We're from Shrek!

Li Luo dropped to one knee, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead. The tearing pain in his Spirit Sea made his entire body tremble uncontrollably.

But Huo Yuhao's attack did not stop there. Another invisible, intangible Mental Lash cracked through the air.

This time, however, his target was not his opponent.

Du Qingyuan, who was locked in combat with Shao Feng and Ren Xingchi, suddenly felt his entire body shudder.

A searing surge of excitement erupted from the depths of his mind, instantly coursing through his limbs and bones. It was as though his whole body had suddenly begun to "boil."

The circulation of his Soul Power abruptly accelerated, his five senses became exceptionally sharp, and his speed and strength noticeably increased!

This was the supportive effect of Huo Yuhao's First Soul Skill. Although Huo Yuhao could have defeated all four opponents by himself, he did not choose to take all the glory. Instead, he supported Du Qingyuan.

At nearly the same time, the second black Soul Ring beneath Huo Yuhao's feet glimmered faintly.

Two Spiritual Tentacles, invisible to the naked eye, darted out like spirit snakes and silently coiled around Shao Feng and Ren Xingchi's bodies.

The two abruptly stiffened, alarm bells blaring in their minds. Their movements inexplicably became sluggish and heavy, as though they had fallen into an invisible swamp.

A sharp glint flared in Du Qingyuan's ice-blue pupils. He could not miss this chance!

His third Soul Ring lit up. The two snow-white tails behind him suddenly extended, transforming into two long whips that tore through the air as they lashed out!

Shao Feng gritted his teeth and drove his Soul Power, intending to unleash his third Soul Skill, Shield Shadow Clone, to block Du Qingyuan's attack.

But he then discovered in horror that although Soul Power was clearly surging through his meridians, his third Soul Skill seemed to have been firmly "jammed" by something invisible. No matter what he did, he could not release it!

Ren Xingchi on the other side was equally pale. His Second Soul Skill, Vajra Rage, had inexplicably failed as well!

"Impossible!"

The two stared at each other in horror, their eyes reflecting the two fox-tail whips charging at them with unstoppable force.

Naturally, the culprit behind Shao Feng and Ren Xingchi's failed Soul Skills was Huo Yuhao.

His Second Soul Skill, Evil Touch: Soul Bind, could not only greatly hinder an opponent's movements, but also possessed another extremely powerful control effect.

So long as someone was hit by this Soul Skill, one of their Soul Skills would be randomly sealed.

The duration of the seal depended on the gap between the two sides' Mental Power.

With Huo Yuhao's current Spirit Sea Realm Mental Power, he should be able to seal the two men's Soul Skills for up to six seconds!

From Li Luo being defeated by Huo Yuhao to Du Qingyuan launching these two boosted attacks, everything had happened in the blink of an eye.

So quickly that the last member of the four-man team, who had remained outside the battle without acting, had no time to react.

Shao Feng and Ren Xingchi could only watch as the two long whips tore through the air toward them. Their intended Soul Skills had been sealed, and it was already too late to change tactics in their haste.

Yet just as the fox-tail whips were about to rip through their defenses, a semitransparent glazed wall suddenly appeared out of nowhere!

Bang!!

The long whips struck the surface of the glazed wall fiercely. Light flowed across it, yet not even the slightest crack appeared.

Du Qingyuan's pupils contracted. His gaze swept the surroundings like lightning as he shouted sharply, "Who is it?!"

Huo Yuhao turned his gaze toward the depths of the alley.

A hundred meters away, a figure slowly emerged within his sight.

The man's figure appeared bit by bit, as though he were being painted into existence stroke by stroke.

Clearly, he had been concealed by some means earlier. If not for Huo Yuhao's Spirit Detection spreading over that area, he likely would have been difficult to notice.

He was a man who appeared to be around thirty, dressed in a plain-colored long robe with a calm, composed bearing.

In one hand, he held a semitransparent glazed lamp. Strange purple-gold flames danced within it, and faint flashes of lightning flickered amid the shifting firelight.

This was his Martial Soul—the Thunder Fire Glazed Lamp.

Seven Soul Rings slowly revolved beneath the man's feet: three purple and four black.

He was a seven-ring Soul Saint. Though he did not deliberately release his aura, his presence still silently spread like an invisible tide.

Du Qingyuan also noticed the man at that moment, and his pupils abruptly shrank.

He had never expected that a Soul Saint-level powerhouse would be accompanying these four Soul Elders!

"Teacher!"

Aside from Li Luo, who was still kneeling on the ground and clutching his head as cold sweat poured down his face, Shao Feng, Ren Xingchi, and the final member spoke at once. Their respectful voices carried a hint of relief.

The Soul Saint's figure flickered, and he had already withdrawn his Martial Soul.

Then, with several nimble flashes, he crossed the hundred-meter distance and landed soundlessly before them.

He first swept his gaze over Ren Xingchi and the others. His expression remained calm and unreadable, before his eyes finally settled on Huo Yuhao.

To so cleanly and decisively crush Li Luo, this younger boy was indeed worthy of attention in his eyes.

The slight shock Du Qingyuan had felt upon facing a Soul Saint had already subsided. This was, after all, within the jurisdiction of the Spirit Pagoda. As the Tower Master's Personal Disciple, he had his own backing.

He stepped forward to stand beside Huo Yuhao, looked at the Soul Saint, and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you? Are these people your students?"

"My name is Chen Jin." The Soul Saint's gaze lightly passed over Du Qingyuan. "They are indeed my students. Today's matter has caused trouble for you two."

The other party's casual attitude caused anger to quietly rise within Du Qingyuan.

But he remained restrained, though his voice had turned a few degrees colder. "You should know that private fighting is strictly forbidden around the Spirit Pagoda."

Chen Jin's expression remained calm as ever. He merely said indifferently, "I am a teacher of Shrek Academy. The four of them are only here to complete the academy's final examination mission."

Shrek Academy?

Du Qingyuan and Huo Yuhao were both stunned upon hearing this, instinctively exchanging a glance.

It was not their identities that shocked them; after all, they had already suspected as much.

What left them stunned was—what did their status as Shrek Academy students have to do with today's matter?

Could they disregard the rules established by the Spirit Pagoda simply because they came from Shrek?

Chen Jin's words and attitude had truly reshaped Huo Yuhao's understanding of Shrek Academy.

The people he had met when he went to Shrek Academy before had not been nearly this arrogant!

Huo Yuhao could not help saying, "Even if it was for an examination, you shouldn't have ignored the rules and attacked so casually. What if there had been casualties? Who would take responsibility?"

"With me here, naturally nothing could go wrong."

Chen Jin was expressionless, his tone so flat it was almost cold. "Besides, nothing serious has happened. Why are you two juniors making such a fuss over nothing?"

A flicker of impatience passed through his eyes. He had indeed thought highly of Huo Yuhao's talent and strength.

But seeing a mere Soul Elder daring to question him to his face, that trace of appreciation turned into faint anger.

Nearby, the tearing agony in Li Luo's mind finally began to subside.

He gasped heavily, bracing himself on his knees as he slowly stood up. The loose hair over his forehead was drenched in cold sweat, plastered miserably against his skin.

He raised his eyes, his complicated gaze sweeping over Huo Yuhao.

This boy, younger than himself, had crushed the pride he held as a Shrek student with a single strike.

"Teacher..."

he called hoarsely, the lingering tremor of pain still evident in his voice.

Chen Jin coldly swept his gaze over his four students, his tone devoid of warmth. "All of you have failed this examination. Ten points will be deducted from each of you."

As soon as those words fell, all four of their faces turned pale.

Shao Feng and Ren Xingchi instinctively clenched their fists. They truly had failed.

If their teacher had not intervened at the end, those two fox-tail whips would have been enough to leave them seriously injured and sprawled on the ground.

"Let's go."

Chen Jin said no more and turned toward the mouth of the alley. "Your final examination is not over yet. It's time to head to the next city."

He actually intended to leave with them just like that.

Regarding the conflict they had caused within Spirit Pagoda territory, and Li Luo and the others' unauthorized attack—

from beginning to end, he had shown no sincere intention of apologizing.

That air of entitlement made it seem as though Shrek Academy possessed a privilege that naturally placed it above the rules.

"Senior!"

Du Qingyuan gritted his teeth and could not help stepping forward, anger suppressed in his voice.

"You're just leaving like this? Isn't that a little too disrespectful toward our Spirit Pagoda?"