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"Hehehe, Ke Jie, let's have some fun."
From high above, a soul master clad in a black robe with golden wings on his back swooped down from the cliff face.
Ke Jie knew that at this point, he could no longer conceal his true strength.
In the next instant, nine soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black—appeared beneath his feet.
A celestial chessboard formed above his head, blocking the attack of this Soul Douluo.
"Golden Eagle Soul Douluo!" Ke Jie's brow furrowed tightly.
The Golden Eagle Soul Douluo was a powerful figure from the Spirit Hall. His appearance here was proof enough that this ambush had been orchestrated by the Spirit Hall!
"Heh, hiding quite well, I see. So you've truly broken through to become a Title Douluo."
The Golden Eagle Soul Douluo's mission was precisely to test Ke Jie's true strength.
Aside from him, the Spirit Hall had also dispatched several teams of Soul Douluo and Soul Sages. These individuals leaped down from the cliffs and engaged the various teams in combat.
The situation on the main battlefield wasn't too dire. The only Soul Douluo present was being held up by Ke Jie, unable to harm anyone else. However, behind the boulder, the members of Shrek Academy who had been isolated were in a very unfavorable position.
The Golden Eagle Soul Douluo was locked in combat with Ke Jie, while the one targeting Shrek Academy was a power-type Soul Douluo—the Giant Bear Soul Douluo.
Flender and Liu Erlong were only Soul Sages. While they could handle agile attackers, they were completely overpowered when facing a brute-force Soul Douluo.
Far behind the main group, a carriage came to a halt.
Xue Qinghe observed the distant scene and grew anxious. "Teacher, Sword Douluo, the main force has been attacked by an unknown force. We need your support."
Chen Xin sat calmly inside the carriage and said indifferently, "I sense the presence of Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo lurking in the shadows. They are the forces of the Spirit Hall."
Ning Fengzhi frowned. "Uncle Sword, why would the Spirit Hall attack the Tiandou Empire's team? Could it be… they don't want our team to reach the finals?"
After breaking through to level 97, Chen Xin's perception had greatly improved.
After carefully sensing the battlefield, he said, "It seems the Spirit Hall is specifically targeting Shrek Academy. Ke Jie was entangled by a Soul Douluo, exposing his true strength."
Targeting Shrek Academy made sense. After all, Tang San was Tang Hao's son. The Spirit Hall had a grudge against Tang Hao, so it was natural for them to take action against him.
"Teacher, should we help?" Xue Qinghe asked.
Ning Fengzhi thought for a moment and replied, "We don't need to worry about the other teams. Uncle Sword, keep an eye on Tianchen and Rongrong. If anyone targets them, act immediately!"
Chen Xin suddenly chuckled. "Heh, it seems we won't need to intervene. Those Soul Kings and Soul Masters from the Spirit Hall are no match for him."
---
After several rounds of skirmishes, the formation of the Seven Treasures Team had been scattered.
Ning Tianchen seemed to be the primary target of these soul masters. Six black-robed Soul Kings surrounded him.
"The genius of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect? Is this all you've got? With such meager strength, you won't escape our encirclement," one of the black-robed figures sneered.
The Soul King squads of the Spirit Hall were battle-hardened veterans. For Ning Tianchen to break free from their encirclement was nearly impossible.
In the aerial battlefield, the Golden Eagle Soul Douluo moved with incredible speed, and Ke Jie's celestial chessboard struggled to contain him. As a result, he couldn't provide support to the ground battle in the short term.
Ning Tianchen gripped his Seven Kill Sword tightly.
The coordination between these six opponents was impeccable. If he attacked one, the others would quickly surround him, putting him at a disadvantage.
The best course of action was to retreat temporarily, wait for the enemy to make the first move, and then look for an opportunity to break through.
"Xiaotian, hurry and support the captain!" Bao Zhen used a control-type soul skill to briefly immobilize the opponent with Feng Xiaotian.
Without hesitation, Feng Xiaotian sprouted wings on his back and rushed to provide support.
"Nine Treasures Turning into Glazed Tile, Nine Treasures renowned, secondly for Speed!" Ning Rongrong amplified his speed, allowing him to quickly reach Ning Tianchen.
On the other side.
"Big Brother, our friend is in trouble."
Tian Guocheng and Tian Chao fought side by side. Upon noticing Ning Tianchen's predicament, the former couldn't help but give a reminder.
Tian Chao glanced at Ning Tianchen's situation and said gravely, "Guocheng, I'll go help. You be careful on your own."
The two often fought together in the far north, and their coordination was seamless.
The moment Tian Chao moved, Tian Guocheng quickly provided cover for him.
Ning Tianchen didn't notice anyone coming to his aid; at this moment, he had no time to spare for anything else.
The Seven Kill Sword landed before him, and a barrier of sword qi rapidly formed.
Facing the simultaneous attacks of six opponents, his second soul skill's defensive capabilities alone were insufficient.
The instant the barrier shattered, Ning Tianchen stepped onto the Seven Kill Sword and flew into the air, evading the first wave of attacks.
The six black-robed Soul Kings quickly adjusted their tactics. Two guarded the perimeter on the ground, two formed a human ladder, and the remaining two leaped into the air to attack.
With the Seven Kill Sword underfoot, Ning Tianchen couldn't launch an effective counterattack.
Facing the assault of the two airborne attackers, he had no choice but to use the Seven Kill Sword to defend, slowly descending toward the ground.
"Tianchen, look at my position!" Feng Xiaotian approached the battlefield and shouted loudly to alert him.
Ning Tianchen noticed the direction Feng Xiaotian was coming from. After fending off his opponents' attacks, the Seven Kill Sword returned to his feet, and he flew toward Feng Xiaotian's position.
These six Soul Kings clearly had no intention of letting him escape, and their attacks became much fiercer than before.
"Fourth Soul Skill, Wind Dragon Sword Shadow."
Ning Tianchen drew his sword and unleashed wind-attribute sword qi with the Seven Kill Sword, barely managing to withstand the onslaught.
Feng Xiaotian flew beneath him, catching his falling body.
On the other side, Tian Chao, who had come to reinforce them, leaped into action.
"Second Soul Skill, Mammoth Trample."
The moment he landed, the powerful shockwave sent the six Soul Kings tumbling to the ground.
As a power-type soul master, his attack power rivaled that of a Soul King.
"Xiaotian, follow me and charge forward."
"Seven Kill Sword Technique, Swift Sword Form."
"Hurricane Demon Wolf, Fifty-Four Consecutive Slashes!"
Before the six Soul Kings could stabilize themselves, they were met with the ferocious attacks of the two men, making it impossible for them to reform their encirclement.
With Tian Chao providing assistance, they were forced to flee in disarray.
After repelling the six Soul Kings, the three stood shoulder to shoulder, exuding an aura of invincibility.
"Fighting individually, we're no match for these experienced soul masters. Our two teams should regroup as much as possible and work together to resist external threats," Ning Tianchen instructed. "Xiaotian, Tian Chao, go gather the teams and bring them here to converge with me."
"I'll stay here and clear out any other enemies."
The two nodded and turned to return to their respective teams.
---
Behind the boulder, the situation for Shrek Academy was far from optimistic.
Liu Erlong and Flender leaned on each other, both having lost their ability to resist.
Before them, the Giant Bear Soul Douluo cracked his fists, seemingly brimming with inexhaustible strength.
"Release Principal and Teacher Erlong, and I'll go with you!" Tang San knew their objective and didn't want anyone to get hurt because of him.
Dai Mubai stopped him. "No way. Xiao San, we're a team. How can we abandon a teammate?"
The others quickly stepped forward, forming a protective line in front of Tang San.
"Third Brother, we're here with you!" Xiao Wu said earnestly.
The Giant Bear Soul Douluo sneered. "You think just the few of you can defeat me? Don't be ridiculous."
"A Soul Douluo stooping to fight a bunch of kids—aren't you ashamed?" Suddenly, an aged yet powerful voice rang out from afar.
Turning toward the sound, the legendary Dragon Serpent Couple slowly approached.
"So it's you two." The Giant Bear Soul Douluo's expression turned wary.
The Dragon Serpent Couple's spirit fusion technique could rival that of a Title Douluo. Ordinary Soul Douluos were no match for them.
Dragon Lord Meng Shu declared loudly, "Tang San is a junior we hold in high regard. If you want to harm him, you'll have to get past us first."
The Giant Bear Soul Douluo found himself in a difficult position.
With his strength, he could barely handle Dragon Lord Meng Shu, but he was no match for their spirit fusion technique.
"Hahaha, the Dragon Serpent Couple, what a delightful surprise."
Above the canyon, a soft, eerie voice echoed.
The next moment, a yellow figure appeared beside the Giant Bear Soul Douluo.
This person's skin was as smooth as a baby's, and his alluring appearance gave off a peculiar vibe. His voice didn't betray his age, and if not for the Adam's apple on his neck, no one would have guessed he was a man.
"It's you!" Meng Shu's expression turned cautious, and he hurriedly shielded Chao Tianxiang behind him while preparing to unleash their spirit fusion technique.
The couple had come here specifically to save Tang San.
But, they knew their limits. The strength of Chrysanthemum Douluo was beyond what they could handle. Tang San wasn't their son-in-law yet, so there was no need to risk their lives for him.
However, now wasn't the time to leave even if they wanted to.
Yue Guan whispered to the Giant Bear Soul Douluo, "Go support the Golden Eagle Soul Douluo. Don't disappoint me."
The Giant Bear Soul Douluo nodded heavily and leaped over the boulder, rushing to the other battlefield.
"The Dragon Serpent Couple dares to interfere with our affairs—quite bold of you," Yue Guan sneered softly.
"Hmph. Don't think you can do as you please!" Meng Shu smirked, his goat-horn mustache trembling slightly. "Old Lady, prepare to strike."
"Dragon Staff!"
"Serpent Cane!"
"Spirit Fusion Technique, Dragon Serpent Assault!"
Yue Guan paid no heed to their spirit fusion technique and faced it with apparent ease.
"Xiao San, should we run for it?" Xiao Wu nudged Tang San's sleeve and whispered softly.
Taking advantage of the ongoing battle, escaping now wouldn't be a bad idea.
Tang San shook his head with a bitter smile. "There's no escape. A Title Douluo's speed is beyond my reach."
For him, staying here meant everyone could still support each other.
If they ran, Chrysanthemum Douluo could easily shake off the Dragon Serpent Couple and come after him.
At that point, the situation would only worsen...
Spirit City, the dungeon
"Brother Snake, Brother Snake, this guy's awake."
Hearing voices around him, Yu Xiaogang abruptly sat up, his gaze wary as he scanned his surroundings.
This was the Heaven Ward cell, where only the most dangerous criminals were imprisoned.
The man called Brother Snake was lean, with a long scar on his cheek.
Brother Snake licked his lips, revealing a lascivious grin. "This old fellow stinks to high heaven. But… I can still see some charm left in him."
His lackeys quickly echoed in agreement: "What Brother Snake says is true. Being favored by Brother Snake is this old fellow's good fortune."
As they spoke, several lackeys stepped forward and viciously kicked Yu Xiaogang. "What's the matter? Do you understand the rules here? Brother Snake favors you—why aren't you kneeling yet?"
Brother Snake's expression hardened, and he slapped the lackeys hard across their faces. "How dare you speak like that? Don't you know this old fellow belongs to me?"
"Yes, Brother Snake, we were wrong." The lackeys quickly apologized with forced smiles.
Yu Xiaogang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
With the prison boss protecting him, life here might be a bit easier.
Moreover, he needed to think about how to get the news of his capture to Bibi Dong.
At this point, aside from Bibi Dong, it seemed no one else could rescue him from here.
After all, those imprisoned in the Spirit Hall's dungeon were like people who had vanished from the world. Even if the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family or Tang Hao wanted to search for him, they likely wouldn't find this place.
"Thank you, Brother Snake." Yu Xiaogang quickly expressed his gratitude.
Brother Snake nodded contentedly. "Not bad. You're new here. There's water over there—wash yourself clean first. No one likes your current stench."
Yu Xiaogang nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice.
In a corner of the cell, Yu Xiaogang removed his clothes and used them as a makeshift curtain to shield himself.
Brother Snake laughed loudly, "Oh? Still shy, are we?"
Yu Xiaogang's face flushed red.
To gain the protection of the prison boss, he had no choice but to endure.
But why was Brother Snake being so kind to him for no reason?
Brother Snake earned his nickname because of his exceptional flexibility in certain aspects, akin to a snake.
Taking advantage of Yu Xiaogang bending over to wipe his body, Brother Snake immediately lunged forward.
Yu Xiaogang felt a sudden wave of pleasure and couldn't help but let out a soft moan.
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