Following the path through the wilderness, Tang Wulin's group of five followed the old man they had saved earlier, quickening their pace as they arrived at a remote little village.
As soon as they stepped into the village entrance, a nauseatingly thick scent of blood rushed toward them.
What appeared before everyone's eyes was a miserable scene, like a living purgatory.
The small village, which should have been peaceful and serene, was now covered in charred marks from being burned by fire.
Most of the dilapidated houses had collapsed, and on those ruins and muddy streets, the corpses of villagers lay scattered everywhere.
Blood stained the ground, and corpses were strewn all over; their deaths were extremely tragic.
There were even many corpses that looked as if their essence and blood had been sucked dry, leaving behind only skin and bones.
Seeing such a tragic and inhumane scene...
Xie Xie suddenly clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force. A fierce fire of rage burned in his eyes as he spoke through gritted teeth.
"These heartless beasts! Dying so quickly was far too good for them!"
Huo Yuhao, Tang Wulin, and the others also had deep frowns and cold eyes.
"These Evil Soul Masters simply deserve to die!"
Huo Yuhao said coldly, the icy killing intent within him still surging.
The scale of this village wasn't large to begin with, having only a few dozen people at most.
However, after the ruthless slaughter by these Evil Soul Masters, the only ones still standing and breathing were the old man Tang Wulin's group had saved earlier, and a few survivors who had just crawled out of cellars and ruins, trembling.
In the entire village, fewer than ten people remained!
The air was filled with heaviness.
Those few survivors who had escaped death looked at the corpses covering the ground—looking at their relatives who were alive just yesterday but had now become cold bodies—and couldn't help but kneel on the ground, faces covered in tears, letting out heart-wrenching wails.
Tang Wulin and the other four didn't say many empty words of comfort.
They silently dispersed and began to help the surviving villagers gather the bodies.
Relying on the physical strength and power of a Spirit Master, which far exceeded that of an ordinary person, the five of them quickly dug deep pits in the open space outside the village.
They gently placed the incomplete remains into the pits one by one, then covered them with yellow earth.
The shrill cries, accompanied by the covering of soil, gradually turned into suppressed sobs.
The burial was complete.
Just as Tang Wulin and the others brushed the dirt off their hands and were about to ask the old man what his next plans were...
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Suddenly, a series of sounds came from the nearby woods.
Several people immediately turned their heads alertly to look.
They saw a team of seven Spirit Masters quickly passing through the woods, flying toward this dilapidated little village.
When the group approached and landed steadily at the village entrance, Tang Wulin and the others immediately saw their attire clearly.
It was the uniform of that Counterfeit Shrek Academy!
As soon as this group from the Counterfeit Shrek Academy landed, their eyes quickly scanned the devastated village.
Leading them was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties, with a slender build and a hint of arrogance between his brows.
He didn't pay any attention to the villagers who were still weeping from their recent loss, but instead strode directly forward.
"Where are the Evil Soul Masters here?"
Hearing the young man's inquiry, the old man wiped the tears from his face and reached out a trembling hand, pointing at Tang Wulin's group of five standing to the side.
The old man responded in a hoarse voice.
"Those wicked Evil Soul Masters are all dead. It's all thanks to these benefactors who stepped in timely to avenge our village's deep-seated hatred and deal with those Evil Soul Masters!"
The old man didn't know the names of Tang Wulin and the others, so he could only gratefully call them "benefactors" over and over.
After hearing the old man's words...
The brow of the young man leading the Shrek Academy team immediately furrowed.
He followed the direction of the old man's finger and swept his gaze over Tang Wulin, Huo Yuhao, Xie Xie, and the others.
When he saw the faces of Tang Wulin and the others, which clearly still had a hint of childishness, a flash of undisguised suspicion instantly crossed the young man's eyes.
Clearly, he didn't believe the old man's words at all.
Just based on these few little kids whose hair hadn't even fully grown? They could deal with cruel Evil Soul Masters?
Could this old man have been scared out of his wits and be talking nonsense here?
However...
When the young man's gaze casually swept back and finally landed on Ling Luochen, who was standing at the back of the group without saying a word!
The young man's body suddenly stiffened, and his pupils abruptly constricted!
The contempt and arrogance that were originally in his eyes vanished without a trace, replaced by disbelief!
"Ling... Ling Luochen?!"
The young man cried out in shock. He stepped forward two quick paces and scrutinized the young girl before him.
"Is it really you?! Haven't you been missing for over half a year? Are you... are you Junior Sister Ling Luochen?!"
Facing the young man's shocked inquiry...
Ling Luochen slightly raised her eyes. Looking at the familiar face wearing the Pirated Shrek uniform, she merely gave a flat, slight nod.
At this moment, a complex expression inevitably flashed through Ling Luochen's eyes.
Coming down this time, she hadn't originally intended to return to that Shrek Academy, but she hadn't expected fate to play such tricks; who could have known she would encounter someone she knew in this place?
Seeing Ling Luochen nod and admit her identity...
The young man first breathed a sigh of relief, then a "so that's how it is" expression of sudden realization appeared on his face.
"I knew it! Just based on these few kids whose hair hasn't even grown, how could they possibly kill Evil Soul Masters!"
The young man pointed at Tang Wulin and the others, then turned his gaze to Ling Luochen, his tone becoming very familiar and matter-of-fact.
"Since Junior Sister Ling Luochen is here, then it seems the Evil Soul Masters in this village were dealt with by you!"
The young man smiled and spread his hands, his tone carrying a bit of flattery.
"But then again, it was just a mere Evil Soul Master who had just reached the Spirit King level. No matter how bizarre his methods, with Junior Sister's strength, he certainly wouldn't be your match. Dealing with him would be as easy as turning over one's hand."
Hearing the young man's self-righteous words...
Ling Luochen's brow furrowed slightly, and her eyes became even colder.
"You're mistaken."
"This wasn't my credit alone."
Ling Luochen pointed at Tang Wulin, Huo Yuhao, Xie Xie, and the others beside her, speaking in a serious and somewhat protective tone.
"It's thanks to them that we were able to deal with the Evil Soul Masters."
Ling Luochen looked at the young man and added coldly.
"And you've mistaken one more thing. The Evil Soul Masters who attacked this village were not just one person."
"But... a total of six!"
"What?!"
Hearing Ling Luochen's words, the faces of the group from the Counterfeit Shrek Academy, who were full of ease just a moment ago, instantly changed, and they all furrowed their brows in unison.
The young man leading them was even more stunned. His first reaction was that it was absurd!
"Six? Junior Sister Ling, you really know how to joke!"
The young man shook his head and refuted with a face full of disbelief.
"When we brought the team out for this mission, we received accurate intelligence directly from Elder Xuan! It said that the one committing crimes in this vicinity was just a single Evil Soul Master who had barely reached the Spirit King level!"
The young man said plausibly.
"Intelligence personally provided by Elder Xuan—how could it possibly be wrong? How could five more Evil Soul Masters just pop out of nowhere?"
"Besides, if it really were six ferocious Evil Soul Masters working together, even an Inner Court Genius like Junior Sister Ling would find it difficult and might even be in mortal danger, right? How could you possibly escape unscathed while bringing these deadweights along?"
"Junior Sister, I know you want to promote these little brothers, but there's no need to make such an outrageous joke, right?"
"My Lord! This is no joke!"
The old man stood out with red eyes, pointing at the charred battlefield at the village entrance, and explained loudly.
"There were six Evil Soul Masters covered in black Qi! Those devils killed without blinking! If it weren't for these benefactors stepping in to help, I estimate not a single living person would be left in our entire village now!"
Hearing the old man's testimony...
The students from Shrek Academy looked at each other, their expressions becoming somewhat ugly and awkward.
If even the person involved said so, then this matter was likely true.
This also meant... the intelligence Elder Xuan gave them was not only ridiculously wrong but had practically pushed them into a fire pit!
If Ling Luochen's team hadn't dealt with those six Evil Soul Masters in advance, and their small team had barged in blindly, they probably would have been completely wiped out in this small village today!
Thinking of this, several people couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
However, the leading young man quickly adjusted his emotions. He cleared his throat twice, not dwelling too much on this intelligence issue.
After all, the reputation of Shrek Academy still had to be maintained.
"Fine, since those Evil Soul Masters are all dead, then whether it was one or many, our mission is considered over."
The young man waved his hand, looking as if official business was concluded.
Then, he looked at Ling Luochen again.
"Junior Sister Ling, since you are safe and sound, hurry up and pack your things to return to the academy with us. During the half-year you were missing, the academy was planning to hold a new selection for the Shrek Seven Devils to fill the vacancy. Now that you're back, that selection is no longer necessary."
"By the way, Junior Brother Dai Yueheng also came out on a mission with us this time. The team he's leading is stationed not far from here."
"Since you've appeared, it's perfect. As official members of our Shrek Seven Devils, the two of you can meet here and then return to the academy together to report."
"Dai Yueheng."
When those three words were lightly uttered from the young man's mouth...
Huo Yuhao, who had been standing to the side all along, suddenly jolted!
The eldest son of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion!
A cold and violent rage was instantly ignited deep in Huo Yuhao's heart!
When he left the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, he had sworn that he would sever the Legacy of the White Tiger Duke's lineage!
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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.