Tang San stepped forward, his gaze fixed squarely on Xue Tianyu.
"You were far too ruthless!"
"Since you hurt my brother, I'll be the one to test your skills!"
Tang San challenged Xue Tianyu without beating around the bush.
When Dugu Yan heard this, delight bloomed in her heart.
She'd searched high and low, only for the thing to fall right into her lap.
She'd been fretting over not finding an opportunity to teach this hypocrite a lesson.
Well, well! Now he'd come looking for a beating all on his own!
This was just too entertaining.
Hearing that Tang San was standing up for Ma Hongjun, Xiao Wu hurriedly reached out and tugged at his sleeve.
"Brother, forget it."
"Fatty was in the wrong to begin with. He was the one who provoked him first."
Xiao Wu tried patiently to talk him down.
Ning Rongrong chimed in, her face full of indignation.
"Exactly!"
"Fatty's always had a smart mouth. Getting taught a lesson today is only what he deserves."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded without hesitation, making her position clear.
"He brought it on himself."
Seeing that all three girls were actually siding with an outsider,
the fire in Tang San's heart flared even hotter.
He flung off Xiao Wu's hand with righteous indignation and struck an utterly upright pose.
"Right or wrong, it doesn't matter. He hurt my brother, and I won't let that stand!"
"We Shrek Seven Devils are one. We can't let anyone bully us without consequence!"
Hearing Tang San's impassioned words,
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun immediately cheered loudly.
Dai Mubai glared viciously at Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.
"Are you three even members of Shrek?"
"You're all turning your elbows outward, siding with an outsider!"
Ma Hongjun covered the half of his face that had swollen badly and mumbled in agreement.
"Third Brother's right. We have to teach him a lesson!"
Oscar appeared from who knew where and firmly took Tang San's side.
"I support Third Brother's decision."
Dugu Yan was so amused by this crowd's bandit logic that she laughed.
"You people really are shamelessly hypocritical."
"When that deadweight was throwing his weight around and attacking people just now, why didn't you come out and say a word in the name of justice?"
"Now that he's lost and gotten beaten, you start talking about brotherly loyalty?"
Tang San's expression didn't change in the slightest. He still looked completely self-righteous.
"Ma Hongjun was just hot-tempered. He only meant to scare him, not kill him."
"But this man, relying on his strength, didn't know when to hold back. He seriously injured my brother."
"I, Tang San, will never tolerate such malicious behavior!"
Hearing such shameless nonsense, Dugu Yan laughed in anger.
"So you're allowed to bully people, but when someone hits back, he's malicious?"
"I've seen plenty of shameless people, but never anyone as despicable as you!"
Xiao Wu stood to one side, looking both helpless and stunned.
She was deeply unhappy.
How had Tang San become like this? He wasn't making any sense at all!
Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes dramatically and crossed her arms in a huff.
"I really misjudged you!"
"You act like a perfect gentleman, but the moment something happens, that domineering, unreasonable side of you comes out."
Zhu Zhuqing agreed completely, and her disgust toward Tang San deepened.
Xue Tianyu couldn't be bothered to listen to them argue.
He strode over to a wide patch of open ground in the middle of the street.
It was just the right place to serve as a makeshift arena.
"If you want to fight, then get over here."
"Enough talk. Come on!"
Xue Tianyu beckoned with one hand, his bearing utterly arrogant.
Watching Xue Tianyu act so brazenly, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar all sneered inwardly.
They had complete faith in Tang San's strength.
That brat really didn't know when to quit!
Tang San had countless tricks up his sleeve—not only all sorts of unpredictable hidden weapons, but also poisons that were impossible to guard against.
In terms of actual combat ability, even three Ma Hongjuns together wouldn't be a match for Tang San.
Tang San himself was brimming with confidence.
He'd carefully sized up Xue Tianyu. Judging by his bone age, he was at most twelve or thirteen.
No matter how talented someone that young was, at most he'd be around Soul Elder level, with a Soul Power Level of about thirty.
That was about the same as Tang San's own level.
But as long as their levels were close, with his Mysterious Heaven Skill movement technique, Tang Sect Hidden Weapons, and all manner of deadly poisons,
he could handle an arrogant brat like this without breaking a sweat!
Tang San pushed off the ground, his figure leaping lightly into the arena.
The instant he landed, he revealed his Martial Soul without hesitation.
Vines of deep-blue Blue Silver Grass poured wildly from his palms, coiling around him like venomous snakes.
As his Martial Soul appeared,
one yellow, another yellow, and one purple—
three perfectly standard Soul Rings rose slowly from beneath his feet, bobbing up and down.
The pressure of a thirty-level Soul Elder spread in every direction.
Tang San secretly congratulated himself, the corners of his mouth lifting involuntarily.
We're about the same level. Let's see how arrogant you can be now!
Seeing Tang San reveal his full strength, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing grew even more anxious.
Seeing how young Xue Tianyu was, they naturally assumed his Soul Power Level couldn't be very high.
"Be careful!"
The girls couldn't help shouting a warning.
Hearing them, Dai Mubai and the others grew even more displeased and shouted at Tang San through gritted teeth.
"Xiao San, don't hold back!"
"Teach that arrogant pretty boy a good lesson!"
Tang San assumed a ready stance, his gaze fixed intently on Xue Tianyu.
"I'm ready."
"Why haven't you released your Martial Soul and Soul Rings?"
At Tang San's urging, Xue Tianyu merely sighed softly.
"As you wish."
The moment he finished speaking,
a terrifying, bone-chilling aura burst from Xue Tianyu, so cold it seemed to turn heaven and earth upside down.
The surrounding air instantly froze, and countless ice crystals drifted down.
Then, under everyone's horrified gaze,
a deep, ink-black Soul Ring rose slowly from beneath Xue Tianyu's feet, carrying an oppressive force that made it hard to breathe.
Its deep black glow instantly swallowed the light from Tang San's laughable yellow and purple Soul Rings.
At that moment, time itself seemed to stop.
The smug look on Tang San's face froze, and his legs began trembling uncontrollably.
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar staggered backward in fright.
What!!!
A Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring!!!
Inky black light rampaged through the streets of Heaven Dou City.
The deep-black Soul Ring hovered beneath Xue Tianyu's feet, rising and falling.
It wasn't only Tang San and the others who stood frozen in place.
All the passersby who'd gathered to watch the commotion now stood as if under a body-binding spell.
Every eye was fixed on that ring of black light.
Before you continue