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As the evening sun set, its golden light spilled over the streets of Soto City. Shops lined both sides, and the sounds of merchants hawking their wares filled the air. Tang Chuan and Xiao Ruier walked slowly, shoulder to shoulder, through the bustling crowd.
Tang Chuan glanced at Xiao Ruier's profifle, and a wave of familiarity washed over him. He felt as if he were back on Earth, a strange sensation he had to remind himself was just a feeling.
"Hey," Xiao Ruier suddenly turned to him, her voice casual but with a hint of curiosity. "Why did you suddenly rush to Soto City? Everyone else is still competing in the team Soul battles in Silvis."
"I came to see an acquaintance," Tang Chuan replied calmly, a faint chuckle in his voice.
Xiao Ruier's delicate eyebrows furrowed. She stopped walking and her tone became subtly tense. "An acquaintance? Is it a man or a woman?" She tried to hide the anxiety in her voice, but her emotions still bled through.
Tang Chuan paused, a knowing smile playing on his lips as he saw her reaction. He was about to answer when a loud, boisterous laugh rang out from ahead.
"Oh, beautiful lady, why are you walking so fast? How about we become friends?"
A figure dressed in red suddenly blocked their path. The man was plump with fiery red hair styled in a spiky mohawk. His obese body was crammed into a tight, brown tunic, and his belly strained against the fabric. A lecherous smile was plastered on his face as his small eyes narrowed into slits. He sidled closer to Xiao Ruier.
"Young Miss, it's not safe to walk alone at night. Would you like me to accompany you? I'm a very caring person, especially to someone as beautiful as you..."
Before Ma Hongjun could finish his sentence, he felt a cold glare on him. He looked up and saw a young man standing next to Xiao Ruier, dressed in blue combat clothes. The man's face was completely hidden by a bamboo hat, making it impossible to see his expression.
What is this strange feeling? Ma Hongjun shivered, a sense of unease creeping up on him. He squinted, trying to get a better look. Although he couldn't see the man's face, an overwhelming sense of danger radiated from him.
"Get lost!" Xiao Ruier's face darkened as she glared at him. Her voice was not loud, but it carried an intense pressure that made people on the street involuntarily step back.
Ma Hongjun also felt the pressure and a warning bell rang in his mind, but it was quickly overshadowed by the evil fire from his martial spirit. "Don't be so fierce, beautiful lady!" he snorted, his greasy smile returning. He thought to himself that he was a Spirit Master with a powerful master, Flender, backing him up. What was there to be afraid of?
"Brother, I'm a Spirit Master. If you stick with me, I'll make sure you live a life of luxury. My teacher is a Seven-Ring Spirit Saint; in all of Soto City, who would dare to provoke you?"
Driven by lust, Ma Hongjun not only didn't move but extended his hand again, blocking Xiao Ruier's way with a grin. But as soon as the words left his mouth, Xiao Ruier's expression turned frigid, her eyes flashing with murderous intent. Her voice was so cold it could turn stone to ice.
"I'm giving you one last chanceāget out of my sight!" she snarled. "Otherwise, I won't mind crippling you so you can never harm anyone again."
The smile on Ma Hongjun's face vanished, replaced by anger and a deep scowl. "What are you being so arrogant about?" he sneered. "A woman like you is just a plaything for some noble, isn't she?"
He abruptly pushed his hand toward Xiao Ruier's shoulder, a crude and insulting gesture. But just as his palm was about to make contact, it was clamped by a powerful force. It was a fair, slender hand, yet it held his arm like an iron clamp. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't move it an inch.
"Oh, little girl, I didn't expect you to be so strong," Ma Hongjun said, feigning composure as he looked down at Xiao Ruier's hand.
Tang Chuan watched the scene unfold without moving. A gentle breeze rustled his bamboo hat, and a subtle smile curved on his lips. The moment he saw the red-haired, mohawked fatty, he recognized him instantlyāMa Hongjun, one of the Shrek Seven Devils and the Evil Fire Phoenix.
Heh heh, Shrek Academy. They're always saying that not daring to cause trouble is mediocrity. Tang Chuan mused inwardly. In the original story, they brutally attacked the weak Canghui Academy, but when they ran into Dugu Bo later, they all became subservient and didn't even dare to breathe heavily. Isn't that just bullying the weak and fearing the strong?
The academy is dilapidated, yet their tuition fee is as high as ten gold Soul Coins. If Tang San relied only on blacksmithing, it would take him three years to save enough for tuition. The most outrageous part is that it's non-refundable if you're unsuitable, and they send people to threaten you if you want your money back. Isn't that just a blatant gang?
Even after you get in, there's nothing available, and the students have to participate in Soul battles themselves to subsidize the academy. It's completely ridiculous.
Today, this fatty had the guts to provoke the Emperor of the auspicious beastsā¦ he's asking for it! Tang Chuan's eyes narrowed slightly, the smile on his face growing wider as he thought.
The next second, a cold glint flashed in Xiao Ruier's eyes, and she twisted Ma Hongjun's hand sharply.
Crack!
A sickening snap echoed through the street.
"Ahhh!" Ma Hongjun's arm broke at a grotesque angle. Excruciating pain, like a tidal wave, swept over him. His pupils constricted, his face twisted in agony, and a tearing scream erupted from his lips. He never imagined that the elegant Young Miss in front of him would possess such terrifying strength, completely unlike the weak, pampered noblewomen he was used to.
"You hussy! You're asking for death!" The intense humiliation and pain enraged him. Gritting his teeth, he endured the agony and tried to activate his spirit power to release his Spiritāthe Evil Fire Phoenix!
But just as he began to circulate his spirit power, before he could even summon a phantom of his Spirit, a fierce punch ripped through the air.
Bang!
Xiao Ruier's fist slammed into Ma Hongjun's face with such speed he had no time to react. Another dull thud echoed. His teeth flew out, blood splattered, and he was sent flying, landing on the street like a rag doll, his face covered in blood.
Not far away, Dai Mubai watched the scene unfold, his expression changing drastically. Rage instantly surged in his eyes.
"What? You dared to hit my brother? You're looking to die!" he roared.
Dai Mubai's spirit power surged, and a White Tiger phantom appeared behind him, instantly completing his Spirit Possession. His golden hair stood on end, tiger claws extended, and he charged fiercely toward Xiao Ruier.
But Xiao Ruier's expression remained completely unfazed, as if she had been expecting him. With a flash of movement, she didn't meet his attack. Instead, she moved in a blur of lightning, appearing directly in front of Ma Hongjun.
"I'll cripple you today, so you can't go out and harm people anymore," a cold sneer curled on her lips. Her eyes were icy as she raised her leg and kicked out without the slightest hesitation.
Bang!
She delivered a brutal kick to Ma Hongjun's lower abdomen. A dull, explosive sound echoed on the street, as if something inside him had been shattered. Ma Hongjun didn't even have time to scream before he fainted. His body flew up like a broken sack, directly smashing into the rapidly approaching Dai Mubai.