Purple Intent quietly spread through Tang San's eyes as his Purple Demon Eye reached its current limit, trying to catch any hidden figure or trace of Soul Power.
Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others immediately went on guard as well. Their wary gazes swept around while they formed a simple defensive formation, standing back-to-back.
However, neither Zhao Wuji's vast Spirit Scan, as boundless as the sea, nor Tang San's Purple Demon Eye, which could see through illusions, found anything at all.
The faint sense of spatial distortion and Soul Power interference that had appeared for an instant came out of nowhere and vanished without a trace.
It left no source or trail that could be followed, as if it had been a shared hallucination or some incomprehensible natural disturbance.
"Damn, that's freaky..." Dai Mubai's face was ashen. He was absolutely certain something strange had happened beneath his feet. The sensation of losing his balance as if stepping into nothingness had felt all too real.
"Boss Dai, let me handle this!" Seeing what had happened, Ma Hongjun growled and instantly summoned his martial soul.
The phantom of the Evil Fire Phoenix appeared. His chubby frame made the mighty martial soul look somewhat comical, but the scorching, violent aura that surged forth was undeniably real.
He rubbed his hands together, and an orange-red Phoenix Fireline gathered in his palms. The searing waves of heat made the air ripple faintly.
Just as he was brimming with confidence, ready to spew flames and teach the other side a lesson—
The blazing fire in his palm abruptly went out with a soft pfft.
It was as if an invisible hand had gently pinched it out, or a sudden wave of cold air had blown it away.
Not only that, Ma Hongjun also felt the space around him twist for the briefest moment, folding in on itself.
The Evil Fire Phoenix Soul Power surging through his body suddenly faltered and grew chaotic, as if a boulder had been dropped into a river that had been flowing smoothly.
His chest tightened and his blood churned. His chubby face instantly flushed red, and he nearly choked. The Soul Power he had gathered collapsed along with the flames.
"Cough, cough, cough... Which bastard's messing with us?"
Both shocked and furious, Ma Hongjun clutched his chest and scanned the area uneasily. His earlier swagger was nowhere to be seen.
The entire inn's main hall fell into an eerie silence.
The hubbub died down, and everyone's eyes shifted between Shrek's group, Canghui Academy, and the empty corners. They were full of confusion and wariness, along with a hint of excitement at the spectacle.
Zhao Wuji gave a cold snort and leapt from the second-floor railing. He landed solidly with a thud, making the floor seem to tremble.
His deep voice carried an unquestionable pressure. "Which friend is playing tricks in the shadows? If you have such skill, why not show yourself?"
His gaze flashed like lightning as it swept over Ye Zhi Qiu of Canghui Academy in particular. He suspected the man had secretly hired an expert or possessed a special Soul Tool.
Ye Zhi Qiu looked equally startled and wary. He hurriedly waved his hands, letting his Soul Power fluctuate openly to prove his innocence. "It absolutely wasn't me! This has nothing to do with Canghui Academy."
He hadn't sensed who had made the move either, and he was no less shocked than Shrek's group.
Hidden in the shadow at the bend of the stairs, Yu Tiancheng, wearing a Mysterious Cloak, let out a quiet breath.
Even now, his fingertips seemed to retain the faint sensation of having just adjusted his Soul Power, amplified it through the cloak, and released a trace of spatial interference.
The effect's even better than I expected... It completely evaded even Zhao Wuji and Tang San's detection.
He calmly assessed the situation, glancing at Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, whose faces were clouded with suspicion, as well as Zhao Wuji and Tang San, who were frowning and searching with all their might but finding nothing.
It seems this Mysterious Cloak's concealment priority is extremely high. Its accompanying Simulation and interference abilities can cause unexpected trouble and psychological pressure when the other side is unprepared and doesn't completely overwhelm me in strength.
The corner of his mouth lifted in an almost imperceptible smile, with a hint of mischief at the success of his prank.
He drew a quiet breath, fed a trace of Soul Power into the cloak, and focused. He simulated an even more elusive voice, one that seemed to come from every direction, yet also seemed to sound directly in everyone's hearts.
Distorted by the cloak and carried through space, the voice sounded genderless and hollow, with an inhuman detachment and faint air of authority:
"Mind your words. Do not bully the weak by relying on your strength. Consider this a minor warning. If you provoke others without cause and disturb the neighborhood again, your embarrassment will be the least of your worries."
The voice wasn't loud, yet everyone in the hall heard it clearly. Some of those with weaker Soul Power even shivered involuntarily.
"Who's talking? Show yourself!" Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were furious and startled, like cats whose tails had been stepped on. Their Soul Power surged as they tried to locate the voice, but they ran into nothing but fog and remained utterly clueless.
Zhao Wuji's expression turned utterly grave.
The other party's skill at concealing their presence while transmitting their voice was astonishing. He couldn't lock onto even the slightest trace of their aura. This was beyond the ability of an ordinary Spirit Master.
He raised a hand, and an invisible pressure held back the agitated Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun. Then he said in a deep voice:
"May I ask which esteemed senior this is? I am Zhao Wuji of Shrek Academy. My disciples are young and hot-tempered. If they offended you, I apologize on their behalf. I hope you'll forgive them."
His tone was courteous, but by mentioning Shrek Academy and the title Immovable Ming King, he was also subtly making his identity known, neither arrogant nor servile.
The elusive, hollow voice sounded again, this time tinged with an almost nonexistent trace of mockery:
"Shrek Academy? Is this how you teach your students to bully the weak and think themselves above everyone else? I'll let the matter go today for Dean Flender's sake. I hope you'll all behave yourselves."
The voice faded, then vanished completely, leaving not a trace. It was as if the entire conversation had been a shared hallucination.
But Dai Mubai's genuine loss of balance, Ma Hongjun's extinguished flames and chaotic Soul Power, and the clear, chilling warning that had struck to their core all proved beyond doubt that none of it had been an illusion.
Zhao Wuji's expression shifted again and again. The other party not only knew Flender, but had spoken calmly with an air of judgment from on high, showing little respect for the name Shrek Academy either.
He was left uncertain and suspicious. Who was this reclusive expert? Or had they once clashed with Flender?
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun felt even more aggrieved, as if they'd punched empty air and somehow made fools of themselves, without even knowing who their opponent was.
The people from Canghui Academy, meanwhile, breathed a huge sigh of relief.
They had no idea which expert had taken a dislike to Shrek, but the person had clearly sided with "reason."
Or at least, they disapproved of Shrek's conduct.
Ye Zhi Qiu took a long look at the grim-faced Shrek students, especially the troublemakers Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, then gave a cold snort.
He promptly led his students away from the scene, not even bothering to take the rest of their food.
The other diners in the hall looked away as well, but their hushed whispers spread like a rising tide.
Naturally, the talk centered on the mysterious warning, the Shrek students' humiliation, and speculation over whether Shrek Academy really had a problem with the way it taught its students.
Zhao Wuji's face turned livid as he glared at Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun. "You two, keep yourselves in check! If you cause any more trouble, you'll regret it when we get back!"
His mind was full of questions too. The other party had mentioned Flender, which suggested they knew something about Shrek, yet their methods were so bizarre and unfathomable. Were they friend or foe?
Tang San frowned, and the light in his Purple Demon Eye slowly faded. He said quietly:
"Teacher Zhao, their concealment skills are exceptional. They may be extremely proficient in spatial techniques or some advanced concealment-type Soul Skill, and their Soul Power attribute is highly unusual. Also... judging by their words, they seem to have quite a lot against our Shrek Academy."
He was just as puzzled. He didn't recognize any "senior" like this from his memories.
Xiao Wu curled her lips and muttered under her breath, "Hiding like that and trying to scare people... Who do they think they are?" But a trace of curiosity and wariness also flickered in her lively eyes.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged an almost imperceptible glance. Deep in each other's calm eyes, they saw a ripple of emotion.
The same name surfaced in their minds at nearly the same time—Yu Tiancheng.
The person with the miraculous Diary, who seemed capable of foreseeing the future.
Could he be nearby? Could this strange, unpredictable intervention, with its emphasis on "discipline" and "reason," have been his doing?
The thought made their hearts skip a beat, then start racing.
If it really was him...
Then the means at his disposal might be even more astonishing than the Diary itself.
Before you continue