The Teacher Who Was Knocked Down

Though the blow had felt hard, Zhongli had deliberately relaxed himself. His body was simply far too tough, but that was not a problem. Now, Zhongli had a perfectly legitimate reason to AFK.

After all, Chi Tianxiang had used an injury-for-injury exchange. Given Zhongli's apparent strength, there was no way to deal with it—it was clearly a matter of overwhelming raw power. But... if Chi Tianxiang failed to recognize what was good for him, Zhongli would get right back up and beat him senseless!

Not far away, Golden Crocodile Douluo watched the battle from afar. His brows furrowed slightly before relaxing as he silently thought, Just as I expected, Zhongli himself isn't that strong. After he was knocked down, the shield around Mo Yuqing still hadn't disappeared. I heard that Chi Tianxiang also seemed rather puzzled as he stared at his own fist...

So there was only one truth!

That shield wasn't Zhongli's ability at all—it belonged to the dragon on him. Chi Tianxiang had felt something was off because the shield had originally been extremely strong, yet it had inexplicably shattered on its own.

That brat was acting. In reality, he hadn't been hurt much at all! Who knew whether that big idiot had noticed? If he foolishly attacked again, hehe...

"Ha!"

A purple slash erupted instantly, but Chi Tianxiang blocked it with ease. Looking at Mo Yuqing's grave expression, a smile slowly curled across his lips as he viciously slapped toward her in midair with his other hand.

"Flying Thunder Mark Second Stage!"

Mo Yuqing accelerated away at once, but she was still grazed by the attack. Even so, the strike merely dimmed her shield slightly instead of shattering it, and it only made her flee faster.

Something's wrong. The shield is tougher than before!

Chi Tianxiang frowned slightly. The previous shield had shattered at the slightest touch, but this time, even after he struck it with force, it had not immediately broken. Its toughness was clearly far greater than before.

Something's off about Zhongli!

After thinking briefly, he turned to look at Zhongli, who was lying on the ground and AFKing. His thoughts began to race again. Did he really pass out? No, something's wrong. If he's unconscious, why does Mo Yuqing still have a shield on her? Didn't he cast that shield? Could it be unrelated to him once it has been released? Then why is this shield stronger than the one around him?

"Flying Thunder Mark!"

Mo Yuqing lightly bit her lip and once again flung several Flying Thunder Marks around her, preparing for the coming exchange of offense and defense. At the same time, she glanced at Zhongli lying on the ground, and a determined look gradually appeared on her face.

He trades injuries for injuries. I need to be careful!

Moreover, Chi Tianxiang had only used his Second Soul Skill so far. It could be said that he had been holding back considerably. It was just that his Soul Power level and physical strength were too high; even using only his Second Soul Skill, he could still crush her through sheer attributes.

"Flying Thunder Mark Second Stage!"

Mo Yuqing's speed abruptly increased as she began circling Chi Tianxiang. While running, she set down new Flying Thunder Marks around the area, preparing for the difficult battle ahead.

This little girl's Soul Skill is easy enough to understand. Marks that can provide directional acceleration for a short period, with very little consumption. Instant acceleration in battle is quite useful too.

Chi Tianxiang smiled. As Mo Yuqing took the initiative and swung her blade at him, he tensed his muscles and lowered his body slightly, extending both hands forward as though he were ready to counterattack the moment she struck.

This was not a tactic specifically aimed at Mo Yuqing. This was simply the kind of Soul Master he was, and this was his specialty. After all, his Soul Skills were all focused on slowing enemies and strengthening his defense. Against opponents of the same level, it was difficult for him to land a direct hit unless they chose to confront him head-on.

Zhongli, sprawled on the ground, secretly opened one eye and quietly watched Mo Yuqing fight. As for why the shield was still there... he could patch up the setting later. Those teachers did not know anyway, so he could just bluff his way through it. Whether they believed him or not did not matter; they could not decide anything.

That rotten old man is still spying on me, and his gaze has been fixed on me the whole time. If you say he hasn't noticed anything... even WangSheng Funeral Parlor's clients wouldn't believe it!

What would he think?

What should I do?

Zhongli's eyes suddenly met the old man's. His heart skipped a beat, but there was not the slightest trace of fear on his face. Instead, he met the old man's gaze directly. He could not back down. If he backed down now, things would only become harder for him later. Nor could he show fear. Looking straight at the old man watching him was undoubtedly a display of confidence.

People with confidence were more likely to be feared.

And the result of that exchange of looks was... Chi Tianxiang began contemplating life as well.

Elsewhere, Although Mo Yuqing's battle strategy was not bad, her actual combat experience was far too lacking. Before long, Chi Tianxiang captured her directly. He forcibly wrapped his arms around the shield surrounding Mo Yuqing, gradually exerting strength with both hands as his terrifying gaze fixed on her panicked face.

Then... then...

The shield did not change in the slightest!

Because Zhongli was busy exchanging looks with Golden Crocodile Douluo and engaging in a battle of wits from afar, he had forgotten to deactivate the shield for the moment. Since he had not turned it off, and the shield had a great deal of durability left, then...

"Hah... ah!"

Chi Tianxiang widened his eyes and strained with all his might. In just three seconds, he had pushed his strength to its peak, yet the shield before him still showed no sign of breaking. It merely looked slightly dimmer, but that was only the normal visual effect of being attacked.

Hm, Mo Yuqing got caught?

Zhongli, who was AFKing, gradually frowned. This situation was difficult to handle, because Chi Tianxiang was using a crushing bear hug. If he canceled the shield, what if Mo Yuqing inside got hurt? Who knew whether this guy could control his strength properly? Zhongli would not gamble on Mo Yuqing getting injured based on someone else's self-control.

But it would also be troublesome if the shield did not break.

Just then...

"Ding!"

A crisp sound rang out. Chi Tianxiang's face instantly turned incomparably ugly, and his arms lost their former strength, dropping limply to his sides as his body began trembling uncontrollably.

Looking down, Mo Yuqing had swung her blade upward from below, striking the muscular man's vital spot dead-on. However, with the enhancement from his Second Soul Skill, his defense had not been directly broken. It merely hurt him so badly that he wished he were dead.

It was a pain that came from the very root!

"Huff... huff..."

Mo Yuqing gripped her blade with both hands and panted heavily, staring tensely at Chi Tianxiang, whose legs were trembling before her. The corners of her lips gradually rose, while a bead of cold sweat rolled down from her forehead.

Her mother had once told her that when no other effective means of resistance could be found, she should attack the root's vital spot with all her strength. Just a small amount of damage could produce an excellent result.

Thank you, Mom. It really works!

"Ah... ngh... oh... sss..."

Chi Tianxiang, who had originally projected the image of a tough man, could barely stand steady now. His expression was incredibly complicated, his hands loosely cupped around his "root," his body trembling violently as he let out a series of incomprehensible noises.

"Smack~"

The shield around Mo Yuqing shattered. In that instant, most of the sense of security in her heart vanished. Her grip on the blade tightened sharply, and her eyes became as sharp as a hawk's as she stared fixedly at Chi Tianxiang's vital areas, silently calculating in her heart.

He's far too strong. He's just too dangerous for me... Should I give him another slash? If he comes to his senses, I'm finished!

"Ah~"

Not only did Chi Tianxiang's pain fail to fade with time, it instead became like strong liquor, growing richer and more intense as time passed. The effect of his second Spirit Ring vanished, and his Martial Soul Avatar state disappeared along with it. Two tears even rolled down from his eyes.

He truly could not withstand this kind of damage!

This was practically a critical hit to the soul!