"Say goodbye to your pathetic chicken martial soul."
Di Lintian raised his left fist high, terrifying dark energy gathering around it.
Despair filled Ma Hongjun's swollen, pig-like face. "No... please... don't."
"He's going to cripple Hongjun!"
Flender activated his Cat Eagle Martial Soul Possession. Two yellow, two purple, and three black Soul Rings emerged as he looked ready to charge onto the arena and stop Di Lintian, saving Ma Hongjun.
Zhao Wuji did not remain idle either. He immediately released his martial soul and prepared to act alongside Flender.
The instant they moved, an oppressive force descended upon them, as though a small mountain had fallen onto their bodies, leaving them unable to move.
Red Fire had secretly stopped them. The young master was having fun, so naturally no one could be allowed to spoil his mood.
"Fatty!"
Tang San and the others noticed Di Lintian's actions as well and cried out.
"No—!"
Amid Ma Hongjun's desperate howl—
Di Lintian's fist arrived as promised, slamming into Ma Hongjun's dantian. Dark energy invaded his body and wreaked havoc within his dantian.
"Pfft—"
Ma Hongjun spat out a mouthful of blood, then shut his eyes and collapsed heavily to the ground.
"Hongjun!"
The moment Ma Hongjun was crippled, the oppressive force weighing down on Flender and Zhao Wuji vanished as well.
They immediately rushed onto the arena. Flender gathered the unconscious Ma Hongjun into his arms and flew back to the spectator stands.
He recalled the first time Ma Hongjun had called him Teacher, the time he had taken him to obtain his first Soul Ring, and all the moments that had followed.
A tear quietly fell to the ground.
"Shrek concedes."
Yu Xiaogang clenched his fist, then released it. Turning to the Three Education Committee Members behind him, he spoke.
"Shrek concedes. The Imperial Dou Team wins this match."
Meng Shenji mocked Shrek inwardly for a while before slowly rising to announce the result.
The moment Dugu Yan heard Meng Shenji announce the result, she immediately withdrew the Corrosive Poison Mist.
Maintaining such a vast poisonous mist consumed a great deal of her energy. Moreover, she had needed to control it precisely so as not to directly poison Shrek's members to death.
The instant the poison mist dispersed—
"You actually dared to cripple Fatty!"
Strands of Blue Silver Grass, like earthen spikes, burst from the ground and stabbed toward Di Lintian. Dai Mubai's White Tiger Intense Light Wave followed close behind.
Zhu Zhuqing also transformed into a feline shadow, swinging her Hell Hundred Claws toward Di Lintian. At this point, even Xiao Wu stopped holding back and unleashed her second soul skill, Charm.
Xiao Wu felt deeply conflicted. She hoped Charm could disrupt Di Lintian, yet also hoped it would fail.
Wei Xi seemed to transform into a White Blade Spider, crawling across the ground as she rapidly approached Di Lintian. Behind her, the White Blade Spider's two forelegs rose high.
Yet before Dai Mubai and the others' attacks could land, Xiao Wu let out a scream and collapsed unconscious onto the ground.
Di Lintian rubbed his forehead.
If I absorb her Soul Ring, Qian Renxue won't become as stupid as her, will she?
No, she probably doesn't know that I retained one hundred thousand years of spiritual power. Then it makes sense.
"I'm helping him," Di Lintian said as he looked at Tang San and the others. "He's always been tormented by Evil Fire. I kindly helped him solve that problem, and you're biting back at me instead?"
"Shrek has no martial virtue! They already conceded, yet they still sneak-attacked the boss!" Osler became anxious and looked ready to go help.
"Don't rush. They can't hurt the boss. Have you ever seen the boss's soul skills?" Yu Tianheng stopped Osler.
Osler froze. Thinking about it, that was true. He really had never seen the boss use a soul skill.
Hearing Di Lintian turn the accusation back on them, Dai Mubai's rage instantly surged. His face reddened from holding it in.
"First Soul Skill, Dark Prison Roar!"
"Second Soul Skill, Demon Dragon Body Protection!"
The phantom of a coiled Dark Demon Dragon appeared, enveloping Di Lintian within it.
"Xiao Wu!"
Tang San's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. He roared at Di Lintian, "You dared to hurt Xiao Wu. You have already earned the right to die!"
Six Dragon Whisker Needles gleaming with cold light appeared in his hand and instantly shot toward Di Lintian.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Dai Mubai, Tang San, and the others' attacks were all blocked by Demon Dragon Body Protection, causing no harm to Di Lintian whatsoever.
Seeing the Dragon Whisker Needles flying toward him, Di Lintian did not dare underestimate them. The Dragon Scale Sword appeared instantly, and with unbelievable speed, he knocked down all six needles one by one.
"Now, it's my turn."
"Soul-Devouring Demon Locust Right Arm Soul Bone Skill, Soul-Devouring Demon Branch!"
Soul-Devouring Demon Branches burst from the ground around Di Lintian, twisting together into a locust tree with facial features. Its expression was savage, like that of an evil ghost.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Branches shot out from the locust tree, winding toward Shrek's members.
"This is bad!"
Tang San cried out, picked Xiao Wu up from the ground, and silently retreated behind the others.
Dai Mubai's tiger claws whistled through the air, yet they could only barely leave white marks on the Soul-Devouring Demon Locust's branches.
Zhu Zhuqing's cat claws could not even leave a trace. Wei Xi's White Blade Spider blades were equally useless.
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance, then retreated at the same time.
Wei Xi also saw their intention and took the initiative to step forward, wanting to help them block the Soul-Devouring Demon Branches.
Zhu Zhuqing transformed into a Hell Spirit Cat and leaped toward Dai Mubai.
But with so many Soul-Devouring Demon Branches, Wei Xi could not possibly block them alone.
Two Soul-Devouring Demon Branches bypassed Wei Xi, suddenly accelerated, and wrapped directly around Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing's hands were bound together, leaving her unable to break free. The Soul-Devouring Demon Branches continued rising, lifting her up and forcing her toes off the ground.
Another Soul-Devouring Demon Branch wrapped around her legs, rendering her completely unable to move.
Feeling that slimy touch, Zhu Zhuqing let out a soft moan.
It was not some disgusting mucus, but a toxin secreted by the Soul-Devouring Demon Branches, capable of numbing a person's nerves.
"Zhuqing!"
"Third Soul Skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
"Second Soul Skill, White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"
The White Tiger Intense Light Wave blasted from Dai Mubai's mouth, striking the Soul-Devouring Demon Branches binding Zhu Zhuqing's hands.
At that moment, Wei Xi had also been wrapped up by the Soul-Devouring Demon Branches. No one remained to resist their advance.
Under Di Lintian's control, the Soul-Devouring Demon Branches formed a huge net in front of Zhu Zhuqing, blocking the White Tiger Intense Light Wave.
Only faint green smoke rose from the Soul-Devouring Demon Branches. They were not damaged at all.
Then, the great net reverted into individual Demon Branches and headed toward the remaining Shrek members who could still move.
In the blink of an eye, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Tang San were each tightly bound by a Demon Branch.
Naturally, Xiao Wu was not forgotten either. She still had to serve as his undercover agent, so she could not be exposed this early.
"We already conceded. Why aren't you stopping his actions?!"
Yu Xiaogang stood before the Three Education Committee Members and demanded loudly.
"Yu Xiaogang, weren't your Shrek students the ones who attacked first?" Zhi Lin sneered.
It was clear just how dissatisfied he was with Yu Xiaogang. He had even changed the way he addressed him from Master to Yu Xiaogang.
"Teacher, why have I never heard of this Shrek Academy?" Xue Qinghe looked at Ning Fengzhi beside him in confusion.
"It's normal that Qinghe hasn't heard of them, because strictly speaking, they do not count as an academy. They were never registered on the empire's list of academies," Ning Fengzhi explained.
Below, Ning Rongrong watched the battle with a pale face, repeatedly patting her chest with her small hand.
Good thing Father stopped me. Otherwise, wouldn't I have ended up tied up by that bad guy just like Zhuqing and the others?
Just thinking about it made her shudder.
Before you continue