"Watch out for Tang San's hidden weapons."
Qian Yu's Spirit Detection was incredibly precise. Tang San only had to shift his butt, and Qian Yu could tell he was up to no good. Sure enough, Tang San circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill and activated Sand Shooting Shadow.
Cold light erupted. Dozens of Sand Shooting Poison Needles, fine as ox hair, shot through the air, aimed straight at the major acupoints across Zhao Wuji's body! The needle-shadows were as dense as stars, carrying a bone-chilling force. They skimmed through the air with a fine, buzzing whine.
Zhao Wuji was a Soul Saint himself, and after hearing Qian Yu's warning, he had already prepared. Even so, he dared not take this lightly.
Zhao Wuji's pupils contracted. Golden light instantly covered his entire body as his Seventh Spirit Skill burst into action. The poison needles shattered against the golden glow, though a few still grazed his shoulder and left shallow streaks of blood.
Sand Shooting Shadow was terrifying indeed.
Fortunately, Zhao Wuji had escaped disaster. If those poison needles had entered his body and continued burrowing deeper, they would have caused excruciating pain.
"That was close." Zhao Wuji's face darkened.
The immense gravity was released in reverse, and Tang San was dragged sideways toward him.
With Zhao Wuji's explosive temper, how could he stand suffering like this?
He slammed Tang San into the ground again and again.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong narrowed their eyes once more. Xiao Wu didn't step in this time; she could see that Tang San had really gone too far.
Tang San's whole body moved rhythmically with Zhao Wuji's arms.
"You can't treat me like this. My teacher is Yu Xiaogang, the Continent's Foremost Theoretical Master. He's sworn brothers with your dean. How can you..." Tang San was immersed in grief and outrage over his hidden weapons failing, even as he tried to use Yu Xiaogang's name to pressure Zhao Wuji.
"Oh." When Zhao Wuji heard Yu Xiaogang's name, he really did stop.
A few days ago, Flender had told him that Yu Xiaogang's disciple would be coming to study at Shrek Academy. He'd even said the boy had Innate Full Soul Power and extraordinary talent.
"This..." Zhao Wuji's eyes darted around.
Since he'd already started, he decided to finish the job and gave Tang San another thorough beating. "So you're Master Yu Xiaogang's prized disciple. What a disappointment. You've been learning nothing but crooked tricks. Today, I'll teach you a proper lesson on your teacher's behalf."
The more Zhao Wuji beat him, the more fired up he got.
Little did he know that, not far away, a pair of pitch-black eyes was staring fixedly at him.
"Sweet." Zhao Wuji beat Tang San hard, but kept his strength carefully in check.
After taking one blow after another, Tang San's eyes finally rolled back, and he fainted.
"Damn it. Mubai, take this kid away and let him recover properly. Remember, properly." Zhao Wuji emphasized the last word.
He was afraid Dai Mubai might not understand what he meant.
Dai Mubai got it at once, and soon carried the unconscious Tang San away.
"Third Brother." Xiao Wu silently shed tears.
"Stop staring. It's your turn next. That kid had someone recommending him; you won't get that chance. Like I said, you'll have to defeat me to enter this academy."
Zhao Wuji seemed to be in a terrible mood.
He didn't have a friendly look for any of the kids before him.
Not far away, Dai Mubai silently crossed his fingers for Zhu Zhuqing.
"Hmph, have you no shame? You're a Soul Saint, while we're only Soul Grandmasters and Soul Elders. What's the point of throwing your weight around against juniors?" Ning Rongrong had seen Zhao Wuji's brutality with her own eyes.
Ning Rongrong didn't have a good impression of Zhao Wuji now, either.
Just imagining Zhao Wuji tossing her around like he had Tang San made her face darken.
"My rules are the rules!" Zhao Wuji roared, showing no regard for anyone.
"What do we do?" Ning Rongrong turned to Qian Yu, the one with the highest cultivation in the group.
Qian Yu didn't want to fight, either. This was pure self-torture, and Zhao Wuji didn't play fair at all.
But his opportunities were all tied to Xiao Wu and Tang San.
There was no choice. They had to fight.
"Fight!" Qian Yu declared, his voice brimming with confidence.
Then Qian Yu unleashed his Second Martial Soul's Spirit Skill, Spirit Share. Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong's eyes instantly cleared. The world before them seemed to slow down, as if they were controlling it themselves.
"Zhuqing, you're an Agility Attack System fighter. You're nimble and quick on your feet."
"Rongrong, you're Support System. Give Zhuqing all your Amplification first."
"Xiao Wu, you're an Agility Attack System fighter, but your skills include control. Follow my lead and save your skills."
Although this was their first time fighting as a team, for some reason, Qian Yu seemed to have a natural air of leadership. He only had to stand there, and the others instinctively followed his arrangements. With Spirit Share on top of that, they somehow found the confidence to take on Zhao Wuji.
"Okay."
"Okay."
"Okay."
With three affirmations, the Ranking Battle began. Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu took the front row, Ning Rongrong stood in the second row, and Qian Yu took the third—a textbook 211 Formation.
Zhao Wuji looked at the formation they'd pulled together in an instant. Deep down, he was quite satisfied, but his face remained cold. "Don't say I'm bullying you. I'll let you attack first."
"Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, you two go first,"
Qian Yu ordered.
"Okay." With Qian Yu's Spirit Share, Zhu Zhuqing saw Zhao Wuji as if he were moving in slow motion.
"First Spirit Skill, Hell Stab." Zhu Zhuqing summoned her Martial Soul, the Hell Spirit Cat. Her First Soul Ring glowed yellow, and she charged at Zhao Wuji.
Against an Agility Attack System Soul Master over twenty levels, Zhao Wuji simply used his First Spirit Skill, Immovable Ming King Body.
A yellow Soul Ring lit up, and Zhu Zhuqing was instantly sent flying.
Though her first attack failed, Zhu Zhuqing wasn't discouraged. Her Second Soul Ring glowed yellow, and she unleashed her Spirit Skill, Hell Hundred Claws, attacking Zhao Wuji.
A huge cat's paw tore through the air and shot straight at Zhao Wuji.
Zhao Wuji used his Third Spirit Skill, Gravity Enhancement, against Zhu Zhuqing, sending her flying again.
"This..." Everyone was stunned by the gap between them and Zhao Wuji.
Qian Yu calmly analyzed the situation with Spirit Detection, while Spirit Share helped his teammates keep up with his thoughts. They were like Qian Yu's arms and legs, while he was the brain.
He ordered Ning Rongrong to use her Amplification Spirit Skills on Zhu Zhuqing. "Rongrong, amplify Zhuqing."
"Okay."
Ning Rongrong stood in the second row, the safest position in the formation. The world looked like it was moving in slow motion to her, too.
Her First and Second Soul Rings lit up yellow. "Seven Treasures Glazed Tile, one says power, two says speed."
Zhu Zhuqing was covered in a twenty-percent increase to her strength and a twenty-percent increase to her speed. She instantly felt power surge through her, and her speed rose once again.
Zhu Zhuqing unleashed Hell Stab at Zhao Wuji again.
This time, Zhao Wuji still used Immovable Ming King Body, but Zhu Zhuqing was now able to get close. Her huge cat's paw tore through Zhao Wuji's skin.
"Roar!" The Great Vajra Bear Martial Soul pounded its chest again and again, as if venting its displeasure.
"Very good. You've made me angry."
Zhao Wuji activated his Third Spirit Skill, Gravity Enhancement, and stacked it with his Fifth Spirit Skill, Gravity Compression.
Crushing gravity pressed down on everyone.
All this also consumed a tremendous amount of Zhao Wuji's mental energy, because he had to keep his gravity from inflicting fatal injuries on them.
So he had to guard against their attacks while controlling the strength of his own gravity.
"Xiao Wu, now!"
Qian Yu seized the moment and called out to Xiao Wu.
"Okay." Xiao Wu gave a soft shout. She still remembered how Zhao Wuji had beaten Tang San, and the resentment remained in her heart.
Using Qian Yu's Spirit Share, Xiao Wu precisely used Waist Bow on Zhu Zhuqing, launching her into the air. Then, with a clever push off her momentum, she unleashed her Second Spirit Skill, Charm. Her yellow Soul Ring lit up.
Xiao Wu's skill hit Zhao Wuji, locking him down for two seconds.
"Unbelievable." Zhao Wuji was completely dumbfounded by the combo.
Still, Zhao Wuji was confident. Even if Qian Yu and the others could control him, they couldn't break through his defenses. After all, he was the Immovable Ming King, Zhao Wuji.
But would Qian Yu let him have his way?
Before you continue