Just as everyone stopped worrying about Xie Huanyue's battle, Zhang Lexuan and the Straw Hat Brigade below truly fell into a crisis.
As Marshal Xie Long's army continuously retreated, the three defensive lines at the front were quickly broken by the Heavenly Soul Imperial Army. There was still a considerable amount of time needed for the supply train to evacuate, and the surrounded members of the Straw Hat Brigade had truly fallen into a death trap.
The Body Sect had over a hundred powerful soul masters participating in this battle. Adhering to the principle of soldier against soldier and general against general, every member of the Straw Hat Brigade was immediately besieged by several times their number of experts of the same level. As the rear guard, they not only had to ensure their own safety while surrounded but also had to hold back the opponent's experts as much as possible.
In just a few short minutes, several of Marshal Xie Long's officers were overwhelmed and killed by multiple soul masters of the same level while covering the retreat of the main army. The retreating soldiers at this moment only wished their parents had given them two more legs, so they wouldn't have to drag down the experts covering the rear.
Marshal Xie Long was also entangled by four Soul Douluo. As a commander who cared for his soldiers, how could he possibly abandon the subordinates who had followed him for many years?
In any case, as long as the main force of the army could be preserved, Marshal Xie Long was not worried about making a comeback. This battle was undoubtedly a defeat!
Xie Huanyue had just managed to comprehend a new state of mind and was barely holding back the opponent's strongest Super Douluo, but he couldn't spare a hand to intervene in the battlefield below.
Ji Juechen and the others were practically submerged by the enemy army. Everyone was wounded to some degree. The Lan sisters, who had the lowest soul power level, desperately unleashed their martial soul fusion skill to halt the enemy's charge, then instantly fainted from soul power exhaustion and were protected in the center by Wu Feng and Ling Luochen.
If one were to say who could best display their abilities in this kind of army clash, it would be the control-type Soul Emperor of Ultimate Ice—Ling Luochen. Every wave of her ice staff could freeze a large group of enemy soldiers, and with the Ice Explosion skill from her Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone, her kill count was far ahead of anyone else.
The Heavenly Soul Empire's army was also equipped with soul tools. Even if their soul tool research was relatively backward, the members of the Straw Hat Brigade couldn't withstand the sheer number of opponents. The scene of several hundred soul engineers unleashing a furious bombardment was truly spectacular. The three defensive lines that Marshal Xie Long had set up to cover the rear were broken in this very manner.
Ji Juechen and Zimu were trapped in the enemy formation. The two, who were usually at odds, now stood back-to-back, guarding each other. Even a sword fanatic like Ji Juechen was now so exhausted he could barely hold his longsword.
Zimu's soul tools all over his body were also in a state of disrepair. The set of soul tools he wore, called the Invisible Armor, was the latest research product of the Illustrious Virtue Hall and could achieve invisibility by refracting light. However, this was obviously of little use in the chaos of battle, and a few of the opponent's Soul Sages found an opportunity to disable his invisibility suit.
Ye Wuqing's situation was not much better. His Golden Leaf martial soul, after a long period of explosive attacks, was already on the verge of shattering, and his opponents were his former companions from Upright Heaven Academy. Although both sides held back to some extent, he was, after all, outnumbered and couldn't withstand the layers of enemy sieges. He was also nearing his limit.
"Marshal Xie Long, it ends here!"
One of the Titled Douluo participating in the siege against Zhang Lexuan laughed loudly and slammed a palm into her delicate back.
Zhang Lexuan was struck heavily, violently coughing up blood as she immediately fell from the sky.
Senior Sister is defeated?
Wu Feng, covered in blood, looked in disbelief at the beautiful figure constantly falling from the sky, her pretty eyes wide open.
The other two Titled Douluo seized the opportunity to pursue, unleashing their most powerful ninth soul skills towards the falling Zhang Lexuan, without a hint of pity for the beautiful woman.
As she continued to fall, a mocking arc appeared on the corner of Zhang Lexuan's lips. Had she not also been overloaded, facing three experts whose soul power was far superior to her own? At this moment, her oil had run out, and her lamp was dry. She had no strength left to fight.
"At this point, you three can just accompany me on my way..."
The soul core she had just condensed began to spin wildly, and her own soul power erupted outwards like a volcano. The three Titled Douluo besieging her immediately sensed something, and their faces changed drastically.
"Not good, she's detonating her soul core! She's going to self-destruct!"
"Senior Sister, don't!" Ling Luochen turned her head towards Zhang Lexuan's battle circle, letting out a mournful cry.
Wu Feng bit her lower lip, her beautiful eyes filled with tears, and said nothing. She just stared intently at the continuously falling Zhang Lexuan. Since they had come to the army, they had always been well cared for by Zhang Lexuan, even though she was a companion of the Demon King Huo Yuhao.
She knew some things about Zhang Lexuan. It was because she knew that she could understand Zhang Lexuan's feelings at this moment.
It was a kind of release.
Zhang Lexuan looked at the three Titled Douluo who were hastily trying to dodge. She couldn't defeat these three, but that didn't stop her from taking them down with her in death!
In the last moment of her life, the gentle and refined figure of a young man couldn't help but appear in her mind, smiling softly at her, and then, shattering into pieces.
Her entire life seemed like a fabricated dream. Everything was false, everything was an illusion—
The young man she fell in love with, fell in love with the descendant of the sect that had slaughtered her entire family. The warmth of a home she so desperately longed for was also just a fantasy constructed by the schemers of the older generation.
Bei Bei, farewell...
Mother, Lexuan is coming!
"Senior Sister Lexuan..." Wu Feng collapsed weakly to the ground. At this moment, she felt only absolute powerlessness and despair.
"Yuhao... where are you... come quickly, save everyone—"
Just as Zhang Lexuan's body was about to suddenly expand, a terrifying spiritual shockwave arrived in an instant from the distant horizon, directly and forcefully severing the connection between her and her soul core.
Rumble...
In front of the Heavenly Soul Imperial Army, which had been advancing irresistibly, a dense forest grew out of thin air. Countless giant trees and vines broke through the soil, drilling out of the ground and forming an impassable chasm before the army!
A long cry, carrying the might of thunder, came from the distant sky.
"Sage Art—Gate of the Great God!"
Countless wooden gates descended from the sky, landing in front of the members of the Straw Hat Brigade, instantly separating them from their besieging opponents.
"Sage Art—Advent of a Thousand Hands of Wood!"
The giant trees that had previously risen from the earth all transformed into enormous hands, steadily catching the members of the Straw Hat Brigade and the falling Zhang Lexuan in their palms.
"Sage Art—Dance of the Wood Dragons!"
The giant trees split into several thousand wooden dragons, which all charged into the formation of the Heavenly Soul Imperial Army, throwing them into chaos.
As if sensing something, Wu Feng, who was being held in the palm of a giant tree, suddenly opened her beautiful eyes wide. Two streams of clear tears couldn't help but flow down.
He's here, he's here, he's finally here! He has come to save his companions!
Wings of resplendent jade cut through the sky. Filled with blazing fury, the Demon King descended upon the world!
The famous scene that readers love to see has finally arrived. The protagonist has arrived at the most critical moment, and his first move is a sage art secret technique. Speaking of which, this Sage Art's spiritual wood is really convenient. It can be used for rescue, crowd control, creating a domain, and dealing damage. Isn't this usage of a plant-type martial soul stronger than a certain master's mother's entanglement theory?