"Su Ze, I know you're strong, but after all these days of intensive training from my uncle, I've become even stronger."
"We'll make it to the finals. I hope you don't let us down by falling along the way."
A big part of why Yu Tianheng had left Heaven Dou Royal Academy was, in fact, because of Su Ze.
At Heaven Dou Royal Academy, everyone remembered him being defeated by Su Ze, who was nearly five years younger than him.
The reputation he'd built up at the academy had been swept away by Su Ze in one fell swoop.
And to make matters worse, Su Ze was handsome, too.
Many of the girls who'd supported Yu Tianheng had now become Su Ze's fans.
Every time he saw familiar faces entering the venue holding up signs for Su Ze, Yu Tianheng was so furious he felt he might go mad.
That was why he was desperate to defeat Su Ze.
On a personal level, Yu Tianheng's confidence had already collapsed after he was beaten during his challenge just after breaking through to Soul Elder.
Now, his only hope rested with Shrek Academy.
Su Ze felt nothing in response to Yu Tianheng's provocation.
Yu Tianheng wasn't Tang San, after all. Without the protagonist's aura on his side,
there was no way he could ever defeat Su Ze.
"Yu Tianheng, it's daytime. Save those thoughts for tonight."
Hearing Su Ze's casual reply, Yu Tianheng flew into a rage.
At that moment, Tang San stepped forward from behind him and spoke.
"Su Ze, you think we're dreaming, but there's no point in saying more."
"We'll settle this in the arena. I'll take back the Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlit Night with my own hands."
Tang San's voice brimmed with confidence. He was now close to reaching Soul Ancestor.
That level of strength would undoubtedly make him a genius in the All Continent Elite Competition.
So although Tang San couldn't see through Su Ze's cultivation,
he thought Su Ze could be no more than on the verge of breaking through to Soul King.
Once Tang San broke through to Soul Ancestor, and with the close teamwork of the Shrek Seven Devils,
they would surely defeat the man who'd once brought him such humiliation!
He would prove his teacher right!
Su Ze looked at Tang San's confidence and smiled. "Tang San, I have to admit, the improvement in your Soul Power is beyond my expectations."
"If your opponent were someone else, your words might actually come true."
"But unfortunately for you, you ran into me."
As soon as he finished speaking, golden-white lightning crackled across Su Ze's body. At the same time, the Storm Dragon King's pressure bore down on everyone in front of him.
The berserk Extreme Thunder, combined with the Storm Dragon King's oppressive presence,
made the faces of the Shrek Group stiffen at once.
The random nobody they'd picked up from Blue Tyrant Academy was knocked flat by Su Ze's lightning in an instant.
Dugu Yan, Ning Rongrong, and the others who'd followed behind Su Ze happened to witness the scene.
Dugu Yan immediately sneered at Tang San. "So this is the teamwork of the Shrek Seven Devils? And you still think you can beat us!"
"Try standing steady in front of Su Ze first."
Tang San's expression changed at Dugu Yan's taunt.
He was just about to respond when another domineering blaze flared up, easing the pressure on the Shrek Group.
Seeing this, Su Ze looked into the distance.
A tall woman was approaching with Master on her arm.
It was none other than Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang looked at Su Ze by the entrance, his expression darkening as he spoke in a hostile tone.
"Su Ze, you have no respect for knowledge. Your talent may be excellent, but you've ultimately gone down the wrong path."
"Tang San and Yu Tianheng only lost to you temporarily."
"In the upcoming competition, Shrek Academy will use our strength to show you who's right and who's wrong."
Before Su Ze could respond to Yu Xiaogang's taunt,
Dugu Yan stepped forward first, pulling Su Ze behind her with a look of disgust. She spoke with open disdain.
"Yu Xiaogang, is it? And the woman beside you is your lover, your own cousin, Liu Erlong?"
"How did the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family end up with two degenerates like you? Don't you know even the most basic rules of decency?"
"Can't you keep your hands to yourselves in public? You're disgusting."
As she spoke, Dugu Yan pulled Su Ze and Ye Lingling back.
When they heard Dugu Yan's words, the newly arrived Shi Family Brothers widened their eyes, too.
"Is what Sister Dugu said true? That Yu Xiaogang guy is having an affair with his own cousin?"
"They look so respectable, but who'd have thought they were people like that?"
Dugu Yan's and the Shi Family Brothers' words drew the attention of many students from other academies who were coming out of the venue.
In an instant, everyone's eyes turned toward Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong.
Their faces were filled with disbelief.
Among them, Shui Yue'er from Skywater Academy stared wide-eyed at Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang.
Her expression shifted from curiosity to disgust.
And she wasn't the only one.
Feeling the contemptuous gazes around him, Yu Xiaogang yanked his hand from Liu Erlong's embrace as if he'd been burned.
But before he could pull free, Liu Erlong grabbed him.
Liu Erlong glared at Dugu Yan, her face dark.
"Young lady, it seems no one taught you to respect your elders."
"Today, I'll teach you that lesson."
As she spoke, blazing Soul Power surged from Liu Erlong.
Wrapped in Dragon Fire, she transformed into a streak of flame and shot straight toward Dugu Yan.
As a Soul Saint, Liu Erlong was incredibly fast.
In the blink of an eye, her dragon claw, covered in crimson scales, was right in front of Dugu Yan.
Just as Liu Erlong's claw was about to strike, Su Ze moved. With a Gale Rush, he flashed in front of Dugu Yan.
Then his commanding voice rang out.
"Shatter the Darkness with Thunder!"
In an instant, Su Ze's hair turned white, and violent lightning surged around him.
As he activated his ultimate skill, Thunderous Force, Su Ze unleashed his Second Skill as well.
A powerful Lightning Pillar crashed down, forcibly stopping Liu Erlong's attack.
Taking advantage of the hard stun, Su Ze shot up into the air.
The clear sky instantly filled with Dark Clouds Gathering. Su Ze hovered high above, his hair white and lightning enveloping his upper body.
He looked just like the Thunder God.
Su Ze gazed down at Liu Erlong, his eyes ice-cold.
So what if she was a Soul Saint!
They were near the venue, with Xue Ye and Ning Fengzhi close by.
The fight wouldn't last long before someone stepped in to stop it.
Since they could only fight for a short time, Su Ze had no fear of facing a Soul Saint.
"Transgressor, do you hear the warning bell tolling amid the Raging Thunder?"
As Su Ze's solemn voice rang out, the Dark Clouds above gathered into a storm.
With overwhelming celestial might, a thick Lightning Pillar shot straight toward Liu Erlong.
Extreme Thunder represented justice in the world.
And Liu Erlong already had a guilty conscience.
Hearing Su Ze's words, with the heavenly lightning bearing down on her,
Liu Erlong suddenly had the strange feeling that she was a sinner, destined to be judged.
The moment this sinner's mindset surfaced, it only enraged her further.
In an instant, seven Soul Rings appeared behind her.
"Boy, you think you can judge me?"
"I'll kill you!"
The Soul Rings behind Liu Erlong lit up at once.
Flames gathered into a huge dragon's head, which lunged toward Su Ze in the sky.
Seeing this, Su Ze didn't hesitate to raise the stakes.
"Only the most fearsome thunder can shatter the heaviest darkness!"
Countless Lightning Pillars came crashing down.
The berserk Extreme Thunder collided head-on with the dragon's head formed from flames.
Boom!
The collision of the Soul Skills unleashed a storm of force.
In an instant, the venue was reduced to ruins.
Su Ze still hovered in the sky, completely unharmed, looking down at Liu Erlong.
Liu Erlong's expression changed when she saw that Su Ze hadn't suffered a single injury.
How could this kid withstand my full-strength attack as a Soul Saint?
Just as Liu Erlong was about to attack again,
a furious shout suddenly rang out.
"Stop!"
The instant the shout sounded, the pressure of several Titled Douluo locked onto Liu Erlong.
The next moment, Xue Qinghe walked out of the venue in splendid clothes, his face cold as he glared at Liu Erlong.
"Dean Liu, what are you doing? Picking on the weak in front of everyone at the All Continent Advanced Elite Competition!"
Under Xue Qinghe's glare and the pressure of the Titled Douluo around him, the impulsive Liu Erlong immediately calmed down.
By then, Dugu Yan had recovered. She hurried over to Xue Qinghe and said,
"Your Highness, this Liu Erlong and her Shrek Academy didn't just block our way at the venue entrance."
"She also tried to assassinate Su Ze. You have to punish them severely."
As soon as Dugu Yan finished, Ning Rongrong stepped forward as well. She'd always despised Liu Erlong's incestuous behavior.
She hadn't expected this madwoman to actually attack them in public. She immediately added,
"That's right, Your Majesty! Liu Erlong has to be punished. She just tried to attack us, too."
Hearing Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan's accusations, the Shrek group clenched their fists, glaring furiously at the two of them.
Especially Ning Rongrong.
Her accusation made them feel betrayed.
Ning Rongrong simply glared right back at them without the slightest hesitation.
After hearing Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong's accounts, Xue Qinghe glared at Liu Erlong. After thinking for a moment, he said:
"Dean Liu, you dared to attack someone at the venue. You must be punished!"
"You will pay to repair the entrance, and you will also compensate Su Ze, the person you attacked, with two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!"
"Otherwise, your academy will be disqualified from the competition immediately."
Hearing Xue Ye's icy words, Liu Erlong's expression changed.
The cost of repairing the venue, along with the two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins in compensation,
meant she'd have to pay nearly three hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins.
For Liu Erlong, that was an enormous loss.
Paying that much would make her wince.
But Xue Qinghe's cold gaze told Liu Erlong she had no room to argue.
"All right, Your Majesty. I'll pay the compensation!"
"Good. Dean Liu, don't let there be a next time."
"Understood, Your Highness."
With that, Liu Erlong left with a livid expression, while Yu Xiaogang glared angrily at Su Ze in the sky.
"Su Ze, we'll make you pay in the competition."
After tossing out that threat, Yu Xiaogang hurried away as well.
Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others exchanged glances, their faces grim.
They'd made a complete spectacle of themselves at the venue today.
Not only would word of Yu Xiaogang's affair spread far and wide,
but worse, a Soul Saint hadn't even managed to take down Su Ze.
Looking at Su Ze, who was like the Thunder God in the sky, Tang San felt a foreboding unease.
Could Shrek Academy really defeat Su Ze?
Seeing the Shrek group leave, Su Ze slowly dispersed the lightning and descended to the ground.
As soon as Su Ze landed, Xue Qinghe came over.
"So, Su Ze, what do you think? Are you satisfied with how I handled this?"
"Liu Erlong belongs to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, after all. Making her pay a fine is the most my authority allows."
Xue Qinghe sounded helpless. The Heaven Dou Empire might be one of the great empires, but it ultimately had no powerful expert capable of keeping the other side in check.
When dealing with the Upper Three Clans, one still had to bow one's head.
In his capacity as Xue Qinghe, this was all Qian Renxue could do for now.
At Su Ze's words, Qian Renxue merely smiled, unconcerned.
"Brother Xue's proposed solution is excellent. I have no objections at all."
On the contrary, Su Ze hoped Tang San and the others would take part in the All Continent Elite Competition.
After all, he was eager to see what Tang San, the Child of Destiny, was capable of.
Besides, money mattered more to him than an apology.
After all, that was two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!
It was an unexpected windfall.
With this unexpected windfall, he had a very good chance of breaking through to Soul Emperor before the finals.
An increase in strength was what really mattered.
Apologies were just empty words.
Right after the battle ended, news of the fight between Su Ze and Liu Erlong spread immediately.
A Soul Saint had faced a boy who wasn't even fifteen, yet hadn't managed to take him down in an instant.
What was more, Liu Erlong was already a renowned powerhouse among Soul Saints.
In no time, Su Ze's reputation as a prodigy became widely known among the contestants from the various academies.
Meanwhile.
Shrek Academy.
After seeing Yu Xiaogang off, Liu Erlong hurried back to the academy to gather the money.
Remembering how Liu Erlong had comforted him before she left, Yu Xiaogang clenched his fists.
It was all that damned Su Ze's fault.
He'd even kindly offered Su Ze a few pointers back at the academy, and had considered taking him on as a disciple.
That damned commoner was only acting so arrogantly because of his good luck and talent.
If only he hadn't awakened a useless Martial Soul, and had instead been the son of the head of the Blue Electric Tyrant Dragon Family—
Would this insignificant Su Ze dare act so brazenly in front of him?
Yu Xiaogang clenched his fists in resentment. Beside him, Tang San's eyes flashed with anger as well.
Yu Xiaogang was his teacher, the one who had imparted knowledge to him, and the most important guide in his life.
He had also helped raise his Blue Silver Grass, which had once been utterly useless, to its current level.
And with the principle of Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parent, Teacher in mind, Tang San was furious to see his teacher suffer.
"Teacher, don't worry. We'll prove ourselves at the Elite Master Competition."
"As for Su Ze, I'll make him pay back every bit of the humiliation he inflicted on you today, with interest."
"And what happened between you and Teacher Erlong wasn't your fault. They simply don't understand."
At Tang San's words, Yu Xiaogang turned to look at him.
The anger in his heart immediately gave way to hope.
That was right. He had Tang San.
A genius with Twin Martial Souls.
The son of Douluo Tang Hao.
As long as Shrek Academy managed to pull off an upset and win the championship, Yu Xiaogang would earn recognition from his family and everyone on the continent.
At the thought, Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up. Looking at Tang San before him, he said excitedly,
"Tang San, you're my only hope of proving my theories!"
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