Mysterious Voice

Tang San's eyes subtly filled with purple, his Purple Demon Eye operating at its current limit, attempting to capture any hidden figures or Soul Power trajectories.

Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others immediately entered a state of alert, their gazes shifting vigilantly as they formed a simple defensive formation back-to-back.

However, neither Zhao Wuji's vast, sea-like mental probe nor Tang San's Purple Demon Eye, capable of piercing illusions, found anything.

The faint spatial distortion and Soul Power interference that had appeared in that instant were sudden and inexplicable, and they vanished just as cleanly.

No traceable source or trace was left behind, as if it were merely a collective hallucination, or some incomprehensible natural disturbance.

"This is f**king weird..." Dai Mubai's face turned ashen. He was 100% certain that something was wrong with the ground beneath his feet just now; that feeling of imbalance, of stepping into nothingness, was too real.

"Brother Dai, let me!" Ma Hongjun saw this and let out a low roar, his Martial Soul instantly attaching to him.

The phantom image of the Evil Fire Phoenix appeared. Although his chubby physique made this mighty Martial Soul seem somewhat comical, the sudden surge of scorching, violent aura could not be faked.

He rubbed his hands together, and an orange-red phoenix fire thread condensed in his palm. The scorching heatwave made the air itself seem to warp slightly.

Just as he was brimming with confidence, preparing to spew forth flames to give the other side a taste of their own medicine—

The cluster of blazing flames in his palm, without any warning, extinguished with a "poof."

It was as if a phantom hand had gently snuffed it out, or as if a sudden, inexplicable cold current had blown it away.

Not only that, but Ma Hongjun simultaneously felt the surrounding space twist and fold for an extremely brief moment.

The Evil Fire Phoenix Soul Power surging within him followed with a rare trace of sluggishness and disorder, like a smoothly flowing river suddenly encountering a massive boulder.

His chest felt tight, his Blood Essence churned, and his chubby face instantly turned red, almost causing him to lose his breath. The condensed Soul Power also dispersed.

"Cough, cough, cough... Who the hell is messing with me?"

Ma Hongjun was both shocked and furious. Clutching his chest, he scanned his surroundings with a bewildered gaze, all his previous arrogance gone.

The entire lobby of the inn was plunged into an eerie silence.

The previous clamor and discussion died down, and everyone's eyes flickered between the Shrek group, the Blue Sunshine Academy, and the empty corners, filled with confusion and vigilance, even a hint of excitement at watching a good show.

Zhao Wuji let out a cold snort, his imposing figure leaping from the second-floor railing and landing steadily with a "thud," the ground seeming to tremble slightly.

His powerful voice carried an undeniable pressure: "Which friend is playing tricks here? Since you have such abilities, why not show yourself?"

His gaze was like lightning, focusing particularly on Ye Zhi Qiu of the Blue Sunshine Academy, suspecting that the latter had secretly hired an expert or possessed a special Soul Tool.

Ye Zhi Qiu also wore an expression of shock and vigilance, quickly waving his hands, his Soul Power naturally flowing to show his innocence: "It is absolutely not me! This matter has nothing to do with our Blue Sunshine Academy."

He also hadn't detected who had made the move, and his heart was filled with as much dread as the Shrek group.

Hiding in the shadows of the stairwell, Yu Tiancheng, clad in a Mysterious Cloak, let out a soft breath.

At this moment, his fingertips seemed to still retain the subtle sensation of having just manipulated a trace of Soul Power, amplified by the cloak and distorted to release a hint of spacetime-attribute interference.

"The effect is even better than I expected... It even managed to evade Zhao Wuji and Tang San's probes."

He calmly assessed the situation in his mind, his gaze sweeping over Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun below, whose faces were filled with shock and uncertainty, as well as Zhao Wuji and Tang San, who were frowning, sensing with all their might but finding nothing.

"It seems that the 'Mysterious Cloak' has a very high concealment priority, and its 'Simulation and Interference' ability is sufficient to create unexpected trouble and psychological pressure when the opponent is caught off guard and not facing an absolute power advantage."

The corners of his mouth curled into an almost imperceptible arc, tinged with the satisfaction of a successful prank.

He took a shallow breath, channeled a trace of Soul Power into the cloak, concentrated, and simulated a more ethereal voice, as if it came from all directions, or perhaps resonated directly in the depths of their hearts.

This voice, distorted and spatially diffused by the cloak, sounded neutral, hollow, carrying a non-human sense of distance and a faint authority:

"Poor conduct, bullying the weak, a small lesson today. If there is further unprovoked provocation and disturbance of neighbors, it will not be as simple as mere embarrassment."

The voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone in the lobby, even causing those with lower Soul Power to shiver instinctively.

"Who's speaking? Get out!" Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were shocked and furious, like cats whose tails had been stepped on. Their Soul Power surged as they tried to locate the source of the voice, but it was still like hitting a fog, with no clue.

Zhao Wuji's expression became completely serious.

The opponent's "stealthy transmission" technique was truly brilliant; even he couldn't pinpoint any aura. This was by no means something an ordinary Soul Master could achieve.

He raised his hand, an invisible pressure stopping the agitated Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, and said solemnly:

"May I know which senior expert is here? I am Zhao Wuji of Shrek Academy. My disciples are young and impulsive. If there has been any offense, I, Zhao, apologize here. Please forgive us, senior."

His words were polite, but by revealing the names "Shrek Academy" and "Immovable Ming King," he also subtly conveyed his background, neither subservient nor arrogant.

The ethereal, hollow voice sounded again, this time with a trace of extremely faint, almost nonexistent mockery:

"Shrek Academy? Is this how you teach your disciples to bully the weak and act arrogantly? Today, for Dean Flender's sake, I will not pursue this matter further. I hope you all will conduct yourselves accordingly."

As the voice faded, it disappeared completely, leaving no trace. It was as if all the previous dialogue had been a collective auditory hallucination.

But the real imbalance beneath Dai Mubai's feet, the extinguished flame and disordered Soul Power of Ma Hongjun, and the clear, cold warning that penetrated to their core, all proved like iron that what had just happened was no illusion.

Zhao Wuji's expression shifted repeatedly. Not only did the other party know Flender, but their tone was calm yet carried a condescending critique, showing no particular reverence for the name "Shrek Academy."

This made him uneasy. Who was this reclusive expert? Or did they have a grudge against Flender?

Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun felt even more aggrieved, like they had thrown a punch at empty air and inexplicably lost face without even knowing who their opponent was.

The people from Blue Sunshine Academy breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Although they didn't know which deity was displeased with Shrek, it was clear that the other party stood on the side of "reason."

Or, at the very least, was dissatisfied with Shrek's behavior.

Ye Zhi Qiu gave a deep look at the displeased Shrek group, especially the troublemakers Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, and let out a cold snort.

He decisively led his students away from this place of trouble, not even bothering with the leftover food.

The other diners in the hall also withdrew their gazes upon seeing this, but the hushed discussions spread like a tide.

The topic naturally revolved around the mysterious warning just now, the embarrassment caused by the Shrek students, and speculation on whether "Shrek Academy" truly had issues with its teaching style.

Zhao Wuji's face was ashen. He glared fiercely at Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun. "You two, behave yourselves! If you cause any more trouble, you'll face consequences when we get back!"

His heart was also full of questions. The other party mentioned Flender, seeming to know something about Shrek's inner workings, yet their methods were so bizarre and unpredictable. Were they friend or foe?

Tang San's brow furrowed. The light of his Purple Demon Eye slowly receded as he said in a low voice, "Teacher Zhao, their concealment methods are extremely high-level. They might be extremely skilled in spatial abilities or some advanced concealment Soul Skill, and their Soul Power attribute is also very special. Moreover... judging by their words, they seem to have quite a few criticisms of us at Shrek."

He was equally puzzled, not recognizing such a "senior" from his memories.

Xiao Wu pouted and grumbled softly, "Hiding their face and showing their back, who are they trying to scare..." But a trace of imperceptible curiosity and vigilance flickered in her bright, agile eyes.

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a subtle glance, seeing a ripple of something unusual deep within the calm depths of each other's eyes.

That name surfaced in their minds almost simultaneously—Yu Tiancheng.

The person who possessed the mysterious diary and seemed to be able to predict the future.

Could he be nearby? This strange and unpredictable intervention, leaning towards "punishment" and "reasoning"... could it be him?

This thought caused their hearts to skip a beat, and then their heartbeats quickened.

If it really was him...

Then the methods he possessed were probably even more astonishing than the diary itself.