Shattered Pride

A moment later, someone in the crowd murmured, "Recognize a thief as your father?" Only then did Chen Zeyu react.

"You! Shameless!" he roared, no longer able to hold back. He slapped Yun Ming's hand away.

He charged straight at Ming Yue. "Go to hell, Qiangu Mingyue!"

His Soul Rings lit up in an instant, and he focused all his Soul Power into his strongest, ninth Soul Skill!

"Snap."

Yet in the face of his fearsome attack, Ming Yue merely snapped his fingers, utterly unruffled.

The Void Archives instantly transformed into Judah, the strongest S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal. Countless golden chains shot out from Judah's top!

The sharp sounds of "whoosh!" and "swish!" tore through the air, followed by Chen Zeyu's anguished cries as the chains skewered him, bound him, and locked him in midair.

Ming Yue shook his head regretfully. "Honestly, I act on impulse for once, and you don't even know how to seize the opportunity."

"What a pity. Since you're so obstinate, I'll just have to send you off to reunite with your equally obstinate father."

As he spoke, Ming Yue raised a hand and clenched it in the air. The chains conjured by Judah began to rapidly tighten.

"Ah! You wish, Qiangu Mingyue! These mere chains—my Soul Power!? N-no, that's not right! What did you do to me?!"

The grating crunch of bones echoed through the space alongside Chen Zeyu's screams.

In a matter of moments, the chains snapped and dissolved into faint golden motes. Chen Zeyu, cut into countless pieces, fell from the sky with them.

"What an utterly clueless child." Ming Yue toyed with the Void Archives as it reverted to its original form and sighed with amusement.

"Tower Master Qiangu Mingyue! Now that you've obtained everything you wanted, I wonder... about the request we made earlier?"

Though Elder Bei's negative feelings toward Ming Yue had reached the breaking point, after seeing this cruel, scheming side of him,

he still had no choice but to suppress his feelings, paste on a false, ingratiating smile, and turn to Ming Yue.

"Teacher!" Elder Bei's pitiful display cut deeply into Yun Ming's pride.

His friend had just died before his eyes, yet his teacher remained unmoved—and was even so servile and ingratiating toward the murderer!?

Reason told Yun Ming that his teacher was gravely injured, the Academy was no more, and in the face of that demonic man, they were now nothing but fish on the chopping board.

But his pride left him clenching his fists in bitter resentment. For the first time, hatred and inferiority stirred in his mind.

The more he looked at his teacher's expression, the more unwilling he felt!

His teeth grinding, he forced himself to lower his proud head!

"Heh heh. I'm in a good mood, so naturally I have no problem keeping my promise. But..."

Ming Yue's opening words put Elder Bei at ease, but the last word made his heart pound with worry.

"But...?" He looked ingratiatingly at Ming Yue and asked with great caution.

"Yun Ming, it's been a long time."

Ignoring Elder Bei, Ming Yue turned to Yun Ming with a smile.

"Yes, Tower Master... sir."

With his head bowed low, Yun Ming heard himself reply.

"Not bad. You've reached the rank of Super Douluo in just a few years. As expected of this generation's leading figure at Shrek Academy."

Ming Yue spoke with genuine praise, then abruptly changed his tone. "Although I just promised that old geezer I'd spare your lives..."

"Your behavior just now made the Tower Master very unhappy."

He tossed the Void Archives into the air, letting it float again, then slowly walked to a spot a few meters in front of Yun Ming.

"Yun Ming was presumptuous just now. I ask for your forgiveness, Tower Master."

As he lowered his head and looked at Ming Yue's shadow, Yun Ming's vision suddenly grew hazy.

"Good. You're much more sensible than that Chen Zeyu just now." After offering a cold word of praise,

the fate of Leng Yaozhu and Leng Yulai suddenly surfaced in Ming Yue's mind. His voice turned indifferent as he said:

"How about this? Kneel down right now and sincerely kowtow to my sisters, Yaozhu and Yulai, and apologize."

"Then say that you're nothing but trash, and I'll let you all go. How does that sound?"

"...!?" Everyone present

stared with their mouths agape once more, as though Ming Yue's words were a bolt of thunder from the heavens.

To the people of Shrek, who knew how proud Yun Ming was, Ming Yue's demand was tantamount to forcing him to his death!

But to Leng Yaozhu and Leng Yulai, Ming Yue's words were the sweetest confession imaginable!

That was because the one thing they had both suffered together, from childhood onward, had all been because of Yun Ming!

Though they had never said it aloud, to them, with their lives of smooth sailing, Yun Ming could absolutely be called the lifelong rival they had to overcome!

"A-Yue...!" x2

The sisters came to Ming Yue's side together, the expressions behind their masks filled with deep admiration.

"Have you made your decision? My patience is limited."

He patted each sister on the shoulder, then turned to the silent Yun Ming.

"Brother Ming!"

"Boss Yun!"

"Big Brother Yun!"

"..."

"I understand."

The calls of his brothers and sisters brought Yun Ming back from his daze. He raised his head and stared at the three people before him.

Yun Ming heard himself say those words.

His legs began to bend. He seemed to hear the sound of glass shattering inside his heart.

"That's enough!!!"

At that moment, Elder Bei, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly unleashed all his Soul Power!

With a roar, he teleported beside Yun Ming, grabbed him, and hurled him toward the other old man.

"Good child, run! Go with Elder Gu, and take your brothers and sisters with you. This is the last thing your teacher can do for you."

He laughed as he offered these words, sounding almost relieved. Then his Soul Rings blazed!

Surging with Soul Power, he teleported beside the rapidly growing Golden Ancient Tree. His gaze turned icy as he stared at Ming Yue and the Leng sisters.

"Qiangu Mingyue, let Elder Gu safely take the children away now. Once he confirms they're truly safe, he'll return and kill himself in front of you alongside me."

"But if you insist on killing them, I don't mind self-destructing beside this Golden Ancient Tree!"

"With my strength, halfway to level one hundred, I imagine dealing with that would give you a headache too, wouldn't it?"

As he spoke, Elder Bei's expression grew grave, and he assumed his Martial Soul Avatar form.

"Teacher!"

The sight of his teacher's resolute sacrifice instantly reddened Yun Ming's eyes. Before he could say anything,

Elder Gu surged with Soul Power, grabbed him, and shouted as he led everyone flying off in a certain direction!