The Collar Named "Genius", Meng Yiran's Magnificent Revenge

Royal Enclosure, qualifying tournament encampment.

The morning sun spilled over the tents, yet it could not disperse the deathly, oppressive atmosphere hanging over the Shrek Academy camp.

Ever since he was humiliated by Chrysanthemum Douluo in the canyon yesterday and then had his face stepped on in public by Yu Tianyu, Tang San had kept himself locked inside his tent. Although the wounds on his body had been treated and had scabbed over, the sense of shame that had seeped into his very marrow gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

"Yu Tianyu... Yu Tianyu!!"

Tang San sat cross-legged on his cot, his eyes bloodshot, his teeth grinding together with a rattling sound. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind was flooded with the image of Yu Tianyu's condescending, mocking face, and that nightmarish phrase: "You are my toy."

Just then, the tent flap was pulled open.

Flender walked in, holding an exquisitely wrapped gift box, his expression extremely grim.

"San, this is... something sent by someone from Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

Flender hesitated for a moment before placing the box on the table. "They said it was a 'recovery gift' specifically for you."

"Would he be that kind-hearted?" A flicker of suspicion and vigilance flashed in Tang San's eyes.

"Why don't we just throw it away? What if it's poisoned..." Zhao Wuji muttered from the side in a muffled voice.

"No, I want to see it."

Tang San took a deep breath; he wanted to see what other tricks that demon could pull. Suppressing the rage in his heart, he used trembling hands to untie the ribbon on the gift box.

The moment the box opened, the entire tent fell into a deathly silence.

There were no hidden weapons, no poison.

Lying on the exquisite silk cushion was a collar.

It was a leather collar, crafted with sophistication and inlaid with tiny diamonds—the kind usually worn around the necks of pet dogs kept by nobles.

Beside the collar was a gold-dusted card with only one line of text, written in a wild and forceful hand:

Since you are a toy, you should look the part. Put it on and perform for me on stage. --Your master, Yu Tianyu.

"This is going too far!!"

Dai Mubai let out a roar and slammed his fist onto the table, causing the collar to jump. "What does he take you for? A dog?!"

Tang San stared fixedly at the collar, his complexion shifting from pale to ash-gray, and then to a sickly, flushed red.

"Pfft!"

He couldn't hold back a mouthful of blood, which sprayed directly onto the collar.

But he did not faint.

Instead, he reached out to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the rage in his eyes strangely subsided, replaced by a chilling, hair-raising calmness.

It was the madness of someone pushed to the brink.

"Good, very good."

Tang San's voice was as raspy as sandpaper rubbing together. "He wants to see a performance, does he? Then I will perform for him."

"I will use my strength to tell him who the true genius is, and who will be the one standing at the end."

"Put the collar away."

Tang San stood up, the phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer flickering behind him, radiating a terrifying, baleful aura.

"One day, I will personally fasten this collar around his neck."

The format of the qualifying tournament was different from the preliminary rounds.

It was no longer a seven-person team battle, but a wheel-style combat that tested individual strength more rigorously. This also meant that everyone who stepped onto the stage would be exposed to the eyes of all, with nothing held back.

In the center of the arena, a massive fighting platform had been constructed.

Emperor Xue Ye sat on the high platform, with Ning Fengzhi, Salas, and Xue Qinghe—disguised as the crown prince—lined up beside him.

And Yu Tianyu, as the captain of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, sat in the most prominent seat at the front of the contestant area.

At this moment, he was enjoying the service of a stunning beauty.

Huo Wu was dressed in a shortened maid outfit (though it was still her red dress, Yu Tianyu had demanded she add a white apron and lace headband), kneeling beside Yu Tianyu and blushing as she peeled grapes for him.

This scene broke the hearts of countless men nearby, while simultaneously filling them with extreme envy, jealousy, and hatred toward Yu Tianyu.

"First match, Shrek Academy versus Exotic Beast Academy!"

Following the announcer's declaration, the entire arena's focus converged.

On the Shrek side, the first person to walk onto the stage was none other than Tang San.

He wore a set of clothes washed until they were faded, his spine held straight. He did not appear dejected by yesterday's humiliation; instead, he radiated the desperate resolve of an army fighting with nothing left to lose.

"Oh? He can still stand?"

Yu Tianyu opened his mouth to accept the grape Huo Wu offered, his eyes filled with amusement. "It seems last night's gift gave him quite a bit of motivation."

On the Exotic Beast Academy side, a young girl in a tight-fitting snakeskin suit walked up.

She held a long Snake Staff, her short gray hair making her look capable and cold. Her eyes were locked onto Tang San, as if she wanted to swallow him whole.

Meng Yiran.

Seeing that his opponent was Meng Yiran, Tang San felt a wave of relief, and his taut nerves relaxed slightly.

This was hope.

In his view, while Meng Yiran was not weak, she was, after all, someone he had defeated before. Back in the Star Dou Forest, he hadn't even used his spirit, relying solely on hidden weapons to win against her.

It seems the heavens are still looking out for me, sending me a soft persimmon in the first round to help me regain my confidence.

Tang San thought to himself, a confident smile appearing on his face as he cupped his hands slightly toward Meng Yiran.

"Miss Meng Yiran, long time no see. I hope you have been well since we parted ways in the Star Dou Forest."

He tried to display a sense of grace, wanting to salvage a bit of Shrek Academy's image in front of the many nobles and the emperor.

However, Meng Yiran wasn't buying it at all.

"Shut up, Tang San."

Meng Yiran's voice was as cold as ice. "Spare me the hypocrisy. You stole my Human-Faced Demon Spider back then, causing my grandparents to lose all face. Today, we are going to settle this debt."

"The match begins!" the referee commanded.

"In that case, I apologize."

A cold glint flashed in Tang San's eyes as he stepped into his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and charged forward instantly.

He did not release his Clear Sky Hammer, nor did he use his Blue Silver Grass; instead, he pulled several Bone Piercing Nails from his waist.

If he wanted to establish his prestige, he had to win beautifully. He wanted to replicate his victory from back then, defeating her with the very hidden weapons she specialized in, and completely shattering her confidence.

"Take this!"

With a flick of his wrist, three Bone Piercing Nails shot toward Meng Yiran's throat and shoulders in a triangular formation.

Watching the incoming hidden weapons, Meng Yiran stood her ground, neither dodging nor evading, a mocking curve even appearing at the corner of her mouth.

"Do you think I am still the same person I was back then?"

The snake staff in Meng Yiran's hand slammed violently against the ground.

Zzzzt!

A strange, violet-black arc of electricity surged out along her snake staff, instantly forming a dense web of lightning in front of her.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Those Bone Piercing Nails that Tang San took such pride in struck the electric web and were deflected away instantly!

"What?!" Tang San's pupils contracted sharply.

Lightning?

Meng Yiran's spirit was clearly a snake staff; how could it possibly have a lightning attribute? And this aura of lightning... why was it so similar to the one on Yu Tianyu?!

On the high platform, Yu Tianyu gently swirled his wine glass, smiling without a word.

That's right, this was his doing.

After Dugu Bo had pledged his loyalty, Yu Tianyu had casually gifted him a wisp of thunder origin containing the aura of the Dragon God, instructing him to pass it on to Meng Yiran. To Yu Tianyu, this was merely an insignificant handout, but for an ordinary spirit master like Meng Yiran, it was a life-changing opportunity.

"Tang San, taste this as well!"

Meng Yiran let out a sharp cry and swung her snake staff.

"Third Spirit Skill: Raging Thunder Snake!"

The snake staff, which had previously only been a physical weapon, now transformed into a giant python wreathed in lightning, striking toward Tang San with an aura of paralysis and destruction.

The speed and power of this strike were more than double what they had been back then!

Caught off guard, Tang San could only use his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to dodge in a sorry state.

Snap!

The tip of the lightning whip swept across the hem of his clothes; even without a direct hit, the overflowing power of the thunder instantly left half of Tang San's body numb.

"Damn it! How could this happen?!"

The sense of superiority in Tang San's heart collapsed instantly.

He had thought this was a soft persimmon, but he had unexpectedly kicked an iron plate. This psychological gap caused the sliver of confidence he had just built to waver once more.

"Are you only capable of hiding? Coward!"

Meng Yiran's offensive was like a tidal wave, her snake staff falling like a torrential storm, forcing Tang San to jump around the Great Spirit Arena like a monkey.

"Blue Silver Entanglement!"

Unable to bear it any longer, Tang San released his Blue Silver Grass, hoping to control the situation.

But this time, the moment his Blue Silver Grass touched Meng Yiran, it was instantly charred by the violet lightning she carried.

Attribute suppression! It was attribute suppression again!

The audience watched the disheveled Tang San and began to whisper among themselves.

"Is this the so-called genius?"

"He's being chased around like a dog."

"It seems the rumors were true; Shrek Academy is just a bunch of losers who only know how to brag."

These voices pierced into the ears of Tang San like needles.

He couldn't lose! He absolutely could not lose to someone he had already defeated!

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Tang San's eyes.

Since his Martial Soul was being countered, he would use a higher-level technique!

His hands danced like butterflies weaving through flowers as he activated Crane-Controlling Dragon-Capturing, attempting to redirect the attack from Meng Yiran while his other hand quietly reached toward Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.

That was—the Dragon Whisker Needle!

A hidden weapon, vicious and peerless, specifically designed to break through protective energy.

"Go to hell!"

Tang San seized the split second when Meng Yiran's old strength was spent and her new strength had yet to arise, a golden light flashing in his hand.

With this strike, he was aiming to cripple Meng Yiran. As long as he won, what did it matter if his methods were underhanded?

However.

Just as the Dragon Whisker Needle was about to be fired.

Sitting in the VIP seats, Yu Tianyu tapped his finger lightly against the tabletop.

"Thump."

The sound was not loud, but through a specific sonic frequency, it entered Tang San's eardrums with pinpoint precision.

In that instant, Tang San felt as if his brain had been struck hard by a heavy hammer, leaving him in a momentary blank state.

This was a mental shock!

When experts clash, victory is decided by a hair's breadth.

This momentary lapse in focus caused the aim of the needle in Tang San's hand to deviate by a single centimeter.

And that one centimeter decided the outcome.

The Dragon Whisker Needle, which was originally aimed at Meng Yiran's vital point, flew past her cheek, taking only a strand of hair with it.

But Meng Yiran seized this fatal opening.

"Die!"

The Snake Staff in her hands thrust forward violently, the blade at its tip piercing directly through Tang San's shoulder, lifting him clean off the ground!

"Ah!!!"

Tang San let out a miserable scream, pinned to the Snake Staff with his feet dangling in the air as blood dripped down his arm.

The entire arena was in an uproar!

He lost?

That genius who claimed to possess Twin Martial Souls had actually lost to an unknown girl? And he had lost so miserably, hung in mid-air like a shish kebab?

"Let me go!!!"

The intense pain and humiliation caused Tang San to completely lose his reason.

His eyes instantly turned blood-red, and the aura of slaughter belonging to the Asura God (though still very weak) was triggered within him.

"Chaotic Cloak!!"

Even with his shoulder pierced, Tang San forcibly summoned the Clear Sky Hammer with his other hand.

He even disregarded the risk of his meridians rupturing, directly overdrawing his life force.

Boom!

A massive black hammer shadow appeared out of thin air, carrying a madness of mutual destruction as it smashed fiercely toward the nearby Meng Yiran.

"What?!" Meng Yiran was shocked, and it was already too late to pull away.

If this hammer landed, Meng Yiran would undoubtedly die, perhaps even be crushed into meat paste.

"Stop!!"

The teachers of Exotic Beast Academy and the Dragon Duke and Snake Granny cried out in alarm.

This was a match, not a life-or-death struggle! Tang San was trying to kill someone!

Just as the tragedy was about to occur.

A transparent water curtain suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of Meng Yiran.

Bang!

The Clear Sky Hammer struck the water curtain, producing a dull, heavy sound and stirring up thousands of ripples, but it failed to break through.

The one who intervened was none other than the dean of Tianshui Academy (or perhaps Yu Tianyu had secretly acted to resolve it).

But to the eyes of the audience, this scene carried a different meaning.

Tang San could not afford to lose.

Defeated by a woman, he became so enraged by his own shame that he wanted to kill.

"Boo----!!!"

Deafening boos echoed throughout the entire Royal Enclosure.

"Get off! Trash!"

"If you can't afford to lose, don't come to the competition!"

"Murderer! Get out of here!"

The expression of Emperor Xue Ye also turned grim, "This child has too much malice; his heart is not upright."

Ning Fengzhi closed his eyes, and the last shred of hesitation in his heart vanished. A madman who could not control his emotions and resorted to killing at the slightest provocation was truly not worth the investment of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

On the arena.

Tang San leaned on his Clear Sky Hammer, gasping for air, his body half-drenched in blood.

He looked around in a daze.

Why?

I just wanted to win... I just wanted to prove myself...

Why is everyone cursing me?

He turned his head and looked toward the high platform.

Yu Tianyu was holding a peeled grape, slowly placing it into his mouth, and then gave Tang San a thumbs-down gesture.

Tang San understood the lip-reading:

"A wonderful performance, little dog."

Pfft!

This time, Tang San could no longer suppress it; his vision went black, his heart surged with extreme anger, and he collapsed straight onto the arena floor.

He had not lost too thoroughly in terms of his physical body, but in terms of reputation, his path of the heart, and his dignity, he had lost everything.

Deep in the night.

Inside Yu Tianyu's tent, the lights were bright and it was as warm as spring, forming a sharp contrast with the cold night wind outside.

Compared to the gloomy atmosphere on Tang San's side, this place was a scene of indulgence.

Yu Tianyu lay half-reclined on a large tiger-skin couch, flipping through an ancient book in his hand.

Before the couch, Huo Wu was kneeling on the ground, somewhat clumsily helping him take off his boots.

As the pride of Blazing Fire Academy, her hands were meant for unleashing flames and controlling the battlefield; she had never served anyone before. But at this moment, she had to lower her noble head and perform such menial labor.

"The pressure is too light."

Yu Tianyu didn't even look up, saying indifferently, "Did you not eat?"

Huo Wu gritted her teeth, increasing the pressure in her hands as she pressed against the Yongquan Acupoint on the sole of Yu Tianyu's foot.

"You... don't go too far." Huo Wu protested in a low voice, "I only agreed to be your sparring partner and maid, I didn't say I would do this kind of..."

"This kind of what?"

Yu Tianyu closed the book, leaned forward, and reached out to pinch Huo Wu's cheek, forcing her to look up at him.

"Feeling aggrieved?"

"Huo Wu, you need to understand one thing."

"In this world, the weak don't even have the right to choose how they die. Just like Tang San today."

At the mention of Tang San, Huo Wu's body trembled slightly.

The scene from the daytime had shocked her too deeply. That youth who was once hailed as a genius had become so ugly and so vulnerable under Yu Tianyu's manipulation.

"Do you want to become like Tang San?" Yu Tianyu asked softly.

Huo Wu shook her head desperately.

"Then be obedient."

Yu Tianyu's fingers slid down her cheek and landed on her slender neck, feeling the pulse of her carotid artery beneath.

"I can destroy a genius, and I can also create a god."

"As long as you satisfy me."

As he spoke, Yu Tianyu flipped his palm, and a pill emitting a crimson glow appeared in his hand.

It was the Blazing Fire Marrow-Cleansing Pill he had refined at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. Although not as potent as an immortal herb, for a fire-attribute Spirit Master, it was enough to purify their martial spirit and increase their innate spirit power by one level.

"Eat it."

Huo Wu looked at the pill, feeling the surging fire elements within it, and the resistance in her eyes instantly turned into desire.

This was the instinct of a Spirit Master.

She parted her red lips, allowing Yu Tianyu to feed the pill into her mouth.

The medicinal pill melted the moment it touched her tongue, and a scalding hot current instantly swept through her entire body.

"Mmm..."

Huo Wu let out an irrepressible, delicate moan, her entire body collapsing onto the lap of Yu Tianyu as her skin flushed a seductive shade of pink.

"Absorb it well."

Yu Tianyu placed his hand on her back, helping her channel the medicinal power.

"From today on, you are no longer the Huo Wu of Blazing Fire Academy."

"You are a flame in the hands of Yu Tianyu."

"A flame... that burns only for me."

Huo Wu gazed hazily at the man before her, who seemed like a creature of Gods and Devils. Under the temptation of power and absolute conquest, the final line of defense in her heart finally collapsed completely.

She reached out her arms, proactively wrapping them around Yu Tianyu's waist, and pressed her burning face against his thigh.

"Yes... Master."

In this moment, the proud Fire Phoenix finally broke her wings, willingly becoming the perch for the Dragon God.

Meanwhile, outside the tent.

A figure dressed in snow-white palace attire stood quietly in the shadows.

Xue Qinghe (Qian Renxue) listened to the movements inside, a complex light flashing through her eyes.

"Not only is his strength formidable, but his methods are also this brilliant..."

"Yu Tianyu, what kind of sacred being are you exactly?"

"It seems I have made this trip in vain tonight."

Qian Renxue turned to leave, but before departing, she cast one deep look at the tent.

The intention she originally held to recruit and test him had now become even more urgent, and even more... dangerous.

Since you enjoy conquering proud women.

Then I shall see whether you conquer the Angel, or the Angel purifies the devil.