Qian Gu Qingfeng and Xia Zheng Leng's Fury, Forcibly Stripping Cai Yue'er's Soul!

But all that was still too far away. After collecting his reward, Nan Liujing immediately told Leng Yaozhu about Xu Cang.

Leng Yaozhu smiled disdainfully and merely told him not to worry.

After bidding farewell to his teacher, Nan Liujing hurried toward the entrance of the Heavenly Spirit Tower.

"Let's go." Nan Liujing spoke to Ye Xinglan, who was sitting on the sofa.

The two walked side by side, passing through the crowds moving through the lobby.

The setting sun gilded Shrek City's outline with a flowing golden edge. Traffic gradually began to build up along the bustling streets.

They hailed a car and headed straight for Huo Yuhao's Grilled Fish, the restaurant with a soul.

By the time they arrived, the place was already packed inside and out. The tantalizing aroma of grilled fish drifted down the old alleyways, tempting every passerby.

As this was their first true time alone together, Ye Xinglan's smile was noticeably brighter than usual.

But when she thought of her future rival developing faster than she was, she suddenly lost her appetite.

"Nan Liujing, what kind of girl do you like?" Ye Xinglan listlessly pinched her straw, gently stirring the bright red watermelon juice inside.

Why were you asking me this too? Nan Liujing glanced at her and asked in return, "Then what kind of guy do you like?"

"Someone like you."

Ye Xinglan actually answered, as swift, precise, and ruthless as the way she wielded her sword.

But the moment those words left her lips, both Nan Liujing and Ye Xinglan froze as though struck by lightning.

With Nan Liujing's sharp eyes, it was easy for him to see a flush swiftly spread across Ye Xinglan's snow-white cheeks.

Seemingly realizing she had let something slip, Ye Xinglan instantly entered battle mode and relentlessly devoured fish, deaf to everything around her.

Nan Liujing watched her for a while before finally saying, "You've nearly sucked all the bones clean off that fish. Let's order a few more. We can afford it."

Ye Xinglan's pretty face was so red it seemed ready to drip blood. She could only lower her head and mumble, "Mm."

Even after they paid the bill, she never got the answer she wanted from Nan Liujing.

The moment they stepped out of the lively grilled fish restaurant, a cool evening breeze blew toward them.

The fresh air quickly relaxed them.

"There's a park nearby. Want to take a walk?" Since the words were already out and could not be taken back, Ye Xinglan instead felt more at ease. She smiled and asked Nan Liujing.

"Then let's go." Nan Liujing quickened his pace.

"Wait for me." Ye Xinglan hurried after him on her long legs.

As they walked, Nan Liujing casually bought two ice creams.

Whenever they passed tiled pavement with square patterns, Ye Xinglan would try hopping across it.

"When did you learn hopscotch?" Nan Liujing curiously asked as he watched the girl beneath the hazy streetlights, her golden hair flowing like tassels.

Ye Xinglan successfully finished a round and smiled. "I learned it online. It's my first time trying it. So? Pretty talented, right?"

"Damn right you are!" Nan Liujing nearly gave her a thumbs-up.

Ye Xinglan proudly lifted her pale chin, then noticed Nan Liujing staring intently at her legs.

"What are you looking at?" Her face reddened. It was an age of such advanced internet access that she knew some people had a special thing for stockings, and she happened to be wearing white tights today.

Well, well, Nan Liujing. Who would've thought you were into that?

"Didn't you notice the tiles weren't fitted tightly together while you were hopping? Friendly reminder: it rained last night." Nan Liujing glanced at her ankle, now stained with muddy water.

"What?" Ye Xinglan was startled. Looking down, her vision immediately went dark.

My white stockings!

They've turned into black stockings!

Laughing and bickering all the way, the two soon arrived at a modest-sized park.

Singing drifted from nearby, where a group of women in their fifties and sixties, dressed in matching outfits, performed a neatly synchronized dance.

A group of children played on skateboards in the open area. The park's wooded paths were also filled with people taking walks to aid their digestion.

The downside of the small park was that the two quickly finished exploring it. In the end, they simply found a bench and sat down. What puzzled Ye Xinglan was that there were clearly many nearby residents, and plenty of pedestrians had been passing by just moments ago, so why had everyone suddenly vanished?

Not only that, but the light around them seemed to have taken on a faint silver tint. Yet the moon was obscured by clouds and mist, with no moonlight leaking through at all.

"I'm so tired." As she watched, Ye Xinglan suddenly leaned against Nan Liujing's shoulder. Her eyes closed as though she had fallen asleep.

Nan Liujing's gaze sharpened. Directly in front of the bench, water in a pool began to rise and gather, turning into a bright silver glow that vaguely condensed toward a blurry silhouette.

The figure grew clearer and clearer, stepping out from the pool and gradually taking the form of an elderly woman.

She stood not far from Nan Liujing. Strands of silver light rose behind her head and finally transformed into a silver moon, bathing the nearby vegetation in a faint glow.

"In this world, there are two kinds of Evil Soul Masters. One is born that way, while the other gradually reveals such traits as they grow."

The elderly woman soon spoke, her voice devoid of emotion.

Her gaze looked down imperiously upon Nan Liujing.

"The former must be eliminated with thunderous measures. The latter must have any possibility of becoming an Evil Soul Master extinguished, so that peace may be restored to the world."

"You should be grateful that I am correcting you before you cause a great disaster."

Nan Liujing shifted slightly, making Ye Xinglan more comfortable against him, then chuckled.

"You keep calling me an Evil Soul Master. What, can Shrek Academy just casually slander someone as an Evil Soul Master and then attack them? What kind of logic is that?"

"The name Shrek Academy is logic enough!"

With her identity exposed in a single sentence, Cai Yue'er, who had been putting on this little show alone, froze for a moment. Veins bulged on her forehead as she snorted coldly. The bright moon behind her released countless threadlike rays of light, all shooting toward Nan Liujing.

I had intended to leave you some leeway for the future, but now, as long as there is even the slightest possibility that you might stray down the wrong path, I must cut it off!

Bang!

When the light threads were still a full two meters away from Nan Liujing, they seemed to strike an invisible wall that could never be breached and stopped in midair.

Cai Yue'er's expression changed dramatically. To her horror, she discovered that the Soul Power she had released seemed to have sunk into a mire, making it extraordinarily difficult to withdraw.

As she stood there in shock, a forceful and resounding melody drifted over. Heaven and earth seemed to turn upside down, like an illusion reflected in water, sending faint ripples spreading outward.

Under the sound of that music, Cai Yue'er discovered in terror that her soul seemed about to be stripped from her body.

"Soundwave Soul Skill!"

A flash of silver light flickered across her forehead as she prepared to summon her battle armor.

However, at the point where the light threads had struck the invisible wall, space shattered. Endless darkness surged forth like a raging flood. Before Cai Yue'er's pupils, shrunk to pinpricks, a heavy, ancient halberd emerged from the darkness, its sharp tip pressed directly against her brow. A terrifying force of Soul Power forcibly drove her battle armor back.

"Let's see how Yun Ming and Shrek Academy plan to ransom you back this time."

A chilling, murderous voice rang out. To Nan Liujing's surprise as well, a tall and powerfully built figure stepped out of the darkness, one hand clamping fiercely over Cai Yue'er's head.

A rank ninety-six Super Douluo, a Three-word Battle Armor Master, was unable to put up the slightest resistance. Like a fish awaiting slaughter, she was firmly seized.

"Hmph." Qian Gu Qingfeng snorted. His palm turned pitch-black and directly sank into Cai Yue'er's body. Then, he forcibly pulled out an illusory figure of light.

It was Cai Yue'er's soul!

With her soul torn from her body, Cai Yue'er truly panicked and let out a shrill scream.

"Qian Gu Qingfeng, are you trying to start a war between Shrek Academy and the Spirit Pagoda?"

"War?" Another cold snort rang out. Beside Nan Liujing, a beautiful middle-aged woman appeared, her temperament as cold as dark ice. She walked to Qian Gu Qingfeng's side and stared directly at Cai Yue'er.

"Then I would like to see whether Shrek Academy would go to war with the Spirit Pagoda over you!"

As soon as she spoke, the beautiful woman swept her left hand. Though no instrument was present, music suddenly rang out and shot into the heavens before exploding across the vast sky.

Surging soundwaves rushed in every direction, tearing apart the clouds and twisting space. It was as though an aurora had descended, only stopping beyond Shrek Academy.

Before the astonished gazes of countless people at Shrek Academy, two streaks of light flew out from the inner court like lightning.