Chapter 93: The Death God Messenger, Late but Present
The cave entrance was like a giant mouth devouring the light.
As the group stepped inside, a thick, inescapable stench of blood—a mixture of rust and decay—rushed at them like a physical force, nearly suffocating them.
And this was only the beginning.
Illuminated by the glow of Soul Power, the scene inside the cave gradually became clear, bringing with it a deeper chill and a surging nausea.
Every few steps revealed a shocking tragedy: severed limbs discarded carelessly, and dark blood splattered across the rock walls in twisted patterns.
Worse still, hanging on the cave walls like displayed trophies were over a dozen dried human skins!
"Blegh—!"
Even the boys in the preparatory team with stronger mental fortitude, like Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei, couldn't help but turn pale, bending over to gag.
Ning Tian, Jiang Nannan, and the other girls covered their mouths, their eyes filled with horror.
Fury, like magma doused in boiling oil, rose violently in everyone's chest.
Even Lin Xuan, who was already familiar with bloody scenes, felt his gaze turn cold.
"They're simply beasts in human skin!"
Ma Xiaotao's roar exploded in the cave. Crimson flames, like a furious dragon, surged toward a pile of haphazardly stacked corpses, as if she wanted to completely purify this evil and filth.
This massive attack instantly alerted the 'Hand of Death' bandits hiding deep within the cave.
"Kill them!"
Disordered shouts came from all directions as dozens of hideous bandits, wielding various weapons, rushed out from the shadows.
However, most of them only had a meager cultivation of around two rings. Before the enraged Shrek elites, they were like moths to a flame.
"White Tiger Meteor Shower!"
"Phoenix Bathing in Fire!"
"Ice Crystal Rain!"
The light of various Spirit Abilities, fueled by fury, erupted violently within the narrow cave.
Raging fires, crisscrossing sword qi, piercing ice crystals... The bandits couldn't even get close before they were blown to pieces in the light of the Spirit Abilities, their severed limbs and broken bodies flying everywhere mixed with blood.
The battle was almost a one-sided slaughter.
Occasionally, bandits would ambush from the rear or side passages, but they were easily handled by the vigilant Bei Bei, He Caitou, and others.
Soon, the front area of the cave was piled with the bandits' corpses, and the thick stench of blood became almost tangible.
Lin Xuan did not participate in this simple cleanup. He quietly retreated to Ning Tian's side, his gaze calmly looking into the darkness deeper in the cave, waiting for the Death God Messenger to make his move.
Just as everyone thought the bandits were about to be wiped out and their anger began to subside as they prepared to push deeper, a change occurred.
"How dare you destroy my Hand of Death!!!"
A sinister, twisted roar, filled with endless resentment and madness, suddenly exploded from the depths of the cave, shaking the rock walls until dust fell.
"I want you all... to die here! Be buried with my babies!!!"
Before the voice even faded, a sudden change occurred!
Beneath everyone's feet and beside them, the corpses of the bandits who had just been killed—and even those who had been dead for a long time—began to swell weirdly. Their skin instantly turned bright red, like over-inflated bladders, emitting ominous and violent energy fluctuations!
"Not good!" Dai Yueheng's face changed drastically.
"Retreat, quickly!" Ma Xiaotao shouted sharply.
But it was too late!
In the next moment, before everyone's horrified eyes.
BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!
Dozens of corpses that had swollen to the limit detonated violently. The wild shockwave, mixed with foul blood, flesh, and bone fragments, swept through every corner like a storm of destruction!
The entire cave shook violently, as if it would collapse at any moment.
A blood mist so thick it was inescapable instantly filled every inch of space, obscuring all vision, as the pungent stench and cold toxins permeated the air.
"Hahahaha!! Feel despair! The power of the Corpse Explosion, plus the blood containing Corpse Poison! All of you will become my most powerful Corpse Slaves!!"
The Death God Messenger's arrogant and triumphant laughter echoed through the aftermath of the explosions and the blood mist, filled with the pleasure of revenge.
However, his laughter suddenly stopped.
He suddenly felt his field of vision rise a level, and his body felt light. Aside from a cold, stinging pain from his buttocks, there didn't seem to be any other special sensation.
He instinctively tried to reach out to touch it, but as his arm moved, he only met cold air and a slippery, warm liquid.
"Pfft—!"
Large mouthfuls of blood sprayed uncontrollably from his mouth. At the same time, his vision began to spin as he fell rapidly.
Before his final consciousness sank completely into darkness, the last sight he saw was a pair of familiar legs still standing on the ground below—it was the half of his own body.
"I... was... cut in half? When..."
And so, this Death God Messenger, who had created countless tragedies and thought he controlled everything, died on the spot without even seeing where the attack came from.
...
Inside the cave, the dust from the explosion and the blood mist had not yet dissipated. It was deathly silent, save for the sound of gravel falling from the rock walls.
Tap, tap.
Lin Xuan's figure emerged from the edge of the fading blood mist. He casually brushed non-existent dust off his hands, and the black cursed markings on his face rapidly disappeared.
Almost at the same time,
"BOOM!!!"
A wild, peerless earthy-yellow Soul Power rushed into the cave entrance like an out-of-control mountain flood!
Xuan Zi's figure instantly appeared in the center of the cave. His clothes were disheveled, and the usual laziness on his face was replaced by boundless shock and fear.
The glow of Soul Power illuminated the area that had just experienced a catastrophe.
As far as the eye could see, there were no standing students—only blood, shredded meat, and severed limbs everywhere, along with rock walls blackened by the explosions.
The thick aura of death almost solidified the air.
Xuan Zi's gaze froze on this slaughterhouse, his body suddenly stiffening as if sealed by the coldest ice.
The color instantly drained from his face, turning it ashen. Those eyes, which were usually murky, were now terrifyingly hollow.
His lips trembled, emitting a faint sound,
"All... all... dead? Once... once again... by... by my hand..."
Endless regret, self-blame, and pain gripped his heart like a giant hand.
"Elder Xuan."
At that moment, a calm voice pulled him back from the brink of collapse.
Xuan Zi snapped back to his senses as if struck by lightning, his gaze instantly locking onto Lin Xuan, the only one standing in the area.
Like a man grabbing at a final straw, his figure flashed and appeared before Lin Xuan. His hands gripped Lin Xuan's shoulders like iron pincers, shaking him violently as he asked in a hoarse, urgent voice,
"Where are the others?! Lin Xuan! Where did the others go?! Are they still alive?! Tell me!!!"
Lin Xuan frowned slightly and raised a hand to brush off Xuan Zi's hands, saying in a flat tone,
"Elder Xuan, if you keep shaking them like this, they might have been fine, but they'll be shaken into having problems by you."
Xuan Zi was struck dumb and instantly retracted his hands. His murky eyes stared intently at Lin Xuan, and he even held his breath.
Lin Xuan said no more and shifted his thoughts.
In the next moment, his shadow, which had been ordinary, began to writhe and expand violently like a living black swamp.
Then, under Xuan Zi's watchful gaze, the shadow slowly spat out figures one by one.
First to emerge were the six members of the preparatory team.
Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei, He Caitou, Jiang Nannan, Wang Dong, Ning Tian, and the leading teacher Wang Yan.
Though their faces were pale and their breathing was somewhat unstable—clearly shaken by the shock of being pulled into the shadow during the explosion—they were completely unharmed!
Currently, they were greedily inhaling the blood-scented air, their faces filled with the bewilderment and relief of having survived a disaster.
"You all..." Seeing them, the tension in Xuan Zi's heart eased by half, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
However, as the shadow continued to spit out the remaining figures, the heart that Xuan Zi had just let down instantly leapt into his throat again, before sinking completely into an icy valley.
The situation for the seven official team members was entirely different.
Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng were the strongest and remained conscious, but their faces were as white as paper, blood leaked from the corners of their mouths, and they leaned against the rock wall, lacking even the strength to stand.
Ling Luochen and Chen Zifeng's injuries were even more severe.
Ling Luochen's ice-blue hair was matted with blood, and several bloody gashes marked her cool face. She bit her lower lip hard, her body trembling slightly from intense pain as she let out suppressed groans.
Chen Zifeng was in even worse shape. His soul chasing sword lay discarded to the side, his clothes were shredded, and his exposed skin was covered in charred patches and torn wounds. Blood flowed steadily, and his gaze was somewhat unfocused.
But the most heart-wrenching were Xixi, Yao Haoxuan, and Gongyang Mo.
After being spat out by the shadow, they collapsed directly to the ground. Their auras were so weak they were almost imperceptible, their chests barely moving. Their lips were purple, and their faces were shrouded in an ashen gray hue.
Xixi's petite body was curled up; Yao Haoxuan, having returned to his normal size, was covered in blood; and Gongyang Mo's magnificent robes were now tattered beyond recognition.
The three were completely unconscious, as if they already had one foot in the grave, seemingly breathing their last!
"Senior Xixi! Senior Yao! Senior Gongyang!"
Xu Sanshi, Bei Bei, and the others cried out in alarm. Seeing their seniors, who had been fighting alongside them so vibrantly not long ago, turn into this state in the blink of an eye, their minds went blank, unable to accept it.
"How... how could this happen..." Jiang Nannan covered her mouth, tears instantly gushing out.
Ning Tian's face was also pale, her delicate frame trembling slightly.
Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen looked at their dying companions, despairing tears welling in their eyes.
Xuan Zi felt as if he had been struck by a divine bolt. He staggered back a step, painfully clutching his head, his fingers digging deep into his gray hair.
Boundless self-blame and regret nearly consumed him.
"It's me again... because of my negligence again... the elites of Shrek... actually before my eyes..."
He muttered to himself, his voice filled with endless pain and defeat. The dignity of a super Douluo was gone; at this moment, he looked more like a desperate old man watching his juniors wither away while being powerless to help.
An atmosphere of sorrow and despair spread out.
Just then, Lin Xuan's calm voice rang out again, his tone somewhat helpless,
"They aren't dead yet, what are you all crying for?"
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