A Lesson

A semicircular barrier suddenly rose in the woods outside Suotuo City, its surface seemingly covered in white mist. The treetops bent beneath the wind pressure, yet the white mist continued to surge upward without end.

At that moment, only Dai Mubai and Oscar, who were close by, knew just how scorching the airflow blasting from the barrier was. Though it looked like swirling clouds and mist, it was clearly Nan Li's strange flame!

"This is probably the legendary Domain Skill... Nan Li's Soul Power is far beyond ours. All we can do now is wait for the dean to arrive." Dai Mubai clutched his chest and struggled to his feet with Oscar's support.

Within Suotuo City, a Red Figure flew brazenly through the air. Seeing the strange phenomenon, five Soul Rings appeared beneath her feet one after another, and brilliant orange-red flames instantly flared from her Wings. Dan Hong sped toward the source of the disturbance.

Outside Shrek Academy, Flender and Zhao Wuji saw the abnormality ahead and hurried anxiously to Dai Mubai and Oscar's side.

"What happened?!" Zhao Wuji was still some distance away from the two when he impatiently shouted the question as he ran over.

"Fatty, Fatty... Nan Li trapped him inside her domain!"

"What did you do just now?" Flender stared fixedly at the barrier surrounded by flames. His voice was as calm as ever, but his eyes kept sweeping over it, searching for a way to break through the domain, revealing his inner unease.

"Just now, Nan Li..." Without thinking, Dai Mubai opened his mouth to say that Nan Li had started the trouble, but Flender cut him off.

Flender turned his hawk-like eyes toward Oscar. "Oscar, you tell me!"

Oscar took a deep breath and recounted everything exactly as it had happened, from the time the four of them left the cafeteria until Nan Li taught Ma Hongjun a lesson.

"Oscar!" Dai Mubai called out in a low voice, constantly signaling at Oscar with his eyes.

But Oscar seemed both blind and deaf, completely ignoring Dai Mubai's hints as he spilled everything that had happened today. Once he was done, Oscar lowered his head and drooped dejectedly, unwilling to look at Dai Mubai's expression.

After hearing the full story, Flender gave Dai Mubai a look of unclear meaning, then turned and walked toward Nan Li's domain.

"Nan Li, I know you can hear me. I already understand what happened. Let Ma Hongjun out, and when we return, I will naturally punish him! Nan Li..."

All the panic and deliberation outside had happened in only an instant. Nan Li was still inside the domain, watching a man and beast chase and battle each other.

Flender's voice reached inside, and Ma Hongjun hurriedly shouted, "Help! Teacher! Get me out of here! Save me..."

The Cloud-Swallowing Fire Howl was more than half smaller than its usual size, yet it still looked incomparably enormous within this space of only a hundred meters across.

It clearly had the ability to devour and refine the round, clumsy, staggering human before it, but under Nan Li's instructions, the Cloud-Swallowing Fire Howl could only toy with Ma Hongjun like a cat playing with a mouse.

Ma Hongjun had only gained a few claw wounds that tore through flesh for now. He would not die anytime soon.

"Did I give you permission to speak?"

Nan Li shot him a glance and sneered, "Inside my domain, without my permission, no one will hear you even if you scream your throat raw."

After Zhao Wuji activated his Martial Soul Possession, his Great Strength Vajra Bear form stood well over five meters tall. Through a gap in the flames, he saw Ma Hongjun being bitten and pounced upon by a red Soul Beast, and fury immediately surged within him.

"Release him now!" The Vajra Bear's broad palm clenched into a fist and smashed heavily into the ground, its furious roar echoing through the area.

Nan Li curved her lips into an amused smile. Red light surged above her head, and a Phoenix Bird Holding Pearl crown descended onto her brow.

At the same time, Nan Li's glass-like red eyes began to stretch and split apart. She turned to meet Zhao Wuji's gaze, her strange Double Pupils wild and untamed.

Under Zhao Wuji's astonished gaze, the white flames at the edge of the domain shot up with a whoosh, blazing toward the heavens!

Even under the blazing midday sun, Nan Li's flames did not pale in comparison. Instead, they seemed poised to contend with the radiant sun itself.

She was openly showing Zhao Wuji no respect at all!

The Great Strength Vajra Bear threw a threatening punch. With a bang, it struck the outer wall of the domain, yet Nan Li remained calm and composed as flames teasingly crawled up Zhao Wuji's arm.

Zhao Wuji paid it no mind. In his Martial Soul Avatar state, both his attack and defense had been enhanced. A little flame like this could not hurt him.

Seeing that Nan Li still had no intention of releasing anyone, Zhao Wuji snorted.

What an ignorant little girl!

Soul Power gathered in the palm of Zhao Wuji's bear paw. He shouted sternly, "This is your last chance. Release him now!"

Flender darted up and down outside the domain barrier. While saying that he already knew the reason and would not blame Nan Li, he did not stop Zhao Wuji either.

Inside the domain, Nan Li intended to frighten Ma Hongjun. Someone like him was unpleasant—killing him was not right, but not killing him was no better.

Then she would make him remember today's lesson for good!

"Roar—" The Cloud-Swallowing Fire Howl's powerful tiger-like hind legs slammed into the ground, and with an angry roar, it lunged at Ma Hongjun!

"Second Soul Skill, Great Strength Vajra Palm!" Soul Power gathered in the broad bear palm as it slammed heavily toward Nan Li's domain!

Terrified, Ma Hongjun's steps gradually became unsteady. With one careless misstep, he fell to the ground. He turned in horror and saw the red beast raise its sharp forepaw, poised to strike!

The Great Strength Vajra Bear's paw tore through the air, whipping up a fierce gale as it smashed viciously toward the flame-covered barrier.

"Bang!"

Zhao Wuji's Vajra Bear Palm struck nothing but air, slamming a deep crater into the ground.

"Aah—" Ma Hongjun was sent flying by a swipe from the Cloud-Swallowing Fire Howl. His fat body crashed through a thick tree.

"Hongjun!" Flender ignored everything else and rushed to his disciple's side at once.

The force of his forward charge sent Zhao Wuji tumbling to the ground, leaving the Great Strength Vajra Bear somewhat dazed. He raised his head and saw Nan Li standing atop the red giant beast's head. Her red Wings were covered in white flames, while her glass-like red eyes looked no different from those of an ordinary person.

Was it just his imagination?

Zhao Wuji slapped the ground and used the force to rise. With his arms crossed over his chest, he looked down at Nan Li from the height of his nearly five-meter-tall Martial Soul Avatar.

A Soul Sage-level Soul Master in Martial Soul Avatar form exerted tremendous pressure, not to mention the added intimidation created by the height difference.

With a stern expression, Zhao Wuji asked, "What were you doing just now? Do you know that you were harming a fellow student?"

Nan Li raised her head slightly, utterly unaffected by Zhao Wuji's imposing aura. Her gaze was calm and sharp.

Just as she was about to speak, another voice forcefully cut in, clear yet resounding: "Is a little girl all alone so easy to bully?"

Thanks to Be Happy Every Day, Sleepy Baby Kindergarten, Innocent Coffee, Colorful Candy, Meaning of Love, and Lin Hu for the votes~