Lan and the Ice Empress! Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire Acts Up, Shrek is a Disgrace!

Whoosh—

Lan's body was sent soaring into the sky against his will, tracing a graceful parabola through the air, accompanied by a long trail of crystalline water droplets as he plummeted toward the depths of the lake's center.

Splash—

With a massive spray of water, Lan's figure was tossed high before crashing heavily into the heart of the lake, stirring up a thousand ripples.

On the shore, Ice Empress stood with her hands on her hips, watching as Lan poked his head out of the water looking somewhat disheveled, a triumphant, childlike smile spreading across her face.

This Natsuhi seemed even more interesting than she had imagined.

"Lan, you flew!" Ice Empress said, her hands still on her hips, a smile gracing her delicate features.

Lan poked his head out of the water, his expression one of helplessness.

Time passed.

Heaven Dou City.

The group from Shrek Academy walked down the main street, none of them looking particularly pleased; one could even say they looked sullen.

The atmosphere surrounding them was completely at odds with the bustling, prosperous scene of the capital.

They had come to participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament.

But as of now, they hadn't even secured a single spot to compete.

They had intended to take a shortcut by joining the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and competing under its name.

However, they had been humiliated by that prince, Xue Beng, at the academy and were flatly rejected.

"Unbelievable!!!"

Dai Mubai, walking at the very front of the group, had a face full of fury, his handsome features twisted as he slammed a fist into a nearby wall.

"A mere prince dares to speak to us like that!"

"By what right does he claim our conduct is improper?"

Evil fire flickered in Dai Mubai's eyes; he was clearly enraged to the extreme.

"Exactly!"

Xiao Wu, following behind, pouted with a look of indignation.

"So what if we beat someone up? It's their own fault for having no skill and coming to provoke us."

"We didn't kill him, so how can they blame that on us?"

"Those who dare not stir up trouble are mediocrities!"

Dai Mubai let out a cold snort, reciting the motto he held as his golden rule.

"Right!"

Ma Hongjun, the fatty in the group, was also looking indignant at this moment. He curled his lip and said:

"And that Xue Beng, he actually called me lecherous!"

"I just like women, what's wrong with that?"

He puffed out his chest, a strange sense of arrogance on his face.

"I am the possessor of a noble, top-tier beast martial soul, the Evil Fire Phoenix!"

"It's their good fortune that I take a fancy to them!"

As soon as these words were spoken, many in the group nodded subconsciously.

That's right.

In this world, the strength of a soul master is the foundation of everything.

The strong deserve to possess every privilege.

The weak should have the self-awareness of the weak.

Just as the group was united in their shared resentment, feeling the injustice of their situation, Ma Hongjun's expression suddenly shifted slightly.

He felt a surge of evil fire within his body, uncontrollably rushing upward.

A wave of intense heat instantly spread throughout his entire body, leaving his mouth parched and his eyes beginning to look somewhat strange.

Damn it.

It's happening again.

Ma Hongjun's breathing grew heavier. He glanced at the others walking ahead, who were still discussing how to get back at the academy.

He quietly slowed his pace, falling to the very back of the group.

Then, taking advantage of a corner, he flashed his figure and slipped stealthily into a deserted alleyway.

It was unbearable.

It felt like ten thousand ants were crawling inside his body.

He needed to vent.

The alley's shadows couldn't quell the heat raging within Ma Hongjun.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging lust, and stumbled out of the alley, rejoining the flow of people on the street.

His gaze swept aimlessly, searching for a target to release his pent-up energy.

Soon, his attention was drawn to a small stall at the street corner.

"Buy sachets, handmade sachets."

Behind the stall sat two identical-looking girls, heads bowed as they worked on their needlework.

Their voices, crisp as orioles, came from their mouths.

What a beautiful pair of twins.

Ma Hongjun's eyes immediately went wide.

The two girls were about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in simple cloth skirts, their long hair tied back with plain ribbons. Their features held a gentle elegance reminiscent of the Jiangnan water towns.

That gentle, elegant appearance was like dry tinder, instantly igniting the lust Ma Hongjun had just suppressed.

A heat far more intense than before surged straight to his forehead.

He chuckled, puffing out his slightly chubby belly, and walked directly towards the stall.

"Little sisters, how much are these sachets?"

Ma Hongjun's voice wasn't loud, but the undisguised desire made the two girls, who were looking down, stiffen.

They slowly raised their heads, their clear eyes reflecting Ma Hongjun's face, which wasn't handsome, even a bit plump, and currently wore a lewd smile.

One of the slightly bolder girls replied timidly:

"Five Copper Soul Coins each."

"Only five Copper Soul Coins?"

Ma Hongjun grinned, his gaze roving wantonly over the sisters' shapely figures.

"Too cheap."

He suddenly dropped his smile, tilting his chin slightly, and a ripple of soul power, belonging to a Soul Master, was suddenly released.

"I'm a Soul Master from the academy."

"I've taken a liking to both of you, come with me."

His tone was casual, yet carried a commanding air, as if this were a tremendous favor.

The two girls' faces instantly turned deathly pale.

Soul Master?

They were just ordinary people from the countryside trying to make a living in Heaven Dou City, how could they dare offend a high and mighty Lord Soul Master.

But looking at Ma Hongjun's lustful, ugly face, they felt nothing but disgust and fear.

"No... don't..."

The other, more timid girl had already hidden behind her sister, clutching her clothes, trembling all over.

"We... we won't sell ourselves..."

The older sister mustered her courage, her voice trembling as she refused.

"Hmph."

Ma Hongjun's expression darkened.

If it weren't for the crowds on the street, he would have already made his move.

If he took these two beauties to a secluded place, wouldn't they be at his mercy?

Impatiently, he reached into his robes and pulled out a gleaming gold coin, tossing it directly onto the stall.

With a "ding," the Gold Soul Coin bounced on the wooden board.

"One Gold Soul Coin, isn't that enough?"

"It's not like I'm not paying you, what's the delay?"

As he spoke, he reached out his plump hand and grabbed at the older sister's sleeve.

"Ah!"

The girl shrieked and desperately pulled back, tears instantly welling up.

"Let go of my sister!"

The younger sister cried out, but didn't dare to step forward.

Passersby cast glances, but upon sensing the Soul Master's aura emanating from Ma Hongjun, they dared not speak out of anger and quickly averted their eyes.

"You don't know what's good for you, huh?"

Seeing them weeping and wailing, Ma Hongjun felt his irritation grow, and the evil fire within him burned even more fiercely.

With a look of deep displeasure on his face, he fished two more Gold Soul Coins from his robes and slammed them heavily onto the table.

"Three Gold Soul Coins!"

"Isn't it just that you think the money is too little? Is this enough now?"

"Don't you fucking think you're plated in gold; these three Gold Soul Coins are enough for country bumpkins like you to eat and drink for several months!"

Looking at the three glaring gold coins on the table, there was not a shred of greed in the older sister's eyes, only endless humiliation and terror.

She violently shook off Ma Hongjun's hand, shielded her younger sister behind her, and used every ounce of her strength to scream.

"We are daughters of a respectable family!"

"Help! Someone is kidnapping people in broad daylight!"

This shrill cry finally emboldened some of the onlookers.

Not far away, several city guards clad in standard-issue armor heard the commotion and immediately began walking quickly toward them.