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Seeing Ma Hongjun's body hurtling toward him like a fleshy ball, Dai Mubai's brow furrowed. Instead of catching him, he snorted and deftly sidestepped.
Bang!
Ma Hongjun hit the ground hard, his head bleeding, his nose bruised, and his face instantly swollen.
"Bossā¦ Boss Daiā¦ you?"
Dai Mubai didn't hesitate. He leaped into the air, his third spirit ring glowing brightly, and his body turned a brilliant silver. A golden light gathered on his tiger claw as he roared, "White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
He slammed his palm down hard, aiming for Xiao Ruier.
"Hmph."
Xiao Ruier showed no change in expression. A hint of disdain appeared on her lips as she slowly raised her right fist. Four spirit ringsātwo yellow and two purpleāswirled up from beneath her feet. She was a four-ring Spirit Ancestor! The third purple spirit ring lit up.
"Third Soul SkillāGolden Dragon Punch!"
With a soft cry, Xiao Ruier's fist instantly morphed into the head of a golden dragon. A fiery golden light, powerful enough to tear through the air, shot forward to meet Dai Mubai's tiger claw head-on.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bones echoed once again.
"Ahā!"
Another heart-wrenching scream tore through the air. Dai Mubai's tiger palm was instantly shattered by the golden light. He was struck as if by lightning, sent flying backward to crash heavily next to Ma Hongjun, kicking up dust and blood.
"Impossible! Even if she's a Spirit Ancestor, she couldn't have beaten me like this with one punch, could she?" Dai Mubai struggled to sit up, his face pale with disbelief.
He never expected that after activating his third soul skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation, he couldn't even withstand a single blow from the golden-haired woman. He knew his spirit power was already close to Rank 40.
Logically, even if he couldn't win, he shouldn't have lost so miserably. But that punch was as heavy as a mountain, shaking his internal organs and making his bones ache.
In contrast, Ma Hongjun's spirit power was less than Rank 30. After that punch, he had already fainted, completely defenseless.
Pfft.
Dai Mubai couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face ashen.
I can't worry about the fatty now. I need to get back to Shrek Academy for reinforcements!
A hint of killing intent flashed in Dai Mubai's eyes as he looked at Ma Hongjun. He struggled to get up, and without any hesitation, he turned and fled.
"Trying to run?" Seeing this, Xiao Ruier frowned. Just as she was about to move, a hand stopped her.
"Hmm?" Xiao Ruier turned around, looking at Tang Chuan with confusion.
Tang Chuan's lips curved into a faint smile as he watched Dai Mubai's pathetic escape. "It's fine. Let him go," he said. "The acquaintance I mentioned earlier is in the same academy as these two guys. If we don't let this guy go back, who will deliver the message?"
"Deliver the message?" Xiao Ruier's brows furrowed even more. Her eyes filled with confusion and doubt. "Your acquaintance is in the same academy as these two? Then aren't they all from the same den? If they come looking for trouble later, should I fight or not?"
Tang Chuan's smile widened. "If you want to fight, then fight," he said calmly. "Don't worry about me."
Xiao Ruier was still full of doubts. She stared at Tang Chuan's face, then, as if mustering some courage, she suddenly asked in a low voice, "This acquaintance of yoursā¦ is it a man or a woman?"
Tang Chuan paused, then smiled helplessly, shaking his head as he explained, "Of course it's a man. Why else would I travel so far just to meet a woman? Do I look like that kind of person?"
"Oh!" Xiao Ruier was silent for a moment. Then the corners of her lips curved up in a meaningful smile. A flicker of emotion, one she hadn't even noticed, passed through her eyes.
At Shrek Academy, on a dormitory rooftop, the bright moonlight spilled down. Tang San and Xiao Wu sat side by side. The night breeze carried a hint of early autumn chill.
"Third Brother, after we become Titled Douluo, what do you think about building a home in a big forest?" Xiao Wu turned to look at Tang San, her smile like a flower and her eyes full of longing.
Tang San smiled softly. "Wherever you like," he said. "It can be anywhere."
As soon as he finished speaking, his brows suddenly furrowed. He turned to look at the path outside the academy. In the moonlight, a figure was stumbling toward the dormitory, staggering as if he could collapse at any moment.
Tang San's face showed confusion, and he immediately used his Purple Demon Eye to get a better look. The next moment, his expression changed.
"It's Mubai! How did he get injured?"
His figure flickered. He leaped from the rooftop and landed steadily. In a few bounds, he was in front of the figure, reaching out to support Dai Mubai, who was on the verge of collapsing.
"Mubai, what happened?" Tang San frowned as he looked at Dai Mubai. He could tell at a glance that he was covered in injuries, his aura was chaotic, and his face was terrifyingly pale. "Who beat you up like this?"
Dai Mubai leaned on Tang San's shoulder, taking a few ragged breaths, blood still at the corner of his mouth. "The fatty and I went into the city for somethingā¦ We ran into a golden-haired woman. She's very strongā¦" His body trembled violently, a clear sign of his severe injuries. "We were no match for her. The fatty and I attacked together but couldn't beat her. I'm stronger, so I managed to escape, but the fatty is severely injured and unconscious. His life is hanging by a thread!"
Hearing this, Tang San's expression changed immediately, and a cold light flashed in his eyes. He had never seen Dai Mubai so disheveled, even speaking with fear about his opponent's strength. This meant the opponent was not only terrifyingly strong but had also completely suppressed both of them in terms of aura.
"Mubai, you and the fatty together were no match for her? Could she be a strong individual above a Spirit Emperor?" Tang San's face was filled with disbelief.
Dai Mubai shook his head vigorously, his expression still filled with terror. "No, she's not a Spirit Emperor. That womanā¦ is just a four-ring Spirit Ancestor. Her spirit power rank shouldn't be much higher than mine. But her strength is terrifyingā¦ it's simply inhuman."
"A four-ring Spirit Ancestor?"
Tang San's pupils constricted. He was stunned for a long time before he muttered in disbelief, "A four-ring Spirit Ancestor was able to beat both of you like this? How is this possible?" He knew Dai Mubai's strength.
With spirit power approaching Rank 40, coupled with the explosive power and combat skills of the White Tiger Spirit, he wouldn't have lost so miserably, even against an ordinary Spirit King.
And although Ma Hongjun's spirit power was less than Rank 30, his Evil Fire Phoenix Spirit gave him fierce firepower. When they teamed up, they couldn't be easily suppressed.
But now they had been beaten like this by a Spirit Ancestor? How was that possible?
As Tang San fell into thought, Xiao Wu looked eager. Her tone was full of anger. "Third Brother, what should we do? Our Shrek Academy people were beaten. Should we just let it go?"
"No, we absolutely cannot act on our own," Tang San said seriously. He had lived two lives and was not as impulsive as Xiao Wu. "We must report to the Dean first. A four-ring Spirit Ancestor, and Mubai and the fatty couldn't beat her together. There's definitely something strange!"
Hearing this, Dai Mubai and Xiao Wu exchanged glances and both nodded.
A few minutes later, inside the Shrek Academy Dean's office, the room was brightly lit, and the air was heavy. The Shrek Seven Devils stood in a neat row. Besides Ma Hongjun, who hadn't returned, everyone stood solemnly in front of the door.
"You were actually beaten like this by a four-ring Spirit Ancestor woman? Hongjun's life is hanging by a thread!" Flender's face was ashen. He slammed his hand on the table, his anger erupting.
Dai Mubai lowered his head, blood still on his mouth. He looked ashamed. "Dean, that woman was too powerful. We simplyā¦ we simply weren't her match."
"Powerful?" Flender suddenly stood up, his eyes wide with fury. "You are the most cultivated student at Shrek Academy. Although Hongjun is mischievous, his Spirit is a top-tier one. Yet, you two together were beaten by a Spirit Ancestor to the point of almost losing your lives? You've truly disgraced Shrek Academy!"
The air grew even more oppressive, and everyone lowered their heads, silent.
Just then, Tang San stepped forward and broke the silence. "Dean, now is not the time for blame. We must hurry to Soto City and find out the fatty's whereabouts! If he is on the verge of death right now, even a moment's delay could lead to a major incident!"
Flender paused, took a deep breath, and suppressed his anger. "Then what are you still standing around for?" he said coldly. "Hurry up and get to Soto City!"
"Yes!" Everyone responded in unison. Without further hesitation, they immediately left the office and sped toward Soto City.
But just as they rushed out the door, Tang San suddenly stopped. He turned and returned to Flender's side, his brows tightly furrowed, his voice low. "Dean, I have one more thing to say."
"What is it?" Flender looked at Tang San, puzzled.
Tang San lowered his voice, his tone solemn. "Dean, Mubai and the fatty together were no match for that golden-haired woman. And according to Mubai, the opponent clearly only has four rings, yet she displayed combat power far exceeding that of a Spirit Ancestorā¦ I suspect she might have hidden her true strength, or even consumed some special enhancing item. We might not be able to handle such an opponent."
"Why don't you personally come with us to Soto City?"
Flender raised an eyebrow, then snorted coldly, his tone carrying a hint of disdain. "You want me, a seven-ring Spirit Saint, to personally go with a group of youngsters to find a four-ring Spirit Ancestor woman? If word of this gets out, what would people think? They'd think our Shrek Academy likes to bully the weak!"
He slowly paced to the window, standing with his hands behind his back. His figure was tall and straight, exuding a seasoned air.
"What hidden strength? In my opinion, it's just that Mubai and Hongjun haven't been focusing on cultivating recently. They've been fooling around all day and not coming home at night. Their spirit power hasn't increased much, and their bodies have weakened considerably. Now, if they can't beat others, they deserve it!"
At this point, Flender turned back and glanced at Tang San. Seeing that Tang San's brows were tightly furrowed, still clearly worried, he softened his tone slightly and waved his hand. "However, you do have a point.
If a Spirit Ancestor could truly beat Mubai and Hongjun like this, it is indeed a bit strange. Just in case, I will have Wuji follow you secretly. With him there, even if that woman has some tricks up her sleeve, she won't be able to cause any trouble. You can go ahead with peace of mind."