The Tian Dou delegation heading to Spirit City was massive, with nearly a thousand people in total.
Looking at such a large group, Ye Wen couldn't imagine anyone foolish enough to dare attack them.
However, what puzzled Ye Wen even more was why, in a world with extraordinary powers, they still relied on primitive transportation like carriages?
Couldn't the vast Tian Dou Empire find ten Soul Sages to activate their Martial Soul True Bodies and quickly deliver everyone instead?
At this moment, though Ye Wen was sitting in a luxurious carriage, the lack of entertainment in this era, combined with the utterly terrible condition of the roads, made the ten consecutive days of riding unbearable. Even as a Soul King with extraordinary strength, he now felt nauseous.
Thus, unable to endure any longer, Ye Wen and his companions decided they'd rather walk than continue riding in the carriage.
As for the elder figures accompanying them, like Dugu Bo, they could fly and had been augmented by multiple ten-thousand-year soul rings. With a slight use of soul power to regulate their bodies, they experienced no discomfort and remained relaxed while seated comfortably in their carriages.
It was infuriating.
This was the eleventh day of the journey, and the caravan had reached a narrow path flanked by two small hills.
At first, Ye Wen didn't think much of it—this kind of terrain had become commonplace over the past ten days.
However, as they walked, Ye Wen's sharp elemental perception suddenly caused him to furrow his brow. A chilling aura emanated from the two hills, which was highly abnormal for ordinary hills.
At the same time, Ye Wen wasn't the only one who noticed something amiss. The captain of the Royal Knights quickly raised his hand to signal everyone to stop and shouted:
"Everyone, stay alert! There's trouble!"
Contrary to the depiction of incompetent royal guards in many novels, the members of the Royal Knights were elite soldiers carefully selected from the best of the Tian Dou Empire's armies. As battle-hardened veterans, they reacted almost instinctively, immediately taking defensive positions without hesitation.
Sure enough, the next instant, countless boulders rained down from the hills like hailstones.
These boulders appeared abruptly and were arranged in an orderly manner, clearly man-made.
However, the Tian Dou side wasn't composed of weaklings. While individual members of the Royal Knights might not have been stronger than the students, they excelled in coordinated combat. Reacting instantly, they blocked the first wave of the assault.
As for the students, they remained calm and composed, as there was no need for them to act yet. Their accompanying teachers were all at least level 60 Soul Emperors, with some being Soul Sages or even Soul Douluos. Though this group appeared small, numbering less than a thousand, their true combat power far exceeded that of entire legions numbering in the tens of thousands.
Indeed, after the Royal Knights took action, the teachers joined the fray, ensuring that none of the students suffered even the slightest injury.
However, facing attacks from both hills, the captain of the Royal Knights assessed the situation. This terrain was unsuitable for prolonged combat or counterattacks. Shouting loudly, he ordered:
"All personnel, move forward at full speed! We need to get out of here as quickly as possible!"
Once the command was given, everyone instinctively deferred to the leadership of the Royal Knights' captain, who specialized in group combat. The Royal Knights took the lead in blocking falling rocks, while the teachers focused on protecting the students. Fortunately, the hills weren't particularly large, and soon everyone escaped the danger zone.
But neither the knights nor the students relaxed afterward. Everyone realized that if the attackers dared to target the Royal Knights, there was nothing they wouldn't dare to do!
Just as the Tian Dou side was catching their breath, a whistle blew, and thousands of black-clad assailants surged down the hills at astonishing speed.
At this moment, a fierce battle was about to erupt!
As the officially designated protectors of the academy members, the Tian Dou Royal Knights stepped forward without hesitation, meeting the enemy head-on.
Instantly, soul rings of white, yellow, purple, and black lit up across the battlefield. Both sides unleashed relentless barrages of long-range soul skills.
Seeing that both sides consisted of soul masters clashing fiercely, the academy teachers realized that the Royal Knights might not be able to handle the enemy alone. They couldn't afford to stand idly by and quickly joined the fight.
However, unlike the Royal Knights, who were accustomed to coordinated combat, the academy side fought in smaller groups based on their respective schools, lacking cohesion.
Though the students didn't know why they were being attacked, most of them were seasoned through dueling arenas and had grown accustomed to bloodshed. Far from being intimidated, the sight of blood awakened their ferocity.
But the attackers, having dared to launch such an assault, were clearly well-prepared.
Ordinary bandits would have fled in terror at the mere sight of this scene. Yet these assailants pressed on fearlessly.
The young geniuses of the academies initially believed their superior soul master abilities would allow them to crush the enemy easily. However, the ambush caught them off guard, dealing them a harsh blow.
The attackers' lowest cultivation level was that of a Soul Elder, matching the students' strength. More shockingly, these attackers demonstrated remarkable coordination, suppressing the student ranks within seconds of the battle's start.
Seeing this, the academy teachers were alarmed. Without regard for conserving soul power, they activated their Martial Soul True Bodies. If they didn't suppress the enemy with overwhelming strength, their students might suffer heavy losses before the tournament even began—a scenario they couldn't accept!
However, amidst the chaos, Ye Wen's team stood out for its calmness.
Among Ye Wen's group, only Huo Yu'er was actively using her soul skill.
First Soul Skill of the Spiritual Eyes: Illusory Vision.
The attacking enemies were completely unaware that their strikes weren't targeting Ye Wen's group but instead their own comrades.
The Illusory Vision skill was overwhelmingly powerful when used against unsuspecting foes.
Aside from Ye Wen's group, Shrek Academy also shone brightly. Tang San and the others first unleashed the Zhuge Divine Crossbow, instantly mowing down a group of attackers whose overall strength didn't exceed that of a Soul Elder.
Tang San then mercilessly employed the hidden weapon techniques of the Tang Sect, enhanced further by poisoned projectiles.
In moments, the attackers were ruthlessly cut down.
Ye Wen could only comment, "No wonder this is a fantasy sewer. Facing Tang San's dimensional suppression, low-level soul masters without at least a two-stage gap in cultivation are completely outmatched."
However, precisely because these two teams performed so exceptionally, they also drew the attention of the true experts among the attackers.
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed.