Immovable King Must Bow His Head Too

Morning sunlight pierced the gloom over Nuoding City, yet it could not dispel the tension and fear permeating the academy.

The terrifying commotion on the back mountain last night, the clash between that soul-quaking evil aura and sacred pressure, and Dai Mubai being discovered at dawn, tossed like a dead dog outside the Star Luo Embassy with all his meridians shattered and reduced to a complete cripple... It all exploded like silent thunder in the hearts of everyone who knew.

The Holy Son of Spirit Hall had been attacked! A Star Luo prince had colluded with an Evil Soul Master—the official explanation! A covert clash at the level of a Titled Douluo, perhaps even stronger!

The news seemed to grow wings, spreading madly at a terrifying speed through Nuoding City's upper circles and within the academy, bringing deathly fear and turbulent speculation. Every gaze, open or covert, converged on the seemingly peaceful dormitory building at the back mountain.

The third-floor corridor had long since been cleaned up, as though nothing had happened last night. Yet that invisible sense of oppression was more suffocating than any bloodstain.

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's doors remained tightly shut. It was not until late morning that Yang Yu's door finally opened.

He had changed into clean black martial attire, his expression calm, as if he had merely slept well last night. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing emerged behind him.

Ning Rongrong's little face was still somewhat pale. Her gaze darted about, and she did not dare look at where the battle had taken place in the corridor last night. Instinctively, she stayed close behind Yang Yu like a chick seeking shelter. Zhu Zhuqing remained as cold as ever, but deep within those shadowy eyes was an indescribable gravity and... determination that had not been there before. The terrifying confrontation last night, far beyond anything she could comprehend, along with Yang Yu's final cold words—"Finished watching the show?"—had struck like a heavy hammer, ruthlessly shattering her last trace of wishful thinking. The only way forward was to follow the man before her. Only then was there a sliver of hope for survival.

Just as the three reached the staircase, a burly figure like an iron tower blocked their path like a guardian deity.

The man was enormous and powerfully built, his knotted muscles nearly bursting through his teacher's uniform. He had a thick beard, hair standing on end like steel needles, and bloodshot eyes as large as bells. His gaze was terrifyingly dark, while an aura like a volcano on the verge of eruption radiated from his entire body. It was Shrek Academy's vice principal, the Immovable King, Zhao Wuji!

He had clearly rushed here overnight after receiving the news. Dai Mubai was a student he had watched grow up. Though he was a playboy, his talent was exceptional, yet he had now been crippled in Nuoding City! Tang San had also been severely wounded and fallen unconscious before being taken away by Spirit Hall! That useless Yu Xiaogang had done nothing but tremble! This was practically a slap in Zhao Wuji's face! A slap in Shrek Academy's face!

Though he was wary of the Holy Son of Spirit Hall's identity, his rage at someone harming his student and his overbearing nature ultimately overwhelmed his reason!

"Stop!" Zhao Wuji's voice boomed like muffled thunder, filled with undisguised fury and oppression. His massive body nearly sealed off the entire stairway, and his vicious gaze locked firmly onto Yang Yu. "Brat! Did you do this to Dai Mubai and Tang San?!"

Terrifying Soul Power pressure crushed down like something tangible! Ning Rongrong's face went deathly pale. She cried out and tightly gripped Yang Yu's arm. Zhu Zhuqing instantly activated Martial Soul Possession, the phantom of a Hell Spirit Cat flashing into view. Her gaze sharpened as she stepped in front and to the side of Yang Yu, despite knowing it was useless.

Yang Yu gently patted the back of Ning Rongrong's hand, signaling her to let go. He stepped forward, shielding Zhu Zhuqing slightly behind him as well, and calmly met Zhao Wuji's nearly murderous glare.

"Teacher Zhao," Yang Yu said, his voice completely devoid of emotion, "Dai Mubai colluded with an Evil Soul Master and ambushed this Holy Son last night. The evidence was conclusive, so he was executed on the spot. As for Tang San, he aided in the attack, was captured after being seriously injured, and is currently under investigation. Do you have any objections?"

"Bullshit!" Zhao Wuji flew into a rage, spittle spraying everywhere. "How could Mubai possibly collude with Evil Soul Masters? It was clearly you, you little bastard, abusing your power to bully others and acting viciously! And Tang San too! Today, I'll seek justice for him!"

Boom! Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black! Seven terrifying soul rings instantly rose beneath Zhao Wuji's feet! The vast pressure of a Soul Sage erupted without restraint! The entire staircase hummed as dust rained down from the walls! Like an enraged giant bear, he was about to seize Yang Yu!

"Zhao Wuji."

A cold, bewitching voice laced with threads of chill sounded silently behind Zhao Wuji, like a venomous snake.

Zhao Wuji's huge body suddenly stiffened! Every hair on his body stood on end! An extremely frigid and terrifying aura, like maggots clinging to bone, silently wrapped around his neck like an invisible shadow, plunging him into an icy abyss!

With great difficulty, he slowly turned his head.

In the shadows below the staircase stood a handsome yet seductive man in crimson ceremonial robes. An eerie smile hung on his face as he leisurely toyed with a golden Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. Along the edges of its petals flowed a sharp, icy gleam capable of cutting through space.

Yue Guan! Chrysanthemum Douluo!

"Gulp." Zhao Wuji's throat bobbed as he swallowed with difficulty. Cold sweat instantly covered his forehead. It was as though his fury had been drenched by a basin of ice water, extinguished in an instant and leaving behind only boundless terror! A Titled Douluo! A Titled Douluo was personally serving as this brat's bodyguard?!

"You intend..." Yue Guan lifted his eyelids. There was no amusement in his peach-blossom eyes, only cold killing intent. "...to lay hands on the Holy Son of my Spirit Hall?"

As the final two words left his lips, the concentrated pressure of a Titled Douluo descended upon Zhao Wuji like an invisible mountain!

Thud! Zhao Wuji's powerful body could not withstand the terrifying pressure at all. His knees buckled, and he crashed heavily to the floor! The sturdy wooden stairs groaned under the strain and nearly shattered! His face turned paper-white, his entire body trembling violently. He could not even raise his head! Before a true Titled Douluo, this Immovable King was no more than a paper tiger!

"D-Don't dare..." Zhao Wuji forced the words out through clenched teeth, his voice hoarse and trembling with terror. He finally understood just how terrifyingly influential this seemingly young Holy Son was! Standing up for Dai Mubai? That would be seeking death!

"Don't dare?" Yue Guan slowly approached Zhao Wuji and looked down at the kneeling man. The golden petal at his fingertips lightly brushed across Zhao Wuji's thick beard. Wherever it passed, several strands of beard silently snapped and drifted to the ground. "I think you dared quite a lot... Zhao Wuji."

Zhao Wuji was so terrified that his soul nearly scattered and his spirit dissipated. He repeatedly knocked his head against the floor. "Please forgive me, Your Excellency Chrysanthemum Douluo! Zhao was blind and ignorant! I offended His Highness the Holy Son! Zhao deserves death! I deserve death!"

Yue Guan snorted coldly and withdrew the petal. He turned toward Yang Yu, and a respectful smile instantly piled onto his face. "Your Highness, how should this brute be dealt with?"

Yang Yu calmly swept his gaze over Zhao Wuji, who was kneeling on the ground and trembling like a leaf, as though looking at an ant.

"A Star Luo prince colluded with Evil Soul Masters within Nuoding Academy territory and attempted to assassinate this Holy Son. The academy's security was utterly useless, while the Dean was excessively close to his teacher, Yu Xiaogang, and is suspected of involvement." Yang Yu's voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable authority. "Zhao Wuji, as vice principal, you cannot escape responsibility."

Zhao Wuji's body shook even harder.

"Considering that your cultivation was not easily attained, I will allow you to remain alive and atone for your crimes." Yang Yu changed the subject. "From this day onward, Nuoding Academy will be formally taken over by Spirit Hall. The former principal and Dean will be suspended pending investigation. You will temporarily manage all academy affairs and report directly to Elder Yue Guan. If anything goes wrong again..."

Yang Yu did not finish, but the icy killing intent sent Zhao Wuji plunging into an abyss of frost!

"Yes! Yes! Thank you, Your Highness the Holy Son, for sparing my life! Zhao will certainly serve with all his heart and strength! I will never dare make another mistake!" Zhao Wuji repeatedly kowtowed, as if he had seized a lifeline. Being allowed to keep his life was already an enormous blessing. How could he dare resist in the slightest?

"Get lost." Yang Yu waved a hand.

Zhao Wuji felt as though he had received a pardon. He scrambled to his feet, not daring to look back, and staggered away from the place that had filled him with terror.

Watching Zhao Wuji's miserable retreating figure, Yue Guan's lips curved into a mocking smile. "At least that stupid bear knows what's good for him."

Yang Yu said nothing and led Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing downstairs. He knew that after this, Nuoding Academy was completely under his control. Zhao Wuji was a somewhat foolish chess piece, but he would still be useful for temporarily stabilizing the situation.

Over the following days, the atmosphere at Nuoding Academy became even stranger. Zhao Wuji truly became "wholeheartedly devoted." He decisively tightened academy discipline, expelling or warning every teacher and student who voiced even the slightest complaint about Yang Yu. He vigorously promoted Spirit Hall's "benevolence" and the Holy Son's "magnanimity," completely defining the Dai Mubai incident as "a conspiracy by the Star Luo Imperial Family and Evil Soul Masters." Though anyone with eyes knew what had happened, under Spirit Hall's absolute authority and Zhao Wuji's forceful suppression, no one dared discuss it openly again.

After that night, Yu Xiaogang seemed to vanish from the face of the earth. No one knew where he had gone. Some said he had feared being implicated and secretly fled. Others claimed they had seen him heading to the back mountain late at night, never to emerge again.

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's special training continued every day. After the fright that night and the morning confrontation, Ning Rongrong seemed genuinely scared out of her wits. She became much more obedient during training. Though she still complained of hardship and exhaustion, she no longer dared slack off or play tricks, and her Soul Power control improved rapidly. Zhu Zhuqing grew even quieter and more desperate in her efforts, as though venting all her fear and unease through cultivation. Her strength steadily advanced toward level thirty.

Xiao Wu became even more "thoughtful" and "dependent" toward Ning Rongrong, remaining almost inseparable from her. She used every possible excuse to inquire about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Aromatic Silk Beauty, while the longing in her eyes became increasingly difficult to hide.

As for Yang Yu, aside from supervising the two girls' training each day, he spent most of his time in his room. Before him floated the increasingly solid silver Soul Tool Rune. At its center, the phantom of an Aromatic Silk Beauty, like seven-colored glazed crystal, had become so clear it seemed nearly tangible, even emitting a faint, intoxicating fragrance.

"Almost ready..." Yang Yu looked at the perfect phantom, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes. The bait was tempting enough. It was time to cast it.

That evening, after special training ended, Ning Rongrong was so exhausted she nearly collapsed. She sat on the ground without a trace of decorum, panting heavily. Zhu Zhuqing was likewise drenched in fragrant sweat as she sat cross-legged to regulate her breathing.

Yang Yu walked before them and swept his gaze across their exhausted yet resolute faces before slowly speaking. "Your progress is acceptable."

Receiving even an "acceptable" evaluation from Yang Yu made Ning Rongrong feel somewhat flattered. She blinked her large eyes as she looked at him.

With a flick of his wrist, Yang Yu produced the silver rune containing the perfect phantom of an Aromatic Silk Beauty. It rested in his palm, radiating dreamlike seven-colored light and a strange fragrance.

"Aromatic Silk Beauty." Yang Yu's voice carried an uncanny enchantment. "An Immortal Grade Herb. It can cleanse the meridians and marrow, repair the origin, and enhance potential. It has remarkable effects on the Martial Soul flaw of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda. It is also crucial for the hidden injuries and fractures in the origin of the Hell Spirit Cat."

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's breathing stopped at the same instant! Their gazes locked onto the breathtakingly beautiful seven-colored flower at the rune's center, and irrepressible longing burst from their eyes!

Ning Rongrong wanted to free herself from the vulnerability of an auxiliary-system Soul Master and truly take control of her own destiny! Zhu Zhuqing wanted to completely heal her hidden injuries, repair her origin, and gain the strength to break free from every shackle!

This Immortal Herb carried far too much significance for them!

"It is in the treasure vault of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect." Yang Yu's voice was like a devil's whisper. "But only the sect masters of each generation know its exact location. Ning Fengzhi may not be willing to use it so easily."

The light in Ning Rongrong's eyes dimmed for a moment, but then fire reignited within them. "I'll go beg Father! He'll definitely give it to me!"

"And if he doesn't?" Yang Yu asked.

Ning Rongrong choked on her words. Based on what she knew of her father, he truly would not easily give away such a sect-defending treasure, especially not to his "unruly" daughter.

A hint of gloom also flashed through Zhu Zhuqing's cold eyes.

"You cannot get it by waiting." Yang Yu put away the rune, his voice calm but filled with unquestionable force. "If you want it, take it yourselves."

"Take it ourselves?" Ning Rongrong froze. "But... the treasure vault is heavily guarded, and there's Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone..."

"Which is why you need a plan." Yang Yu's gaze swept over both girls. "In one month, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will hold its annual ceremony. The crowds will be complicated then. It will be the only opportunity."

He looked at Ning Rongrong. "You need to draw a detailed map of the treasure vault's interior, especially the guard rotation patterns and the locations of every restriction."

Then he looked at Zhu Zhuqing. "Your task is to infiltrate and obtain it. With the speed and concealment abilities of your Hell Spirit Cat, along with my cover, you have a chance."

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's hearts began pounding wildly at once! Steal their own sect's treasure?! This... this was insane!

Yet as they looked at Yang Yu's calm eyes, which seemed capable of controlling everything, and felt their bodies' thirst for strength, the hesitation in their eyes was gradually replaced by resolve!

"I-I'll draw it!" Ning Rongrong nodded fiercely, her little face filled with all-or-nothing determination. "I know there's an air vent on the west side of the treasure vault. I climbed in through it when I was little because I was curious! I even secretly saw Father's guard deployment map!"

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing. She only clenched her fist tightly, a resolute flame burning in her cold eyes. To heal her hidden injuries, for strength, and to escape her fate, she was willing to take the risk!

"Good." Yang Yu nodded in satisfaction. "For this next month, I will give you targeted special training. Rongrong, your main focus will be spiritual perception and memory replication. Zhuqing, your focus will be stealth, concealment, and extreme speed."

His gaze sharpened. "Remember, you only get one chance. If you fail, you know the consequences."

The two girls' hearts tightened, and they nodded heavily.

Just then, Yang Yu seemed to sense something. He glanced toward the shadows around the corner of the corridor, and an imperceptible curve rose at the corner of his lips.

A small pink tail had just drawn back in alarm.

The fish... was finally about to take the bait.

That night, Xiao Wu paced back and forth in her room like an ant on a hot pan. She had overheard them! Yang Yu and the others were actually going to steal the Aromatic Silk Beauty in one month! That was her only hope of survival! She had to join them! She had to get it first!

But... how could she join? Yang Yu clearly had no intention of bringing her along!

Anxiety, terror, longing... all sorts of emotions nearly devoured her.

Just then, there was a soft knock on her door.

Xiao Wu jumped in fright and asked nervously, "Who is it?"

"It's me." Zhu Zhuqing's cold voice came from outside.

Xiao Wu froze. Zhu Zhuqing? What was she doing here? After hesitating for a moment, she still opened the door.

Zhu Zhuqing stood at the doorway. In the night, her face appeared even colder and fairer. She looked at Xiao Wu and got straight to the point, lowering her voice to nearly a whisper.

"Do you want to survive? Do you want to completely eliminate the danger of a soul beast taking human form?"

Xiao Wu's pupils contracted sharply, and her heart began racing!

Zhu Zhuqing continued coldly, "In one month, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's treasure vault. There is more than one Aromatic Silk Beauty."

"If you want one, prove your worth. I need an assistant who can create chaos outside and draw away attention."

After saying that, Zhu Zhuqing spoke no further. She turned and merged into the night, disappearing from sight.

Xiao Wu stood dumbly in the doorway, her entire body trembling faintly with excitement and fear.

An opportunity! Zhu Zhuqing had given her an opportunity!

Though it was dangerous, this was her only hope!

She clenched her fists tightly, and a flash of crazed determination passed through her ruby-like eyes.

"I'll definitely get it... no matter the cost!"