Chapter 51: Death God Envoy — I Bring Destruction!
At the border between the Star Luo Empire and the Mingdou Mountain Range.
This time, Shrek Academy's mission was to eradicate a bandit group entrenched here.
The bandits numbered over three hundred, their leader a dark soul master who called himself the Death God Envoy. Because this territory lay on the border between two nations, no army was willing to intervene.
Naturally, such a task fell to the self-proclaimed guardians of justice—Shrek Academy.
After entering the depths of the Mingdou Mountains, the Shrek main team and reserve team, under Dai Yueheng's leadership, first visited the western corps of the Star Luo Empire. There, they met the man hailed as the Sea-Calming Needle of the Star Luo Empire.
After resting for a night and confirming intelligence that the strongest among the enemy was merely a Soul King, they grew overconfident. To them, this seemed like a simple mission. Without further preparation, they planned to strike under the cover of night.
From a distance, Elder Xuan observed the excited young ones. Since the intelligence confirmed that the strongest enemy was only a Soul King, his vigilance waned.
Just a pack of degenerates. Nothing more than training dummies for these kids, he thought. There was no need to watch too closely. Better to let the reserve members experience bloodshed for themselves—lest they continue questioning the Academy's decisions.
With that mindset, Elder Xuan took his wine gourd and slipped away to gnaw on a chicken leg in secret.
But this very decision led to disaster.
When Wang Dong and the others reached the lair of the evil soul masters, they faced unprecedented casualties.
The inner court disciples, led by Ma Xiaotao, charged into the core of the lair. The reserve members—including Wang Dong—were tasked with cleaning up the stragglers at the periphery. Everything seemed to be wrapping up smoothly… until calamity struck.
From deep within the cavern lair came a thunderous roar:
"Arrogant fools! Who dares challenge the Death God Envoy?! I'll bury you all here!"
In that instant, the corpses of the slain evil soul masters began to swell grotesquely—before erupting in a chain of devastating explosions.
Each corpse burst apart with a spray of corrosive venom. With hundreds of bodies detonating in succession, the entire cavern became a deathtrap.
This time, there was no Huo Yuhao to sound a warning. The inner court elites, including Dai Yueheng and Ma Xiaotao, were caught at the very heart of the blasts.
The consequences were horrific.
Yao Haoxuan was blown apart from the waist up—instantly killed. Chen Zifeng lost all four limbs; writhing in agony under the corrosive venom, he soon fell silent as well. Gongyang Mo and Xi Xi, caught completely off guard, were reduced to bloody smears splattered across the cavern walls.
Dai Huabin, though only a reserve member, had recklessly stuck close to his elder brother Dai Yueheng. When the explosion erupted, Dai Yueheng instinctively shielded him.
It wasn't out of brotherly affection—merely necessity. If Dai Huabin died here, Dai Yueheng, the heir apparent, would be unable to explain himself when he returned home.
But even Soul Emperor cultivation wasn't enough to withstand such devastation. Dai Yueheng's arms were obliterated, his abdomen blown open, his body half-destroyed. He did not die instantly, but survival was impossible.
"Big Brother!!"
Dai Huabin screamed. His own face was half-melted by venom, but he cared nothing for that. His brother had sacrificed himself for him—and now was on the verge of death. How could he face their parents? Why had this nightmare unfolded?!
Ma Xiaotao, by sheer luck or her strong soul power and sharp instincts, survived with relatively lighter injuries.
One survivor was even more unexpected: Ling Luochen. She should have perished in the blasts—yet at the crucial moment, Xu Sanshi spotted her. Without hesitation, he used his Xuanming Swap to switch places with her, believing his Xuanwu Shield could protect him.
The result was tragic.
Even with his formidable defense, Xu Sanshi was torn apart. His lower body was blown to shreds, white bone fragments piercing through him, his martial soul utterly shattered. Half his face was disfigured beyond recognition.
"HAHAHAHA! Now you see the might of the Death God Envoy! To kill me? You are far from worthy!"
At last, Elder Xuan snapped out of his complacency. The sight before him dragged up memories of his greatest failure. Years ago, he had led twelve inner court disciples into the Star Dou Forest to hunt a soul beast—only for a similar calamity to occur. Back then, their foe had been a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. This time, it was only a Soul King-level evil soul master.
And yet—history repeated itself.
He trembled. The Shrek Seven Devils… four dead, three gravely wounded. Two more are on the verge of death. How… How can he ever face the Academy again?
"Bastard! Get out here and face me!"
Overwhelming rage drowned his reason. Instead of tending to the wounded, Elder Xuan unleashed his full aura, trying to drag the enemy out from the depths of the lair.
But his furious outburst only worsened the situation. The already-crippled survivors coughed blood, their injuries deteriorating. Dai Yueheng and Xu Sanshi began bleeding uncontrollably, life slipping away by the second.
It was Wang Yan who first regained his senses. His face pale, he nearly spat blood himself. How could things have turned so wrong?!
At that moment, the Death God Envoy emerged from the lair, laughing madly. With a flick of his hand, he seized the corpses of Yao Haoxuan and Chen Zifeng—intending to detonate them as well.
"No! Elder Xuan, stop those corpses from exploding!" Wang Yan shouted.
Elder Xuan finally realized the truth. Each corpse served as a bomb—the stronger the soul master in life, the greater the explosion in death.
If Yao Haoxuan and Chen Zifeng's remains went off, Ma Xiaotao and the others would be doomed.
Pouring all his power into suppressing the corpses, Elder Xuan diverted his strength—allowing the Death God Envoy to seize the chance. Transforming into black smoke, he slipped past the blockade.
"Rise, God of Death!"
"HAHAHA! Perfect timing—perfect!!"
The reserve team had been stationed along his escape route. To ensure his retreat, the Death God Envoy grabbed Wang Dong in passing. Whether by coincidence or intent, he singled him out.
"You look flashy, brat. You'll do nicely—come with me!"
Wang Yan had rushed to save Ma Xiaotao, while Ling Luochen, Bei Bei, and the others were still reeling in shock. No one was left to protect the outside. The timing was flawless.
"Let me go, bastard!"
Wang Dong struggled fiercely, but it was useless. A sharp blow to the head left him unconscious—taken away in Huo Yuhao's stead.
"Damn it all!! I'll tear you limb from limb!!"
Elder Xuan roared in helpless fury, sweat streaming down his face.
"Wang Yan, take care of Ma Xiaotao and the others! I will kill that fiend no matter what!"
With that, he gave chase. Yet inexplicably—though one was only a Soul King, and the other a Super Douluo—Elder Xuan could not catch up.
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End of Chapter