Arrogant Ma Hongjun, Flender Shocked: Twelve Years Apart, He's Terrifyingly Strong?

It was currently high noon.

"It's just time for lunch, you two sit and rest for a moment; your father and I will go cook!"

Ma Min greeted them warmly, turning to head toward the kitchen.

Huang Yan rolled up his sleeves and followed:

"Mom, let me help you out."

"Help with what!"

Ma Min shoved Huang Yan back into the main room, glared at him, and lowered her voice.

"How can you be so oblivious, child?

You finally brought a young lady home, so go keep Shui Bing'er company!

Your father and I can handle the kitchen just fine."

Huang Ran also tied on an apron, chiming in with a chuckle:

"Listen to your mother, go talk to her and don't leave the poor girl feeling neglected."

With that, the old couple ducked into the kitchen, and soon the sounds of washing vegetables and chopping meat drifted out.

Shui Bing'er sat on a wooden chair in the main room, taking it all in.

Watching the busy, heartwarming silhouettes in the kitchen, a trace of warmth couldn't help but flow through her heart.

Huang Yan's parents were simple, kind, and so welcoming that it was impossible to refuse.

A thought suddenly popped into Shui Bing'er's mind:

If she were to truly stay with Huang Yan in the future, having parents-in-law like these seemed... quite nice, didn't it?

As soon as this thought arose, even she was taken aback.

At this moment, she had completely forgotten the fact that she had been forced by circumstance to follow Huang Yan in the first place.

Huang Yan walked over to the chair beside Shui Bing'er and sat down, just about to speak.

Shui Bing'er turned her head first, her beautiful eyes filled with a hint of curiosity as she asked softly:

"Your parents are such wonderful people... what were you like when you were little?"

Seeing Shui Bing'er take the initiative to talk and noticing her attitude had softened significantly, a smile flashed in Huang Yan's eyes; he was naturally happy to see it.

"Me as a child?"

Huang Yan leaned back against the chair, recalling the past in a relaxed tone:

"Actually, before I was six, I was no different from the other kids in the village, running all over the mountains and fields every day.

That changed the year I turned six, when my Martial Soul awakened."

"At the time, I awakened twin top-tier Martial Souls, accompanied by Innate Full Soul Power, which completely stunned the Martial Soul Hall deacon in charge of the ceremony."

Shui Bing'er listened quietly, unable to help but ask:

"And then what happened?

How did you end up becoming a disciple of Elder Azure Luan?"

Huang Yan smiled, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes:

"Not long after my Martial Soul awakened, that teacher of Ma Hongjun's—Flender from Shrek Academy—showed up at our door.

He sensed the evil fire within my Martial Soul and put on a high-and-mighty, condescending air, claiming that he was the only one on the entire continent who could help me solve the backlash of the evil fire, and he wanted to take me as his disciple."

"Of course, I ignored him and chose to join Martial Soul Hall instead.

A few days later, the higher-ups at Martial Soul Hall received the news.

My teacher came to Poultry Village in person, not only helping me completely suppress and control the evil fire but also taking me on as his personal disciple.

From then on, I followed my teacher to Martial Soul City and began my true cultivation."

Shui Bing'er was mesmerized, and as she looked at the young man talking so freely before her, the resistance in her heart dissipated even more without her realizing it.

The atmosphere in the main room was warm, and a hearty lunch had just been finished.

As Ma Min was busy clearing the bowls and chopsticks, a burst of noisy footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

"Teacher, this is the place!

That Huang Yan is inside!"

Ma Hongjun's arrogant voice rang out from outside the courtyard gate.

With a "bang," the already half-open gate was shoved open rudely.

Ma Hongjun swaggered in, following behind a middle-aged man with black-rimmed crystal glasses and a somewhat cunning expression.

The man who arrived was none other than the Dean of Shrek Academy, Flender.

In truth, while on the way here, listening to Ma Hongjun's exaggerated account, Flender had already remembered exactly who Huang Yan was.

Twelve years ago, that prickly brat had rejected his invitation to become a disciple and turned to join Martial Soul Hall instead.

As he walked, Flender muttered to himself:

"Twelve years have passed; how has that kid actually been cultivating in Martial Soul Hall?

His mutated Evil Fire is not something an ordinary person can suppress.

Does Martial Soul Hall truly have a way to help him control it?

Or could it be... that just like Ma Hongjun, he has survived until now by relying on those kinds of places to vent his evil fire?"

Thinking of this, Flender couldn't help but feel a bit more confident.

No matter how strong Martial Soul Hall might be, they could not defy the inherent nature of a Martial Soul.

Flender kept his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the people in the main hall before finally landing on Huang Yan, who sat in a chair, watching him with a faint, mocking smile.

"Kid, it's been twelve years; you've grown so much."

Flender pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, his tone carrying a hint of condescension.

"I heard from Ma Hongjun that not only did you bully him earlier, but you also had the audacity to not even take me seriously?"

Ma Hongjun hid behind Flender, poking his head out to shout:

"Huang Yan!

My teacher is a level 78 Soul Saint!

Weren't you acting so arrogant just a moment ago?

Why aren't you saying anything now?

Hurry up and kowtow to apologize, then take out your parents' money to pay respects to my teacher; maybe he'll spare you this once!"

Huang Yan remained in his seat, not even intending to stand up; he simply picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and said indifferently:

"Flender, twelve years have passed, and your self-righteous, high-and-mighty demeanor really hasn't changed a bit."

Flender's expression darkened:

"Kid, did your elders never teach you what it means to respect your teachers and the path?

Even if you are from Martial Soul Hall, you should at least have the minimum amount of reverence for a Soul Saint like me!"

"Reverence?"

Huang Yan scoffed and set down his teacup.

"A trash teacher who can't even solve his own disciple's Martial Soul defect and can only teach him to go to brothels to ruin women—do you really deserve my reverence?"

"How insolent!"

Stung in his most sensitive spot, a flash of anger crossed Flender's eyes, and the pressure belonging to a Soul Saint was instantly released, bearing down directly upon Huang Yan.

"I want to see exactly what kind of rules Martial Soul Hall has taught you over these years!"

Facing Flender's pressure, Huang Yan remained as steady as a mountain, not even lifting an eyelid.

"You want to see?

Fine, then I'll let you see it clearly."

As soon as the words fell, an extremely terrifying dark red flame erupted violently from within Huang Yan's body.

He did not release his Martial Soul, nor did he even reveal his Spirit Rings.

The mere aura of this flame, pure to the extreme, acted like a heavy hammer, instantly shattering the Soul Saint pressure Flender was so proud of!

"Thump, thump, thump!"

Flender's expression changed drastically; forced back three steps by the overbearing recoil, he only managed to steady himself after slamming into the door frame.

Flender stared fixedly at Huang Yan, filled with disbelief.

"You... your soul power!

And the purity of this flame..."

Flender's voice was hoarse, as if he had seen a ghost.

"This is impossible!

How could the evil fire possibly be purified to such a degree?!"

Twelve years later, could Huang Yan truly be this terrifying?

Ma Hongjun, hiding behind him, had not yet grasped the situation; seeing Flender retreat, he hurriedly shouted:

"Teacher, why are you wasting your breath on him!

Teach him a lesson quickly and let him know the might of our Shrek Academy!"