"Li... Li Xiaoyao!"
"Don't think you can scare me!"
"You'd better give everything back to me, or my teacher Flender won't let you off!"
Ma Hongjun roared, his eyes bloodshot, though he could not hide the fear in them.
Naturally, he knew Ning Rongrong's identity as the Young Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
But the temptation of three Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones had made him lose his mind for a moment.
Even though he knew Ning Rongrong belonged to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, greed had long overwhelmed his fear. Clinging to the hope that he might somehow bluff his way through, he roared and refused to back down.
When Flender, who had been watching the show from the distant wooden house, saw Ma Hongjun blinded by greed, summon his Grass Chicken Martial Soul and two yellow hundred-year Soul Rings, then attack Ning Rongrong, he finally could not sit still.
"Ma Hongjun, you idiot!"
Flender panicked. He immediately used Martial Soul Possession and charged toward Li Xiaoyao and Ning Rongrong—
Of course, Flender did not dare lay a hand on those two little ancestors. Instead, he grabbed Ma Hongjun by the back of the neck and viciously slammed his irrational disciple to the ground, leaving him unable to move!
With a muffled bang, dust flew everywhere.
Ma Hongjun's face smashed directly into the dirt. Sharp pain shot through his nose, while Flender pinned his struggling limbs beneath his knee, rendering him completely immobile.
The glow of his Grass Chicken Martial Soul instantly dimmed, and the two yellow Soul Rings shrank back into his body like deflated balloons.
"Hongjun! Calm down!"
"Haven't you caused enough trouble already?!"
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is one of the Upper Three Sects. It has countless powerful experts, including two Titled Douluo.
"You attacked Ning Rongrong. Do you really want all of Shrek to be buried with you?"
Flender roared through a Soul Power transmission, his voice filled with furious disappointment. His grip tightened further.
As though someone had dumped a bucket of icy water over his head, Ma Hongjun's body stiffened, and most of the strength drained from his struggles.
Mud mixed with cold sweat slid down his cheeks as his mind, which had been clouded by greed moments ago, finally cleared.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Two Titled Douluo.
Those words exploded in his mind like thunder, making him realize belatedly just how much trouble he had caused.
He had actually attacked Ning Rongrong just now? He had even wanted to steal her things? How was that any different from courting death?
Thinking of the devastating consequences that might come if the two Titled Douluo became enraged, and of the catastrophe he would bring upon Shrek Academy and Teacher Flender—
Ma Hongjun began trembling uncontrollably. The greed in his eyes was completely replaced by utter terror, and even his breathing became cautious.
Only after noticing that Ma Hongjun had stopped resisting did Flender turn to Li Xiaoyao and Ning Rongrong with a smile.
"Cough, cough, cough! Little Friend Xiaoyao, Young Sect Master Ning, Hongjun is still young and ignorant. He offended you just now, so as his teacher, I apologize to you both on his behalf!
As he spoke, Flender secretly signaled Zhao Wuji in the wooden house, hoping his good brother would hurry over and help defuse the situation.
"Dean Flender, if the two Titled Douluo personally came to Shrek Academy to demand an explanation, do you think this academy of yours could remain open?"
Li Xiaoyao glanced at Flender's unpleasant expression, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
He did not take Ma Hongjun's offense to heart.
After all, no one bothered arguing with a dead man.
Once they entered the Star Dou Great Forest, he could simply find an opportunity to kill him. There was no need to vent his anger here and risk disrupting his plan to kill Xiao Wu for her Soul Ring and Soul Bone.
"Little Friend Xiaoyao, Young Sect Master Ning, this was entirely Hongjun's fault. I will definitely discipline him properly in the future! You are both magnanimous people, so please do not stoop to the level of an idiot child like Hongjun."
Cold sweat seeped from Flender's forehead as he hurried a step forward and spoke humbly to Li Xiaoyao and Ning Rongrong.
To be honest, he regretted it a little.
Had he known Li Xiaoyao and Ning Rongrong were both such tough opponents, he would never have entertained the notion of "testing them out" by having Ma Hongjun deliberately cause trouble.
"Hah! Flender, you think one sentence is enough to settle this?"
Ning Rongrong sneered. Frost covered her delicate face, while her glazed eyes were full of pride.
Ning Rongrong was the renowned Little Demoness. At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, everyone doted on her, and even the elders in her family could not bear to say a harsh word to her.
Now, that disgusting dead fatso had pointed at her nose and called her and Li Xiaoyao a shameless adulterous pair. How could she possibly let such humiliation go so easily?
"Ning Rongrong, you..."
Being rebuked to his face made Flender's old face darken, and the veins on his forehead throbbed violently.
After running Shrek Academy for so many years, when had he ever endured such humiliation?
But when he thought of Ning Rongrong's identity as the Young Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, as well as Li Xiaoyao's elusive Space Soul Bone Skill that even he could do nothing about, the tough words at his lips were forcibly swallowed back down.
"Huff, huff, huff!"
Flender took several deep breaths, suppressing the frustration in his heart as his tone softened somewhat.
"Young Sect Master Ning, that unfilial brat Hongjun truly made a mistake and deserves punishment! State any demand you have. So long as I, Flender, can fulfill it, and it does not cost Hongjun his life, I will not say another word!"
After saying that, Flender firmly held down Ma Hongjun, who still wanted to get up and argue. The strength in his hands was a clear warning.
At that moment, let alone punishing Ma Hongjun, even if Ning Rongrong wanted to skin him alive, Flender could only grit his teeth and accept it for the safety of Shrek Academy.
"Hmph! At least you know your place!"
Ning Rongrong was very satisfied with Flender's lowered attitude.
He was merely a seven-ring Soul Sage. What waves could he possibly stir before her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
"Oh? What's going on here?"
"Kid Li, how did you all end up fighting?"
Zhao Wuji hurried over and finally arrived before everyone.
At the same time, he gave Dai Mubai a look, hoping he would step forward and say a few good words.
After all, among everyone at Shrek Academy, Dai Mubai had the best relationship with Li Xiaoyao.
"Tsk! That dead fatso only knows how to cause trouble!"
Upon receiving Zhao Wuji's signal, Dai Mubai clicked his tongue inwardly, but he was not stupid enough to step out and make himself the fall guy.
A mere Ma Hongjun was not worth offending Li Xiaoyao over.
Besides, he still needed to buy finished secret recipes from Li Xiaoyao to rapidly raise his Soul Power Level, then defeat his biological elder brother Dai Weisi. Li Xiaoyao was the person he could least afford to offend at this stage.
If he offended Li Xiaoyao, then two years later, did he still expect to defeat Dai Weisi fair and square in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament and reclaim everything that belonged to him?
"Flender, let's not beat around the bush!"
"Before Nine Emperor Douluo fell, he should have given you an Ancient Soul Tool engraved with the character 'Fire,' right?"
"He specifically instructed you that this Soul Tool must never be lost. Even if Spirit Hall tried to force you, even if it cost you your life, you were not to hand it over!"
Li Xiaoyao stepped forward and directly demanded the item connected to a Deity.
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