Zhao Wuji didn't lay a hand on Dai Mubai. After all, Dai Mubai had only laughed at his getting humiliated and hadn't done anything particularly outrageous.
He, Zhao Wuji, wasn't that narrow-minded.
"A few little monsters enrolled this time. I'll have to put them through their paces in the days ahead."
Zhao Wuji clenched both fists and smacked them together in front of his chest.
He imagined using training as an excuse during future lessons to get revenge for today's humiliation.
At the thought, Zhao Wuji felt much better and swaggered off toward his room.
Since it was their first day at the Academy, there were no lessons scheduled. After Flender introduced the teachers at Shrek Academy to Li Luo and the other new students, he let them do as they pleased.
Xiao Wu was curious about her new surroundings at Shrek Academy and insisted on taking a look around.
Ning Rongrong had grown up surrounded by luxury and fine food, and this was her first time visiting such a backwater place. She was curious, too, and wanted to go explore with Xiao Wu.
But the two girls insisted on dragging Li Luo along. He had nothing else to do, so he let Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong pull him away.
Tang San stuck to his principle of going wherever Li Luo went, so he followed the three of them out as well.
Shrek Academy was located in a village near Suotuo City, and its grounds were tiny. The four of them soon reached the edge of the Academy, beside a village.
Just then, an unpleasant voice rang out.
"Cuihua! Just give me one chance!"
"No! I won't!"
Looking toward the voices, they saw a chubby boy in red tugging at a plainly dressed country girl.
Seeing this, Xiao Wu assumed someone was bullying an innocent girl, so she stepped forward to demand justice for her.
"Stop right there, you beast! Let her go!"
Xiao Wu shouted, startling the chubby boy and the girl, who had been arguing.
The chubby boy was furious that someone had interrupted his good time.
"Who are you? How dare you meddle in my business!"
The chubby boy didn't mince words. His first words were enough to infuriate Xiao Wu, and she warned him angrily.
"Watch your mouth!"
But the chubby boy paid no attention to her warning. The moment he saw Xiao Wu, he was completely captivated by her.
Xiao Wu was at the most radiant age of a young girl, and her charm was on full display.
The chubby boy was obviously a lecher. At the sight of Xiao Wu, he froze, then instinctively wiped the corner of his mouth.
"Wow, where'd this pretty girl come from? Why don't you keep me company instead? Then I'll let her go."
The chubby boy released the country girl's hand and stared at Xiao Wu with a leering expression.
Seeing Ma Hongjun like that made Xiao Wu feel sick. Her temper flared, and she decided to teach the chubby boy a lesson.
The phantom of her Martial Soul appeared behind her, and three Soul Rings slowly rose beneath her feet: yellow, yellow, and purple.
Seeing that Xiao Wu was also a Soul Master, the chubby boy grew interested. When her first Soul Ring appeared, he looked down on her.
When her second Soul Ring appeared, he stopped looking down on her and began to take her seriously.
But when the third Soul Ring rose around her, fear was hard to hide from his face.
He could tell that the pretty girl before him wasn't ordinary. She was a Soul Master even more powerful than he was.
Still, the chubby boy somehow found the nerve to use Martial Soul Possession too.
The phantom of a Grass Chicken appeared behind him, and two yellow Soul Rings rose beneath his feet.
"Hmph, what's so impressive about that? I'm a Soul Master too."
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Ma Hongjun, a twenty-seventh-level Power Attack System Battle Soul Master. My Martial Soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix."
The chubby boy was indeed Ma Hongjun. He had remembered that he was the direct disciple of Flender, the dean of Shrek Academy, and that was why he was acting so boldly.
He thought that once he revealed his Martial Soul, the people before him would be amazed by his Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul. After all, phoenix-type Martial Souls were top-tier Beast Martial Souls.
But Xiao Wu wasn't amazed at all. Instead, when she saw Ma Hongjun's Martial Soul, she couldn't help bursting into laughter.
"What Evil Fire Phoenix? That's obviously just a Grass Chicken!"
Ning Rongrong couldn't help laughing either, but she was used to acting like a refined young lady in front of strangers, so she only covered her mouth and giggled.
Tang San's expression was strange, too. He'd never seen a phoenix that looked like a Grass Chicken.
As for Li Luo, he didn't care. He neither looked surprised nor laughed at Ma Hongjun. He knew what was going on with him.
His expression gave nothing away, and his face remained calm.
Seeing Xiao Wu mock his Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul, Ma Hongjun flew into a rage.
"Hey! What are you laughing at?"
Ma Hongjun demanded angrily.
"Your Martial Soul is obviously a Grass Chicken, but you insist on calling it a phoenix. What phoenix looks like that?"
Xiao Wu spoke her mind, completely unconcerned as Ma Hongjun's face grew darker by the second.
When Ma Hongjun heard someone call his Martial Soul a Grass Chicken, he sprang into action, and his First Soul Ring flashed.
"First Soul Skill, Phoenix Fireline!"
Ma Hongjun shot a streak of fire straight at Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu's Third Soul Ring flashed, and her figure vanished on the spot.
Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fireline missed and shot into the space behind where Xiao Wu had been standing.
Then Xiao Wu appeared behind Ma Hongjun. She lifted her leg and kicked him right in the butt.
Ma Hongjun couldn't dodge in time. The kick sent him stumbling forward, and he pitched headfirst toward the ground.
Ma Hongjun pushed himself up from the ground, his face turning completely red with rage. His First and Second Soul Rings flashed one after the other.
"Second Soul Skill, Bath of Fire Phoenix!"
"First Soul Skill, Phoenix Fireline!"
Flames engulfed Ma Hongjun as he turned toward Xiao Wu and sprayed fire at her.
Xiao Wu dodged quickly, and Ma Hongjun kept spraying fire, following her movements.
But Xiao Wu was simply too nimble. Not a single lick of Ma Hongjun's fire touched her.
The two were fighting in a village, however, with houses all around them. If they accidentally set something flammable alight, it could easily start a fire.
Although Xiao Wu had technically started this altercation, Li Luo was on her side. Still, none of this had anything to do with the innocent villagers.
So Li Luo stepped in, summoned the Blue Silver King, and made a ring of Blue Silver Bamboo Poles spring up to block the stray flames.
The bamboo poles stood between the houses and Ma Hongjun, preventing the flames from setting anything flammable alight.
Normally, plants caught fire the instant they touched flames. But when Ma Hongjun's fire struck the Blue Silver Bamboo Poles, it went out without setting them alight.
Xiao Wu continued to fight Ma Hongjun. She seized an opening between his attacks, used Blink to appear behind him, and then her First Soul Ring flashed. One Waist Bow sent Ma Hongjun flying into the air.
"Bang!"
Ma Hongjun crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
Just then, the country girl suddenly spoke up.
"Stop! Please, stop fighting!"