Dai Mubai snorted, clearly unconvinced. "A year ago, he trampled me underfoot and humiliated me. A year later, I've become even stronger. What's wrong with getting revenge?"
"I, Dai Mubai, have always been someone who holds a clear line between gratitude and grudges. He has to fight me today, whether he wants to or not."
"Otherwise, I won't be able to get it off my mind, and it'll hinder my cultivation!"
Oscar stepped forward, his face full of anger.
"Want to challenge Xiao Feng? You'll have to get past me first!"
As he spoke, Oscar's aura changed abruptly, and a cold killing intent surged toward Dai Mubai.
Shen Feng rested a hand on Oscar's shoulder, suppressing the rapidly rising aura, and gave a slight shake of his head. "Xiao Ao, there's no need to get angry. He's not worth it."
He turned to look at Dai Mubai.
"So, you're Xiao Bai? I accept your challenge, so you can get this off your mind."
"Xiao Feng."
Seeing the situation about to spiral out of control, Flender hurriedly tried to stop him. But then he remembered that Dai Mubai had started this, and that stopping Shen Feng now would be a little inappropriate.
"Do me a favor."
After a brief pause, that was all Flender ultimately said.
Shen Feng nodded. "Don't worry, Dean. We're all from the same academy, after all. I'll go easy on him."
"Don't get ahead of yourself!" Dai Mubai barked.
"You think I need you to go easy on me?"
"Today, I'll show you exactly what the difference is between a Soul Grandmaster and a Soul Elder."
Shen Feng was taken aback, then found himself both amused and exasperated. He had personally killed a Soul Ancestor; he couldn't understand what a mere Soul Elder had to brag about.
"Fine, fine. Then I'll see just how strong a Soul Elder really is."
The fight was about to begin. Shen Feng and Dai Mubai faced each other, while the others stood on either side. Flender and Zhao Wuji were on the left, and Ma Hongjun and Oscar on the right.
Flender and Zhao Wuji knew the difference between the two all too well, and their expressions were somewhat grim.
First, Dai Mubai was being far too unreasonable. Second, they were worried Shen Feng might crush Dai Mubai's confidence and leave him unable to recover.
On the other side, Ma Hongjun quietly edged over to Oscar.
"Brother Ao, who do you think will win?"
Oscar didn't even turn his head. "Xiao Feng, without a doubt."
Ma Hongjun paused, then shook his head. "I don't buy it. I usually can't stand that hotheaded tiger either, but you can't deny he's got some skill."
"He's a three-ring Soul Elder now, while Shen Feng is only a two-ring Soul Grandmaster. Things don't look good."
Oscar still didn't turn around. "Xiao Feng, without a doubt."
Ma Hongjun furrowed his brow and rolled his eyes. "I don't buy it. How about we make a bet?"
"Let's bet on that gun you used earlier. If I win, you let me play with it for three days. If I lose, I'll admit you're impressive—and that Shen Feng is impressive too."
Oscar turned to look at Ma Hongjun in disbelief. "Little fatty, do you think I'm stupid?"
"Besides, I, Oscar, once swore to the heavens that I'd never touch gambling or drugs in my life."
"And Xiao Feng has also told me outright that a man should never let anyone else handle either his wife or the weapon in his hand. So I'm not betting!"
Ma Hongjun's eyes went wide. "Wait, what about porn?"
"Shut up, brat. I can't be bothered to explain it all to you."
At the same time, facing Shen Feng, Dai Mubai frowned, his spine prickling with unease.
First, there was Shen Feng's stance. He seemed completely relaxed, as if full of openings, yet the longer Dai Mubai looked, the more he saw danger everywhere. He couldn't find a way in.
Second, there was the look in Shen Feng's eyes—the look of someone who had killed before.
Though Shen Feng hadn't directed any killing intent at Dai Mubai, that look of someone who viewed human life as worthless still made the young tiger, who had never left his comfortable nest, feel a chill run down his spine. He was afraid.
No, I can't keep stalling. If this goes on, I might lose my nerve.
Dai Mubai muttered to himself, then glared at Shen Feng. "Shen Feng, I was going to give you a chance to make the first move, but you still haven't attacked."
"It's getting late. So, to avoid wasting everyone's time, I'll swallow my pride and make the first move!"
As he spoke, Dai Mubai raised his right hand. A burst of Soul Power surged beneath his feet, and he charged straight at Shen Feng.
Shen Feng yawned and leaned aside, dodging Dai Mubai's straight punch.
"Explosive Step? I developed that. You're using my own moves against me? Are you kidding?"
Dai Mubai snorted and spun around, his fist bursting with a powerful wave of Soul Power as he swept it toward Shen Feng.
Shen Feng raised his arm, joined his fingers into the shape of a crane's beak, and flicked them into a pressure point on Dai Mubai's right arm.
The wave of Soul Power around Dai Mubai's fist immediately dissipated, and its power vanished.
"Collapse Fist. I developed that move too. Didn't you even check who created it when you learned it?"
Dai Mubai clutched the spot on his right arm where Shen Feng had struck him, then used Soul Power to quickly open up some distance.
He snorted, still as arrogant as ever. "Hmph. I knew you wouldn't be so kind. Those Self-Created Soul Skills you left at the academy are incomplete after all. You deliberately left yourself a way to exploit them, didn't you?"
Shen Feng was speechless, but couldn't help finding it amusing.
Using a move against its creator, only for the creator to spot its weakness and counter it—and somehow that meant he'd left a hidden flaw?
Wasn't that a little ridiculous?
"Quit spewing shit, you bastard! We learned the same moves. If you're useless, are you going to blame your own mother?"
Shen Feng didn't care and didn't want to waste time explaining, but Oscar wasn't about to let anyone insult him.
Besides, Oscar hadn't liked Dai Mubai from the moment they first met. Arrogant, conceited, full of himself—there wasn't a single redeeming quality he could see.
The one redeeming quality Dai Mubai claimed to have, being fair about gratitude and grudges, was just something he'd bragged about himself. How much of it was true remained questionable.
"You—"
Dai Mubai was about to retort, but Oscar cut him off again.
"You what? You're weak, but you love picking fights. Do you even know your own limits?"
"Let me tell you something. With your pathetic level of skill, you couldn't even get close to me, let alone Xiao Feng. If you do, I'll call you Daddy."
Dai Mubai's eyes were bloodshot, and his chest rose and fell rapidly. "You—"
"You what? If you're weak, train more. If you can't handle losing, don't play."
"What are you glaring at? Got a problem? Then let's fight!"
Oscar's nonstop barrage of insults instantly sent Dai Mubai's rationality plummeting to zero.
"I—"
"You what? What's wrong? You want to hit me?"
"White Tiger Possession! I'll tear that foul mouth of yours to shreds!"
Burning with rage, Dai Mubai immediately activated his Martial Soul. Soul Power burst beneath his feet as he abandoned Shen Feng and charged straight at Oscar.
Oscar's lips curled slightly. "Idiot."
He easily sidestepped Dai Mubai's lunge, Soul Power surging in his right hand.
"Rasengan!"
He spun around and casually pressed the fast-rotating pink sphere into Dai Mubai's back.
"Argh!"
With a cry of pain, Dai Mubai's back was instantly left a bloody mess.
Soul Power burst beneath his feet, and Dai Mubai leaped forward, rapidly putting distance between himself and Oscar. He stood off to the side, glaring at Oscar in fury.
Oscar spoke with scorn. "Idiot. Let me tell you: Explosive Step is a high-speed straight-line charge. If you anticipate it, it's easy to dodge."
"Like this!"
As he spoke, Oscar used Explosive Step too, charging rapidly toward Dai Mubai.
Dai Mubai's pupils contracted sharply, and he immediately dodged to the side.
Oscar's lips curled slightly. "Idiot."
He stepped forward with his right foot, using Explosive Step again to cancel out his momentum. Then Soul Power burst from his left foot, and he suddenly changed direction, charging toward Dai Mubai's flank.
"Collapse Fist!"
A violent wave of Soul Power burst from Oscar's right hand. His heavy punch, powerful enough to split mountains and crack stones, slammed into Dai Mubai's waist.
Perhaps to restore Shen Feng's reputation, Oscar held nothing back with this strike.
"Argh!"
With a cry of pain, Dai Mubai flew seven or eight meters before tumbling several times and finally coming to a stop.
Clutching his badly injured waist, Dai Mubai struggled several times before managing to get back to his feet.
"You bastard! You won't get away with this! I'll tear you to pieces!"
"First Soul Skill: White Tiger Protection Barrier!"
"Second Soul Skill: White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"
Glaring at Oscar in the distance, Dai Mubai still couldn't help using his Soul Skills first.
"Phew..."
Seeing Dai Mubai use his Soul Skills, Oscar let out a long breath. Soul Power surged around him as he raised his right hand and aimed it at Dai Mubai.
"Double Rasengan!"
A giant Rasengan, one meter in diameter, took shape in Oscar's hand, like a shield between him and Dai Mubai.
The rapidly spinning Rasengan was like a giant angle grinder. It tore the White Tiger Intense Light Wave apart bit by bit, then broke it down into wisps of Soul Power that vanished into the air.
The clash lasted nearly a minute. Oscar still suffered from his low level and insufficient Soul Power; under the constant attrition, the Rasengan shrank to about fifty centimeters across.
"Give up. I don't want to accidentally kill you."
"I'm a Soul Elder, while you're only a Soul Grandmaster. There's no shame in admitting defeat."
Faced with Dai Mubai's taunts, Oscar gave him a disdainful glance and moved his lips. "Idiot!"
Immediately afterward, two yellow Soul Rings rose from beneath Oscar's feet.
"Daddy Has a Sour Sausage!"
As he recited the Soul Incantation, Oscar's Second Soul Ring lit up, and an orange-yellow sausage appeared in his left hand.
The moment the sausage appeared, Oscar's mouth filled with sour saliva.
He glared at Dai Mubai resentfully. "Damn it, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have to go through this!"
He narrowed his eyes, clenched his teeth, and shoved the whole sausage into his mouth.
The next moment, Oscar's handsome face crumpled like a steamed bun.
Zhao Wuji asked curiously, "Xiao Feng, what's Xiao Ao's Second Soul Skill? Why does he look so strange?"
Shen Feng chuckled softly. "Lemon Sour Sausage, from an eight-hundred-year-old Bloodthirsty Lemon Tree."
"It consumes ten percent of his mental strength and ten percent of his Soul Power to create a Lemon Sour Sausage that restores thirty percent of the Soul Power of a Soul Master at the same level."
"For Soul Masters above his Soul Power Level, the effect is reduced. For those below his level, the effect is enhanced. If he eats it himself, he gets the standard thirty percent restoration."
"After accounting for what he spent, he can recover twenty percent of his Soul Power."
Flender paused. "A plant-type Soul Beast? Isn't Xiao Ao's Martial Soul a sausage?"
Shen Feng nodded. "It is a sausage, sure. But a plain sausage is still a sausage, isn't it?"
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