The journey passed peacefully, and ten days went by in a flash. They had already covered half the distance to Soul Master City.
An escort of five hundred Royal Knights was a retinue worthy of imperial nobility. Every city they passed through gave them the finest reception, and they encountered not a single trouble along the road.
Today marked the eleventh day of travel. Among the Shrek Seven Devils, only Xiao Wu still maintained her cultivation state. She was very close to breaking through to the fortieth level. None of the others wished to disturb her, so they had given the entire carriage over to her alone.
Everyone was hoping Xiao Wu could break through her bottleneck before the Grand Finals and then quickly find a suitable Soul Beast to obtain a Soul Ring. Once Xiao Wu also entered the fortieth level, the Shrek Seven Devils' strength would receive another overall boost.
"Boss Dai, why do you keep staring at those knights? Don't tell me you want to become a warrior?" Ma Hongjun asked Dai Mubai curiously.
Thanks to their outstanding performance in the advancement rounds, Shrek Academy had been placed at the center of the entire convoy heading to Soul Master City.
Dai Mubai said, "We Battle Soul Masters are already the finest warriors. There's nothing to envy. I'm just observing them. The Royal Knights truly deserve to be the Tian Dou Empire's ace—not only is their formation impeccable, but their discipline is outstanding. There's not a shred of arrogance about them, which is extremely rare. Knights may be the lowest rank of nobility, but coming from the Royal Knights, their status in the Tian Dou Empire is quite extraordinary. The fact that they can maintain such strict self-discipline on the road is entirely the result of their usual training."
Ma Hongjun said, "All right, you sound like some kind of military strategist, and I don't want to hear any of that. We've still got ten days to go! Boss Dai, how about we wander around the convoy? There aren't many female Soul Masters participating, but most of them are absolute top-tier. Especially the ones from Tian Shui Academy—they're the cream of the crop. Don't tell me you're not interested."
Dai Mubai shot Ma Hongjun a fierce glare. "Shut your mouth. I'm a decent man, and I don't do things like that."
Ma Hongjun glanced over at Zhu Zhuqing, who was not far away, and nodded in understanding. "Got it, I get it. You're a decent man. Next time I'll be sure to keep my voice down."
"Believe it or not, I'll smack you dead." Dai Mubai could clearly feel two icily sharp gazes boring into his back. Over these past few days, his relationship with Zhu Zhuqing had undergone a complete transformation. It filled Dai Mubai with excitement. But he still vividly remembered the words Zhu Zhuqing had said to him back at the camp. He knew she was absolutely the kind of person who meant every word she said, and a chill crept down his spine.
Just as Dai Mubai was about to go to Zhu Zhuqing's side to explain himself, a wave of cold, sinister energy suddenly swept in from nearby.
Their convoy mostly traveled along the main roads, only taking smaller, more secluded paths when a shortcut was available. And now was one such moment. They were passing between two low hills, and the mountain path was said to save them dozens of li. Though the trail was narrow, it was flat enough that the carriages could pass without issue.
The sinister chill emanated from the hillsides on either side of the path. Dai Mubai was not the only one who sensed it. The chief commander of the Royal Knights bellowed, "Everyone, on your guard! Something's wrong!"
The Royal Knights stationed around the Soul Masters immediately raised their lances. But the competing students from the various Soul Master academies wore expressions of casual ease. With so many talented Soul Masters gathered here, what did they have to worry about? In terms of numbers, the students far outnumbered the Royal Knights. But if it actually came to a fight, the gap in real combat power wouldn't be remotely comparable. What's more, among the teachers leading each academy, there was no shortage of powerhouses—at least a dozen Soul Masters at the sixtieth or seventieth level. A force like this could take on an army of ten thousand or more.
At that moment, countless boulders came tumbling down from the hills on both sides like rain. They appeared with startling suddenness and fell in an eerily organized cascade, hurtling downward at terrifying speed.
The terrain was extremely disadvantageous for the entire group. The Royal Knights' chief commander immediately ordered them to speed up. As for the falling rocks, he left them to the five hundred members of the Royal Knights.
This was where the Royal Knights' overall quality showed. Not all of them were Soul Masters, but their collective strength was formidable.
The hills on either side weren't particularly tall, which meant the boulders' gravitational force wasn't entirely unmanageable. The Royal Knights each took several steps back, leaving only a central lane wide enough for people to pass. They raised their lances high and advanced to meet the falling stones.
Lances swung, boulders fell aside. They used their long pikes to continuously deflect the plummeting rocks to either side. Five hundred warriors' lances formed a wall of steel. Under such unfavorable terrain, they actually managed to prevent a single stone from passing through their line in that short time.
Even Ma Hongjun, who had been somewhat dismissive after hearing Dai Mubai's earlier words, couldn't help but be stunned by the sight. Under their teachers' lead, the fifteen Soul Master academies quickly moved toward the outskirts of the hills. To move faster, they abandoned their carriages. All the students proceeded on foot at a rapid pace. As long as they could escape the disadvantageous terrain first, there would be nothing to fear.
Everyone now wanted to know—who dared to ambush even the Royal Knights? This was Tian Dou Empire territory. Were they really bandits? Had they gone blind?
Xiao Wu's cultivation had to be cut short. The Shrek Seven Devils, along with four substitute members, followed Liu Erlong and Flandre as they moved quickly forward.
Liu Erlong had wanted to charge up the hillside and slaughter the attackers, but Flandre held her back.