"Arrogant and Overbearing"

"Teacher, I promise you—we'll take back twice what we lost this time."

Long Yao's words, filled with resolve and promise, erupted through the deathly, desolate classroom like a warm spring thunderclap.

The Ice Seal-like stillness in Zhou Yi's eyes trembled violently the instant she heard those words. Every muscle on her stone-carved face twitched uncontrollably.

She slowly turned around, her gaze settling on Long Yao once more. This time, her eyes no longer held that hollow deadness. Instead, an almost imperceptible Complex Light flickered within them—a light filled with shock, surprise, and a trembling that came from being deeply moved.

"Take it back... twice over?"

Her voice was soft, so soft it seemed like an echo drifting from far away. It carried a trace of hoarseness, weariness, and... bitter mockery.

"Child, do you know what you're saying?" Zhou Yi slowly rose to her feet. Her slender figure looked especially frail beneath the fading moonlight. "Do you know what we're up against?"

She walked to the window with her back to everyone, and her voice sank even lower. "It isn't some ordinary opponent, nor is it a campus dispute that can be settled with fists. It is... the rules of all Shrek."

"I've taught for so many years. I've seen too many geniuses like you. They were all once high-spirited, all once believed they could change the world." Zhou Yi's shoulders trembled slightly. "But in the end, they were either assimilated by this world, or... crushed by it."

Bei Bei wanted to step forward and comfort her, but Tang Ya gently held him back. Huo Yuhao clenched his fists tightly, flames of unwillingness burning in his Ink Blue Eyes. Wang Dong watched Long Yao with concern. She could sense something surging beneath his calm exterior.

"Teacher." Long Yao's voice remained calm, yet it carried an unquestionable firmness. "You're right. What we're facing truly is the rules of the entire world. But..."

He paused, and an unfathomable glint flashed through his tranquil eyes. "Rules are made by people. And since they are made by people, they can be... changed by people."

Zhou Yi abruptly turned around. For the first time, a faint spark ignited in her once-dead eyes. "Who do you think you are? You think that by yourself, you can..."

"Not by myself." Long Yao calmly interrupted her. "By us."

His gaze swept over everyone present before returning to Zhou Yi. "Teacher, we remember everything you've done for us. Today's humiliation wasn't ours alone. It was yours too. And we will never allow anyone—not even those so-called rule-makers—to trample on your dignity."

The classroom fell into brief silence. Moonlight spilled through the windows, bathing every face in silver and casting a sacred radiance over this moment of determination and promise.

Zhou Yi looked at the youth before her, at those calm yet unfathomable eyes, and a complicated emotion rose within her—one she could not understand even herself. It was shock, it was being moved, and more than that... it was long-lost hope.

Zhou Yi watched Long Yao give a formal bow filled with respect. At last, a faint, complex light flickered through her once-dead eyes. Her lips parted as though she wanted to say something, but in the end, she merely nodded lightly.

When Long Yao and the others turned to leave, Zhou Yi's thin figure looked especially lonely in the fading moonlight. She returned to the cold teacher's desk, but this time, her eyes no longer held utter despair. There was instead a vague... expectation.

Outside the classroom, Bei Bei was the first to follow them out. His Handsome Face was filled with complicated emotions. As the Tang Sect Senior Brother, he had seen many geniuses, but someone like Long Yao, possessing such bearing and responsibility at such a young age, was truly rare.

"Long Yao..." Bei Bei had just opened his mouth when Long Yao cut him off with a relaxed remark.

"Alright, the knot in our hearts has been untied for now. Let's go eat barbecue!" Long Yao changed the subject.

At the mention of barbecue, Tang Ya's delicate little face, which had gone somewhat pale from the heavy atmosphere, instantly seemed to come alive again, blooming with a brilliant smile.

"Yes, yes, barbecue!" She clapped excitedly, her beautiful Big Eyes sparkling. "That atmosphere just now was way too stifling. I was about to suffocate! Now we can finally relax properly!"

Huo Yuhao also let out a long breath. The heavy atmosphere in the classroom had indeed been too much for a youth his age. Now that he heard they could have barbecue, anticipation appeared on his handsome face as well.

"Brother Long Yao is right. We should relax." Huo Yuhao nodded. "And Teacher Zhou seemed to be doing a little better too."

Wang Dong had quietly remained by Long Yao's side, her sapphire-like eyes flickering with Complex Light. She could feel the invisible authority and power Long Yao had radiated in that classroom. It was not the presence an ordinary youth should possess, but something... far deeper.

Wang Dong softly agreed. Her voice was quiet, but it carried a tremor that only she herself could sense. She knew the person beside her was far more complicated than he appeared.

Looking at these young people, a Warm Current rose in Bei Bei's heart. Yes, they were still children. They should not have to bear such heavy burdens.

"Then let's set off now." Bei Bei smiled. "I'm treating today. Order whatever you want!"

"Wonderful!" Tang Ya cheered, then linked arms with Wang Dong. "Wang Dong, what do you want to eat? I know a barbecue restaurant in the city that's especially delicious. Their grilled beef is absolutely incredible!"

Infected by Tang Ya's enthusiasm, Wang Dong revealed a faint smile as well. "Anything is fine. I'm not picky."

"Then it's decided!" Bei Bei waved his hand grandly. "Let's go to the best barbecue restaurant in the city! We're not going home until we're drunk!"

"Huh? Bei Bei, when did you start drinking?" Tang Ya blinked slyly.

"I... I meant fruit juice!" Bei Bei blushed. "We're not going home until we're drunk on fruit juice!"

Everyone burst out laughing at Bei Bei's reaction. Even the usually composed Huo Yuhao could not help but let out a light laugh.

Just then, a burst of commotion came from the distance. They turned and saw Dai Huabin leading his Small Group over from the competition grounds, an exceedingly Proud smile on his face.

"Well, if it isn't Class One, the team that got disqualified?" Dai Huabin began mocking them from afar. "What, you still have the nerve to show your faces?"

Bei Bei's expression instantly darkened, while Huo Yuhao clenched his fists directly. Tang Ya's small face flushed red with anger as she prepared to step forward and argue.

However, Wang Dong gently shook her head at that moment, signaling everyone not to act rashly. Her gaze turned toward Long Yao, waiting for his response.

"Well, if it isn't that Spiritual Youth? You moron with a tumor growing out of your neck." Long Yao watched him approach and sneered. "What, did I drain all your Soul Power with a few spear strikes during the match, so now you've come back to humiliate yourself again?"

Those words, filled with utmost contempt and mockery, were like a barrel packed with high-grade explosive powder, its fuse already lit, hurled mercilessly into Dai Huabin's heart—a heart already swollen to the extreme with pride and arrogance after picking up a "championship" by chance.

"Boom—!!!!"

The blood drained completely from Dai Huabin's originally smug and arrogant Handsome Face the instant he heard the word "tumor." Then it was utterly replaced by an even more terrifying, liver-purple flush. His Ice Blue Eyes, always filled with a Sense of Superiority, now seemed to have been infused with two balls of savage, frenzied blood-red flame on the verge of completely losing control, glaring fixedly at the Cloud Light Wind Light youth!

"Wha... did... you... say?!"

He forced those murderous words out from between clenched teeth, one word at a time. His voice no longer carried its earlier arrogance and mockery. Instead, it was a low, beastlike growl from someone whose absolute Inverse Scale had been touched. Every muscle in his body tensed completely. His tailored Shrek Academy Uniform was even stretched to the point of letting out miserable, overwhelmed creaks as his muscles swelled with Explosive Power under his extreme rage.

The words "I drained all your Soul Power with a few spear strikes" were like a red-hot Sharp Blade, viciously stabbing into the heart already scarred deeply by his previous crushing defeat, then mercilessly twisting and shredding it. And the even more vicious words, "you moron with a tumor growing out of your neck," were the ultimate, most malicious, most unforgivable desecration of him, of the entire White Tiger Duke's Mansion, and of the White Tiger Martial Soul that had been passed down for millennia and symbolized Supreme Glory and Absolute Strength...

"You're courting death—!!!"

A deafening roar filled with towering fury exploded from Dai Huabin's mouth! He could no longer suppress the mad rage that was about to burn him to ashes! An incomparably powerful, terrifying golden-white Soul Power filled with savage and murderous intent erupted from his body like a volcano that had accumulated pressure for ages!

"Buzz—!"

Two dazzling Spirit Rings, a Yellow Hundred-Year Spirit Ring and a Purple Thousand-Year Spirit Ring, rose sharply from beneath his feet! A powerful, oppressive Soul Power storm swept wildly outward with him at its center! Behind him, the enormous, lifelike White Tiger phantom radiating kingly majesty emerged once more. Its tiger eyes, likewise filled with blood-red flames, locked tightly onto Long Yao. Its gaping maw opened as it released a silent roar that shook the forest, just as full of endless Killing Intent as its master's!

"Dai Huabin!"

Standing beside him was Zhu Lu, a tall young girl in a student uniform. She had a pretty face, but it carried a trace of meanness and coldness. Not only did she show no intention of stopping him, the corner of her lips even curled into a cold, gloating smile.

Her gaze passed over the enraged Dai Huabin and landed on Wang Dong's Exquisite Pretty Face, which appeared all the more radiant from anger, like the gazes of two cold venomous snakes.

"Hehe, some people lose a match and turn into Wild Cats whose tails have been stepped on. Is this all they can do? Use such lowly, shrewish insults to vent their resentment?"

Her voice was shrill and piercing, like a sharp awl stabbing viciously toward Wang Dong. "I wonder who it was that was so scared when facing that senior that they didn't dare say a single word. Yet now they're putting on airs in front of us 'champions'? How laughable."

The other two Class Two Students behind her stepped forward as well, forming a Pin Zi Shape attack formation with Dai Huabin, brimming with pressure. They too released their Martial Souls and Spirit Rings. The Soul Power Fluctuations emitted by their four Yellow Hundred-Year Spirit Rings intertwined with Dai Huabin's Soul Power, forming an even stronger, provocative pressure that bore down fiercely on Long Yao and the others!

A fierce conflict, ready to erupt at any moment, was about to break out on this noisy, bustling academy thoroughfare packed with people!

"Stop it, all of you!"

Bei Bei's gentle voice, filled with anxiety and anger, was like a barrier of reason, the first to block the Soul Power storm filled with savage aura!

He took a stride forward, standing directly in front of Long Yao. His usually refined Handsome Face was now covered in unprecedented gravity and coldness!

"Dai Huabin! This is the academy! It isn't the Back Garden where your family can run wild as you please! If you want to make a move here, ask yourself whether I'll allow it first!"

Before his words had even finished, his normally gentle eyes narrowed sharply! A similarly powerful, yet more condensed and purer blue-violet Soul Power filled with the power of lightning erupted from his body as well!

Two Yellow Hundred-Year Spirit Rings and two deeper, more powerful Purple Thousand-Year Spirit Rings rose abruptly from beneath his feet! The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon phantom, filled with dominance and majesty, appeared roaring behind him, confronting the Evil Eye White Tiger from afar!

"That's right! You want to fight?! Then I'll See it Through to the End!"

Tang Ya's fiery shout rang out as well! With a flash, she arrived at Bei Bei's other side. Her beautiful Big Eyes blazed like two burning flames as she glared fixedly at Zhu Lu!

"You sharp-tongued bitch! Did you eat several pounds of garlic or something?! Your mouth stinks that badly! Believe it or not, I'll use my Blue Silver Grass to sew that rotten mouth of yours into a chrysanthemum!"

She swung both hands fiercely, and two Yellow Hundred-Year Spirit Rings lit up beneath her! Strands of resilient Blue Silver Grass, glimmering with faint Blue Light, burst wildly from beneath her feet like living Spirit Snakes, swaying menacingly in the air!

Without another word, Huo Yuhao stood directly behind Long Yao. Though he did not release his Spirit Rings, his Ink Blue Eyes, usually filled with spiritual vitality, now resembled two bottomless, icy Cold Ponds. The faint golden light flickering in their deepest depths—a light belonging to a Million-Year Soul Beast and carrying Absolute Strength—made the clamoring Class Two Students opposite them instinctively feel an inexplicable palpitation rising from the Soul Depth.

In this gunpowder-filled, sword-drawn confrontation, the most eye-catching figure was neither Dai Huabin, who had completely gone berserk, nor Bei Bei and Tang Ya, who had instantly entered combat mode.

It was Wang Dong, who had remained quietly at Long Yao's side from beginning to end.

She did not curse loudly like Tang Ya.

She did not even say a single unnecessary word.

She merely took a small step forward.

Just one small step.

Yet it seemed to draw the center of the entire world toward her.

Her eyes, always as Dazzling as sapphires, were now like two pieces of ancient ice from the Far North—the deepest and coldest ice imaginable. Calm, yet filled with absolute, lofty indifference capable of freezing even souls completely.

Her gaze did not pause on Zhu Lu's face, distorted somewhat by jealousy and anger, for even a second.

She simply looked quietly at Dai Huabin, who had been completely overwhelmed by rage and was roaring like a beast.

"Buzz..."

A faint yet incomparably clear hum sounded quietly, as if countless beautiful butterflies were beating their wings at once, carrying the sacred and radiant meaning of light.

Two Spirit Rings, likewise a Hundred-Year and a Thousand-Year ring, yet even more brilliant and dazzling than Bei Bei's and brimming with Sacred Aura, rose sharply beneath her feet!

The enormous, gorgeous, nearly Semi-transparent Butterfly Wings belonging solely to the Light Goddess Butterfly slowly unfolded behind her slim, graceful form, glowing with dreamlike golden halos like holy light of judgment.

The light was neither scorching nor blinding.

Yet the pure, noble pressure within it, superior to all ordinary Martial Souls and filled with absolute suppression—the pressure of a top-tier Beast Martial Soul—pressed down on Dai Huabin's frenzied heart like an invisible, immense, immovable mountain!

"Defeated loser."

Her red lips parted slightly.

Her voice was cool and Pleasant to the Ear, like the sound of the purest mountain spring dripping upon smooth, beautiful gemstones.

Yet the absolute pride and disdain within that voice, undisguised, innate, and etched into her bones, was like a blade colder and sharper than any sword.

It stabbed viciously into Dai Huabin's already battered, fragile self-esteem once more.

"You're only fit to bark uselessly here."

"Enough. Don't waste time on them. Let's go."

That calm voice carried a detached indifference, as though those furious enemies before him were no more than noisy Cicada Songs by the roadside, not worth even a trace of his energy.

Hearing this, Wang Dong's sapphire eyes, which had been as cold and indifferent as polar ice, instantly softened. The gorgeous Light Goddess Butterfly Wings behind her slowly folded away, and her two dazzling Spirit Rings dimmed as well. She said nothing, merely nodded obediently before naturally walking to Long Yao's side. Her docile, compliant appearance was completely different from the arrogant, aloof, peerless Goddess of Light she had been moments ago.

Bei Bei looked at Long Yao, a Complex Light flashing through his eyes. He could sense the maturity and control in this youth, so utterly mismatched with his age. Though he had been provoked, though he possessed the absolute strength to crush his opponents, he could still choose to leave with such Cloud Light Wind Light composure. This State of Mind and breadth of vision made even Bei Bei, the Tang Sect Senior Brother, feel sincere admiration.

"Long Yao is right." Bei Bei gave Dai Huabin a deep look, one carrying a hint of warning. "Certain Jumping Clowns truly aren't worth wasting our time on."

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon phantom behind him slowly dissipated, and his three Spirit Rings faded away as well. Yet his restrained but powerful Soul Power Pressure remained as steady as a mountain, making those opposite him hesitate to act rashly.

Tang Ya pouted, and the dancing Blue Silver Grass obediently withdrew into the ground. She shot Zhu Lu a fierce glare. "Consider yourselves lucky! If I hear you badmouthing us again, I'll tear your mouths apart!"

Huo Yuhao silently put away the golden light in his eyes, but his Ink Blue Eyes continued to stare coldly at Dai Huabin, as if he wanted to carve the appearance of this enemy deeply into his heart.

Watching Long Yao's group prepare to leave, veins bulged across Dai Huabin's face, flushed red with rage. He clenched his fists tightly, every muscle in his body trembling. The fury he had suppressed to the limit nearly burned him to ashes.

"Don't think you can just leave like this!" Dai Huabin roared. "Long Yao! If you've got guts, fight me head-on! Don't hide behind women like a turtle shrinking into its shell!"

However, Long Yao did not even turn around to look at him. He simply continued walking forward, his back radiating a suffocating calm and indifference.

Seeing this, Zhu Lu's eyes flashed with malice. "Heh, so he really is trash who can only talk big. When faced with a real challenge, all he can do is run away?"

"Enough!" Bei Bei suddenly turned around, true anger igniting in his gentle eyes for the first time. "Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, don't go too far!"

"Too far?" Dai Huabin laughed wildly. "They insulted me first! And now they want to walk away? Not a chance!"

At that moment, a burst of hurried Footsteps came from the distance. Several Senior Students in Law Enforcement Team uniforms rushed over, led by a stern-faced young man.

"Stop! All of you, stop!" the Law Enforcement Team captain shouted. "Gathering to fight within the academy—do you want to be expelled?"

At the arrival of the Law Enforcement Team, Dai Huabin and the others immediately reined in their arrogance. Though their families were influential, they still did not dare be overly presumptuous before Shrek Academy's iron rules.

The Law Enforcement Team captain swept his gaze around before it finally fell on Long Yao. When he saw the Inspector's Token at Long Yao's waist, faintly emitting a special aura, his pupils shrank slightly. He then nodded respectfully.

"Students, disperse immediately. If you have disputes, resolve them through proper channels." The Law Enforcement Team captain's tone was stern, but it carried a clear trace of respect when he addressed Long Yao.

Long Yao nodded faintly before continuing onward. Wang Dong stayed close at his side, with Bei Bei, Tang Ya, and Huo Yuhao following behind.

Dai Huabin watched their departing backs, his fists clenched until they cracked. The fury in his eyes nearly took physical form. Yet under the Law Enforcement Team's watch, he could only helplessly watch his enemies leave.

"Long Yao..." Dai Huabin ground out the name through clenched teeth. "I'll remember this debt!"

Time: Douluo Calendar Year 2030 Season: Autumn Third Day of Enrollment 9:23 PM

Location: Shrek Academy, Central Plaza

Audience: 690,000

Equipment: Shrek Academy Uniform x1, True Vast Sea Ring (Divine Artifact), Student Emblem x1, Inspector's Token

Items: Shrek Academy Uniform x1, Dormitory Key x1

First Martial Soul: Soul Breaking Spear [Traits: Armor Breaking, Soul Devouring, Penetration]

Second Martial Soul: Chaos Holy Dragon (Hidden) [Traits: Strength, Time, Space]

Soul Power: Level 45 (Soul Ancestor) [Status: True Vast Sea Ring Shielding, External Perception at Level 24]

Spirit Rings: [Soul Breaking Spear] First Soul Ring (Yellow · Hundred-Year), Second Soul Ring (Purple · Thousand-Year), Third Soul Ring (Black · Ten-Thousand-Year), Fourth Soul Ring (Black · Ten-Thousand-Year)

[Chaos Holy Dragon] First Soul Ring (Black · Thirteen-Thousand-Year), Second Soul Ring (Black · Twenty-Eight-Thousand-Year), Third Soul Ring (Black · Forty-Six-Thousand-Year), Fourth Soul Ring (Rose Gold · Hundred-Thousand-Year)

Spirit Skills: [Soul Breaking Spear] First Spirit Skill: Swift Shadow Stab, Second Spirit Skill: Whirlwind Spear, Third Spirit Skill: Armor Breaking Spiral, Fourth Spirit Skill: Thousand Spirit Spear Rain

[Chaos Holy Dragon] First Spirit Skill: Star Ring, Second Spirit Skill: Holy Dragon Claw, Third Spirit Skill: Void Claw, Fourth Spirit Skill: Time and Space Roar

Soul Bones: None

Soul Spirits: None

Reward Stash: [Million-Year Spirit Beast Inverse Scale] x1, [Starlight Sapphire Brooch] x1, [Tsundere Princess Strategy Manual Platinum Edition] x1, [God-Bestowed Soul Ring (Hundred-Thousand-Year)] x1, [Spring of Life (Concentrated Liquid)] x1, [Calming Aromatherapy (Melting Snow Mountain)] x1, [Dragon Blood Body Tempering Pill] x10, [Space Storage Bracelet] x1, [God King Level Space Law Comprehension Crystal] x1, [Super Divine Artifact · Time and Space Wheel Fragment] x1, [God King Godhead (Incomplete)] x1, [Playful Rabbit Ear Headband] x2