" Tang Yin, don't smash his head in. Just puff it up."
"Otherwise, I won't have an appetite."
Xiao Wu immediately stood up, took quick little steps over to Tang Yin, and planted her hands on her hips as she looked smugly at the red-haired, chubby boy.
At Xiao Wu's words, the red-haired, chubby boy looked at her with terror in his eyes.
A devil!
"Hyah... Pfft! No, that's not right!" Tang Yin hurriedly stopped laughing and said, "Chubby, I'll give you a chance. I've got two hammers here. Pick one yourself-which hammer do you want to be hit with?"
As soon as Tang Yin finished speaking, another hammer appeared in his left hand. It was none other than the Mutated Clear Sky Hammer!
He held both hammers against the red-haired, chubby boy's neck. It looked as though a little force would be enough to crush the boy's round head to pieces.
"Handsome, it's a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!"
"This is all a misunderstanding!"
The red-haired, chubby boy slowly backed away, but the moment he got free, his attitude changed completely.
"Martial Soul Possession!"
Before the red-haired, chubby boy had finished speaking, purple flames enveloped his entire body. Within the flames, his appearance quickly began to change.
"I'll let you possess your Martial Soul!"
Before the red-haired, chubby boy could complete his Martial Soul Possession, Tang Yin put away the Clear Sky Hammer and immediately swung the hundred-jin Forging Hammer.
"Uwaaah!"
Tang Yin's hammer sent the red-haired, chubby boy flying in an instant. He crashed into the many tables and chairs behind him.
The nearby patrons scattered in terror. The restaurant's waiters also turned pale and hurried to find somewhere to hide or notify the owner, not daring to step in and stop them.
When Soul Masters fought, ordinary people who tried to intervene were only asking for trouble, with nothing to gain for their efforts.
At that moment,
Tang Yin put away the Forging Hammer and calmly watched the red-haired, chubby boy.
The other boy had changed dramatically. Purple-red light shimmered around him, radiating scorching heat, and two yellow Soul Rings rose beneath his feet.
His short hair suddenly grew long and swept toward the top of his head, forming a mohawk, while his round, chubby body remained unchanged.
Long purple-red feathers grew from his exposed, thick arms, and his hands turned directly into sharp claws.
His overall appearance was quite comical: a round, chubby body, feathered arms, and hair standing straight up, like a fat country chicken.
"Pfft! Hahahahaha!"
"Tang Yin, what kind of Martial Soul is that? A country chicken? Hahahaha!"
Xiao Wu couldn't hold back and doubled over laughing.
Tang Yin couldn't help laughing either. But when he heard the nickname Xiao Wu had given the boy and looked at his appearance, someone came to mind.
Ma Hongjun of Shrek Academy!
"Chubby, you really don't learn your lesson."
"You want to sneak up on me? You should take a good look at yourself first. Did you think you were the only Soul Master here?"
Tang Yin stood with his hammer in hand and spoke with a quiet laugh.
"Hmph!"
Xiao Wu lightly stamped her foot. The next second, two yellow Soul Rings appeared around her, and her Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul possessed her. Her bright, lively eyes were full of contempt as she looked at the red-haired, chubby boy.
"You want to flirt with your great-aunt? Take a good look at yourself first!"
"Do you think a girl like me is someone you can lust after?"
At that moment,
the red-haired, chubby boy was curled up amid the wreckage, letting out painful whimpers.
Clearly, although Tang Yin's hammer hadn't stopped him from completing his Martial Soul Possession, it had still injured him-and badly. Otherwise, as a Soul Master, he wouldn't have been lying there for so long, unable to get up.
"Tang Yin, you didn't just make him... unable to perform with that hammer, did you?"
"Is he going to die?"
Xiao Wu studied the red-haired, chubby boy for a while, then furrowed her brow and asked with concern.
They had only come to eat. They didn't want a death on their hands, especially in broad daylight, with so many people watching them kill someone.
"Don't worry. I know how much force to use. At worst, he's got a few broken ribs. Without help from a healing-type Soul Master, he'll be better after half a year of recuperation."
Tang Yin gently reassured her.
"That's good." Xiao Wu let out a sigh of relief.
Hearing Tang Yin and Xiao Wu's conversation, the red-haired, chubby boy felt even more crushed.
What kind of devils had he run into?
They'd hurt him this badly, yet they didn't feel the slightest burden about it.
"Fatty!!!"
Just then, a cry of alarm came from the restaurant entrance, and two young men walked in together.
One had shoulder-length golden hair, handsome features, and a tall build. He wore luxurious white-and-gold brocade robes, and, astonishingly, had a pair of deep-blue double pupils.
The young man beside him was dressed more plainly, but was even more handsome, though still a little less so than Tang Yin.
The two immediately went over to the red-haired, chubby boy and checked on him.
"Tang Yin, that chubby kid's got backup," Xiao Wu whispered into Tang Yin's ear.
"No worries. I can beat them," Tang Yin said, completely at ease.
At this point, he was even more certain of the three boys' identities: Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun.
After all, judging by the timeline, Dai Mubai was around thirteen now, old enough to join Shrek Academy.
"Don't move! It's bro... broken!" Just as Dai Mubai and Oscar were about to help Ma Hongjun up, Ma Hongjun hurriedly shouted, his face twisted in pain as he clutched his chest with one hand.
Dai Mubai and Oscar's expressions changed. They looked at Ma Hongjun's somewhat caved-in chest, then at the Forging Hammer in Tang Yin's hand, and instantly understood what had happened.
"Bastard! You dare hit my little brother, Dai Mubai?"
"White Tiger Possession!"
Dai Mubai let out a loud shout. A powerful pale-white light abruptly burst from his body, and his muscles swelled as he grew taller and more powerfully built.
His well-fitting clothes stretched tight, as if they might burst at any moment. Every muscle stood out clearly beneath the fabric, brimming with strength.
His golden hair instantly turned black and white, and a striking "Wang" appeared on his forehead.
His hands grew to twice their original size, white fur covering his palms. As his fingers flexed, sharp claws like short daggers repeatedly sprang from his palms and retracted, each one gleaming with a chilling light.
"I thought a real expert had shown up, but he's only a Soul Grandmaster after all."
Xiao Wu glanced at the two yellow Soul Rings beside Dai Mubai and spoke dismissively.
At her words, Dai Mubai's brows instantly drew together. He narrowed his eyes at the two Soul Rings beside Xiao Wu and her Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul, then let out a feral grin.
"Arrogant! My White Tiger Martial Soul is a top-tier Beast Martial Soul. How could it compare to a useless Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul like yours?!"
"Take my punch!"
As soon as Dai Mubai finished speaking, he strode forward and darted toward Xiao Wu.
His tiger claws gleamed coldly, making one's heart shudder.
"Outrageous!"
Tang Yin swung the Forging Hammer in his left hand, quietly switching it for the Mutated Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul during the movement. Then he brought it crashing down with Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer.
Dark-red arcs of lightning burst wildly from the Mutated Clear Sky Hammer. The moment its head collided with Dai Mubai's fist, a sharp crack rang out.