes. Two other black-clad figures followed closely behind, exuding a formidable aura far beyond the previous attackers.
"Interesting. Even twenty soul kings couldn't take you down. No wonder you're so highly regarded," said the leader of the black-clad group. Despite the compliment, their tone dripped with disdain, as if they didn't take the Shrek team seriously at all.
The three figures radiated a terrifying aura, and their presence alone filled the air with killing intent.
Two of them immediately activated their martial souls, revealing six soul rings each: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, and black. They were both soul emperors.
"Soul Emperors!" Dai Mubai's face darkened.
The two seemed to be servants, each possessing the strength of a soul emperor. The leader, with their confident air, must have been even stronger—likely at the level of a Soul Douluo.
Realizing this, Tang San's expression grew grim. This was going to be a tough fight.
The Shrek team turned pale as they came to the same conclusion.
Xiao Wu's face was ghostly white, her palms sweating. Her heart raced with fear, worried that the enemy might discover her true identity as a soul beast.
Chen Xuan's expression grew serious as well. He remained on high alert, ready to provide support at any moment.
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