After asking a few upperclassmen for directions, Zhao Xuan hurried toward the academy's back mountain.
"That rabbit really does have the makings of a boss," Zhao Xuan thought as he hurried along. The whole thing had started because the Work-Study Students had been bullied, and Xiao Wu, their big sister, had stepped up for them.
"But her brain isn't all that sharp." Shaking his head, Zhao Xuan quickened his pace.
Boss Xiao's side not only had more people, but they were stronger as well. That little girl had actually chosen the back mountain—a place where no one would even hear them if they cried for help.
But now that I'm back, I'll make sure you can cry to heaven and earth all you want, hahaha.
"Hm? Isn't that guy... Where's he going?" As Zhao Xuan eagerly rushed toward the back mountain, a petite figure watched his retreating back with a thoughtful look.
Back mountain.
"Wang Sheng, get him! Knock him down!" Led by Xiao Wu, the Work-Study Students cheered for Wang Sheng, who was fighting in the clearing.
Wang Sheng was desperately dodging around the field. Hearing Xiao Wu's voice, he could not help but force a bitter smile as he hurriedly raised his arm to block the opponent's incoming staff Soul.
"Hiss."
The long staff struck his forearm solidly, making him suck in a sharp breath. My Xiao Wu, the other guy has a weapon!
Before breaking through to become a Soul Master, a Beast Soul could only provide some physical enhancement from the Soul itself. It could not possess the body and greatly boost one's physical abilities. Against a Weapon Soul, all one could do was passively take a beating.
"Wang Sheng! What are you doing? Get him!" Xiao Wu waved her delicate little fists and shouted at Wang Sheng in dissatisfaction.
"Little rabbit, how can a mere Beast Soul that hasn't even broken through to Soul Master fight us? I say you should just obediently become my pet."
Boss Xiao shouted from the side. Seeing the bruises all over Wang Sheng's body, the corner of his eye twitched. It was not because he was kind-hearted, but because he was afraid Wang Sheng would be seriously hurt and drag him down with him.
"Hah? You want Xiao Wu to be your pet? Are you scared?! If you are, kowtow twice and acknowledge Xiao Wu as your boss. Then she'll let you off." Xiao Wu curled her lips, refusing to yield an inch with her words.
"You sharp-tongued little brat." Boss Xiao gritted his teeth. The girl might be young, but her mouth was vicious.
"Wang Sheng is getting beaten pretty badly. Looks like Xiao Wu will have to take the field herself."
Seeing Wang Sheng's miserable state, Xiao Wu could not help frowning. No wonder the Work-Study Students were always bullied. With so many people on the other side, any one of them was enough to leave Wang Sheng helpless.
Xiao Wu rolled up her sleeves, preparing to teach them a lesson, when a familiar voice rang out from the distance.
"I heard there's a fight here. Am I late?" A figure ran toward the crowd, his face unable to hide his excitement.
"It's that guy!"
Boss Xiao and the other upperclassmen froze when they saw Zhao Xuan, then flew into a rage.
"We've finally been waiting for you!" Boss Xiao and the others ground their teeth. This guy had finally shown himself. They still vividly remembered how he had swaggered around in the cafeteria back then!
Unlike Boss Xiao's group, the Work-Study Students immediately lit up at the sight of Zhao Xuan.
"Zhao Xuan, you finally came back! Where's Xiao San? Get him out here to teach them a lesson." Xiao Wu beamed when she saw Zhao Xuan, but after looking left and right and failing to spot Tang San, she could not help asking.
"Xiao San? He couldn't afford his meal on the way here, so Master pawned him off there," Zhao Xuan answered casually. Then he turned and saw Boss Xiao's group glaring at him as if they wanted to eat him alive, making him raise an eyebrow.
"What, you want to eat someone? Damn, Wang Sheng, how did you get beaten up this badly?"
Wang Sheng propped himself half upright, suddenly feeling tears well up in his eyes. Heavens! After holding out for so long, a real big shot had finally arrived.
Xiao Wu, meanwhile, seemed to have completely believed Zhao Xuan's nonsense. She kept asking, "How much did you two eat? Where did you pawn Xiao San? Can we redeem him? We can't do without him."
The people nearby were speechless. Boss, you actually believed that?
"Even without him, you still have me." Zhao Xuan waved his hand, then stared excitedly at Boss Xiao and his group.
"Are you fighting one-on-one, or are you all coming at me together? Oh, right. By one-on-one, I mean me against all of you."
Boss Xiao's group was covered in black lines. How was this brat still so arrogant?
The student who had just been fighting Wang Sheng stepped forward, carrying his staff behind his back as he said calmly, "Why would I need them to deal with you? I can handle you with thirty percent of my strength."
Zhao Xuan's eyes widened. Why did this guy seem even more arrogant than him?
"Liu Long, Level 9 Soul Master. Soul: Eyebrow-Length Staff. Please enlighten me." Dressed in Nuoding Academy's long robe, with his straight back and the breeze blowing through his clothes, he really did look rather graceful.
Zhao Xuan felt that he could not tolerate this. He had come here to show off—how could he let someone else seize the initiative? What kind of sense did that make?!
So he flicked his identical Nuoding Academy robe, his expression calm and a slight smile curling his lips.
A yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet. Zhao Xuan said evenly, "Zhao Xuan, first year. Level 16 Weapon Soul Master. Please enlighten me."
The moment Zhao Xuan's Soul Ring appeared, who knew how many people were stunned into silence. Liu Long, standing directly opposite him, changed expression even more sharply.
This is bad!
"I won't even use my Soul against you." Revealing the Soul Ring was the first step of showing off. What came next was the second step.
Before anyone could react after Zhao Xuan finished speaking, his figure vanished from where he stood.
Bang!
In the next instant, Zhao Xuan appeared where Liu Long had just been standing, while Liu Long had disappeared without a trace.
"First one!" Zhao Xuan stopped and looked back at Boss Xiao's group, flashing his white teeth. The sight frightened them into instinctively retreating several steps.
"Uh?!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One impact after another rang out. More than twenty upperclassmen were kicked away one by one by Zhao Xuan like sandbags. Zhao Xuan was simply too fast for Boss Xiao and the others to react.
"Ah, kicking Spirit Beasts is much more satisfying." After finishing, Zhao Xuan clapped his hands, looking thoroughly unsatisfied.
Afraid of injuring Boss Xiao and the others, Zhao Xuan had used only controlled force. Compared to the reckless abandon of kicking Spirit Beasts, this restrained experience was clearly far less enjoyable.
The Work-Study Students beside him stared with their mouths agape. Boss Xiao and his group, whom they had regarded as formidable enemies, had just... been defeated?
Xiao Wu was the first to recover. She closed her nearly dropped jaw and jogged over to Zhao Xuan, asking in disbelief, "Zhao... Zhao Xuan, you're that strong?"
She was so shocked that she could barely even speak properly.
"Average, just average. Haha." Zhao Xuan felt wonderful inside. This feeling of being invincible was amazing. At that moment, he desperately wanted to sing: How lonely, how very lonely it is to be invincible...
"Zhao Xuan!"
At that moment, an angry shriek suddenly came from the side.
"Hm?! Is someone still unconvinced?" Zhao Xuan frowned. These people were truly brave. But... had there been any girls among the people he kicked away just now?
Turning around, he saw a cute little girl with fluffy golden hair stomping angrily toward him, her little leather boots clicking against the ground.
Eh? Wasn't that Hermione? The headmaster's granddaughter, the little girl known for hating evil... Wait?! The headmaster's granddaughter? Someone who hated evil?
This is bad! Zhao Xuan cried inwardly, suddenly feeling that something was terribly wrong.
The girl glared at Zhao Xuan, glanced at the upperclassmen groaning all around them, and angrily shouted, "Zhao Xuan, everyone here is a fellow student. How could you do this?"
Zhao Xuan curled his lips. "What did I do? They were weaker than me, so how is that my fault?"
"Even if it was a spar, you shouldn't have hit so hard!" Hermione shouted angrily, her brown eyes wide.
"They haven't lost any arms or legs. How is that hitting hard? Why don't you ask them whether they're hurt?"
The students lying on the ground and groaning stiffened at those words. Truthfully, they had not suffered much injury. They were only staying down because they could not bear the embarrassment of getting back up.
They secretly glanced at Zhao Xuan. Hiss... his gaze clearly said, Just try pretending a little longer.
Under Zhao Xuan's tyranny, everyone sprang to their feet, brushed the dust off themselves, and hurriedly said, "We're fine! We're completely fine!"
Hermione's eyes widened. What was going on? She had clearly seen Zhao Xuan kick these people several meters away. Though she had been amazed by Zhao Xuan's strength, she had been even more furious at the time.
Hermione was at a loss. These people were actually fine?? That made things rather awkward. Then she caught sight of Zhao Xuan's smug expression, and her anger immediately flared again!
"Just you wait!" The little girl turned and headed back toward the academy.
Zhao Xuan curled his lips. Wait for what? I didn't do anything wrong.
Out of the corner of his eye, Zhao Xuan noticed the trembling upperclassmen nearby and suddenly lost interest.
He pointed at Xiao Wu. "Remember your agreement. She's your boss from now on!"
Boss Xiao and the others widened their eyes. They wanted to argue, Wasn't it you who defeated us? But when they saw Zhao Xuan's malicious gaze... Ah... better forget it...
Thus, the group helplessly said to the delighted Xiao Wu, "Boss Xiao Wu..."
Some time later, Master led Zhao Xuan out of the headmaster's office, gritting his teeth as he muttered in a low voice.
"That damn girl! She actually said I was gathering people for a brawl. Is she blind?!"
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