Proof of the Monster (II)

"Level 19, level 20 without a Second Soul Ring... you really dare to say that!"

Flender looked at Le Bai as if he were looking at a fool: "I remember your Innate Soul Power was only level two. After two years of cultivation, you would have gained at most three or four levels, so you should only be at level five or six... Hmm? Why can't I sense your soul power?"

Hearing this, Le Bai was also stunned.

Flender said his soul power had increased by at most three or four levels, but in reality, he had gained six. He had just been about to watch Flender's surprised expression and silently show off, but what did Flender say? He couldn't sense his soul power?

"How can that be... Are you joking with me?"

Le Bai condensed a mass of soul power in his palm: "I've worked very hard these past two years, and my soul power has increased by six levels. I'm already at level eight now."

"What did you say?!"

Flender indeed revealed a look of astonishment, his eyes fixed on the soul power in Le Bai's hand: "This soul power fluctuation is very strange; I actually cannot determine your Soul Power Level! And you don't even have a single Soul Ring, yet you are able to release soul power outside your body, not to mention the density of this soul power... You really aren't an ordinary Soul Master!"

"Ahaha."

Le Bai gave a dry laugh. Flender's reaction wasn't quite what he had imagined, and he felt he hadn't quite achieved the satisfaction of a successful show-off: "Maybe it's because my soul power is too low, and your soul power is too strong, Dean, so my fluctuations have become less obvious."

"Hmm..."

Flender grunted, but he didn't buy Le Bai's casual excuse. After pondering for a moment, he spoke: "I have thought of someone suitable to be your opponent."

"Can he fight right now?"

Le Bai immediately pressed: "I'm ready anytime."

"It should be fine."

Flender walked in the opposite direction from where Oscar had stopped him: "Do you know where I've been these past two days?"

Le Bai & Oscar: "We don't know."

"The situation of our academy is something you have both witnessed over these two years."

Flender's tone suddenly turned heavy: "This recent period is when the most Martial Soul Awakening Ceremonies are held across the continent every year. I thought I would look around, and while I was at it, earn... travel a bit, hoping to find one or two children with talent like Oscar to recruit into the academy."

"It seems you had some harvest while out these past two days."

Le Bai guessed Flender's intention: "Could it be that the opponent you arranged for me is someone you brought back?"

"Correct, Le Bai, you are indeed very clever."

Flender's tone suddenly became relaxed again: "That child's Innate Soul Power is a full nine levels. Although it's not as good as Oscar's Innate Full Soul Power, it's still quite good. The most important point is that his martial soul is a mutated martial soul, which is extremely powerful."

"According to what you're saying, he must have just awakened his martial soul and is only six years old. And if his Innate Soul Power is level nine, isn't that only one level higher than my current soul power?"

Le Bai indicated that the person Flender arranged might not be enough for him to fight: "With that kind of opponent, I feel like winning would be a matter of course, and it wouldn't be enough to prove that I am a Monster."

"I hope you can still be this confident in a moment."

Flender stood with his hands behind his back and continued talking about the child he had just brought back: "I just said that the child's martial soul is a mutated one, very powerful, while your martial soul is a food type with no offensive capabilities to speak of. Not to mention that your soul power is one level lower than his, even if your soul power were ten levels higher than his, the possibility of him winning is still far greater than the possibility of you defeating him."

"You seem to have a lot of confidence in him."

Le Bai feigned a bit of unease: "What exactly is his martial soul?"

In reality, Le Bai had already guessed his next opponent. Two years younger than him and Oscar, a mutated martial soul, extremely powerful, and brought back by Flender—there was a 99% chance it was that Evil Fire Fatty, Ma Hongjun.

Sure enough, Flender said with a hint of showing off: "A Phoenix! If we are talking purely about the quality of the martial soul, I believe that even if you searched the entire continent, you wouldn't find many martial souls stronger than his."

"Th-that powerful!"

These words didn't come from Le Bai, but from Oscar, who had been listening for a long time. He felt a certain fear toward the person Flender mentioned: "Sh-shouldn't you ask the Dean to change your opponent, Le Bai?"

"No need."

Le Bai was very confident: "Even if it's the strongest martial soul on the continent, if his soul power level is only one level higher than mine and he hasn't added a Soul Ring yet, I don't think I will lose."

"As long as you have confidence, and it's too late to change anyway."

As Flender spoke, they had already arrived in front of the Shrek Academy Dormitory.

Seeing the dormitory door closed, Flender sensed the fluctuation of soul power coming from inside: "You two wait here. He is cultivating his soul power and shouldn't be disturbed. I'll go in and see if I can wake him up."

Le Bai and Oscar nodded and stood outside the dormitory waiting quietly.

After Flender entered the dormitory, a few minutes passed before the door opened again, and Flender led a little fatty out.

"Le Bai, Oscar, come here, let me introduce you."

Flender smiled and waved at Le Bai and Oscar, pulling the little fatty who was following him out: "He is the child I brought back, his name is Ma Hongjun, six years old this year. Hongjun, these two—the one on the left is called Oscar, he is a student at our academy and your senior. The one on the right is called Le Bai, and he is the one who will be sparring with you next."

"Hello, my name is Le Bai."

Le Bai took a half-step forward and extended his hand in a gesture of friendship: "I'm the one who will be fighting you next."

"Hello, my name is Oscar, I'm your senior."

Oscar followed suit and also extended his hand: "And I'm the brother of Le Bai, who is the one who will be fighting you next!"

"Nice to meet you! My name is Ma Hongjun, I am the teacher's disciple."

Ma Hongjun mimicked the self-introduction: "And I am the one who will be fighting Le Bai next."

"Teacher?"

Le Bai pretended he didn't know and looked at Flender in surprise.

Only then did the latter reveal: "I forgot to mention, although Ma Hongjun is a student at our Shrek, he is also a disciple I just took in."

"Hiss!"

Le Bai drew a sharp breath as if he had a toothache: "Dean, you want me to spar with your disciple? If I accidentally hit too hard, will you step in to teach me a lesson?"

"Ma Hongjun's Soul Power Level just broke through to level one, which is already two levels higher than yours. You'd be lucky to even win; why are you worried about hitting too hard?"

Flender genuinely felt that Le Bai lacked the brutal beating of a Battle Soul Master, which was why he harbored the delusion that a Support System soul master could defeat a Battle Soul Master in combat: "I will be watching from the side while you fight. Whether it's you or Ma Hongjun, if either of you is in danger, I will stop it immediately—that should put your mind at ease, right?"

"Yes, if you put it that way, I'm relieved."

Le Bai offered a reassuring smile: "Where should Ma Hongjun and I start fighting? Here?"

"Here is fine."

Flender pointed to the open space in front of the Dormitory: "It's quite spacious, and since neither of you has a Soul Ring yet, it's more than enough for you to perform. Stand face to face! Do not release your Martial Soul until I say start!"

Le Bai and Ma Hongjun stood ready, separated by about five meters.

"Ready—"

Flender stood on the line between the two, raised his hand, and dropped it: "Start!"

Le Bai assumed a punching stance and unleashed Spirit Power Overclocking with all his might.

It was Ma Hongjun's first time fighting, and he wasn't very accustomed to it; after Flender said start, he waited over a second before slowly releasing his Martial Soul.

"Pfft...!"

Oscar, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Dean, is this the Phoenix you were talking about? Why do I feel like he looks more like a chubby old hen?"

"Ma Hongjun's Soul Power Level is still very low, and without an attached Soul Ring, his Martial Soul hasn't matured yet, which is why he looks like this."

Flender said with a calm expression: "Although he doesn't look like a Phoenix right now, he possesses every bit of the power a Phoenix should have."

As if to verify Flender's words, flames ignited on Ma Hongjun's fist, which still carried a bit of baby fat.

Instantly, the surrounding temperature rose significantly.

Le Bai and Ma Hongjun were five meters apart, yet they could still feel a distinct wave of heat hitting their faces.

"So hot!"

Oscar was startled, looking at Ma Hongjun's burning fist: "Le Bai, be careful!"

"Ahhh!"

Ma Hongjun yelled and ran toward Le Bai—because his chubby, short legs moved so slowly that it couldn't even be described as a "charge."

Le Bai just stood there without moving until Ma Hongjun reached him and swung his burning fist. Only then did he suddenly step forward half a pace and, guided by the Panel, throw his strongest punch!

In that instant, Flender's pupils constricted:

"This Soul Power fluctuation!!"

(December 30, 2020) Writing further, I realized there were some things I didn't pay attention to earlier.

In the original work, Ma Hongjun was only discovered and brought back by Flender at the age of 9.

An additional setting (explanation) is added here—because Flender discovered Oscar and the protagonist, he increased his frequency of going out and expanded the scope of his "temporary business," thus discovering Ma Hongjun earlier.

(Revised January 22, 2021) Thanks to reader [Guang Shi Dong] for pointing out the unreasonable setting of Ma Hongjun's Innate Soul Power level; it has now been modified.

I deeply apologize for the impact caused by this revision.