Boom—!!!
The deafening roar sounded as though the gates of hell had been blasted open.
What followed was a relentless chain of explosions.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!
Terrifying dark-green light instantly engulfed the entire cave.
It wasn't merely a spirit power shockwave—it was mixed with toxic corpse qi, highly corrosive blood mist, and shards of bone flying like lethal shrapnel.
"Watch out!"
Bei Bei, positioned at the rear of the formation, reacted at lightning speed.
In the split second before the explosion hit, he instinctively yanked Huo Yuhao to his side. At the same time, the Thunder Dragon phantom surged to life around him as his First Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw, and Third Soul Skill, Thunder's Wrath, erupted simultaneously.
But that still wasn't enough.
What truly saved their lives was that unremarkable metallic sheen.
Crack—!
At the instant the shockwave slammed into them, the Level Four soul tool armor Huo Yuhao had given Bei Bei, along with the soul tool shield strapped to his wrist, flared brilliantly, forming a golden barrier of light.
Though only a Level Four soul tool, in that life-and-death moment, it became an insurmountable divide between survival and annihilation.
The horrifying shockwave smashed into the barrier, producing a teeth-grinding cracking sound.
Less than two seconds later—
Bang!
The soul tool barrier shattered, exploding into countless fragments.
Yet those precious two seconds bought Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao the chance they needed.
The residual force sent their blood roiling as they were hurled more than ten meters back, crashing hard into the rock wall. Even so, aside from internal injuries and abrasions, they had miraculously avoided fatal harm.
Huo Yuhao struggled to his feet, staring at the completely destroyed soul tool core in his hand, now nothing more than a pile of scrap. A lingering chill crept up his spine.
If not for that thing… just now, even if they hadn't died, he and Senior Brother Bei Bei would have been flayed alive.
But not everyone was so fortunate.
The Inner Court disciples at the very front—the ones most confident, and the ones who looked down on soul tools the most—were now paying a brutal price.
Pfft—!
Chen Zifeng took the worst of it.
As an attack-type Tool Soul Master, his offensive power was terrifying, but his defenses were lacking. Worse still, having rushed too far ahead, he'd been less than three meters from several of the exploding corpses.
He had no soul tool protection at all.
Because he underestimated the enemy, he hadn't even had time to fully activate his defensive soul skills.
The terrifying Corpse Explosion shockwave struck his chest like a massive hammer.
With a crisp crack of breaking bones, Chen Zifeng was sent flying like a kite with its string cut, blood spraying wildly from his mouth.
"Ah—!"
On the other side, Xi Xi and Gongyang Mo screamed as well.
Xi Xi's proud speed was useless against a full-area blast—her left leg was blown into a bloody mess.
Gongyang Mo, a support-type Soul Master, had been flying in the air, but the shockwave slammed him straight into the cave ceiling's stalactites, leaving him dizzy and bleeding.
Even Dai Yueheng, the one with the strongest defenses, was in a miserable state.
Although White Tiger Vajra Transformation and White Tiger Demon God Transformation granted him formidable physical defense, he had been near the center of the explosion. His silver armor was torn to shreds, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
After the first wave of explosions—
The once high-spirited Shrek Inspection Team was reduced to a scene of devastation.
But this was only the beginning.
"Jie jie jie jie jie! Wonderful! Simply wonderful!"
From deep within the cave, the Evil Soul Master known as the Death God Envoy burst into hysterical laughter.
"It's not over yet! That was just the appetizer!"
"Look around you! There are still plenty of 'bombs' waiting!"
"Everyone—explode!!!"
As his malicious voice fell—
The remaining dozen corpses in the cave, along with the severed limbs scattered across the ground, lit up once more with that desperate dark-green glow!
This time, the light was brighter, and the energy fluctuations were far more violent!
The second round of Corpse Explosions was about to begin!
Seeing her teammates writhing in pain on the ground and the corpses already glowing ominously, Ma Xiaotao's pupils shrank sharply.
A surge of fear and fury unlike anything she had felt before exploded within her.
She was the captain.
Under normal circumstances, she might have been able to protect herself alone.
But now, her teammates were badly injured. If another round of explosions occurred, Chen Zifeng, Gongyang Mo, and the others… would certainly die!
"You bastard—how dare you!!!"
A piercing phoenix cry rang out through the cave.
Under immense pressure, Ma Xiaotao finally stopped holding back.
In that instant, the spirit power within her body burned violently—her reason itself being consumed by raging flames.
Her seventh soul ring, that pitch-black ten-thousand-year soul ring, flared with dazzling brilliance!
"Martial Soul True Body—Evil Fire Phoenix!"
Boom—!!!
Ma Xiaotao vanished.
In her place appeared a gigantic fire phoenix with a wingspan exceeding ten meters, its entire body wreathed in dark-red flames!
The terrifying heat instantly vaporized the surrounding corpse qi.
Facing the imminent second wave of Corpse Explosions, Ma Xiaotao—now in phoenix form—did not attack or retreat.
With a mournful cry, her massive wings spread wide before snapping inward like a blazing cage, shielding all the injured Inner Court disciples and Huo Yuhao's group beneath them!
Rumble rumble rumble—!!!
The second round of Corpse Explosions detonated.
An even more horrifying force slammed violently into Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix True Body.
Pfft!
Even in her Martial Soul True Body state, taking a chain of Corpse Explosions head-on dealt her an enormous shock.
Her colossal phoenix body trembled violently. Flaming feathers scattered everywhere, and with each explosion, she let out a muffled groan of pain.
Yet her blazing wings remained firmly braced against the ground, unmoving.
No matter how violent the explosions, no matter how fiercely the corrosive corpse poison eroded her flames—
She stood like an unshakable mountain, protecting an absolutely safe space beneath her wings.
Finally—
After more than ten agonizing seconds, the explosions gradually subsided.
The cave was utterly ruined, scorched black and smeared with green corrosive residue.
Huff… huff…
The giant fire phoenix slowly dissipated, transforming back into human form.
Ma Xiaotao's face was pale, a trace of blood hanging at the corner of her mouth. Her red clothes were torn in several places, leaving her looking battered and wretched.
Yet her eyes burned fiercer than ever.
She glanced behind her.
Chen Zifeng was unconscious. Xi Xi's face was deathly pale. Dai Yueheng was leaning against the wall, gasping for breath.
They were all badly injured, filthy and bloodstained—but fortunately…
They were alive.
"As long as they're alive… that's enough."
Ma Xiaotao let out a breath of relief.
Then she snapped her head around, her gaze locking onto the gray figure floating in midair deep within the cave.
The Death God Envoy.
At this moment, the Evil Soul Master stared at her in disbelief.
He clearly hadn't expected her to withstand his chain Corpse Explosions head-on.
"You… how could you…"
"I'll tear you into ten thousand pieces!!!"
Ma Xiaotao's voice was squeezed out through clenched teeth, overflowing with killing intent.
The next instant—
"Phoenix Meteor Shower!!!"
No incantation. No extra movement.
In her fury, Ma Xiaotao unleashed her Sixth Soul Skill instantly.
Countless massive fireballs—like meteors carrying the aura of total annihilation—rained down upon the Death God Envoy from every direction.
He screamed in terror, desperately summoning vengeful spirits to block the attack.
But before the evil phoenix flames—flames capable of burning mountains and boiling seas—his sinister tricks were nothing more than a joke.
Boom! Boom! Boom—!
Even his screams were drowned out by the inferno.
In a single exchange—
The Death God Envoy, who had nearly wiped them out with his twisted methods, was blasted into nothingness by Ma Xiaotao's wrath.
Not even ashes remained.
An absolute instant kill.
The battle was over.
Yet it felt less like a victory—and more like a pyrrhic one.
The cave fell into dead silence.
Only the painful groans of the injured and Ma Xiaotao's heavy breathing remained.
…
Swoosh—
A yellow streak suddenly shot into the cave like a meteor chasing the moon.
It was Xuan Zi, who had only just "finished eating."
He was still holding half a roasted wild boar leg, grease still clinging to the corners of his mouth.
Moments earlier, he'd been feasting in the distance when the earth-shaking explosions and soaring phoenix flames startled him out of his wits, sending him rushing back in panic.
When he saw the devastation inside the cave, he froze.
The roasted boar leg slipped from his hand and hit the ground with a dull thud.
Rubble covered the floor, mixed with lingering green corpse poison.
Chen Zifeng, Xi Xi, and the others lay bloodied on the ground.
Even Dai Yueheng was slumped against the rock wall, his face haggard, chest rising and falling heavily.
"This… this…"
Xuan Zi's voice trembled, his cloudy old eyes filled with horror.
"What happened?! What in the world happened?!"
"Didn't that bandit group only have one Spirit King?!"
"How did it end up like this?!"
Huo Yuhao looked coldly at the teacher who had arrived far too late, a sense of bitter absurdity rising in his heart.
Still, he suppressed his emotions and concisely explained everything—from the sudden Corpse Explosions, to the shattering of the soul tools, and finally Ma Xiaotao's desperate act of shielding everyone.
After hearing the account, Xuan Zi's gaze fell upon Ma Xiaotao.
Though injured, she stood perfectly straight, like an unyielding war god.
Xuan Zi hurried to her side, examining her carefully. After confirming that she had only suffered spirit power exhaustion and shock injuries that hadn't damaged her foundation, the heart lodged in his throat finally settled.
"Phew…"
He let out a long breath and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"Good… good!"
"Xiaotao, well done!"
Xuan Zi patted her shoulder heavily, his eyes filled with relief and praise.
"If you hadn't activated your Martial Soul True Body in time, the consequences would've been unimaginable!"
"Even though there was a small mishap in this mission, your performance was flawless!"
He praised her nonstop, as if trying to bury his own dereliction of duty beneath his words.
Deep down, the relief of narrowly escaping disaster nearly overwhelmed him.
"That was too close… far too close…"
Looking at Chen Zifeng and Dai Yueheng as they were being treated, Xuan Zi felt a lingering chill.
"That Evil Soul Master actually knew such a vicious technique as Corpse Explosion…"
"If Xiaotao hadn't already been a seven-ring Spirit Saint, and if she hadn't protected everyone with her Martial Soul True Body…"
"These Inner Court elites might've all died here today."
The thought made him shudder.
Total annihilation?
If the Shrek Inspection Team had been wiped out under his watch—even losing just one or two core members—
What would become of the upcoming All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament?
Would Shrek Academy's ten-thousand-year glory be ruined in his hands?
How could he face Elder Mu? How could he face the academy?
The mere thought made his scalp tingle and his spine go cold.
"No… I absolutely can't let a mistake like this happen again."
Xuan Zi glanced at the roasted boar leg on the ground and kicked it away.
He made a silent vow.
"For the rest of this journey, this old man will not leave their side for even half a step."
"I will bring these little ancestors safely to Star Luo City."
"The championship of this tournament must belong to Shrek!"
"Only then… can I completely cover up my mistake!"
-------------Author---------------
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