"It's a little too early to say that."
"Swish!"
A blue light flashed, and the Thunder Sword reappeared in Huo Feng's right hand. The next moment, he shot forward with his sword, moving at an incredible speed.
"What?!" Dai Mubai was stunned. This kid had taken a full-strength blow from him while he was in his White Tiger Vajra Transformation. How was he still jumping around like nothing happened? Not only was he uninjured, but he was already launching a counterattack?
By the time he snapped out of his shock, Huo Feng was already within ten feet of him. Dai Mubai had no time to launch an attack of his own and hurriedly raised his arms in a defensive block, all ten of his claws extended and ready for impact.
[Ding!] [Dai Mubai's sacrifice was successful!] [Main Quest Stage 3 Reward: Soul Ring Simulator has been delivered to the system warehouse!] [Sacrifice points increased by 500!]
At that moment, the system's voice sounded in Huo Feng's mind. Hearing the confirmation, he quietly eased up on the power behind his sword strike. Otherwise, the attack would have seriously injured even a Level 37 Spirit Elder like Dai Mubai.
"Swish!"
The Thunder Sword slashed down.
Dai Mubai, who was on high alert, suddenly felt all the muscles in his body twitch violently and uncontrollably. His prepared defensive posture collapsed in an instant. In that same second, the empowering effects of his White Tiger Vajra Transformation vanished. His body suddenly shrank back to its normal size.
At the same time, Huo Feng's sword fell.
Under the horrified gazes of the twin sisters, Dai Mubai was sent flying backward after a brief, weak resistance.
"Bang!"
Just like Tang San before him, he crashed heavily into the wall.
"Young Master Dai! Are you okay, Young Master Dai?" "Young Master Dai, please don't scare us!"
The twin sisters rushed to Dai Mubai's side like a whirlwind, cradling him in their arms. They frantically checked his pulse and breathing, terrified that he might have died.
Dai Mubai, who had only been momentarily dazed, was suddenly hit with the overwhelming smell of their perfume. His eyes snapped open. The first thing he saw were the anxious faces of the twin sisters hovering over him.
He quickly pushed himself up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and tried to get back into a fighting stance. However, his body felt incredibly weak. The muscle spasms racking his body sent waves of severe pain through him every time he tried to lift his arms.
"You lose."
A calm voice reached his ears. Dai Mubai looked at the black-clothed young man standing three meters away, his eyes filled with unwillingness. His lips moved, but in the end, he couldn't find the words to argue.
He had really lost. And it had been a complete and utter defeat.
He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and finally let out a defeated sigh. "Let's go."
The twin sisters were no longer as arrogant as before. They dejectedly helped Dai Mubai up and prepared to leave.
"Wait," Huo Feng suddenly called out. He pointed at Tang San, who had managed to get back on his feet, and then showed a friendly smile. "You can't just beat him up for nothing."
"How much? Name your price," Dai Mubai said through clenched teeth, though he was seething with anger.
"One hundred gold soul coins. That's not too much, is it?" Huo Feng said, holding up one hand.
"What? You—" Dai Mubai's mouth twitched. This kid was really pushing his luck. A hundred gold soul coins was an outrageous amount for compensation. But looking at the situation, it seemed he wouldn't be able to leave without giving up something.
"Swish!"
After a moment of painful consideration, Dai Mubai threw a purse at Huo Feng. "Fifty gold soul coins. Take it or leave it!"
After saying this, he turned and walked straight out of the hotel without looking back. Huo Feng didn't chase after him. Fifty gold soul coins were more than enough. Sometimes, it was better not to push people too far. He knew when to apply pressure and when to back off.
The hotel lobby was a complete mess. Manager Wang carefully peeked his head out from his hiding spot, his throat so dry he couldn't utter a single word. Young Master Dai was already terrifying enough, but who would have thought this young man in black would actually defeat him? For a moment, he had no idea what to do.
"Tang San, are you okay?" Huo Feng asked, looking over at him.
Tang San staggered and gave Huo Feng a slight bow. Do I look okay to you? he thought bitterly. But his pride was too important to him, and he would never voice his true feelings. "Huo Feng, thank you for your help. They're just minor injuries. I think I'll be fine after a night's rest."
Even though he was seriously hurt, he wouldn't show weakness in front of Huo Feng. That would be the same as admitting he was far weaker.
Huo Feng's mouth twitched as he watched Tang San limp with every step. Just minor injuries?
"How did you end up in Soto City?" Tang San asked, his face full of confusion. He quickly changed the subject to cover up his embarrassment.
"We're here for the Shrek Academy entrance exam," Huo Feng answered honestly. After all, they were bound to run into each other at the exam anyway.
"What?!" Tang San was so startled that his sudden movement sent a jolt of pain through his entire body, and he almost fell over. After steadying himself, he pretended to be calm and continued, "You're also here for the Shrek Academy exam?"
He was genuinely surprised. He had never even heard of Shrek Academy before his teacher had insisted he come here. He had assumed he would be starting somewhere new, all on his own. Now, he was being told that Huo Feng and Xiao Wu were also going to the same place?
Tang San, who had been full of anticipation for this new academy, suddenly felt his interest fade. He knew all too well how painful it was to be suppressed by those two for six whole years at Notting College. If they were going to be in the same academy again, his future days seemed unimaginable.
"You mean you're here for the Shrek Academy exam as well?" Huo Feng asked, feigning surprise.
Tang San nodded, then limped toward the hotel entrance. "Then I'll see you at Shrek Academy."
Even though he felt a strong sense of rejection, the academy had been recommended by his teacher, so he would go without hesitation, even if it meant his life would still be intertwined with Huo Feng's. After saying that, he endured the pain and quickly disappeared down the street, eager to escape the embarrassing situation.
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
Today was the day of the Shrek Academy entrance examination. Huo Feng and Xiao Wu had gotten up early and, after asking for directions, finally found their destination.
"This is way too shabby."
Even though he had prepared himself mentally, Huo Feng couldn't help but complain when he finally saw Shrek Academy. They had just arrived at what looked like the entrance to a village. A tattered wooden plaque hung crookedly over the entrance, bearing five bold but weathered characters:
"Shrek Academy."
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