Marco's sense of alarm surged the moment the ambush struck!
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!"
Piercing, ear-splitting sounds of tearing air, like the shrieks of death, poured down without warning from the steep cliffs on both sides of the canyon, raining down like a storm! Their target was unmistakably the carriages in the middle of the procession—the ones belonging to Shrek Academy!
These were no ordinary arrows! Their shafts were pitch-black, their arrowheads gleaming with a sinister blue light, clearly coated with potent poison! Even more terrifying were the dozens of more powerful, faster-moving soul-guided crossbow bolts mixed among them, tearing through the air with blinding soul power radiance as they whistled toward their targets! The sheer density and comprehensive coverage of the attack made it clear: the assailants intended to turn Shrek Academy's carriages and everyone inside into sieves in an instant!
"Ambush—!!"
"Protect the carriages!"
"Form defensive formations!"
The Royal Knights' reaction was swift. Their commander roared orders, and the well-trained knights instantly reined in their Heavenly Soul Horses. The front-row knights raised heavy tower shields, channeling soul power into them to form soul power light shields, attempting to intercept the arrow rain. However, the ambush was too sudden, the arrow rain too dense, and the assault was clearly a meticulously planned, precision strike. Most of the arrows and bolts still bypassed the hastily assembled first line of defense, shooting straight toward Shrek Academy's carriages!
At the same time, an even more chilling sight unfolded! From the dense forests, behind boulders on both sides of the canyon, and from the narrow pass ahead, swarms of black-clad figures surged forth like a tide! Their numbers were staggering—at a rough glance, there were over fifteen hundred! These black-clad figures moved swiftly and with discipline, silently splitting into more than a dozen groups, each nearly a hundred strong. They charged with clear intent toward the fifteen academy teams and their Royal Knight escorts! From the very start of the battle, the quality of these black-clad assailants was evident. Their speed and strength were considerable, far surpassing ordinary soldiers—clearly, they were elite warriors who had undergone rigorous training. Their coordination was also methodical, which explained how they could quickly suppress and sow chaos among the all-soul-master teams in the initial moments while suffering minimal casualties themselves.
"Watch out!"
"Bastards!"
Inside Shrek Academy's carriages, Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Liu Erlong had already been on high alert after Marco's warning (through Lu Zhou and the others' unusual movements and their own perception). The moment they heard the tearing sounds, all three erupted into action almost simultaneously!
"Seventh soul skill, Cat Eagle True Body!" Flender shot into the air, a massive cat-eagle phantom spreading its wings. A fierce gale swept up, attempting to deflect some of the arrows as he shouted sharply, "Mu Bai, Zhu Qing, guard the sides of the carriages! Everyone else, form up and face the enemy!"
"Immovable Bright King Body!" Zhao Wuji roared, his muscles bulging as golden light exploded around him, making him resemble a Vajra Arhat. He planted himself squarely in front of one carriage, punching away two black-clad figures who lunged at him. However, several crossbow bolts struck him, producing loud clangs and showers of sparks. He grunted in pain.
"Crimson Dragon True Body! Dragon Flame Shield!" Liu Erlong went even further, directly entering her Spirit Avatar state. She transformed into a crimson fire dragon, coiling above one carriage and spewing scorching dragon flames that instantly incinerated incoming arrows and several nearby black-clad figures.
On the Shrek Academy side, they were instantly surrounded by nearly a hundred black-clad figures, with arrows and close-quarters assaults following one after another, creating immense pressure.
However, the attackers' target did not seem to be just the carriage. Just as the three teachers of Shrek Academy hastily defended against the rain of arrows and the siege of the black-clad figures, their formation disrupted and their attention diverted—
"Buzz—!"
A sharp, fierce, and powerful Soul Power fluctuation, carrying the arrogant aura of a raptor, erupted violently from above the canyon! Immediately after, a dazzling golden figure, like sunlight tearing through dark clouds, dove down at an astonishing speed! It was a tall, lean old man with eyes as sharp as an eagle's, clad in dark golden combat attire. Behind him, a pair of massive golden energy-formed eagle wings unfurled, with a wingspan exceeding five meters, radiating the terrifying Imposing Aura of a Soul Douluo! Behind him, two yellow, two purple, and four black—eight optimally configured Soul Rings—swirled!
"A Soul Douluo!" someone in the group recognized the attacker and cried out in alarm. Among the attackers, there was actually a powerhouse at the Soul Douluo level! Moreover, judging by his Martial Soul and momentum, he was clearly a Flying-type Battle Soul Douluo skilled in speed and strong attacks! This was no ordinary bandit!
The Golden Eagle Soul Douluo's target was extremely clear. His diving momentum was fierce and unstoppable, his hands completely transformed into golden eagle claws, aiming directly at the person in the Shrek Academy carriage whose aura was the weakest and seemed to be still injured—Tang San! He had evidently obtained accurate intelligence, knowing that Tang San was severely injured and currently the weakest link in Shrek Academy, intending to kill or capture him in a single strike!
"Don't even think about it!"
"Protect Xiao San!"
Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Liu Erlong were both shocked and furious at the sight! Tang San was still injured and had almost no ability to resist. If struck head-on by a powerhouse of Soul Douluo level, he would undoubtedly die! But each of them was entangled by several black-clad Soul Ancestors and even Soul Kings, making it difficult to break free immediately.
"Cat Eagle Storm!" Flender roared sharply. The wings of his Cat Eagle True Body flapped frantically, sending razor-sharp cyan wind blades swirling toward the Golden Eagle Soul Douluo like a tornado, attempting to disrupt his diving trajectory.
"Gravity Enhancement!" Zhao Wuji's eyes widened. His fifth Soul Ring flashed with black light as an invisible, heavy pressure suddenly enveloped the area where the Golden Eagle Soul Douluo was, trying to slow his speed.
"Crimson Dragon Burns the Heavens!" Liu Erlong was even more frenzied. Her Crimson Dragon True Body charged directly toward the Golden Eagle Soul Douluo, opening its bloody maw as scorching dragon flames, condensed with her full Soul Power, erupted like a volcanic blast!
Three Soul Saints, facing a diving Soul Douluo who had built up momentum, held nothing back. The moment they acted, they unleashed their strongest control and attack Spirit Abilities, trying to buy Tang San a sliver of a chance!
"A mantis trying to stop a chariot!" A trace of disdain flashed in the Golden Eagle Soul Douluo's eyes. The gap between a Soul Douluo and a Soul Saint was not something that could be easily bridged by numbers. His golden eagle wings behind him suddenly flapped, and his speed surged once again. His figure traced a bizarre arc in the air, narrowly avoiding the densest clusters of wind blades and the center of the dragon flames. Although the Gravity Enhancement caused his figure to slightly falter, it failed to completely stop him. The golden eagle claws tore through the air with a piercing shriek, still fiercely grabbing toward the carriage where Tang San was!
Just as Tang San was about to be seized or torn apart by the eagle claws—
"With this old woman here, how dare you act so recklessly!"
At this critical moment, an aged yet powerful roar rang out! Immediately after, a green staff shadow shot forth like a venomous dragon emerging from its cave, carrying a sharp whistling sound as it precisely struck toward the Golden Eagle Soul Douluo's side! Simultaneously, a faint pink mist with a slightly sweet, dizzying scent silently spread out, enveloping the Golden Eagle Soul Douluo!
The ones who struck were none other than Dragon Duke Meng Shu and Snake Lady Chao Tianxiang, the elderly couple traveling with Shrek Academy who had joined the group because their granddaughter Meng Yiran had previous ties with Tang San and the others! Dragon Duke Meng Shu, a Soul Douluo cultivator with the Dragon Staff Martial Soul; Snake Lady Chao Tianxiang, a Soul Emperor cultivator with the Snake Staff Martial Soul. Though advanced in years, their strength remained formidable, and they were especially skilled in combined attack techniques!
The Golden Eagle Soul Douluo hadn't expected that aside from the academy teachers, the group also concealed two long-renowned, powerful rogue soul masters—and judging by their actions, they clearly had deep connections with Shrek Academy! Facing Dragon Duke's cunning and vicious staff strike and Snake Lady's strange poisonous mist, he had no choice but to temporarily abandon capturing Tang San. His golden eagle wings abruptly spun, forcibly shifting his body sideways several feet, narrowly avoiding the Dragon Staff's strike, while simultaneously releasing his Soul Power to disperse the incoming poisonous mist.
"Dragon Duke and Snake Lady? Are you also opposing us?" The Golden Eagle Soul Douluo hovered in mid-air, his gaze dark as he looked toward Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang, who now stood blocking the path in front of Shrek's carriage.
"Hmph! What 'us' and 'you'? This old woman only sees someone bullying the weak, attacking a severely injured junior! I simply can't stand it!" Chao Tianxiang snorted coldly, her Snake Staff flickering with pink light. Meng Shu, holding his Dragon Staff, locked his aura onto the Golden Eagle Soul Douluo. Though he remained silent, the imposing aura of a Soul Douluo had already unfurled, matching the Golden Eagle's presence.
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "QueenTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!