Huo Yu Hao clenched his fists, his knuckles turning faintly white from the force. Having suffered endless oppression in the Duke's estate since childhood, he despised this kind of high-and-mighty attitude most. Though he knew his Soul Power was inferior to hers, he refused to bow his head so easily. "Fine, let's try it. Let's go outside."
Sensing Huo Yu Hao's stubbornness, a flash of surprise and anger passed through Wang Dong's large pink-blue eyes. She retorted coldly, "Fine. Let's see what you're capable of!"
Lin Yuan stood to one side, looking at the two of them with a helpless sigh. Huo Yu Hao and Wang Dong, this future couple, were already full of gunpowder on their first day together. They really were fated in an unprecedented way.
"I still don't know your name." Wang Dong's tone was laced with contempt.
Huo Yu Hao refused to back down. "Shouldn't you introduce yourself before asking someone else's name?"
Wang Dong shrugged and said indifferently, "My name is Wang Dong. Remember it."
"My name is Huo Yu Hao."
Wang Dong smiled faintly and suddenly stepped closer. "Very good. I think your name will soon disappear from Shrek Academy. Let's go, idiot." With that, she turned and headed out first.
Huo Yu Hao gritted his teeth and quickly followed. Though he knew his combat ability was weak, he would never allow others to bully him, especially when the other person would be his roommate for at least the next year. As he passed Lin Yuan, he paused and said apologetically, "Lin Yuan, sorry for making you watch this."
Looking at Huo Yu Hao's tense profile, Lin Yuan gently shook his head. "It's fine. But if you really fight, remember not to hurt the harmony between you." There was a hint of teasing in his words, but a trace of understanding hid in his eyes. This first clash between these happy enemies was even more heated than in the original story.
Shrek Academy covered a vast area, with broad open spaces between its buildings. After the two left the dormitory, Wang Dong stopped in the open ground outside and turned to curl a finger at Huo Yu Hao.
Fury blazed in Huo Yu Hao's chest, but he did not rashly charge forward. The life-and-death trials in the Star Dou Great Forest had taught him to remain calm and composed.
At that moment, Lin Yuan slowly stepped between them. His silver hair gleamed faintly beneath the morning light, and an absent-minded smile rested in his purple eyes. He raised a hand and lightly placed it on Huo Yu Hao's shoulder, guiding him half a step back. Then he turned his gaze to Wang Dong, a subtle amusement entering his voice. "Student Wang Dong, rather than competing with Huo Yu Hao, why not let me try with you? Your strengths aren't equal. What would be the point even if you won?"
Wang Dong's gaze sharpened. She could clearly sense the pressure around Lin Yuan—seemingly gentle, yet enough to make her Martial Soul tremble faintly. That unfamiliar, instinctive wariness did not make her retreat. Her youthful pride remained intact. "You want to stand up for him? Fine. But don't deny it if you lose."
At the entrance to the freshman dormitory building, Mu En, reclining in a lounge chair, slightly raised his head. A curious glint flashed through his dim yellow eyes as he watched the three with great interest.
"I wouldn't go back on my word." Lin Yuan chuckled, turning sideways to make space. "You set the rules. Soul Power, soul skills, or actual combat?"
Wang Dong stared at Lin Yuan, her eyes full of vigilance and refusal to yield. "Then let's compare martial arts. That would be fairer for both of us."
Lin Yuan smiled slightly, took a step back, and raised his hand in invitation. "Then please." He looked at Huo Yu Hao again. "Watch carefully. Learn carefully."
The moment his words fell, Wang Dong pushed off with her toes and shot toward Lin Yuan like an arrow. Fast and agile, she reached him in the blink of an eye, raising her right foot to stomp directly at his chest.
Facing the swift strike, Lin Yuan merely smiled. Without moving, he curled the fingers of his right hand and precisely caught Wang Dong's ankle. He neither blocked head-on nor counterattacked. He simply followed the incoming force with a gentle pull and push, completely dispersing its power and sending her smoothly back to where she had started.
"Again," Lin Yuan said calmly.
Wang Dong steadied herself, surprise flashing in her eyes before she snorted coldly and resumed her assault. Her movements were swift and unpredictable, fists and feet striking together, every blow aimed at vital points around his body. Yet no matter how she attacked, Lin Yuan always dissolved it in the most effortless way.
Lin Yuan's technique was not flashy. With only the lightest touches, he altered the angles of Wang Dong's fists and kicks, borrowing her force against her and causing her attacks to miss again and again. He had not even retreated a single step, as though his feet had taken root in the ground.
"Is that borrowing force to redirect force?" Huo Yu Hao's eyes lit up as he watched. Lin Yuan's movements seemed simple, yet they contained astonishing skill, benefiting him greatly.
The more Wang Dong fought, the more alarmed she became. She found that no matter how she accelerated or changed her moves, she could not touch Lin Yuan at all. He was like a feather; no matter how fierce the storm, he effortlessly dissolved it.
"You haven't used your full strength at all!" Wang Dong's patience finally ran out. She stopped attacking, her pink-blue eyes full of stubbornness. "I want you to fight seriously, or this match is meaningless!"
Lin Yuan looked at Wang Dong and sighed helplessly. "Once I get serious, you may not even have a chance to react."
"Then let me see it!"
As Wang Dong's words fell, Lin Yuan lightly tapped off with his toes, and his figure vanished like a ghost. The next second, he appeared behind Wang Dong, his fingers hooked like claws as they precisely closed around her throat.
Everything happened in a flash.
Wang Dong did not even see how Lin Yuan had moved. She only felt her throat tighten as her entire body was lifted off the ground, suffocation instantly spreading through her. She instinctively tried to struggle, but Lin Yuan's hand was like an iron vise, utterly unmoving.
"I told you, once I get serious, you won't even have a chance to react." Lin Yuan's voice was calm, without the slightest hint of triumph. His hand loosened slightly, lowering Wang Dong back to the ground, but he still kept hold of her throat to prevent her from acting impulsively again.
Wang Dong gasped for breath, her face flushed red, her eyes full of shock and unwillingness. For the first time, she realized that the talent she had always been so proud of was utterly insignificant before Lin Yuan.
"You lost." Lin Yuan released her, his tone calm. "Can we speak properly now?"
Wang Dong took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the shock in her heart. "You're strong. I admit it. But I won't let this end here!"
"I'll be waiting." Lin Yuan smiled faintly and turned toward the dormitory.
Huo Yu Hao looked at the departing Lin Yuan, then at Wang Dong standing where she was. Taking a deep breath, he said softly, "The five rules you mentioned earlier aren't something I can't do. But that isn't because of your threats. It's out of respect for my roommate. I know you're stronger than I am. But remember this: if you dare insult me again, then even if you beat me to death, I'll still bite a chunk out of you." With that, he quickly followed Lin Yuan toward the dormitory.
Wang Dong stood there for quite a while before slowly heading toward the dormitory. As she reached the entrance, Mu En's aged voice sounded beside her from the lounge chair. "Do you know why you lost?"
Wang Dong paused and turned to look at Mu En, a complicated expression flashing in her eyes. "He was too fast. I couldn't react in time."
Mu En narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "You lost in three ways. First, your heart was unsettled and impatient for success. When you attacked, you focused only on speed and strength, neglecting rhythm and balance. Second, you misjudged your opponent. You treated him as an opponent of the same rank and gave your all, yet forgot that true experts never follow your rhythm. Third, and most importantly, you failed to see his foundation."
"Foundation?" Wang Dong frowned.
"His feet." Mu En pointed out. "He stood extremely steadily, as though rooted to the ground. Only then could he borrow force to redirect force. If you could first break his foundation, it would not have been so easy for him to dissolve your attacks."
Wang Dong pondered this. "Then how should I break it?"
Mu En smiled slightly. "A good question. There are three ways to break one's foundation: first, use speed to overcome stability and constantly change your rhythm; second, use the slanted to overcome the straight and attack from oblique angles; third, use change to overcome stillness and disrupt their balance. Remember, true experts are not those who do not use strength, but those who use it where it is needed most."
Wang Dong stood stunned for a moment, then gave the old man a deep bow. "Grandpa, thank you for your guidance." With that, she strode into the dormitory.
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