Chapter 311: Crisis of the Shrek Squad

The light on the Totem Pole burst forth, scattering the elemental energy once more. But this time, the icicle was not so easily destroyed.

Affected by the energy dispersing property of the Totem Pole, the light radiating from the icicle dimmed slightly, but in the next instant, it still struck the Earth Demon Ox.

Suddenly, a blue energy barrier appeared on the Earth Demon Ox’s skin. The icicle exploded, and the Earth Demon Ox stiffened, halting in place. However, the icicle only immobilized it and could not pierce through.

It was the Blue Fox Shield!

Meanwhile, Cheng Zicheng, who had been spinning and gathering strength in the air, instantly descended from the sky, charging straight toward the halted Earth Demon Ox.

Gu Li's Time Freeze was activated again, causing the other Earth Demon Ox to pause while he quickly retreated. He was supporting Wu Bingji and Cheng Zicheng and needed to maintain a reasonable distance.

Wu Bingji had stepped onto the icy path and already shifted back again; with a sweep of his right hand, an ice wall was erected in front of the second Earth Demon Ox.

The ice wall exploded instantly, not shattered by the opponent, but deliberately detonated by Wu Bingji for maximum impact. The shockwave before the Earth Demon Ox largely dissipated, and the demon paused once more. Its unstoppable-looking charge had been interrupted.

On their side, a full-scale battle of three against four had broken out, while on the other side, Tang San was engaged in combat with the Red-Crowned Crane.

The ability of the longsword in the hands of the Red-Crowned Crane was pure penetration. This sword was not crafted by any master artisan, but transformed from the crane’s long beak.

In other words, the sword of the Red-Crowned Crane was one with itself, and it was constantly tempered as the crane demon cultivated. Every thrust was incredibly fast and carried an aura of overwhelming power that seemed to be able to pierce all defenses with a single strike.

However, the crane demon did not fare well in its first clash with Tang San. Sky Shatterer's inherent pulverization ability made it quite uncomfortable.

This ability was not quite enough to directly damage its sword, but the vibrations it caused actually disrupted its sword energy and weakened its attack.

But the second attack was different; it was incredibly fast, and the sword energy beams swiftly covered Tang San. Clearly, the Red-Crowned Crane was not going for a direct clash; rather, it was trying to strike Tang San from a distance.

Tang San’s silhouette, however, suddenly became elusive as the sword beams neared him. His movements created layers of overlapping images that disoriented the Red-Crowned Crane. With that, the sword beams pierced nothing but empty space.

Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!

Then, Tang San did a pirouette, using the Disorder Wind Splitting Hammer to swing the heavy hammer directly at the Red-Crowned Crane.

A blue light shimmered on the surface of Sky Shatterer as Tang San unleashed a Wind Astral that covered the area.

Hisses filled the air as the Wind Astral was pierced by sword energy. The Red-Crowned Crane nimbly dodged, evading Tang San's Sky Shatterer. At the same time, due to being bolstered by the wind element, Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track was incredibly fast, not allowing the sword energy to get close. Thus, they quickly became entangled in battle.

The Red-Crowned Crane was shocked. It wouldn't have mattered much if it were just the opponent's speed. But the key was the opponent's miraculous movement technique, which made it impossible for its sword intent to lock onto him.

The Red-Crowned Crane's prowess lay in its sword;its sword intent, energy, and aura were incredibly strong. It would break any ability of the opponent with its sword—that was the way of its lineage. But an opponent it couldn't lock onto, coupled with the extraordinary power of that heavy hammer, made it feel at a loss for how to proceed. It was truly reluctant to clash head-on with Tang San.

In the view of the Red-Crowned Crane, Tang San was skilled but weak, and the much greater threat was the opponent using icicles. However, it was now forced to reevaluate the situation.

The audience in the stands also noticed the strange situation. Tang San, who had been unremarkable in the earlier group battles, now displayed amazing close-combat skills. He was now stubbornly engaging the Red-Crowned Crane, which was known for its own close-combat mastery, without seeming to be at a disadvantage. How could this not be astonishing?

However, the situation of the others in the Shrek Squad was not as good. The Earth Demon Oxen, possessed by a Blue Fox each, were proving to be quite troublesome.

The ice did not affect the Earth Demon Ox that Cheng Zicheng attacked for long. It swung its Totem Pole with the sheer force of a tornado blasting through the air. Each heavy collision sent Cheng Zicheng flying, and although her Golden Wing Wind Splitting Slash left marks on the Totem Pole, the backlash on her was even greater. After three consecutive collisions, she had to fly up to get herself together, and her wings trembled. If she used the same attack once more, she could end up unable to fly anymore.

After breaking through the ice wall, the other Earth Demon Ox, though affected by Wu Bingji's various ice-based skills, continued to charge forward steadily. Relying on its formidable defense and terrifying power, it moved toward Gu Li. Wu Bingji was fast and had control of the ice element, but Gu Li was not as quick!

What was even more terrifying was that the bodies of these two Earth Demon Oxen kept growing larger amid battle, seemingly under the effect of a progressive enhancement ability. Their strength was becoming increasingly fearsome, and they were inching ever closer to the ninth order.

At such a time, the weakness of the Shrek Squad became evident—they lacked someone who could stand against the enemy head-on. Wu Bingji didn't have enough time to build up power to show off his full control over the ice element. He had to constantly use various ice walls and shields to slow the enemy's advance.

Gu Li's Time Freeze was powerful, but the gap in cultivation limited his control over the opponent. Cheng Zicheng's Golden Wing Wind Splitting Slash was sharp, yet facing the formidable Totem Pole, she could only use her speed advantage to harass her opponent. She was barely managing to hold back one Earth Demon Ox. That was the most her seventh-order cultivation could achieve.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The Earth Demon Ox was getting closer to Gu Li, and the continuous use of Time Freeze was draining his spiritual power considerably. His mind raced, constantly devising strategies, but he knew all too well that his tail hammer stood no chance against their Totem Poles.

Meanwhile, Du Bai, watching from afar, could only fret as he dared not enter the battlefield, with neither the Spirit Elevation Array nor the teleportation array available to use. He had already bestowed his luck enhancement on his companions earlier, and now he could only watch helplessly as they fell into peril.

He began to doubt himself. His premonition had clearly indicated that today's match would be without risk. Yet, the situation was rapidly deteriorating before his eyes.

Although Tang San entangled his opponent using the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, the opponent's sword energy was becoming increasingly fierce. Being able to withstand such a ninth-order powerhouse, Tang San had already demonstrated great strength. What more could be asked of him?

What should I do? What can I do?

Du Bai's heart trembled incessantly. The Celestial Fox Transformation was regarded as a top-tier bloodline, yet with his meager fifth-order cultivation, he found himself utterly powerless now. It was just like when they faced the Winged Tiger: he could only helplessly watch his companions in distress.

Tang San's situation was indeed becoming increasingly dire. The Red-Crowned Crane's sword energy beams crisscrossed menacingly. Although it feared his Sky Shatterer, its pervasive sword energy beams were causing the space he had for his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to shrink. Even the fragmented bits of sword energy, if they penetrated his body, could cause harmful effects inside him. The sword energy seemed almost alive and it attacked him relentlessly, each blow lingering in the air for at least two seconds. Even worse, the energy beams were multiplying, and Tang San felt as if more and more opponents were besieging him.

This Red-Crowned Crane was indeed formidable! The reason it was unwilling to clash directly with him was not that it was afraid, but rather to stall for time, as its squad mates were clearly gaining the upper hand on the other side of the battlefield.

Was Tang San really out of options against his opponent?

Of course not.