The scene fell silent in an instant.
Under Xia Ran's sharp gaze, Flender looked distinctly uneasy, and his tone softened.
"Xia Ran! I'm sorry. I won't let Tang San or Yu Xiaogang stay at the academy. For the sake of the six years we've spent as teacher and student, let's call it a day."
"After today, your grudges have nothing to do with me!"
Flender's old face seemed to age several years in an instant. His words carried a clear note of pleading.
As the dean, this was all he could do.
He didn't want anyone to die at this academy...
"You're sure you want to protect Tang San?"
Xia Ran frowned slightly, his expression cold.
Flender answered with an evasive look and a stance that didn't shift an inch.
Xia Ran gave Flender a long, hard look, then swept his gaze over everyone present.
Flender's position was already clear. Though Xia Ran was powerful, killing Tang San in front of him was still unrealistic, especially since Xia Ran hadn't yet obtained his fifth Soul Ring.
"I hope you won't regret this when Tang San grows stronger!"
Leaving those words behind, Xia Ran stopped arguing. Since Flender had chosen to stand against him today, Xia Ran would no longer let their past relationship hold him back.
With a flash, he vanished from the field.
The pressure lifted. Flender let out a heavy breath, and his usually shrewd little eyes dimmed.
He looked at the wreckage on the field and spoke in an almost hoarse voice.
"Hongjun, Mubai!"
"Come help clean this up!"
Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing returned to the girls' dormitory.
Xiao Wu's sobs filled the room. A clear handprint showed on her left cheek.
Zhu Zhuqing kept handing her tissues.
[Host's dislike of Tang San: 100%]
[Reward for host: Second Martial Soul, Ice Element Control and Fire Element Control]
[Reward for host: One Hundred Thousand Year Mysterious Cat Soul Bone, at a location of your choice]
[Please choose: Head Bone, Torso Bone...]
The reason Xia Ran hadn't wasted time arguing with Flender was that he had a countdown to choose his Soul Bone.
The system mission had been completed when Tang San roared at Xiao Wu. If Xia Ran hadn't wasted time saving Zhu Zhuqing, he would've left long ago.
The system was about to issue his reward, which would surely cause a disturbance. He didn't want those people to see it.
In the Back Mountain, the ice- and fire-element Soul Power in the air surged toward Xia Ran and poured into his right eye.
"A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone!"
"I can't believe the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone the system mentioned really exists!"
He could choose from six locations, but after the delay, the countdown had less than thirty seconds left.
He didn't know what would happen when it ran out. The system might give him a random Soul Bone, or it might simply pocket his reward.
Xia Ran hurriedly considered which Soul Bone would be the most worthwhile.
Of the six Soul Bones, the Torso Bone and Head Bone were the hardest to obtain, so they were obviously his top choices.
Since he was about to leave Shrek, staying alive would be his top priority as he traveled the continent.
After making up his mind, Xia Ran chose the "Hundred Thousand Year Mysterious Cat Torso Bone"!
Once he confirmed his choice, black light twisted, and a somewhat translucent black spinal bone appeared before him, complete with ribs and a sternum.
Mysterious golden patterns were carved across its surface. The Soul Power fluctuations made black light shimmer faintly around it, and the overwhelming aura was unmistakably that of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.
Xia Ran quickly used his second Martial Soul to set up a barrier of darkness around himself, so the old men wouldn't notice him.
[Hundred Thousand Year Mysterious Cat Torso Bone]
[Soul Bone Skill: Undying Cat Demon Body—Passive Skill. When on the verge of death, instantly heals the user's injuries and restores 30% of Soul Power. Cooldown: 99 days]
[Soul Bone Skill: Dark Potential—Status Enhancement Skill. Activating the skill consumes Soul Power and increases the user's Speed by 300%, attack power by 100%, and defense by 100%]
Xia Ran's heart leaped with joy, and the corners of his mouth lifted.
"As expected, I got a life-saving skill. The second skill is powerful too. A 300% increase in Speed could save my life at a critical moment!"
The moment Xia Ran touched the Soul Bone, its information appeared in his mind.
He didn't hesitate. Hardly anyone ever visited him here, and the barrier formed by his second Martial Soul would keep ordinary people from detecting what was inside.
Xia Ran began the fusion at once!
The next day.
When Zhu Zhuqing went to see Xia Ran, she found that he had already set up a barrier. Out of courtesy, she didn't disturb him. She only looked a little dejected.
"We agreed you'd come with me to my duel against Dai Mubai today..."
She waited from early morning until noon, but Xia Ran showed no sign of coming out, so Zhu Zhuqing had no choice but to leave alone.
On the field, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing stood facing each other.
After what had happened with Tang San and Xia Ran, Flender was on high alert this time. Knowing the two youngsters would fight, he had activated his Martial Soul Possession in advance.
That way, he could step in at once if either of them was in danger.
It had to be said, the relationships among the main members of Shrek's group were truly a mess...
"Dai Mubai, if I win this fight, I'll no longer be your fiancée. I'll belong only to myself!"
"From then on, there will be nothing between us."
Zhu Zhuqing stood on the field, her expression calm and her beautiful eyes devoid of emotion.
The calmer she was, the angrier Dai Mubai became. Standing across from her, he wanted nothing more than to kill her on the spot.
The Third Prince of Star Luo had actually been forced to chase her all the way to this remote, run-down village to break off their engagement!
He laughed in fury, his contemptuous gaze sizing up Zhu Zhuqing's jacket.
"Slut! You've been hanging around Xia Ran so much that even the way you dress has become more conservative!"
"What, did he make you?"
He had deliberately looked around just now and noticed Xia Ran wasn't there, so he dared to speak so brazenly.
To Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing hanging around Xia Ran was one thing; her publicly asking to break off their engagement was another.
He could pretend not to know about the former. No one ever brought it up.
The latter rubbed his dignity into the dirt.
At the edge of the field, Tang San narrowed his eyes. He glanced at Xiao Wu, who was standing far away from him, and felt a surge of hatred toward Xia Ran as well...
Zhu Zhuqing remained cold in the face of his insults.
"Your nonsense is useless! I told you I'd beat you with my own strength!"
"Heh. Your own strength? Who knows how you got it!"
"You..."
Dai Mubai's voice dripped with mockery as he looked at her with contempt.
"Enough. Let's fight. But if you lose..."
"You win, I die!"
"Fine!"
Her violet eyes were filled with determination. Ever since her Martial Soul Awakening, the fate of the second young lady of the Star Luo Zhu Family had been bound to someone else's.
Now, she could finally bring it to an end.
Win or lose, whatever the outcome, she would take control of her own fate!
"Dai Mubai: Level 37 Power Attack Battle Soul Elder!"
"Zhu Zhuqing: Level 34 Agility Attack Battle Soul Elder!"
The moment the words were spoken, Dai Mubai was stunned. So was everyone else!
She had only just enrolled. How could Zhu Zhuqing's strength have improved so quickly?
"Level 34! How is that possible?"
"Heh. So that's how it is!"
Dai Mubai seemed to suddenly understand. Grinding his teeth, he said:
"You earned all that power by climbing into Xia Ran's bed. Zhu Zhuqing, you sure paid a steep price to beat me!"
Zhu Zhuqing's lashes trembled slightly. Dai Mubai had slandered her again and again, and anger surged within her.
"Disgusting!"
[First Soul Skill: Hell Stab]
She stopped wasting words on him, activated her Martial Soul Possession, and launched her attack.
Compared to their fight when she first enrolled, she had become so fast that she was a blur. Before Dai Mubai could even track the path of her attack with his eyes,
Zhu Zhuqing was already right in front of him, unleashing her First Soul Skill.
Her slash landed. Perhaps he wanted to test her strength, because he took the blow head-on, relying on the powerful defense of his Martial Soul Possession.
Seeing the black gash on his arm, Dai Mubai flew into a rage!
Before you continue