Not long after, the plan was set in motion. The cold autumn air blanketed the village; dry leaves fluttered about, swept up by the morning wind that howled like a lament. The sky remained gray, though night was about to give way to dawn.
The group ordered to surround and strike the enemy suddenly began their assault, while the squad led by Xiao Zhan and Ma Xiunuo drove straight into the heart of the village to disrupt the enemy leader, who was on the verge of breaking through level 50.
Along the way, several field captains and their equivalent units were ordered to halt before the village center to intercept and hold their ground, preventing any possible encirclement. Meanwhile, Li Yewu was left at the planning post to relay the situation to Nuoding City and request backup reserves should the battle turn sour.
As they approached the village center, they saw piles of bones whose flesh and blood had been absorbed by Kael, the leader of the evil soul masters attacking the village. The stench of gore mixed with the distinct fragrance of autumn leaves created an eerie, nose-stinging oddity. Ma Xiunuo ordered everyone not to be distracted. "Don't waver. Stay alert. Soon we'll confront the mastermind behind this," he said firmly.
"Right. In the coming battle, the slightest carelessness will be fatal. Let me help you a bit. Third spirit ring ability: Legion Wolf Armor. This will enhance your senses and defense," said Xiao Zhan, hoping that at least no one would fall in vain due to recklessness.
Effect: Xiao Zhan's third spirit ring grants allies chest and arm armor with wolf patterns, sharpening the wearer's instincts and transferring 30% of their attributes to the user.
The moment Xiao Zhan activated his third spirit ring, the instigator of the attack became visible he was focusing on absorbing the last bits of energy to break through level 50. Without a word of command, Xiao Zhan, Ma Xiunuo, and the others immediately launched their strongest long-range attacks at Kael.
But what they hadn't expected: before their strongest attacks landed, they were intercepted by evil soul masters hiding among the piles of corpses, masking their presence a sly tactic Kael had calculated from the start. He had deliberately scattered his men among the carcasses, using the stench to conceal their spiritual energy. Even so, their combined attack was not in vain. Although the evil soul masters used their own bodies as shields, it wasn't enough to block all the strikes; they only reduced about 60% of the original force. The remainder broke through their defenses, but before the attacks could hit Kael, he managed to thwart and withstand them with his martial spirit, "Soul Controlling Threads," which was as tough as steel yet still flexible.
Kael laughed. Not an ordinary laugh one that sent chills down the spine. His eyes bulged, veins popped on his neck, and the corners of his mouth lifted unnaturally. He stood in the middle of a circle of bones, surrounded by a blackish-red aura like frozen hellfire.
"Hahahaha! You're too late! And it's always like this in this battle, I am the victor!" Kael screamed with manic laughter. Behind that madness, his eyes remained clear and calculating. He moved his soul threads with terrifying precision. The threads danced wildly in the air, then attached themselves to the skeletal corpses, controlling them like puppets. He even stacked some corpses layer upon layer to form a mobile living shield.
"Listen, this looks like it's going to be a tough fight, but we can do this. Captains, handle the puppets he controls, while Deacon Ma and I will go after the one controlling them," Xiao Zhan said loudly. Even though his voice was clearly trembling this time, as the leader of this assault, he couldn't afford to show fear to maintain the troops' morale. Because a leader may be afraid, may tremble inside, but their steps must be resolute, their voice clear, and their decisions decisive.
"Second spirit ring ability: Soul Purge Howl! Aaa-oooo-aaaa-oooooo!" The howl resonated throughout the village, sweeping away the autumn dust and dry leaves, with the effect of removing mental debuffs and enhancing senses.
After hearing the words and the sound of Xiao Zhan's second spirit ring ability, the encirclement troops and those pushing into the village center grew calmer and began attacking the evil soul masters and corpse puppets. Meanwhile, their squad leaders, Xiao Zhan and Deacon Ma, attacked the enemy leader, Kael.
Kael just gave a crooked smile. Utterly unhinged.
To Be Continued...