Chapter 44: The Holy Son of the Sacred Sect

A muffled explosion reverberated through the cavern, followed immediately by a chorus of shouts and curses, accompanied by sickening thuds and intense fluctuations of soul power.

By the time Ye Xixuan charged into the cave, the corpses of bandits were already scattered in every direction. Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, and Chen Zifeng—the three power-attack system battle soul masters—were moving through the crowd as if there were no one there, each strike claiming the lives of countless bandits. In head-on combat, power-attack soul masters always held the advantage, especially when the disparity in martial soul quality and soul ring configuration was so vast.

Most of these bandit soul masters were of commoner origin, possessing mediocre martial souls and subpar soul rings—some even sporting white ten-year rings, a desperate sight for any soul master. However, for these low-level combatants, the greatest threat was actually agility-attack soul masters like Xixi, whose movements felt like a dimension-defying slaughter.

Ling Luochen summoned her Ice Staff, her four soul rings flashing in sequence as she unleashed powerful control-type soul skills, providing precise support for Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and Xixi. Meanwhile, Gongyang Mo hovered in the air on a pair of iridescent wings, casting beams of rainbow light onto his companions—the signature buffing effect of his Rainbow Dragon martial soul.

Yao Haoxuan’s transformation after unleashing his martial soul was the most striking. His originally lean frame had surged to over four meters in height, every muscle bulging grotesquely, his skin covered in thick, iron-gray, horn-like leather. His deep green eyes glowed with fierce menace, and as he stood there like a miniature fortress, heavy, ragged breaths escaped his nostrils.

The Heaven-Shaking Ape—that was his martial soul. Among ape-type soul beasts, the Heaven-Shaking Ape was an anomaly. While its strength and defense were terrifying, its true mastery lay in sonic-based control. Swinging his hammer-like fists, Yao Haoxuan slammed them against his chest as his first two yellow soul rings lit up in unison.

"Thump, thump, thump, thump..." The muffled, rhythmic booming Ye Xixuan had heard from outside the cave was the effect of Yao Haoxuan’s soul skills: First Skill, Battle Intent; Second Skill, Intimidation.

Rings of yellow light rippled outward from Yao Haoxuan, coating the Shrek Academy team in a golden hue and sharpening their auras significantly. The bandits, however, faltered, their movements sluggish as a wave of dizziness washed over them.

Among the bandits, there were actually three who had reached the Soul King level—a discrepancy from the intelligence Dai Yueheng had received. Yet, this did little to halt the Shrek team’s advance as they pushed the bandits back step by step.

Though more bandits poured into the cavern from the depths, they could not change the tide of the battle. Ma Xiaotao was a Soul Emperor, and with Gongyang Mo’s amplification, the combat prowess of Dai Yueheng, Chen Zifeng, and Xixi was in no way inferior to that of a Soul Emperor.

In mere heartbeats, one of the Soul King bandits was hacked to pieces by Chen Zifeng’s Soul-Chasing Sword. Unlike Ma Xiaotao’s Evil Fire Phoenix or Dai Yueheng’s White Tiger, Chen Zifeng’s blade was a power-attack tool-type martial soul possessing extreme destructive capabilities.

"Roar!" With a tiger’s bellow, Dai Yueheng exhaled a searing White Tiger Light Wave, forcing another Soul King back. Then, bolstered by his White Tiger Barrier, White Tiger Vajra Transformation, and White Tiger Demon God Transformation, he charged forward and tore the Soul King’s body apart with his bare hands. The last remaining Soul King was forced back by a single strike from Ma Xiaotao, and he dared not approach again, retreating deep into the mass of bandits.

Ye Xixuan’s gaze locked onto this final bandit Soul King. A cold, dark light shimmered in his obsidian eyes, and a faint smirk played on his lips.

"Messenger of Death, I’ve found you."

The Messenger of Death felt an inexplicable chill, but looking at the dense pile of corpses surrounding the team, he let out a shrill, mocking laugh. "Gahaha! To dare cross the Messenger of Death—no matter who you are, you will all die here today! I shall turn every one of you into my corpse slaves!"

Hearing this, the bandits didn’t seem excited; instead, they recoiled in unison, their faces contorted with raw terror.

Distracted by the strange behavior of the Messenger and the bandits, the Shrek Academy team paused for a split second. Then, they watched in horror as the corpses strewn across the ground began to bloat and turn crimson at an alarming speed.

Ma Xiaotao’s expression shifted instantly, and she let out a sharp cry. "Look out!"

The others reacted instinctively, activating their martial souls and defensive skills. Ling Luochen turned subconsciously toward Ye Xixuan behind her, her cold, deep-blue eyes filled with sudden tenderness. She reached out a hand, her lips parting as if to speak, but before a sound could escape, she saw the three purple thousand-year soul rings around Ye Xixuan flare with a deep, regal brilliance.

Pitch-black Fallen Wings unfurled fully behind him. A deep, deathly shadow expanded from his feet, writhing and creeping across the floor like a living thing until it engulfed the entire cavern.

With his right hand extended, a dark magic sword wreathed in black-purple electricity coalesced. He gripped the elegant, slender hilt with both hands and thrust it violently into the shadow at his feet.

Within the domain of shadows, countless streaks of black-purple lightning ignited, flashing with lethal intensity. Under this baptism of electricity, the bloating, crimson corpses rapidly reverted to their original state, as wisps of cold, malevolent black vapor bled out from them.

The cavern fell into a deathly silence.

Influenced by the evil aura within his martial soul, Ye Xixuan walked past the Shrek team with a detached expression. He raised the dark magic sword, its tip pointing directly at the Messenger of Death. The black vapor leaking from the corpses drifted toward his dark blade as if drawn by a magnet, as if he were the undisputed master of this living hell.

"Why aren't you laughing now? Do you need me to teach you how?"

"You... you are also an Evil Soul Master?!" The Messenger of Death threw back his cloak, revealing a face like a bleached skull. His eyes, glowing with a pale green light, were filled with shock. "How can you control my corpse slaves?! Who are you?!"

As if struck by a sudden realization, the shock in the Messenger’s eyes was instantly replaced by pure terror. "This incredibly pure aura of evil... are you a Saint Son of the Holy Church?! If you are a Saint Son, why would you strike at me?"

"Heh heh..." Ye Xixuan’s dark sense of humor took hold, and he let out a deliberate, chilling chuckle.

"Pity, you guessed wrong."

As the words left his lips, his figure dissolved into the shadow domain. In the next instant, he appeared directly before the Messenger of Death. The dark magic sword, concentrated with dense black vapor, transformed into a massive black blade of light that flashed through the air.

The Messenger of Death’s pupils dilated and went vacant. His ugly head parted from his torso and tumbled onto the filth-ridden ground.