The Mystery of Bowing One's Head: That Boy Was a Monster
In the oppressive atmosphere, Dai Mubai suddenly spoke.
"Dean."
"Um?"
Flender looked up at him, puzzled.
Dai Mubai's gaze was direct, even somewhat aggressive.
"I admit defeat to Soul Douluo and Titled Douluo."
"The difference in strength is clear; if you can't beat them, you can't beat them, there's nothing more to say."
He paused, then his next sentence was tinged with resentment and confusion. "But why did you bow down to Ye Qing on the field in the end?"
As soon as he said that, everyone's eyes immediately turned to Flender.
Dai Mubai continued, his voice not loud, but every word was firm and resolute. "That Ye Qing, judging from his age, isn't much older than us; he's just the captain of the Shrek Team."
"Dean, you are Soul Sage of over seventy levels, yet you bow down and apologize to a mere student?"
He looked at Flender, his eyes filled with resentment. "Isn't this a bit too humiliating?"
Ma Hongjun and Oscar also looked up, their eyes filled with the same confusion.
They accepted their loss to the Imperial Fighting Team.
They tolerated being overshadowed by the title of Titled Douluo.
But what was the reason behind Flender's attitude towards Ye Qing at that time?
A Soul Sage bowing and scraping before a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy?
Something just doesn't feel right about this scene.
Although Tang San didn't speak, his slightly raised gaze showed that he was also concerned about this issue.
His Purple Demon Eye, filled with scrutiny, quietly fell upon Flender's face.
Yu Xiaogang also frowned and turned to Flender.
"Flender, I'd like to hear your explanation about this as well."
His tone was calm, but the downward curve of his lips hinted at his dissatisfaction.
"Your actions are a bit too much of a boost to others' morale and a blow to your own."
All eyes were on them.
Flender became the focus of the entire event.
Flender remained silent for a long while, under the gaze of the crowd.
He seemed to be carefully choosing his words, or perhaps recalling how he felt at the time.
Finally, he sighed.
"You want to know why?"
Flender's voice was somewhat deep. "Then I'll tell the truth."
He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze becoming somewhat distant.
"When I unleashed my Soul Sage aura and walked up to the Imperial Fighting Team after the match, I wanted to vent my anger on you."
"At the time, I thought, 'We may lose the game, but we can't lose our fighting spirit off the field.'"
"At least let them know that Shrek isn't backed by pushovers."
Everyone nodded.
They saw that.
I also think Flender did the right thing.
Only Zhu Zhuqing frowned upon hearing this.
"But when I walked over, that boy named Ye Qing stood up from the bench."
Flender's brow furrowed slightly, as if that scene were replaying in his mind.
"He stood in front of Dugu Yan, and I pressed my full Soul Sage aura against him."
But he didn't budge an inch.
There was an indescribable complexity in the Flender tone.
"He stood there effortlessly, even looking at me with a smile, as if my Soul Sage aura was just a breeze to him."
Ma Hongjun's eyes widened. "No way? The pressure of Soul Sage? We can't even withstand that!"
"Dean, you're not joking with us, are you?" Oscar asked suspiciously.
Flender raised his hand to interrupt them, "Do you think I'm not surprised?"
He took a deep breath and then said something that no one expected.
"In that instant, an extremely strong sense of... danger arose within me."
"A sense of danger?"
Zhao Wuji was the first to sit up straight, his expression full of disbelief.
"What do you mean? Has the powerful figure behind the Imperial Fighting Team targeted you?"
Flender gave a wry smile.
"It didn't come from the powerful figure behind them, but... from Ye Qing himself."
These words struck everyone like a thunderbolt, creating a shockwave greater than any previous statement.
"How is that possible?"
Zhao Wuji immediately retorted, "How could a boy who looks about fifteen or sixteen years old pose a threat to Soul Sage?"
"Flender, were you too nervous at the time?"
Maybe.
Flender didn't refute, but instead stroked his chin, his eyes serious.
"Maybe I'm just imagining things."
"But that feeling was very real."
His gaze sharpened. "In that instant, the person standing before me didn't seem like a teenager."
"What does it look like?" Dai Mubai pressed.
Flender thought for a moment, and finally used a metaphor that made everyone's scalp tingle.
"Like a sleeping Ferocious Beast."
"It wasn't even open yet, but I already instinctively knew it was best not to wake it."
"Otherwise... you might die!"
Even after saying these words, Flender himself was momentarily dazed.
He wasn't just frightened by Ye Qing's words; he also instinctively felt that the boy was dangerous.
The hall was deathly quiet.
Everyone saw Flender's serious expression, which didn't seem like he was joking.
The group exchanged bewildered glances, all seeing the same shock and disbelief in each other's eyes.
Yu Xiaogang remained silent for a long time before asking, "Flender, are you sure?"
"Uncertain."
Flender frankly stated, "It might be an illusion."
"Given my title of Titled Douluo, my judgment might indeed have been flawed."
At this point, he changed the subject, his expression turning serious again. "But regardless of Ye Qing's actual strength, the Imperial Fighting Team's background speaks for itself."
"The three Soul Douluo instructors, and Title Douluo Dugu Bo. These are all genuine."
"We really can't afford to offend them."
Flender glanced around at everyone, his tone becoming more serious. "This time, we admit defeat."
I accept my fate.
Hearing those two words from Flender was more painful than being scolded.
But then, Flender's voice changed.
It was no longer a somber narration, but rather carried a resounding force.
"If you want revenge, let your strength speak for itself."
Everyone looked up.
Flender looked directly into everyone's eyes and said, word by word, "Next time, we'll win it back fair and square on the field."
Dai Mubai was the first to clench his fist.
The knuckles were squeezed until they turned white, making a crisp "crackling" sound.
He raised his head, and the flame that had been dying down in his eyes reignited.
"Good."
"Then practice, train until you can crush them all."
Ma Hongjun grinned, revealing a roguish smile.
The meridians still hurt, but that indomitable spirit had already overcome the pain.
"If the Evil Fire Phoenix can't even withstand this little setback, then I, Ma Hongjun, might as well go home and raise chickens."
He clenched his fist, a faint flame flickering between his fingers. "Next time, I will never be so easily defeated again."
Oscar chuckled, straightened up in his chair, and unusually put away his playful expression.
"Although I'm a support type... support types can also become stronger."
A rare seriousness flashed in his eyes. "I will make better sausages, so good that you can withstand any toxins."
Ma Hongjun, standing beside him, looked at him with a complicated expression. "Could you use a more normal Martial Soul before saying such passionate lines?"
"Do you know how irreverent the phrase 'better sausage' sounds?"
"Get lost! My Martial Soul soul is a sausage by nature, what's it to you?"
Xiao Wu straightened up as well.
Although her ribs were still throbbing, a stubbornness unrelated to the pain shone in her eyes.
Zhu Zhuqing raised her hand and glanced at the faint bluish -Purple poison marks remaining on her arm.
She made no grand pronouncements, nor did she join the group in their efforts to boost morale.
She was simply thinking about a path that was more suitable for her.
Tang San was the last to stand up.
He released his grip on the wall and slowly stood up.
The feeling of weakness lingered, and the lingering effects of the toxins still lingered deep within my meridians.
But he stood firm.
Within the Purple Demon Eye, a cold flame burned quietly.
Flender looked at the group of teenagers who had stood up again, and his tense smile finally relaxed a little.
The Shrek Team must find its way again from this slump.
That night, probably no one will be able to sleep.