He's My Senior Brother!

"They really mean business."

Oscar stood where he was, stepping back with his left leg and lowering his center of gravity slightly. He raised his right hand, a faint ring of pale green light shimmering across it.

"Taiji!"

Oscar's arms curved as if embracing a ball, slowly rotating in front of him. The pale green light sank from his left hand and formed a tornado-shaped vortex between his palms.

The White Tiger Intense Light Wave energy ball rushing into the vortex seemed to meet tremendous resistance, its speed dropping sharply!

"Entangle!"

Oscar turned, rotating his waist with the White Tiger Intense Light Wave, and wrapped the energy ball around his right palm.

"Stick!"

Oscar's hands circled the energy ball, and the glowing sphere of the White Tiger Intense Light Wave clung completely to his hands.

"Draw!"

The White Tiger Intense Light Wave energy ball had become a weapon in Oscar's hands, swaying in his palm.

Dai Mubai watched it all in disbelief. It was probably like finding out that your son wasn't really your son...

"Three Jin!"

Clutching the White Tiger Intense Light Wave, Oscar charged at Dai Mubai.

"You!"

Dai Mubai's face turned pale as he quickly threw a punch to meet him.

But what Oscar held in his hands was Dai Mubai's own White Tiger Intense Light Wave!

Even weakened as it was, its age still far exceeded that of the White Tiger Protection Barrier!

In an instant, the White Tiger Protection Barrier was blasted into fragments that scattered through the air!

Oscar was also knocked into the air, but he had cultivated the Taiji Technique. His power was far more concentrated than the Soul Power of an ordinary Soul Master, so the expenditure wasn't too great!

"Almost there..."

Oscar murmured to himself. Taking advantage of Dai Mubai's lack of strength to follow up, he kicked off in midair, spun around, and swiftly pressed his attack!

"Explosive Jin, Parry and Punch!"

His fist struck Dai Mubai in the chest. The force burst through Dai Mubai's chest and smashed the gate and signboard of Shrek Academy.

A basin-sized hole tore through the chest of Dai Mubai's clothes. His eyes lost their light, and his body went limp as he collapsed unconscious.

"Junior Brother, take him back to rest. When he wakes up, make him pay for a new gate and signboard for the school."

Oscar brushed the dust off himself, glanced at the students and parents around him, then turned and walked over to Li Yusong.

"Task complete. I'm going back to continue cultivating."

"Go on, go on. Don't work too hard; remember to balance work and rest. Tomorrow, let Dean Flender and Teacher Zhao Wuji take you to hunt for a Spirit Ring."

Li Yusong's wrinkles bunched up in a beaming smile. A Soul Grandmaster not yet eleven years old—this was the kind of monster Shrek had!

"I will."

Oscar bowed respectfully before taking his leave.

His battle with Dai Mubai had taught him a great deal. Not only had he determined the limits of his Taiji Fist, he had also understood the effect of his Soul Bone Skill, Mirror Flower Water Moon: complete hypnosis.

However, perhaps because it had been damaged or for some other reason, its effect had greatly diminished. For now, it could only temporarily confuse someone's mind and subtly influence an enemy's state of mind in battle.

Back in the dormitory, Oscar went over the lessons from the fight in his mind before flopping onto the bed and giving a lazy yawn.

"If my parents hadn't been driven to their deaths by the nobles, if Spirit Hall and the nobles weren't in cahoots, and if my adoptive father hadn't been caught up in a crisis, I really wish I could just lie around like this for the rest of my life."

Oscar rolled over and sprawled across the blanket, arms and legs spread wide.

Though practitioners of the art of divination believed in going with the flow, whenever he wanted to return to the village to pay respects to his parents, the things he heard from the village elders made a flame burn in his chest!

He could imagine how helpless his parents had been. He could imagine their despair as they stuffed him into a water vat, and he could imagine the love in their pleas to the villagers not to hand him over!

"Truly..."

The more Oscar learned about this world, the more clearly he understood its nature.

Simply put, this was a world built on exploitation. The nobles could exploit the common people, and when new geniuses emerged, the noble factions would draw them to their side so they could oppress the common people together.

Even when the rare genius arose from among the oppressed, they ultimately faced two choices: join the noble factions, or be utterly destroyed.

"I should hurry and bring Dai Mubai into Sky Net. With him there, our future operations will be much easier."

Lost in thought, Oscar drifted off to sleep.

Outside the window, a little chubby boy dressed in black, as delicate as a porcelain doll, slipped away and headed for the training ground from earlier.

"Phoenix Fire Line!"

Ma Hongjun breathed out flames, scorching the trees not far away.

He released his Soul Power along with the flames. Only when his Soul Power was exhausted did Ma Hongjun stop, sit on the ground, and begin regulating his breathing.

Once his Soul Power had recovered a little, he stood again and unleashed Phoenix Fire Line. Streams of Extreme Yang Power spread from his dantian through his meridians, driving out the cool, gentle energy within him.

He still remembered what his senior brother had once said: repay a drop of kindness with a spring of gratitude; let the slightest grudge blaze on like a wildfire!

His senior brother had always kept things from him, but Ma Hongjun could feel it: ever since the day his senior brother returned home to visit his parents' graves, he had changed completely!

His senior brother had lost his former laziness, and the light had vanished from his eyes.

What could change a person so quickly... was hatred, as Teacher Zhao Wuji had once said!

"Senior Brother, you've even forgotten that what determines the outcome of many things isn't the thing itself, but what lies beyond it."

Phoenix patterns flickered in Ma Hongjun's eyes. Every moment of self-doubt was a chance to be reborn through the flames.

At that moment, he was not lacking in confidence at all. He had tremendous faith in his own future!

The foundation of all this was that he had begun to understand himself!

"I may not be as smart as Senior Brother, but not everyone can withstand my Ultimate Fire!"

Ma Hongjun walked in his black robe, the rising sun behind him. Its orange-red light fell across him, illuminating the phoenix patterns.

The phoenix patterns grew brighter and brighter, until they gradually merged completely into Ma Hongjun's body.

His eyes seemed to burn with an undying flame, yet his heart was utterly calm.

That night, he had reversed the Taiji Technique and converted Taiyin Power, transforming the gentle, pure Taiji power into explosive Extreme Yang!

After losing the cycle of Yin and Yang that had allowed it to flow without end, Ma Hongjun spat out a mouthful of blood!

Without the Taiji Mental Method to steady his mind, he might have gone mad and exploded on the spot.

Even so, he had still lost a great deal of his lifespan!

"It doesn't matter. I'll stand before Senior Brother and burn everything that stands in his way until it is...

reduced to ashes!"

Ma Hongjun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. Only when he neared the Shrek dormitory area did the strange changes in his body subside, as if nothing had ever happened.

No one noticed the flame-shaped marking that had appeared in the center of Ma Hongjun's forehead!

Not even Ma Hongjun himself!