Zhu Zhuqing's Sorrow

After announcing the rules, Zhao Wuji looked at the three of them and said, "I hope you understand that you must not try to take shortcuts. At the same time, I can remind you that it is fundamentally impossible to withstand my attacks through your own strength alone. Coordinating and cooperating with one another is your only chance of success."

"Teacher Zhao, isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Dai Mubai said hesitantly.

Zhao Wuji glared at him. "What's inappropriate about it? With the Dean absent, I'm the biggest authority in the academy. If I say it's fine, then it's fine. Enough, I'm lighting the incense. You don't have much time, so prepare yourselves. Xiaobai, you can also tell them about my strengths and characteristics so they can be somewhat prepared."

After saying that, no one knew where he pulled out a stick of incense from. He pinched the incense tip between his fingers, and it actually lit immediately. With a flick of his finger, the incense was planted into the ground without trembling in the slightest.

After doing all that, Zhao Wuji returned to his chair, closed his eyes, and continued "sleeping."

The uninformed Zhu Zhuqing and the other two did not find Teacher Zhao's proposed test method particularly unusual. Instead, Dai Mubai's face was solemn as he said to the three of them, "Come closer."

Once the three gathered around him, Dai Mubai said seriously, "I can't help you this time either. I never expected Teacher Zhao to personally make a move."

"What do you mean? Is this Teacher Zhao very formidable?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.

Dai Mubai looked at her in surprise, then nodded. "That's right. Teacher Zhao is a level seventy-six Soul Saint. A Beast Martial Soul Battle Soul Saint. He is the academy's Vice-Dean, and his overall strength is second only to the Dean's."

At those words, the three of their expressions changed at once. A Soul Saint—Soul Masters of that rank had already entered the ranks of high-level Soul Masters. Even when facing an army of ten thousand, a Soul Saint-level Soul Master could charge freely through it without fear. One could imagine just how powerful that rank was.

"This is way too shameless! A level seventy-six Soul Saint is bullying three little Soul Masters in their twenties and thirties. Even if we join forces, we probably couldn't last a single exchange under him," Ning Rongrong could not help saying.

Dai Mubai said helplessly, "Originally, Teacher Zhao was only supposed to oversee the Fourth Trial. Your opponent should have been me. As long as you could hold out against me for the time it took a stick of incense to burn, you would pass. But who knew what nerve he had struck today? He actually wants to personally take action."

"But don't worry. This is only a test. Teacher Zhao will presumably go easy on you during the battle and won't attack you with his full strength." Dai Mubai shook his head. "I'll first briefly tell you what abilities Teacher Zhao excels at. Then you must immediately decide on tactics to deal with him. Otherwise, forget lasting the time it takes a stick of incense to burn—you'll be lucky if you can withstand his first wave of attacks."

The three of them turned solemn and silently nodded. Facing a level seventy-six Soul Saint-level powerhouse was no joke.

"Teacher Zhao's Martial Soul is the Vajra Bear, a powerful Beast Martial Soul. His entire body has no weaknesses, and his defense is extremely terrifying. Even Soul Masters of the same rank as him would find it difficult to break through his defenses and injure him. Although speed is not Teacher Zhao's specialty, the gap between your Soul Power and his is simply too great. You cannot possibly be faster than him in that regard either."

Dai Mubai said, "Teacher Zhao's greatest strengths are his attack power and defense. Within the academy, he has the nickname Immovable Bright King. Let alone the three of you, even if I were added in, we might not be able to withstand his attacks for the time it takes a stick of incense to burn. All we can hope for now is that Teacher Zhao does not take things too seriously when attacking you."

"So he's the Immovable Bright King, Zhao Wuji. He vanished from the continent for ten years. I never expected him to be a teacher at Shrek Academy." Ning Rongrong said in surprise, "Back then, Immovable Bright King Zhao Wuji had a conflict with Spirit Hall. Spirit Hall wanted to punish him, but he forcibly broke out from the encirclement of sixteen bishops. Later, the matter was simply dropped. Spirit Hall's bishops are all Soul Emperor-level powerhouses of at least level sixty. At that time, Zhao Wuji should have only been in his sixties. Wouldn't he be even more formidable now?"

Dai Mubai silently nodded. "At the very least, I have never seen Teacher Zhao fight with his full strength. So, good luck to you. Of Teacher Zhao's seven Soul Rings, the first two are hundred-year Soul Rings, the third and fourth are thousand-year Soul Rings, and the final three are all ten-thousand-year Soul Rings. Moreover, all seven Soul Rings provide attack and defense abilities. You should be able to imagine just how terrifying he is.

"Now, introduce yourselves to one another first. State your names and abilities, then see how you should cooperate to best withstand Teacher Zhao's test."

After Dai Mubai finished speaking, Tang San was the first to speak. "My name is Lan Wu. My Weapon Martial Soul is Golden Pattern Grass. I am a level thirty-two control-type Battle Soul Master."

Seeing him take the lead, Ning Rongrong also said graciously, "Ning Rongrong. My Weapon Martial Soul is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. I am a level twenty-six auxiliary-type Tool Soul Master."

"Zhu Zhuqing. My Beast Martial Soul is the Hell Spirit Cat. I am a level twenty-seven agility-attack-type Battle Soul Master," Zhu Zhuqing said immediately after.

"What?! Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing?!" Tang San was greatly shocked upon hearing their names. He immediately scrutinized the two of them, recalling the Future Video he had seen before. After silently comparing them, he found that although their faces were somewhat more youthful, the two girls before him truly were the culprits who had fought him in Soul Battles in the video and caused his father's hands and feet to be severed.

But...

"Isn't that wrong? Isn't your Martial Soul the Dark Demonic Evil God Cat?" Tang San looked at the cool and detached Zhu Zhuqing and could not help voicing his doubts. "Everyone will be fighting side by side soon. Hiding your true situation will do no good for the battle later."

"I'm not hiding anything."

Facing the gazes of the other three, Zhu Zhuqing said calmly, "I don't know why my Martial Soul changed in the future. But right now, I have not met that person."

Perhaps I never will again...

She sighed mournfully within her heart. Once the future had been exposed, the originally predetermined future had already changed. It was filled with uncertainty.

Could she still become that person's disciple as she had in the video?

Zhu Zhuqing was pessimistic about it.

"So, you haven't met that person yet..." Tang San came to a realization. At the same time, a trace of killing intent rose in his heart! After all, he held grudges deeply. In the Future Video, Zhu Zhuqing had humiliated him so badly. Later, she had even implicated Tang Hao and caused his hands and feet to be severed... All of it was enough to give Zhu Zhuqing a reason to die!

Even if those were things that had only happened in the original future and had not happened yet, so what?

He had seen them, so he would not pretend he had not.

Tang San was someone who held grudges deeply. Do not mistake someone from the Tang Sect for some righteous gentleman. Could anyone expect a sect that used Hidden Weapons for sneak attacks to raise a living saint?