Chapter 77 The Hand of Death: The Bandit Gang.
Wu Xuan charged forward, the number of corpses on the ground increasing, and the fighting inside intensifying. The bandits' deaths in the cave were bizarre and varied, yet they evoked no sympathy from Wu Xuan.
After his emerald spear slashed and killed dozens in succession, an extreme wind howled out, and terrifying annihilation power turned the dead bodies into nothingness.
The terrain ahead suddenly opened up, and Wu Xuan finally saw the battle in progress. Soul rings shone brightly, almost dazzlingly. Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul was the most prominent, its blazing flames erupting wildly, almost invincible. The charred corpses of bandits lay scattered all around.
Gongyang Mo stood in the center, beams of colorful light constantly shooting from his body, landing on his companions, while the others subtly surrounded him. Behind Yao Haoxuan, the mountain-sized giant ape pounded its chest repeatedly with its fists, emanating halos of light that restricted a large number of bandits. Ling Luochen, on the other side, unleashed icy mist, freezing weaker bandits to death on the spot.
Of course, three bandits possessed considerable strength, even reaching the Soul King level, but they were still routed by Ma Xiaotao and her group.
Deeper into the cave, bandits continued to pour out to join the battle. However, whether it was Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, or Xixi, each of them could cover a large area.
Gongyang Mo's powerful support abilities were undeniable at this moment. Not only were the two already Soul Emperors, but even Chen Zifeng and Xixi, whose cultivation was below the Soul Emperor level, were no less powerful under his amplification.
Looking at the ever-growing pile of corpses around the seven, Wu Xuan's brows twitched violently.
Wu Xuan suddenly charged forward. With a frenzied surge of soul power, a turquoise gale howled, and under Wu Xuan's precise control, the large group of bandit members who charged forward froze, their backs bent as if under a thousand-pound weight. At the same time, the corpses on the ground visibly vanished into nothingness.
How could the official team members miss such an opportunity?
"Roar!" Dai Yueheng roared like a tiger, tearing apart a Soul King-level opponent who had previously launched a sneak attack, blood splattering everywhere. Immediately afterward, a dazzling white tiger meteor shower was unleashed, blasting a large number of enemies into a chaotic mess of limbs.
Ma Xiaotao's fire phoenix wings had grown to over three meters long each. These two fiery wings were her most terrifying weapons. With a sudden thrust, Ma Xiaotao burned two Soul King-level opponents, along with a large group of bandits, beyond recognition, killing them instantly.
Just as things seemed to be going well, a sharp, long howl echoed from the depths of the cave, "Who dares to oppose the Grim Reaper? You will all die, you will all become my corpse slaves!"
"Retreat! Something's happening!" Wu Xuan's alarm blared from behind, and he shouted, urging everyone to retreat.
As Ma Xiaotao and her group of seven began to retreat, twelve iron-gray figures suddenly emerged from the tunnel, blocking their path. These figures were tall and imposing, standing together like a solid city wall.
"Third Soul Skill, Jade Wind!"
A whirlwind surged forth, instantly covering the twelve iron-gray figures blocking Ma Xiaotao and her group with emerald-green crystals, trapping them in place.
The Grim Reaper, realizing that the twelve corpse slaves had simultaneously lost contact, roared furiously, "Ah! My treasure! You deserve to die! Charge! Charge for me!"
Hearing this, the bandits deep in the cave went berserk, recklessly charging towards Ma Xiaotao and her group. As the bandits charged forward, their bodies swelled and turned red at an alarming rate.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom..." Violent roars echoed throughout the cave, terrifying explosions accompanied by flying blood and flesh.
At the same moment the explosions occurred, Elder Xuan, who had been sitting on the cave ceiling drinking wine, his hair disheveled, was terrified. He dropped his wine gourd and instantly transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the cave.
Elder Xuan had arrived long ago, secretly following behind the group. He sensed through his aura that the strongest enemy here was only a five-ring Soul King, and although there were more than one, he believed these bandits had no chance against the elite disciples of Shrek Academy. Moreover, the mature and prudent Wang Yan was in charge.
But Elder Xuan hadn't expected such a sudden turn of events.
"Hehehe. How does this messenger's corpse explosion taste? No matter how strong you are, if you dare to touch the corpse slaves I've painstakingly collected, you'll all perish on the spot before my chain of corpse explosions. Even if you don't die from the explosion, you'll be poisoned to death!" The Death Messenger's arrogant voice echoed in the cave.
The corpse explosions indiscriminately attacked friend and foe alike, and his remaining subordinates were used as the final catalyst, fueling the remaining explosive force. But he didn't care at all; as long as he was alive, rebuilding the Death Messenger bandit gang wouldn't be difficult.
But in the next moment, the Death Messenger's arrogant laughter abruptly stopped.
"Bastard!" An old man's angry roar suddenly rang out, and under this roar, the Death Messenger felt as if his consciousness was about to blur.
"Who is it?!" The Death Messenger screamed in terror, his five soul rings—three yellow and two purple—flashing in succession.
But in the hands of the super strong Elder Xuan, everything was in vain.
With a casual grab, Elder Xuan unleashed a terrifying force that annihilated the Death Messenger before it could even react, exploding into a cloud of blood mist.
This time, Elder Xuan was truly enraged. After easily annihilating the Death Messenger, he swept his hand, and a dense, earth-yellow soul force instantly filled the entire cave. The twelve iron-gray figures enveloped in jade were instantly pulverized, along with all the poisonous blood currently corroding the inner disciples' bodies, all being swept away by this terrifying soul force in a flash.
Elder Xuan quickly checked everyone's injuries, and soon his tense nerves relaxed. The only consolation for him was that the worst had not happened.
Yao Haoxuan, Xixi, and Gongyang Mo, who were more seriously injured, were not in mortal danger. Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and Ling Luochen, although severely injured, were all able to get up.
The bones, flesh, and blood of the corpses all became weapons in the explosion. The stronger the corpse in life, the greater the explosive power, especially the corpses of the three recently deceased Soul Kings. The injuries suffered by Ma Xiaotao and her group of seven were mainly from these three Soul Kings.
Ma Xiaotao stood up and looked at Elder Xuan with a somber expression, blaming herself, "It's all my fault for not retreating in time. If we had listened to Junior Brother Wu and hadn't rushed into the attack, this wouldn't have happened."
Dai Yueheng, leaning against the wall, also looked grim, saying, "I was also at fault. I was enraged by the innocent infant corpses that had died tragically in the cave, and my anger clouded my judgment."
"Fortunately, Junior Brother Wu Xuan cleared away most of the corpses earlier, otherwise we might have really died on the spot," Chen Zifeng said, struggling to his feet with lingering fear.
Yao Haoxuan, clutching his gruesome green wound, gasped for breath, "It seems we all owe Junior Brother Wu Xuan a life."
Wu Xuan shook his head and sighed, "My parents died because of evil spirit masters. I just understand those rats in the gutter better than you do. Those rats are even more cruel and ruthless than we imagine."
"Junior Brother Wu, thanks to your help, I owe you a life. I'll remember this favor," Ling Luochen said coldly.
Xixi and Gongyang Mo, who were severely poisoned, also nodded.
"Everyone, you're being too serious. Evil spirit masters deserve to be killed by everyone. Killing more evil spirit masters for me in the future is my way of repaying you," Wu Xuan said earnestly.
At this moment, Wang Yan rushed over with a sorrowful expression and asked, "Elder Xuan, how is the situation?"
Elder Xuan, who had just given the students antidote pills, slapped his forehead in frustration. His red eyes peeked out from his disheveled hair, filled with self-reproach.
"Gongyang Mo, Yao Haoxuan, and Xixi have all suffered severe internal injuries; the poisonous blood has already invaded their bodies. All three of them need immediate medical attention."
Wang Yan looked at Ma Xiaotao and the other three with concern, his expression grim. "Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, Ling Luochen, how are you?"
"I'm alright, just some minor damage to my lungs and internal organs from the poison. I probably won't be able to use my Martial Soul Possession for at least ten days." Ma Xiaotao's face was extremely pale.
"My situation is similar to Xiaotao's." Dai Yueheng then explained his condition. His fists were clenched, his mood no better than Ma Xiaotao's. He had been eagerly anticipating the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament held in Xingluo City for a long time.
Chen Zifeng and Ling Luochen didn't react as strongly as the other two, but they were equally shaken. "Our situation is slightly better than Xiao Tao and Dai Yueheng's, but it will still take at least seven or eight days."
Although Wang Yan was only inquiring about their own injuries, they all knew in their hearts that the upcoming Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament was not going to be a good one.
Elder Xuan opened his eyes again, his firm gaze showing that he had made up his mind. He said in a deep voice, "Wang Yan, the difficult task will fall on your shoulders. You take them back to the military camp first. After Xiao Tao and the other two have stabilized, head to Xingluo City immediately to participate in the tournament. I will take Gongyang Mo, Yao Haoxuan, and Xixi back to the academy for treatment. There is no time to lose, let's act immediately."
As he spoke, Elder Xuan waved his large hands towards the three unconscious people on the ground. A dense white soul power instantly enveloped them like a large cocoon, completely protecting them.
Elder Xuan took a deep breath, looked at the seven people in the outer courtyard, and said in a deep voice, "This sudden change is entirely my responsibility. There's probably no time to send new members from the academy to participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament. Only you can hold on for now. At least until Xiao Tao and the other three recover from their injuries. Children, the honor of the academy rests on your shoulders. Victory, honor belongs to you. Defeat, shame belongs to me."
After saying this, Elder Xuan raised his head, wiped away the tears welling in his eyes, and led the three people enveloped by his soul power out of the cave with lightning speed, immediately releasing their flying soul tool and heading towards Shrek Academy at top speed.
Wang Yan watched Elder Xuan disappear into the distant horizon before turning his gaze away and sighing softly. "Everyone, prepare yourselves, let's return to the camp first."
He knew Elder Xuan was filled with self-blame, but such an accident couldn't be entirely blamed on him. Who could have imagined that a Soul King-level evil soul master could unleash a Soul Saint-level attack by detonating a corpse?
Moreover, as the team leader, he also bore an inescapable responsibility.
"Teacher Wang," Huo Yuhao and the other six approached with some shame. From beginning to end, their reserve team, aside from Wu Xuan, hadn't been able to help at all.
"You don't need to blame yourselves. The responsibility this time lies with me; I didn't command everyone well. Alright, sit down and cultivate to recover your soul power," Wang Yan comforted them.
Xu Sanshi finally came to his senses and asked, "Teacher Wang, the inner court seniors are injured. Does Elder Xuan mean that our reserve team will represent the academy in the competition?"
Wang Yan smiled wryly, "Of course not! But you don't need to worry too much. The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament will last for a month. As long as you can hold on at the front, you can hold out until the academy's reinforcements arrive and Xiao Tao and the others recover. So, in reality, you only need to hold on for a few days."
Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, and the others exchanged glances. They had thought they were just going through the motions, but they had become the main force, and the pressure suddenly became heavy.
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