The small bowl of fish soup was too little for Ma Hongjun. He felt a warm current flow into his stomach, and after just a couple of sips, the bowl was already empty. His gaze then shifted to the remaining two bowls on the table.
Seeing this, Yu Feng and Tailong quickly grabbed the other two bowls, ignoring how hot they were, and began drinking them hastily.
"This soup is really good," Ma Hongjun licked his lips, about to savor the taste, when he suddenly felt the warmth in his stomach intensify, gradually spreading to his limbs and throughout his body.
Startled, Ma Hongjun focused intently and realized that under the influence of this warmth, his physical condition had actually improved. A look of joy crossed his face: "Teacher really knows how to enjoy life. How much must this have cost?"
But before he could finish his sentence, his body temperature rapidly rose, and beads of sweat instantly covered his forehead.
"What's wrong?" Yu Feng and Tailong were puzzled by Ma Hongjun's sudden change.
"Uh... uh..." Ma Hongjun's eyes were filled with fear. He wanted to speak, but the Evil Fire inside him had gone out of control, rendering him unable to utter a word.
Clang clang—
As Ma Hongjun collapsed to the ground, the table was knocked over, and utensils and ingredients scattered everywhere.
"Hongjun, what's wrong?!" Tailong was shocked and hurried forward to help Ma Hongjun up, but the moment he touched him, he recoiled from the heat.
"Evil Fire Backlash!"
Yu Feng and Tailong's expressions turned serious as they simultaneously thought of the flaw in Ma Hongjun's Martial Soul.
By now, the temperature inside Ma Hongjun's body was extremely high. Wisps of faint purple flames began to emerge from within him. His clothes instantly melted under the intense heat, and the utensils and chairs around him caught fire.
The commotion quickly drew the attention of other students nearby. Some girls screamed and closed their eyes. They weren't members of Shrek Academy and had no idea about Ma Hongjun's condition. They were all astonished by the scene before them.
Especially when they saw Ma Hongjun's bare lower body, a wave of intense noise erupted among the students in the cafeteria.
"Quick, someone go call Dean Flender!" Tailong clenched his red, burned hands, feeling extremely anxious. Then, remembering something, he shouted to the surrounding students.
The students around looked at each other and, as if by agreement, all took a step back in unison. This sudden movement caused many of them to burst into laughter, realizing that no one was willing to go.
Seeing this, Tailong was dumbfounded and roared, "Someone go quickly! We're all classmates here; don't be so petty. He could die if this continues!"
But no matter how much Tailong shouted, the students just looked around, each hoping someone else would go.
Yu Feng, seeing the situation, also looked grim and quickly ran toward the cafeteria entrance: "I'll go call the dean. Tailong, you stay here and watch over Fatty."
At this moment, Ma Hongjun was in agony, his eyes tightly shut, completely unaware of his surroundings. His Martial Soul had spontaneously manifested, and strands of purple flames surged from within him. His sweat evaporated the moment it appeared, and his fat seemed to have diminished slightly.
Ma Hongjun felt unbearably hot inside, so uncomfortable that he rolled around on the ground. He felt the need to vent, to release. He wanted to go to the brothel, to find a woman. His hand instinctively reached downward, only to find nothing there.
"Ah!!" Ma Hongjun pounded the ground in agony, letting out a beast-like roar.
Time continued to pass, and every second felt like an eternity to Ma Hongjun.
His physical condition was visibly improving, but he felt no joy. This improvement was only accelerating the backlash of his Evil Fire.
His muscles tensed, veins bulged, and Ma Hongjun trembled as he curled into a ball. Blood began to seep from his nose and mouth, and tiny beads of blood formed on his skin. However, under the onslaught of the Evil Fire, these turned into charred particles before disintegrating into ash.
"Hongjun, how are you?!" Just as Ma Hongjun was in the throes of unbearable pain, a gust of wind swept by, and Flender appeared instantly by his side.
In his dazed state, Ma Hongjun heard the call. He opened his mouth, about to speak, but instead, he vomited a large amount of blood. Many of his veins had expanded to their limit and burst instantly. Yet, before the blood could even hit the ground, it was scorched black by his Evil Fire.
Seeing this, Flender shuddered, his back instantly drenched in cold sweat. He wondered if the severity of this Evil Fire backlash was due to Ma Hongjun's recent inability to vent it.
Without delay, Flender enveloped his hand with Soul Power, lifted Ma Hongjun, and flew swiftly toward the small lake at Shrek Academy.
By now, purple Evil Fire had engulfed Ma Hongjun's entire body. Even with Flender's cultivation and the protection of Soul Power, he nearly lost his grip due to the intense heat.
Unlike the others at Shrek Academy, Ma Hongjun was Flender's true disciple, someone he had taken under his wing from a very young age. The bond between them was deep and unspoken.
Enduring the searing pain, Flender quickly reached the lake and hurled Ma Hongjun into its center. After a moment of thought, he rushed to the storage room, grabbed some stored ice blocks, and threw them into the lake as well.
Only after completing these tasks did Flender feel slightly more at ease. His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the shore.
By now, many students had gathered, watching the boiling lake in astonishment. Though shocked, none dared to speak, only peering anxiously into the water.
Flender stared intently at the lake. While this wasn't the first time he had guarded Ma Hongjun like this, he had never felt such a cold sweat on his back and palms as he did today.
Gradually, as the ripples on the lake's surface began to subside, Flender's tense heart slowly relaxed.
At this moment, Yu Xiaogang and the rest of the Shrek Eight Monsters arrived, relieved to see the situation had calmed down.
"Elder Flander, should Hongjun be alright now? Why hasn't he come out yet?" Yu Xiaogang asked expressionlessly, watching the calm water.
"This time is different. Hongjun's Evil Fire backlash was severe, and it might not be fully suppressed yet," Flender shook his head.
Another minute passed, and the water's surface was now completely still, with only gentle ripples from the breeze.
"Dean, Fatty hasn't come up yet. Could something be wrong?" Dai Mubai frowned.
He had spent the most time with Ma Hongjun and had witnessed the Evil Fire Backlash more than once or twice, but he had never seen Fatty stay underwater for so long without coming up for air.
Dai Mubai's words startled Flender, who had forgotten that even if the Evil Fire needed to be suppressed, Ma Hongjun still had to come up for air.
Without the slightest hesitation, Flender dove into the lake and reached Ma Hongjun's side in less than ten seconds.
But Ma Hongjun's body was pitch black and charred, nearly giving Flender a fright. He didn't have time to think and immediately grabbed Ma Hongjun, shooting out of the water.
"What?!"
"Impossible!"
"Fatty!!"
Exclamations of shock rang out from the shore. The members of Shrek Academy looked at Ma Hongjun's blackened and shriveled body in disbelief.
Because at this moment, Ma Hongjun's life force had completely vanished.
(End of Chapter)