Zhang Lexuan clearly wouldn't abandon them.
"Prepare for battle,"she whispered.
"Yes!"
With their senior sister's icy expression, the Shrek Academy's elite members realized they were about to face a life-or-death battle.
Without their academy instructors, a 100,000-year soul beast was enough to wreak havoc among them; even several Soul Saint seniors wouldn't be able to withstand it.
One Soul King, in particular, turned deathly pale.
He muttered, "I don't want to die. I only just obtained my fifth soul ring. My future is still very."
"Shut up!"
Zhang Lexuan snapped.
She looked around at everyone, speaking each word clearly.
"No one will die! Elder Xuan will arrive as quickly as possible. He won't abandon us. This is just a trial, an assessment for inner court disciples! Ruoling, Zhang Yi, I will report to the academy and have this exam your graduation exam.
As for the other they'll be used as substitutes for your future exams."
"The only condition for passing the assessment is,"
Zhang Lexuan gritted her teeth, "survival!"
Everyone stopped in their tracks.
Giving up the last few minutes of escape time, rather than continuing to expend energy until that guy caught up and killed them, they decided to conserve their strength for a final, decisive battle.
"Ruolin, you, Li Nian, and Zhang Chuyan are agility-type Soul Masters. You will lead the team to control the air, provide vision, and conduct air raids and harassment. Be careful of your own safety."
"Zhang Yi, you are a control-type Soul Master. Use your Ghost Vine to trap and restrain it. If it attacks the others, remember to provide support immediately.Ling Yuan, Bai Nian protect Zhang Yi; he cannot be harmed!"
"Xiao Tao and Su Wen will follow Zhang Yi. Generally, 100,000-year-old Soul Beasts won't attack the weak first, so you are relatively safe."
"The rest of you will join me in the main attack!"
Zhang Lexuan said solemnly, "Remember, this is a war of attrition.
Our goal is simply to buy time. Every minute counts. Don't risk your lives!"
"Yes!"
Everyone replied in unison.
Ruoling opened her palm, and a small green bird flew out.
After Ruoling gave her a few instructions, it flew away into the distance.
It was clearly a scout.
Soul tools can only detect enemies and roughly determine their location and speed, but this little bird was Ruoling's soul skill, allowing for a more precise assessment of the enemy's situation.
"Pfft."
But only a few dozen seconds later, Ruoling spat out a mouthful of blood.
"It was a 100,000-year-old Bloodthirsty Demon Tiger. It was too fast! The spirit bird I released didn't even last a second before it was swatted to death! If it hadn't paused for a moment when the spirit bird disappeared, I wouldn't have been able to see its true form at all!" Ruoling said in horror.
"The Bloodthirsty Demon Tiger, though named a tiger, is more like a leopard in size, renowned for its speed.
No wonder it's so fast.
A Bloodthirsty Demon Tiger at the 100,000-year level—you won't find another one like it in the entire Star Dou Great Forest.
What a coincidence that we ran into it!" Zhang Yi gritted his teeth.
"Everyone, take your pills and get yourselves into peak condition!"
Zhang Lexuan said calmly.
"We have no choice but to fight to the death."
...
"Roar~"
A deep tiger's roar echoed throughout the forest.
The originally quiet night was awakened by this roar, and countless birds and beasts fled frantically into the distance.
A moment later, Su Wen felt that the surroundings had become inexplicably empty.
Looking at the once tranquil ancient trees, he was startled to see countless birds, snakes, beasts, and insects suddenly emerging from the dense branches and leaves.
It was as if the surrounding area had been vacuumed.
However, the suffocating feeling that followed made his hair stand on end.
The Shrek elites around him dared not breathe, their eyes fixed on the direction of the tiger's roar, creating an eerie silence.
"Roar~"
Another tiger's roar echoed.
A massive crimson figure, its footsteps echoing through the withered leaves, slowly revealed its true form.
Su Wen could see its mocking, blood-red pupils, carrying a hunter's leisurely cruelty; clearly, it had been eyeing the Shrek Seven Devils' group for a long time.
This was the first time he had ever seen a true 100,000-year-old soul beast.
The terrifying sense of oppression was unprecedented; if Su Wen weren't actually a six-year-old, he probably would have wet his pants...
And the entire group turned pale.
Zhang Lexuan didn't strike first.
After all, the primary objective was to stall.
The Bloodthirsty Demon Tiger seemed to sense something amiss; these humans were buying time.
A sense of crisis surged within it, and with a low growl, it transformed into a blood-red shadow and charged forward.
"Attack!"
Zhang Lexuan waved her hand.
The entire group instantly sprang into action.
Countless thick vines shot up from the ground, coiling towards the Bloodthirsty Demon Tiger.
"Swish, swish~"
But the Bloodthirsty Demon Tiger merely flicked its claws, instantly slicing the seemingly thick and resilient vines into pieces, scattering fragments on the ground.
Having dodged Zhang Yi's attack, it went straight for Zhang Lexuan.
In its eyes, eliminating the strongest among these humans first would render the rest helpless.
"Silver Moon True Form!"
Zhang Lexuan's beautiful eyes remained calm as she uttered a soft shout.
Seven soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—lit up from beneath her feet.
Her graceful figure seemed to transform into the silver moon in the sky, its silvery light scattering across the earth.
For a 100,000-year-old soul beast, holding back was the most foolish thing to do, so she unleashed her Martial Soul True Form from the very beginning.
"Sixth Soul Skill, Lunar Eclipse!"
Immediately, her sixth soul ring rose, the black soul ring merging into the silver moon, as if "polluting" the entire bright silver moon into a black moon.
In the instant the Bloodthirsty Demon Tiger was stunned, the "black moon" transformed into a beam of light shining on the Bloodthirsty Demon Tiger.
The Bloodthirsty Demon Tiger froze, followed by a terrifying explosion that echoed through the forest.
"Zhang Yi!" Zhang Lexuan's face paled considerably after releasing her soul skill, but she disregarded her exhaustion and hurriedly called out to the side.
"Yes!"
Zhang Yi's expression was solemn.
His feet sank into the soil, taking root in the ground.
"Demon Vine True Form!"
Absorbing nutrients from the soil, he instantly transformed into a "tree person."
"Sixth Soul Skill: Spirit Binding!"
"Fifth Soul Skill: Sea of Trees!"
Countless demonic vines sprouted from the ground, stirring even the surrounding silent ancient trees.
Dense roots and branches intertwined, firmly trapping the explosion site.
From the sky, it resembled a spiderweb, tightly sealed.
"Can it hold?" Ruoling asked weakly.
"..."
Zhang Yi's lips twitched, his eyes fixed on the trapped "cocoon."
The air seemed to freeze.
Everyone's hearts were in their throats.
Even if it could hold it for a minute or two, that would be quite good...
Elder Xuan was already on his way.
But less than two seconds later...
"Boom!"
The sturdy cocoon shattered violently.
Splintered wood flew everywhere, and a blood-red figure pounced!
"Damn it! It didn't even last a second!" Zhang Yi's expression changed drastically.
His hands rapidly formed hand seals, countless vines interfering along the way, but only slowing the blood-red figure's speed.
"Ruoling!"
Zhang Yi shouted.
A streak of emerald light shot towards the Bloodthirsty Demon Tiger.
"Pfft."
But the next instant,he was slapped away.
Blood sprayed freely from his mouth, and his body crashed into several ancient trees like a broken sack before slumping limply to the ground.
"Ruo Ling!"
Everyone's pupils constricted sharply.
This was the true strength of a 100,000-year-old soul beast?!
(End of Chapter)