Canghui Academy

"I'll beat you with my own hands once this training trip is over."

With that, she ignored the colorful expression on Dai Mubai's face, turned, and jogged a couple of steps to catch up with Xia Ran.

Meanwhile, Oscar ran from the back of the group to the front.

He looked at Ning Rongrong with a fawning smile.

"Rongrong, I'm sorry about yesterday. I got carried away in the excitement. Can you forgive me?"

As he spoke, he deliberately put on a pitiful, innocent expression, the complete opposite of his domineering act the day before.

If there was one thing the two expressions had in common, it was that the same face looked equally lecherous either way!

"Please, I really know I was wrong. I can make it up to you, too."

"Make it up to me? My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is rich and powerful. Do you think I'd care about your measly compensation?"

How could Ning Rongrong possibly forgive him? She'd already made up her mind: as soon as the training trip was over, she'd return to her sect.

For one thing, she wanted to get Chen Xin's approval as soon as possible and put an end to his hostility toward Xia Ran.

For another, she wanted to find someone to kill Oscar!

That was right—not teach him a lesson, but kill him outright!

If she got the chance, she even wanted to kill Dai Mubai, Tang San, and Ma Hongjun.

The successor of one of the Upper Three Sects bullied by a bunch of country bumpkins—who wouldn't want to kill them?

"We'll talk about it when we get back."

That simple sentence made Oscar feel as if he'd plunged into an ice cellar.

Talk about it when they got back! She might as well have sentenced him to death on the spot.

He truly regretted it now, regretted acting so rashly yesterday and doing something like that.

But no matter how pitifully he pleaded, Ning Rongrong never once looked him in the eye.

"Also, please stop bothering me from now on. I already like someone."

"What? You like someone?"

Oscar stared at her in shock. They'd only been at the academy a few days. Hadn't she said she didn't like anyone before? How had she changed her mind so quickly?

Ning Rongrong turned her head and fixed Oscar with her beautiful eyes, her expression utterly certain.

"That's right. I like Xia Ran!"

"I like him more than anyone. I like him so, so much. I want to be with him forever."

"Don't keep bothering me from now on. I don't want Xia Ran to get the wrong idea."

She even remembered to give him a sweet smile, as if saying those words had brought back some lovely memories.

But Xia Ran, standing beside her, wasn't pleased. He frowned and said,

"Don't use me as a shield for your love life."

Hearing that, Ning Rongrong's little-demoness side came out. She grabbed his arm and clung to it.

"What? I'm not allowed to say I like you?"

"Hmph!"

Seeing this, Oscar felt as if the sky had fallen.

"No! No! No—!"

His long, anguished cry startled Zhao Wuji beside him.

He hurried over, thinking someone had attacked Xia Ran.

"Isn't this Oscar? What's wrong?"

"I can't choose my third Soul Ring! I can't choose! It's too hard~~~"

Ning Rongrong turned away with a look of disgust at Oscar's bizarre behavior.

"Freak."

By evening, Zhao Wuji had led everyone to a small inn.

As expected, they ran into Canghui Academy.

Dai Mubai had been fuming all day over what had happened, and he didn't hold back when he saw them.

He cursed freely, hurling insults even harsher than in the original story.

The two sides were on the verge of a fight. Unfortunately, without Ning Rongrong's support and Zhu Zhuqing's backup, the four of them struggled badly.

Why count four? Because Oscar was useless!

Xiao Wu and Dai Mubai were both close-combat fighters, but Xiao Wu was only level 29. She charged into the crowd without a defensive Soul Skill, and the poor girl was blasted with all kinds of Soul Skills as the enemy focused their attacks on her.

Tang San could only use his Blue Silver Grass to interfere from the rear, muttering about how they deserved to die as he retreated to dodge the enemy's attacks.

In the end, Xia Ran couldn't stand to watch and stepped in to stop them.

By then, Xiao Wu had been beaten unconscious. He carried her back from the battlefield.

"If you can't handle it, don't go looking for trouble. Your teammate's been beaten into this state. Happy now?"

He was speaking to Dai Mubai. Xia Ran truly couldn't understand Flender's approach to teaching. Other than turning out a bunch of bullies who preyed on the weak, what good could it do?

Dai Mubai struggled to his feet. Though he had the White Tiger Shield Soul Skill, he'd been under attack the whole time since Xiao Wu fell.

He looked utterly battered. His Martial Soul Possession was nearly broken, and his once-pristine white clothes and golden hair were now a mess.

"What the hell do you know? The dean said that anyone who doesn't dare cause trouble is a talentless loser."

Perhaps he'd been holding back for too long whenever he faced Xia Ran. Somehow, Dai Mubai found the nerve to say this through gritted teeth, glaring at him with resentment.

Before Xia Ran could say anything, the Canghui Academy students burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! You've been beaten this badly, and you're still mouthing off. You really live up to your White Tiger Martial Soul. If only your fists were as hard as your mouth!"

"Exactly! Does that teacher of yours tell you to talk like that to Titled Douluo, too?"

"Shrek Academy? Never even heard of it. You're a bunch of country bumpkins!"

Each taunt reached Dai Mubai's ears. His face flushed red as he limped back to the group.

Oscar hurried over to support him and activated his First Soul Skill, trying to help heal his injuries.

But the Canghui Academy students kept taunting them, tossing out insults as if they cost nothing. Xia Ran's brow furrowed.

"Tsk. Annoying!"

Though he didn't feel any particular loyalty to Shrek Academy, he'd still lived there for years.

He hadn't wanted to bother with a bunch of clowns mouthing off.

But this group was just too noisy!

[Void Domain]

With his back to the Canghui Academy students, Xia Ran instantly spread his domain, enveloping everyone—including Tang San and the others.

[Devour]

The Canghui Academy students, who'd been running their mouths just a moment ago, fell silent in the blink of an eye.

Thud, thud, thud—

After a series of dull impacts, only the girl who'd just been mocked by Dai Mubai and the others remained standing.

"W-what... what did you do to them?"

The girl stared at him in terror, clapping a hand over her mouth to stop herself from making a sound as her body trembled uncontrollably.

It was too bizarre!!!

Everyone had fallen in an instant, and that figure hadn't even turned around.

Tang San was shaken to the core.

Xia Ran seems even stronger than he was a few days ago!

Dai Mubai's face flushed red. He'd seen the Canghui Academy students, whom they'd struggled against for so long, lose their fighting ability in an instant at Xia Ran's hands. He felt both ashamed and wary.

"Take them and get out!"

The cold, emotionless voice reached the girl's ears, crushing the last thread of her resolve.

She broke down in terror and screamed.

Xia Ran hadn't expected her to take it so badly. With a helpless sigh, he drained her Soul Power as well.

And so every Canghui Academy student present fell unconscious.

The commotion finally drew Ye Zhiqiu over. Seeing the students sprawled on the ground and the Shrek group opposite them, he immediately understood what had happened.

But the people before him had such powerful auras that even he, a Soul King, couldn't gauge their true strength. He didn't dare act rashly.

"May I ask why you treated my students so harshly, young friend?"

Xia Ran set Xiao Wu down beside Ning Rongrong and sent some Soul Power into her to help her feel better.

Then he turned to Ye Zhiqiu.

"Don't pretend you don't know."

"It was just a minor dispute. They only ran out of Soul Power. A few days of rest will be enough."

Xia Ran knew that Dai Mubai had started the whole thing, so his side wasn't exactly in the right.

But what was done was done. Soul Masters fought each other; once a fight had started, they could settle who was right and wrong with their fists.

Besides, he hadn't seriously injured the students. He'd only drained their Soul Power and knocked them unconscious.

"Don't you think you owe me an explanation?"