Swish—!
As Tang Wulin flicked his right hand, the sharp Blue Silver Emperor vine quickly retracted, bringing up a string of dark red blood beads.
The black-robed man's corpse completely lost its support, falling onto the cold wilderness ground with a "thud," no longer showing any signs of life.
The scent of blood permeating the air seemed to grow a bit thicker.
Having spent all their time previously closed off for hard Cultivation within Shrek Academy, this could definitely be considered the first time they had killed someone in a real, practical battle.
However, even though it was the first time he had personally ended a life, Tang Wulin felt no discomfort, nor did he develop any psychological trauma or feelings of impropriety as he looked at the gradually cooling corpse on the ground.
For Tang Wulin, their teachers had long taught them that Evil Soul Masters like this, who slaughtered innocents to absorb blood Qi for Cultivation out of selfish desire, could no longer be called "people." They were merely a group of monsters wearing human skin.
Huo Yuhao, Xie Xie, and the others shared the same thought; their expressions were all very calm.
"What plans does everyone have for next? Should we split up now to go on our own trials, or should we temporarily form a team and move together?"
Hearing Tang Wulin's inquiry, the group looked at each other and exchanged a few words.
"I think it's better if we temporarily form a team and act together for now. When someone has a clear place they want to go, it won't be too late to split up then."
"I agree."
Ling Luochen nodded.
Xie Xie and Wei Xiaofeng also expressed their agreement without hesitation.
"Alright, that's decided."
Tang Wulin made the final call and was just about to tell everyone to get moving.
However, at this very moment.
From the previously silent dense forest nearby, a sudden, dense "rustling" sound erupted!
Immediately following that, several "whoosh" sounds of something breaking through the air rang out in succession.
Five figures, without any warning, darted out from the shadows of the dense forest and landed heavily on the open ground less than thirty meters away from Tang Wulin and the others!
Huo Yuhao's gaze sharpened, and he immediately saw that the clothing worn by these five people was exactly the same as that of the black-robed man whose heart had just been pierced by Tang Wulin—all of them were wearing those wide, black robes with hoods!
Not only that, but the Aura radiating from these five people was equally evil and cold; the Evil Qi accumulated from dealing with blood year-round was almost tangible.
Not more, not less, exactly five people.
As soon as the five black-robed men landed, their gazes immediately swept over the corpse of their companion lying in a pool of blood.
The burly black-robed man in the lead had eyes that instantly turned incredibly ferocious, and a violent fury erupted.
"Number Six!"
The burly black-robed man roared, then suddenly turned his head, staring fixedly at the five people—Tang Wulin and his group—before growling through gritted teeth.
"You little brats who don't know when to die! You actually dare to lay a hand on someone from our Holy Sect? You are simply courting death!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the five Evil Soul Masters had no intention of wasting words; they directly drove the Spirit Power within their bodies and instantly released their Spirits!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
For a moment, the air in the wilderness became violent.
Behind the burly black-robed man in the lead, a phantom of a massive Dark Demon Violent Bear, radiating a rich dark attribute Aura, appeared!
And the four companions behind him also released their respective Spirits one after another.
There was a Jade Poison Toad spitting green toxic mist, a Blood Blade Mantis with venomous eyes, and two other Beast Spirits that also radiated an evil Aura!
Along with the release of their Spirits, circles of dazzling Spirit Rings rose from beneath the feet of the five of them!
The five black-robed men were all Five-Ring Spirit King level powerhouses!
The Spirit Ring configuration of four of them was uniformly two yellow and three purple.
And the burly Evil Soul Master in the lead, who possessed the Dark Demon Violent Bear Spirit, had a Spirit Ring configuration that reached two yellow, two purple, and one black!
A total of five Five-Ring Spirit Kings spread out their formation, aggressively surrounding Tang Wulin and his four companions!
In the ordinary Spirit Master's world outside, a Five-Ring Spirit King could already be considered an expert; even more so when five Spirit Kings joined forces.
However, Tang Wulin and his group, who were surrounded in the middle, showed no signs of panic on their faces as they looked at the five Evil Soul Masters who had released their Spirits and unleashed their full Aura.
Tang Wulin's mouth curled up slightly as he said casually to the four people beside him.
"What a coincidence, there are exactly five of them on the other side. One person to deal with one; let's just treat it as a warm-up exercise, how about it?"
"No problem."
The Light Dragon Dagger in Xie Xie's hand let out a crisp hum, his eyes eager to try.
Huo Yuhao and Ling Luochen both nodded calmly, while Wei Xiaofeng twisted his neck and directly summoned his own Spirit.
Hearing the conversation among Tang Wulin and the others, the five Evil Soul Masters on the opposite side were about to explode with rage!
They were dignified Five-Ring Spirit Kings!
These stinky brats, who looked like they hadn't even grown their hair out yet, not only didn't kowtow and beg for mercy when faced with their encirclement, but actually dared to shamelessly say they wanted to use them as practice targets?!
"Shameless boasting! Kill them for me! Finish it quickly!"
The burly black-robed man roared, and the fifth black Spirit Ring on his body instantly shone brightly.
His massive body, like a heavy tank, rushed directly toward Tang Wulin with terrifying dark attribute pressure!
"No challenge."
Tang Wulin looked at the charging burly Evil Soul Master and just evaluated him indifferently.
The next moment, Tang Wulin's right arm suddenly expanded, and dense golden Dragon scales instantly covered his entire arm.
His right hand suddenly transformed into a sharp, peerless Golden Dragon Claw. Without using any Spirit Ability, relying purely on his terrifying Physical Body strength and blood Qi power, he swung a claw directly at the Dark Demon Violent Bear!
Riiip—!
Accompanied by a teeth-grinding tearing sound!
That aggressive, burly Spirit King didn't even have time to scream; his dark attribute defense, which he was so proud of, was like paper in front of the Golden Dragon Claw!
Tang Wulin pierced through his chest with a single strike, killing him instantly!
At the same time, the other four battles also erupted almost simultaneously in an instant, and ended just as quickly!
Facing the Evil Soul Master with the Blood Blade Mantis Spirit, Xie Xie swayed his figure and directly unleashed the ultimate skill he had learned in the Tang Sect—Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step!
His figure left several afterimages on the spot, appearing instantly behind the enemy like a ghost.
The Evil Soul Master didn't even touch the corner of Xie Xie's clothes; he only saw a brilliant golden blade light flash before his eyes.
The Light Dragon Dagger accurately slashed across the opponent's throat, and blood sprayed out.
A flash of golden light shone in Huo Yuhao's eyes, and a pure Mental Shock, like an invisible heavy hammer, smashed fiercely into the opponent's Sea of Consciousness.
The Evil Soul Master's eyes instantly rolled back, blood flowed from his seven orifices, and he fell to the ground with a "thud," dead as could be.
On the other side, Ling Luochen, facing the Evil Soul Master rushing toward her, just coldly raised her right hand.
The extremely cold ice attribute Spirit Power suddenly erupted, and the ambient air temperature dropped to freezing point in an instant.
The Evil Soul Master didn't even have time to release a Spirit Ability before he was frozen into a lifelike ice sculpture in mid-air, then smashed heavily onto the ground, shattering into pieces.
Finally, there was Wei Xiaofeng.
The moment his Spirit, Green Shadow Snake, was summoned, it transformed into a bolt of green lightning, then also instantly finished off his opponent.
From the moment these five Evil Soul Masters launched their attack to their total annihilation, the entire process didn't even exceed ten seconds!
It was a completely one-sided crushing defeat!
"These guys' Spirit Power is simply incredibly flimsy, and their movement techniques during battle are full of holes; they're just like wooden stakes."
Ling Luochen also gave a cold evaluation.
"Their Realm was forcibly raised by plundering others' blood Qi; there is no Foundation to speak of. Fighting them is really too easy."
Wei Xiaofeng nodded in deep agreement.
"Indeed, this bit of combat pressure isn't even as strong as when we spar with our classmates at the academy. I really don't know where they got the confidence to surround us."
Just as the five of them had finished the battle and were evaluating it.
From the bushes not far away, a faint sound of snapping branches suddenly came.
Tang Wulin and the others' gazes turned cold, and they immediately turned their heads to look.
They saw a few disheveled figures timidly crawling out from that patch of bushes.
They were a few civilians in rags, with quite a few wounds on their bodies.
They were sallow and emaciated, their eyes full of fear and exhaustion.
When these civilians clearly saw the six black-robed corpses lying on the ground, they were stunned at first, then their whole bodies began to tremble violently, and their eye sockets instantly turned red!
"Dead... dead! These beasts are finally dead!"
One of the older men directly pulled the person beside him.
He knelt heavily in the direction of Tang Wulin and the others with a "thud."
"Thank you, benefactors! Thank you for saving our lives!"
The old man cried out in a hoarse voice, his forehead knocking heavily against the wilderness soil, the gratitude in his eyes overflowing.
Looking at these unarmed civilians, Tang Wulin and the others immediately withdrew the Spirit Power fluctuations on their bodies, walked up quickly, and helped them up from the ground.
"Old man, don't be like this, get up quickly."
Tang Wulin said gently.
The old man wiped the tears from his face and asked with a choked voice.
"You benefactors are so powerful; I wonder which great Sect you are disciples of?"
"We are students from Shrek Academy, out on a trial this time."
Tang Wulin answered truthfully.
Hearing the five words "Shrek Academy," a flash of awe immediately shone in the eyes of those civilians, and then they bent down again with tears of gratitude.
"So you are the Spirit Master lords from Shrek Academy! No wonder you are so amazing!"
The old man sobbed as he recounted.
"Benefactors! You killed these Evil Soul Masters today; that is avenging the hundreds of people who died in our entire village!"
"These beasts suddenly broke into our village a few days ago, killing everyone they met, and took the young adults and children of the village to drain their blood for Cultivation! We were the only ones who hid in a cellar during the chaos and barely managed to save our lives. We wanted to escape today, but we were almost caught by them..."
Listening to the old man's tearful accusation, the expressions of the five, Tang Wulin and his group, became solemn, and the killing intent in their eyes flashed once again.
Well killed! These beasts deserve to die!
Looking at these homeless, wounded civilians, Tang Wulin sighed and asked softly.
"Old man, what do you plan to do next? This wilderness is not safe anywhere."
The old man turned his head and glanced in the direction they had come from, a flash of grief in his eyes.
"We... we plan to go back to the village."
The old man said through gritted teeth.
"Even if the village is destroyed, we have to go back to properly dig out our dead fellow villagers and family members from the ruins and bury them. We cannot let them be exposed in the wilderness after death."
Hearing the civilians' simple yet heavy plan, Tang Wulin did not try to dissuade them.
He turned his head and exchanged glances with Huo Yuhao, Xie Xie, and the others; everyone nodded.
Tang Wulin turned around, looked at the old man, and said firmly.
"If that's the case, old man, then let us escort you. With us here, we will never let any Evil Soul Master harm you again."
Hearing that Tang Wulin was actually willing to escort them back to that destroyed village, those civilians were immediately so excited that their whole bodies trembled.
"Thank you, benefactors! Thank you, Shrek lords!"
They bowed repeatedly, their faces full of gratitude.
In this cruel Douluo Continent, being able to meet such powerful Spirit Masters willing to protect civilians was, for them, the greatest stroke of luck in their misfortune.
And just a while after they left, a team from the Inner Court of the Counterfeit Shrek Academy arrived at this place.
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A/N:
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.