As Ye Wen basked in the crowd's cheers, he slowly approached the edge of the arena where Dai Mubai lay, looking down at him with an air of superiority.
"Evil Eye White Tiger, watch your words next time. Don't spout vulgarities so casually. If you offend someone stronger than you again, you might not survive as easily as today."
With that, Ye Wen turned and walked away, perfectly embodying the composure of a true powerhouse.
Dai Mubai's expression fluctuated between anger and resignation. He opened his mouth to say something but ultimately remained silent.
After all, he was no match for Ye Wen in terms of strength. Moreover, as a runaway prince in a foreign land, he couldn't rely on his status to suppress the other party.
The cowardly Dai Mubai chose to swallow his pride. Being scolded wasn't going to cost him a limb, after all.
However, when Dai Mubai noticed Zhu Zhuqing's displeased expression once more, his face changed instantly.
No, this can't end like this. To restore his image in the eyes of his fiancée, he had to reclaim some dignity. Otherwise, even if he were forced to participate in the royal competition, Zhu Zhuqing—unable to resonate with him emotionally—wouldn't perform a soul fusion skill with him. His bid for the throne would undoubtedly fail.
At the thought of a future filled with imprisonment and misery, Dai Mubai shuddered involuntarily.
He quickly made up his mind. Though he couldn't defeat Ye Wen alone, his overall strength was only slightly inferior. With Tang San's monstrous abilities, Ma Hongjun's sinister flames, and Oscar's support, they might stand a chance of turning the tables.
No, if he groveled a bit more and dragged Ning Rongrong into the mix, the amplification from the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda might even give him the upper hand in a one-on-one fight!
The so-called imperial education of Star Luo didn't teach future princes or emperors to be purely virtuous or kind-hearted. Instead, it instilled in them the ruthless mindset of doing whatever it took to ascend to power, including manipulating their subordinates. As long as the ultimate goal was achieved, any method—no matter how despicable—was acceptable.
Only such rulers could claim the title of "Your Majesty" in the martial-centric Star Luo Empire.
Though Dai Mubai was a coward, he was also a decisive action-taker. Once he set his mind on something, he pursued it relentlessly.
Years of brotherhood, combined with Shrek Academy's philosophy that avoiding trouble was for mediocrities, prompted Ma Hongjun to agree immediately. Oscar hesitated briefly but ultimately decided to help, swayed by years of camaraderie.
Tang San considered for a moment before agreeing as well. After all, he wanted to vent the frustration of being suppressed for so many years.
And Tang San had already justified his decision.
"Humiliating Dai Mubai like that was far too cruel. I must teach Ye Wen a lesson and guide him back onto the righteous path."
It was only then that the rest of Shrek's group learned that Tang San and Ye Wen had attended the same junior academy—and so had Ye Wen's companion, Huo Yu'er.
For a small-town junior academy to produce three geniuses who broke through to Soul Elder rank before the age of twelve was truly astonishing.
Thinking about how he himself had only just reached level 31, Tang San stopped short of mentioning that Nuoding Academy had produced four such prodigies—and that he was the weakest among them.
After all, admitting that would tarnish his reputation as a genius.
At this moment, Tang San also realized something was amiss. With the aid of Xuan Tian Gong cultivation techniques, he had only just broken through to level 32. How had those three natives of Douluo advanced so quickly under such meager training conditions?
Huo Yu'er, the fastest among them, had already reached level 35. Could this truly be the speed of someone with full innate soul power?
Though Shrek's group was now ready to cause trouble, Dai Mubai—who had been traumatized by the beating—still went to invite Ning Rongrong.
Dai Mubai had expected to grovel, given their recent hostile exchange where he had threatened to rape her. Surprisingly, Ning Rongrong agreed without hesitation.
Thanks to Flender's subtle manipulation, Ning Rongrong had come to understand the importance of teamwork. Moreover, her mischievous nature meant she couldn't resist joining such an interesting event.
In the end, Zhu Zhuqing was the only one who didn't join the group. However, she still decided to accompany them.
Zhu Zhuqing knew this wasn't right, but her voice carried little weight. She had no personal ties to Ye Wen and lacked a valid reason to stop them.
Zhu Zhuqing reasoned that while she couldn't prevent their actions, she could intervene if things got out of hand to avoid escalating the situation.
After all, Zhu Zhuqing could sense that Ye Wen and Huo Yu'er came from influential backgrounds.
If they provoked the elders behind Ye Wen, even with their own substantial backing, the consequences would be dire.
The teachers at Shrek Academy naturally noticed the group's conspicuous collective movement. However, they chose not to interfere openly, instead observing quietly for a while.
Aside from Yu Xiaogang, Shrek's teachers were all of humble origins. In their minds, ganging up on someone wasn't shameful—it was foolish not to use available resources.
Thus, they tacitly approved of Dai Mubai's group's actions.
However, Flender—who had witnessed Dai Mubai's entire battle—quietly followed them.
While fighting was one thing, killing Ye Wen would bring trouble. After all, Ye Wen had a family with a Soul Douluo backing him. If things escalated, Flender—a mere Soul Sage—would be caught in the middle and crushed. Therefore, he intended to discreetly prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.
Since Ye Wen and his companions hadn't concealed their appearances, Dai Mubai's group quickly tracked them down and cornered them on the street.
Ye Wen looked at the six members of Shrek Academy before him with exasperation. Their blatant approach clearly indicated this wasn't a coincidental encounter—they had ulterior motives.
However, a public brawl wouldn't be appropriate. So, Dai Mubai stepped forward, cracking his knuckles loudly.
"Boy, you sure enjoyed beating me up on the stage. How about we settle this somewhere private?"
Ye Wen rolled his eyes.
"You mean you're unwilling to accept defeat after losing on the stage, so you've gathered reinforcements to gang up on me and show off your backing?"
At this point, Xiao Wu chimed in, "Big Brother Wen, is this the guy you beat earlier? How shameless!"
Though Dai Mubai had already abandoned his pride, being called out so bluntly by a beautiful woman still made this macho man blush furiously.
Then, Dai Mubai's loyal henchman, Ma Hongjun, stepped forward.
"Tsk, my Boss Dai was just having an off day when your brother won last time. Now we're just giving him a chance to see Boss Dai's true strength. Surely your good brother isn't scared, is he?"
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