Chapter 451: Soul Attack (Gruesome)

It was precisely in moments like this when everything seemed to be going smoothly, that the true danger lied, and the truth was that he didn't know what to expect.

Everything outside the bubble was covered in total darkness, and even his spirit sense didn't go much further, only about 10 meters more.

No matter how much he tried there didn't seem to be any sign of upcoming danger, besides the one that was already in sight, but for some reason, he couldn't help but get restless.

There was something wrong with what was happening but he couldn't point his finger as to exactly what was going on.

For that reason, he had asked for the backup team to be ready just for any case, but still, he didn't know why he couldn't relax.

In the meantime, his disciples were sweeping the battlefield like it was nothing more than some easy and simple running around the sporting track.

Tianlong Yun was trying to concentrate and see what was going on all around him, trying to discover any kind of clue on the upcoming danger he felt.

There was nothing out of the ordinary for as far as he could see, there were only trees, weak level 1 tree, for as long as he could see.

Wait...!

Weak level 1 trees!!!

Shouldn't there be level 2 trees in there as well? Why were there only weak level 1 tree all around them?

As soon as he thought about it, he immediately thought about a possibility, and he didn't like it in the least, and without losing any time he sent a mental warning to all the disciples.

It was right at that instant that slowly a powerful screeching sound seemed to rip apart the darkness of the night, and spread everywhere.

The voice was like a building tsunami, the pitch was increasing with each passing instant and there was no peak in sight.

But it wasn't only their ears that were in distress, as each and every one of them felt like that screeching sound was going to rip their soul apart.

Like an invisible grinder had entered inside their bodies and was trying to grind their existence into small bits, and eventually to nothingness.

It was painful, really painful, it was so painful that they couldn't bear it anymore, as most of the disciples that were outside the formations at the moment, went nuts.

To be more exact, the pain was so unbearable for them, that they felt better when they started scratching their faces with their own nails, pulling their own hairs, or plucking their eyes, and other organs.

The light didn't last for long in that place, as the formation was just about to take form at that moment, and the next it was completely destroyed as darkness ruled again.

The scene of this happening was so gruesome that would make even the strongest brave heart want to puke from seeing that.

But their screams didn't stop, those screams were like those of some wrathful ghosts that were being tortured in the fires of hell, and it was adding more to the fear, stress, sorrow.

They continued to self-harm their bodies until they couldn't anymore as their hearts had stopped beating and their limbs weren't responding to them anymore.

The disciples inside the formations were protected from the soul attack, and all that reached them was only that screeching sound, and the painful screams, and nothing more.

But sometimes inability to see, know, and understand what was going on in front of them was even more terrible than watching it.

Even though they knew their path was harsh, and only the strong and the fittest would be able to survive and walk ahead, still this was a bit too much wasn't it?

This way of dying was so gruesome, and so painful that made even them feel like they were in their comrades' place.

They had never truly thought that something like this could happen to them, no matter how much they might have heard someone say 'gruesome death' to them, they hadn't truly thought it possible.

After all, who could? If it came to others imagination knew no boundaries, but when it came to one's own ego, and self, the imagination stopped working. They weren't masochists with a death wish!

If one looked at their eyes right now, one could see sorrow, pain, but mostly fear, fear of what was waiting for them.

Fear of being in the same position that their fellow disciples, their friends, their comrades had ended up.

As they were lost in those thoughts, they heard a strict, and heavy voice directly in their consciousnesses,

"What the hell do you think you guys are doing at such a moment!? Do you think you have the time to get fearful, and absent-minded right now!?

Have you given up from your lives!?"

Even though the voice wasn't the same as usual, they could all understand right away who was the owner of that voice.

There was one and only one who had that voice, their Patriarch, Tianlong Yun. That's right they weren't here alone, he was with them.

They were used to their Patriarch creating miracles for them, so surely, he was going to do the same thing this time.

As long as they followed their Patriarch, and obeyed his orders they would have a chance at escaping this dark fate in front of them.

Tianlong Yun's voice was like a wake-up call to each and every one of them, as they all took a deep breath and started looking at their surroundings.

They could see that each and every one of them was almost in the same situation, and condition that they were.

Only the most experienced ones were better than them, as they were able to move quicker, and follow Tianlong Yun as he went towards the formation point that was closer to the attack.

The formation setters' group was the most affected in there, as besides the soul attack being the strongest in there, they had also seen that gruesome view.

Their Soul Power and mental strength were going down the drain at a really high rate, and really soon the formation would break down.

While the big formation wouldn't totally break down, as it wasn't dependent on specific positions or numbers, it would still leave those guys that were covered by that area out in the open.

Not only was he going to lose other disciples to that sudden soul attack, but that would also dampen the morale of the others.

Many disciples didn't have the necessary experience, even though they had seen a lot of deaths with their eyes, they had never experienced something like this.

A lot of them were at their breaking point, and he couldn't let that happen. Not now that they still had a much more terrifying battle waiting for them.

While this soul attack was gruesome and caused a lot of victims, it wasn't the reason why they had prepared like this, there was another bigger and more powerful danger behind all this.

If he lost more than half of his army even before the fight began then wouldn't his chances to succeed just exponentially fall?

For that reason, he couldn't allow something like that to happen, he needed to act, and quickly. With these thoughts in mind, he took the 30 people team and ran towards the weak spot.

Fortunately, they managed to reach there in time, before the disciples lost all their strength, and power to resist keeping the formation up.

Without losing time, all 30 reinforcements took the place to replace the disciples in there, as Tianlong Yun didn't stop there but went forward in attack.

Keeping the formation and raising defenses was the most important thing, but surely wasn't the solution.

If he wanted to put an end to it, he would have to go and take care of the root problem, which in this case was the soul attack coming from the level 2 'herb roots'.

So, without any hesitation, he got out of the formation and entered the darkness like an arrow released from its bowstring.

The next moment all the disciples inside the formation could hear that besides that screeching sound, there were newly added sounds of whooshing and woodcutting.

With the passing of moments, that horrendous screeching sound was slowly dying, and they started to better recollect themselves.

Furthermore, Tianlong Yun's words were still fresh in their minds! 'Do you think you have the time to get fearful, and absent-minded right now!? Have you given up from your lives!?'

Their Patriarch had fearlessly entered the darkness and was fighting their enemy, while they were still unable to recollect their selves from their fear.

Wasn't that just truly pathetic? After all, they had been through to reach here, to become as strong as they were, would they just give up from seeing this?

No! There was no way they would ever give up now. There was no way in hell that they would give up on their lives at such a place, and moment.

With these thoughts in mind it didn't take long for them to finally regain their senses totally, slap their faces one or two times, and then each one return to their designated position.

They should be their Patriarch's shield, and sword, and not his burden. Otherwise, what would be the meaning in their training and existence!?

This pathetic look, and condition of them was something that they had to totally erase from their persona.

This would be a shameful moment that they would have to fight their whole lives in order to make up for it.

Just as the situation seemed to reverse in a good direction for a few moments though, it once again…