After locating the base of the "Hand of Death" bandit group, everyone spent some time changing into the standard gear of the Shrek Academy Inspection Corps.
Each person wore a dark green combat outfit. Over the past ten thousand years, Shrek Academy had at least made some progress,their sense of color had improved slightly, and the uniform was no longer that dreadful shade of dung-green.
However, the leather armor of the Inspection Corps merely granted physical protection roughly equivalent to that of a Soul Elder. It was better than nothing, but only just.
While the armor offered some resistance to both physical strikes and soul power attacks, it was still inferior to a true soul device barrier. Since it was crafted purely through material enhancement and not a single integrated defense system, its effectiveness against trickier or penetrative soul skills was very limited.
In addition to the leather armor and cloak, they were also equipped with a cape of the same defensive quality. But in Huo Yuhao's opinion, the cape hindered movement far more than it helped in protection.
As for the mask on their faces,it served only to hide their features. If it were a sealed gas mask, it might have been more useful.
When everyone was ready, the operation finally began. However, changing equipment right in front of the enemy's base was an incredibly risky move. Had the enemy's scouts been any sharper, the entire Shrek team might have been wiped out already.
"This mission will be led by the main team," said Wang Yan. "Dai Yaoheng, you'll command the frontal assault. I'll take charge of the reserve team."
"Understood, Teacher Wang," Dai Yaoheng replied, and except for Ma Xiaotao, the main team members swiftly took their positions.
Ma Xiaotao, being the strongest and most self-assured, stayed in the middle of the formation. Given her strength and personality, there was no way she would take orders from someone weaker than herself.
Everyone activated their martial souls and, with the aid of their soul power, silently and swiftly advanced toward the target location.
It was nearing dawn,the faintest light appeared in the sky. This was the time when humans were most drowsy. Although the physiology of Douluo Continent's inhabitants differed slightly, this general rule still applied.
Through the power of his Spiritual Eye, Huo Yuhao could see through the layers of terrain and watch as the main team silently killed all the sentries and lookouts.
At the same time, his Spiritual Parasite ability quietly went into effect, subtly influencing Dai Yaoheng's subconscious,not directly controlling him, but gently affecting his instincts and tactical decisions.
Dai Yaoheng led the vanguard alongside Chen Zifeng and Xi Xi. Ma Xiaotao held the center for support. Gongyang Mo, behind her, used his soul skills to provide buffs, while Ling Luochen and Yao Haoxuan guarded the rear.
The reserve team was arranged differently: Xu Sanshi was at the front, with Beibei and Jiang Nannan flanking him. Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Ning Tian, and Xiao Xiao were in the middle, with Wang Yan behind them to guard the weaker members.
At the cave entrance lay five or six dead bandits, their wounds charred,not from fire, but clearly from Xi Xi's lightning-based attack.
From inside came the sounds of intense battle. Seeing this, Wang Yan frowned. "They've been discovered. Let's go in. Everyone, stay sharp."
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but sigh inwardly. So what was all that sneaking around for? There's only one agility-type in the team, and she's a lightning-type. It's not like we can stealth like an assassin. They could've just stormed in from the start.
And really, if the so-called Death Messenger had any brains, he wouldn't be fighting head-on like this. He'd have run away long ago,or at least set up ambushes and traps.
The saying "a dog meddles in others' business" fit the Shrek Inspection Corps perfectly. Their lineup was suited for straightforward duels, not for search-and-destroy missions in complex terrain. No wonder their past missions had so many casualties.
If Huo Yuhao were the Death Messenger, a few corpse explosion spells and some traps would have been enough to wipe out this team. After all, except for the Death Messenger himself, all the bandits were nothing more than controlled puppets. Losing them wouldn't matter; new ones could always be made.
Inside the cave, the space was surprisingly large. As they advanced, scattered corpses appeared,clearly bandits, judging by their clothes.
Along with the fresh corpses came a strong stench of blood. On the stone walls hung several flayed human skins.
Through the Spiritual Eye, Huo Yuhao saw that these skins were nothing special,ordinary human remains without any soul power residue. Likely just some twisted hobby of the Death Messenger.
Worse still, on the stalactites above hung the bodies of infants, their fresh blood dripping onto Jiang Nannan below.
Everyone's expression changed. Jiang Nannan screamed.
But to Huo Yuhao, through the detached lens of his Spiritual Eye, corpses, skins, and blood were nothing but clusters of organic matter. No soul energy, no vitality. What a waste. For an evil soul master, this is all usable material. No wonder he's only at the Soul King level.
In truth, the reserve team and Wang Yan had seen corpses and blood before. Soul masters' battles always drew blood, and hunting soul beasts meant seeing death constantly.
Their reaction was more out of primal empathy than true horror.
Still, what really separated soul masters from so-called "evil" ones? They killed soul beasts, stripped their bodies for nourishment, and absorbed their rings for power,was that not another form of soul plundering?
But as the privileged class of the continent, few cared to question this hypocrisy. Strength justified everything.
The group soon recovered from their shock, their eyes now burning with anger,whether genuine or performative, none could tell.
Wang Yan said gravely, "Stay alert. These people are monsters. Don't show mercy,killing one may save countless others."
As they went deeper, the sounds of battle grew louder. The narrow cave was now lit by the alternating flashes of soul rings and soul skills.
Dai Yaoheng and Ma Xiaotao were fighting most fiercely.
Beside Ma Xiaotao, golden-red flames roared, each explosion killing several,sometimes a dozen,bandits at once. The weak ones among the Hand of Death had no hope of withstanding the power of Shrek's main team.
Dai Yaoheng led the charge, holding back dozens of enemies alone. The others stayed near the cave entrance, offering support rather than advancing deeper. Gongyang Mo's colorful light empowered Dai Yaoheng and Ma Xiaotao, while Ling Luochen and Yao Haoxuan kept the retreat blocked.
Xi Xi stayed beside Gongyang Mo, unable to contribute much in this situation.
Together, Dai Yaoheng and Ma Xiaotao slaughtered the bandits mercilessly. Soon, the ground near the entrance was covered in corpses and rivers of blood.
Through his Spiritual Eye, Huo Yuhao noticed something disturbing,the corpses were pulsing faintly with dark soul energy.
The remaining bandits' eyes glowed red with madness, clearly under the effect of a berserking soul skill. Even as their comrades fell, they refused to retreat.
Huo Yuhao quietly strengthened his psychic influence over Dai Yaoheng. Since Dai Yaoheng was blocking the main passage, the bandits couldn't break through, and the reserve team stayed back.
Three of the bandits were Soul Kings, their soul rings mostly white, yellow, and a bit of purple,trash-tier combinations.
For safety, Wang Yan told the reserve team, "Support from a distance. Don't interfere with Dai Yaoheng's command. Treat this as real combat experience."
The reserve members nodded. Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan guarded the weaker four,Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Ning Tian, and Xiao Xiao. Xiao Xiao's Three Lives Soul-Sealing Cauldron floated around them, ready to defend.
Ning Tian assisted Dai Yaoheng like Gongyang Mo did, though it was hardly needed with Ma Xiaotao's overwhelming power.
Beibei and Wang Dong launched long-range attacks, bombarding the trapped bandits with impressive results.
But Huo Yuhao's eyes narrowed. Through the Spiritual Eye, he saw the soul power within the corpses near Dai Yaoheng begin to churn violently. He knew what was coming.
Besides the main heap of bodies near the passage, there were a few scattered corpses within the cave itself,but they posed little threat.
As the slaughter continued, another Soul King-level bandit fell under Dai Yaoheng's blade.
Then, from deep within the cave, a shrill, icy voice echoed.
"Damn you! Who dares defy the Hand of Death? You'll all die! Every one of you will become my corpse slaves!"
The voice made it clear,this was the leader they were after: the Death Messenger himself.
At once, the remaining bandits trembled, the red glow fading from their eyes. As the berserk spell ended, terror took hold.
Desperate, they ignored the Shrek team's attacks and tried to flee deeper into the cave.
Meanwhile, the corpses piled near Dai Yaoheng began to swell rapidly.
"I think I remember… something," came Electrolux's aged voice from within Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea. He had recalled a crucial part of his lost memory.
But there was no time to respond. Huo Yuhao immediately activated his fourth-tier soul device,the Glazed Barrier. A blue dome of soul power enveloped the reserve team.
Then came the explosions.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
The corpses detonated one after another, filling the front half of the cave with devastating force. The dark, viscous blood mist that followed was even worse,laden with deadly corpse poison.
Any body contaminated by it would become the material for a new corpse explosion spell.
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