"What in the world is going on?!" Tai Long no longer knew what to say as he trembled on the floor.
Just then, he felt the strange curse on his body lift. It was the shortest-duration curse Ye Yin had ever used; although its intensity had been maxed out, it had only lasted for a few minutes. Tai Long finally, shakily, managed to get back to his feet.
At that exact moment, the sharp, urgent ringing of the class bell suddenly echoed loudly throughout the entire academy.
To Tai Long, the sound was like a mental bomb detonating right next to his ear.
"Why is it time for class again?!" he shrieked, his voice filled with primal terror. "It's so annoying! I'm so sick of this! Ah! Ahhhhhh!"
A heart-wrenching howl erupted from his throat. It was an extreme, unnatural fear response to the signal for class. The bell was the trigger, and his mind was now programmed to react with pure dread.
The classroom, which had been buzzing with whispers, fell completely silent. The only sound was Tai Long's pained, echoing howls. Everyone stared, stunned by this bizarre turn of events. Only the students from Shrek Academy understood what was happening. They knew that provoking Ye Yin was a fate worse than death. They would all rather face a Titled Douluo and be slapped into oblivion than be tortured by one of his strange, insidious curses.
Amidst the chaos, the classroom door was slammed open with a loud bang. Liu Erlong strode in, her fiery figure clad in a tight-fitting outfit that did nothing to hide her power. Her expression was like ice, and she carried the imposing aura of someone who was not to be trifled with. Her iconic red hair seemed to flutter with her rising anger. She had clearly heard Tai Long's piercing screams.
"What is all this noise about! Didn't you hear the bell? All of you—" Her sharp gaze swept across the room and instantly locked onto Tai Long, who was now rolling on the floor and wailing. Her anger had found its target. She marched over to him, looking down with a voice that sounded like cracking ice. "Tai! Long! You are going to get it from..."
The two words, "Tai Long," acted like a switch. The second mental curse was triggered.
In the middle of his scream, Tai Long suddenly froze. His wailing stopped abruptly, as if someone had pressed a pause button on the world. The next moment, with an instinctive speed that completely contradicted his weakened state, he sprang to his feet. He had no time to think, no time to recognize who stood before him. Was it a Spirit Saint? The vice-dean? The infamous 'mother tigress' of the academy? It didn't matter. Whoever called his name had to be slapped.
SLAP!
An incredibly crisp, loud smack exploded in the dead-silent classroom. Tai Long's large, fan-like hand, still covered in dust from the hallway, was fueled by the brute strength of his terror. It connected solidly and mercilessly with Liu Erlong's beautiful, heroic face, which was now frozen in a state of utter disbelief. The force was so great that it sent her fiery red hair flying back sharply. On her fair cheek, a bright red handprint instantly began to form.
Liu Erlong was completely stunned.
Everyone in the class was stunned. Tai Long had actually dared to slap Liu Erlong.
She herself couldn't process it. She could have easily dodged the blow, but she had never, in a million years, expected Tai Long to actually do something so insane.
She remained in that slightly head-tilted position for a full three seconds, completely unresponsive. Her beautiful eyes, which had been burning with anger just moments before, were now filled with extreme shock and bewilderment. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the confusion receded like a tide, replaced by a volcanic eruption of pure fury.
An indescribable, utterly violent spirit power pressure exploded from her body like a physical tsunami. The air in the entire classroom grew thick and scorching hot. Desks and chairs groaned and creaked under the immense pressure. A faint crimson light surged around her, and the powerful spirit power fluctuations made all the students feel as if they were suffocating, an invisible boulder pressing down on their chests.
"Tai! Long!" she roared, her voice dripping with venom.
As she spoke his name, the stress response was triggered again. Tai Long's arm shot out, preparing to slap her once more, but this time, Liu Erlong was ready. She effortlessly blocked the attack. Slowly, with extreme stiffness, she turned her head back to face him. Crimson flames erupted from her body, and the furious wave of spirit power sent the surrounding desks and chairs flying across the room.
Liu Erlong grabbed Tai Long's outstretched arm and began furiously swinging him left and right, slamming his body back and forth against the hard floor with a series of sickening thuds. She continued the brutal assault until she felt that any more might actually kill him. She then stopped and threw his limp body to the ground.
Tai Long lay twitching, foam bubbling at his mouth. If he didn't receive medical attention soon, he might actually die.
"What are you all looking at!" Liu Erlong yelled at the terrified students. "Hurry up and get a healer for Tai Long!"
The moment she said his name, Tai Long, who had been completely unconscious, instantly shot up from the floor, his arm reflexively swinging for another slap. Liu Erlong's body shifted subtly, and she easily dodged the feeble attack.
At that moment, she finally understood. Her furious gaze turned to Ye Yin, who had been watching the entire scene unfold calmly. If Tai Long had slapped her in a fit of rage earlier, that might have been explainable. But for him to still be trying to slap her while half-dead and unconscious? This was undoubtedly the work of Ye Yin's Fourth Spirit Ability.
"Ye Yin, you are going to explain this to me!" Liu Erlong roared. She then turned and stormed out of the classroom.
Under the curious and fearful gazes of his classmates, Ye Yin slowly stood up and walked out the door. He found Liu Erlong waiting in the hallway, her hands on her hips and her face a mask of fury.
"Tell me what's going on," she demanded. "And don't you dare tell me it has nothing to do with you!"
Ye Yin didn't speak. Instead, he gently reached out and rubbed the bright red handprint on her cheek. "Second Sister Erlong," he said softly. "Does your face hurt? Are you okay? This is all my fault. I honestly didn't expect you to be the teacher for this class. If I had known, I never would have done this."
His gentle touch and soft words seemed to catch her completely off guard. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She glared at him and swatted his hand away.
"He's just a little Spirit Elder," she huffed, trying to regain her composure. "How much strength could he possibly have? Now tell me, what exactly happened? You don't seem like the type of person who bullies his classmates."
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