Yan took a deep breath and pointed at Qin Feng as he shouted.
"Nana, move aside!"
"I have to see for myself today just what this brat is capable of, daring to lord it over the Spirit Hall Golden Generation!"
Xie Yue didn't stop him. Instead, he folded his arms and stood to one side, watching coldly.
"Nana, Yan has a point."
"In the Soul Master World, strength is what matters in the end."
"If he wants to be our leader and make us obey him willingly, he'll have to show us some real ability."
Xie Yue's tone was calm, but he made no effort to hide the hostility in his words.
Hu Liena stamped her foot in anger and was about to argue.
A hand gently settled on her shoulder.
Qin Feng drew Hu Liena behind him, looked from Xie Yue to Yan, and gave a faint smile.
"You want to see what I can really do?"
"Fine."
Qin Feng brushed at his sleeve, looking as relaxed as if he were chatting about the weather.
"But to save time..."
"You two can come at me together."
The moment he said that, the air in the plaza froze.
Xie Yue was stunned.
Yan was stunned too.
They stared at Qin Feng, eyes wide, almost convinced they'd heard him wrong.
"What did you say?"
Yan laughed in sheer fury as Soul Power began to roil violently around him.
"Brat, you're far too full of yourself!"
"You want us to attack together? Do you think you're a Titled Douluo?"
Xie Yue's expression turned as dark as water, and the faint phantoms of two Moon Blades appeared behind him.
"Qin Feng, I'll admit you may have some talent, but arrogance comes at a price."
As the finest geniuses Spirit Hall had to offer, they had pride of their own.
Being so casually belittled by someone their age was a massive blow to their self-esteem.
Faced with their fury, Qin Feng didn't bother to explain.
He simply stood where he was and took one small step forward with his right foot.
Boom!
A terrifying torrent of Soul Power surged from Qin Feng, crashing forth like an avalanche.
A deafening dragon's roar rang through the sky.
Golden light shot upward, and the majestic phantom of a Golden Dragon coiled behind him.
Then a clear phoenix cry cut through the heavens.
Ice-blue flames surged up, and a magnificent Ice Phoenix spread its wings beside the Golden Dragon.
An overwhelming pressure instantly enveloped the entire plaza.
The sneers froze on Yan and Xie Yue's faces.
Their breathing hitched, and their legs began to tremble against their will.
But that was far from the end.
Three rings as black as ink slowly rose beneath Qin Feng's feet.
Their deep, dark glow was like an abyss that devoured everything, radiating a despairing force.
Black.
Black.
Black.
Three Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings pulsed quietly around Qin Feng.
"This..."
Xie Yue's pupils contracted violently, and his voice trembled.
"Three Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings? Twin Martial Souls?"
Yan's eyes were wide too, his mind gone completely blank.
The arrogance he'd shown moments before was crushed to pieces by this absolute display of strength.
Qin Feng gave them no time to think.
He raised his right hand, and a faint blue flame flickered in his palm.
The next instant.
The flame became a streak of light and shot straight toward Yan.
It moved so fast that not even a blur remained.
Yan paled and instinctively summoned his Flame Lord Martial Soul to block it.
But the flames he was so proud of froze solid the instant they touched the Ice Phoenix's fire.
Bang!
A tremendous force struck. Yan was hit as if by lightning, hurled more than ten meters away, and slammed hard into the ground.
Seeing this, Xie Yue gritted his teeth. Two Moon Blades appeared in his hands in an instant.
He flashed forward, turning into a streak of blood-red light as he tried to attack from the side.
Qin Feng didn't even turn his head. He simply swept one hand back.
The Golden Dragon's pressure crashed down out of thin air like a mountain.
Xie Yue felt a weight crush his chest. The Moon Blades in his hands let out a mournful cry, and he was pinned to the ground, unable to move.
One move was all it took.
The Golden Generation, Spirit Hall's pride and joy, had fallen.
The entire plaza fell silent.
Qin Feng put away his Martial Souls and Soul Rings, and the pressure vanished from the plaza in an instant.
He walked up to Xie Yue and Yan and looked down at them.
"Does anyone still have a problem?"
Yan struggled to his feet, clutching his chest. There was none of the jealousy or anger in his eyes that he'd shown before.
In its place was deep awe.
Xie Yue also put away his Moon Blades and lowered his proud head.
"I'm convinced."
"Brother Qin, from now on, whatever you say goes. We won't argue."
That was how the Soul Master World worked: the strong ruled.
The strength Qin Feng had displayed was beyond anything they could comprehend. They no longer had the slightest desire to resist him.
Not far away, Hu Liena watched with her hands clasped to her chest, her eyes full of stars.
"Qin Feng is just too handsome."
She murmured softly, her admiration plain on her face.
Standing to one side, Dugu Yan nodded in deep agreement.
Following a master like him really did make a person feel safe.
Time passed.
In front of the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena, Heaven Dou City.
Yu Xiaogang walked at the front with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the enormous golden sign.
Behind him followed Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the other students from Shrek Academy.
After one setback and blow after another, the group's spirits were low.
Yu Xiaogang stopped and turned to face them.
"Children, cheer up."
Yu Xiaogang raised his voice, trying to rekindle their fighting spirit.
"This is where we begin our comeback."
"As long as you earn Silver Soul Badges here and show the whole continent what the Shrek Team can do, all those rumors from before will fall apart on their own."
Tang San clenched his fists and nodded solemnly.
"Don't worry, Teacher. We won't let you down."
But the others in the group seemed distracted.
Ma Hongjun in particular kept darting his little eyes around, sizing up the women passing by.
Heaven Dou City was the empire's capital, and the bustle of its streets was far beyond anything Suotuo City could offer.
Ma Hongjun swallowed and sidled up to Dai Mubai, bumping him with his shoulder.
"Boss Dai."
"The matches at the Grand Spirit Fighting Arena don't start until tonight. There's no point hanging around here doing nothing."
"Why don't you take us somewhere nearby to have some fun?"
Ma Hongjun waggled his eyebrows, his face split by a leering grin.
Dai Mubai was already in a foul mood.
At Blue Tyrant Academy, Zhu Zhuqing hadn't appreciated the Deep Sea Warm Jade Pendant he'd given her. She'd met it with nothing but cold indifference.
That had left him feeling utterly stifled.
Hearing Ma Hongjun's suggestion, Dai Mubai was tempted to go looking for women and blow off some steam.
He glanced at Yu Xiaogang, who was still explaining theory to Tang San, and lowered his voice.
"Let's sneak over."
"Don't let Grandmaster catch us."
The two hit it off immediately and called over Oscar, who was just as bored. While Yu Xiaogang wasn't looking, they slipped away from the group and headed toward a busy street beside the Grand Spirit Fighting Arena.
As they walked down the street, Ma Hongjun watched the girls all around him and felt his blood begin to boil.
"Boss Dai, the girls in Heaven Dou City are really something."
"Look at that one. What a tiny waist."
Ma Hongjun pointed here and there, drooling as he went.
Dai Mubai snorted without answering and kept his head down as he walked.
Just then, Ma Hongjun suddenly stopped.
His gaze fixed on a figure not far ahead.
She was a curvaceous young woman.
She had short, dark green hair and wore a form-fitting leather outfit that perfectly outlined her striking figure.
Just looking at her from behind was enough to set anyone's blood racing.
"What a beauty!"
Ma Hongjun's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He couldn't help swallowing a huge mouthful of saliva.
Dai Mubai and Oscar followed Ma Hongjun's gaze and were slightly taken aback too.
The young woman seemed to sense something and turned around.
The moment the Shrek trio recognized that familiar face, their expressions changed.
"Dugu Yan?"
Dai Mubai blurted out, his brows drawing together.
Ma Hongjun was stunned too. Then a malicious sneer spread across his face.
They hadn't forgotten that it was Dugu Bo's arrival at Heaven Dou Royal Academy that had gotten them thrown out.
And Dugu Yan was Dugu Bo's granddaughter.
What made them even more jealous was that Dugu Yan had now become Qin Feng's maid.
The moment he remembered Qin Feng's lofty attitude and how Shrek had suffered setback after setback, Ma Hongjun felt his anger flare.
"Talk about running into an old enemy."
Ma Hongjun rubbed his fists together, his knuckles cracking.
"Boss Dai, this woman made us suffer so much. Since she's alone today, shouldn't we collect a little interest?"
Ma Hongjun's lecherous eyes roamed up and down Dugu Yan.
Dai Mubai hesitated.
"This is Heaven Dou City. It wouldn't be good to cause trouble, would it?"
"What's there to be afraid of?"
Ma Hongjun slapped his chest without a care.
"That brat Qin Feng isn't here. She's all alone."
"We'll teach her a lesson, then leave right away. Who'll ever know?"
As he spoke, Ma Hongjun had already set off on his short legs, striding brazenly toward Dugu Yan.
Dugu Yan had been buying some fruit for Qin Feng near the Grand Spirit Fighting Arena and was about to head back.
When she saw Ma Hongjun and the others coming toward her, she immediately recognized them as members of Shrek.
Dugu Yan stopped, disgust flashing in her eyes.
"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Dugu."
Ma Hongjun blocked Dugu Yan's path, looking like a street thug.
"Why are you wandering around here alone? Where's your master, Qin Feng?"
"Why isn't he keeping you company?"
Dugu Yan shot him a cold glance.
"Good dogs don't block the road. Get lost."
Ma Hongjun's expression darkened at the insult, but he quickly replaced it with a lecherous grin.
"Got quite a temper."
"But I like it."
Ma Hongjun stepped closer and reached out with his chubby hand, trying to touch Dugu Yan's face.
"Don't think following Qin Feng makes you something special. Today, I'm going to teach you some manners!"
In Ma Hongjun's eyes, Dugu Yan had always been weaker than their Shrek Team.
As long as he made a move, taking down this woman would be a piece of cake.
However, just as Ma Hongjun's hand was about to touch Dugu Yan,
a bone-chilling gleam flashed in her eyes.
With Qin Feng's help at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well in the Sunset Forest, along with the tempering effects of various heavenly treasures, she had not only rid her body of its toxins but undergone a complete transformation in cultivation.
She was no longer the Dugu Yan whom Tang San had once countered.
"Looking for death."
Dugu Yan parted her red lips and uttered two words.
Boom!
A powerful surge of Soul Power burst from her body.
The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul appeared in an instant.
And that foul-smelling poison gas had somehow turned clear and transparent, carrying a terrifying pressure that made the heart tremble.
Ma Hongjun hadn't even realized what was happening.
Smack!
A resounding slap landed squarely on his chubby face.
The tremendous force sent Ma Hongjun spinning three times on the spot.
"Argh!"
Ma Hongjun let out a scream, spat out two bloodied teeth, and crashed heavily to the ground.
It all happened so quickly that Dai Mubai and Oscar didn't even have time to stop her.
"Fatty!"
Dai Mubai cried out and hurried forward.
Dugu Yan didn't even look at them. She raised her right leg and brought the heel of her long boot down hard on Ma Hongjun's chest.
Crack.
The sound of his breastbone breaking rang clear.
Ma Hongjun screamed again and again, struggling desperately, only to discover that the Evil Fire Phoenix Soul Power he prided himself on couldn't even be released in front of Dugu Yan.
He was being crushed in a one-sided beatdown.
Dugu Yan looked down at Ma Hongjun beneath her foot, her gaze full of contempt.
"You're nothing but a useless piece of trash. You dare come after me?"
"Go back and tell that Yu Xiaogang."
"Tonight, at the Grand Spirit Fighting Arena, I'll show you what real hell looks like."
Lying on the cold, hard stone street, Ma Hongjun's chubby face was twisted almost beyond recognition from the pain. Large beads of cold sweat mingled with dirt and stuck to his face.
"It hurts so much... My bones... My breastbone's broken!"
The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's Soul Power was highly corrosive. It seeped through the broken bones in his chest and kept drilling into his meridians, making every inch of his flesh and skin tremble violently with pain.
Ma Hongjun's small eyes were filled with the most venomous resentment.
He couldn't accept that he, a peerless genius of Shrek, had been trampled underfoot and humiliated at will by someone who had once been his defeated opponent, right there on the streets of Heaven Dou City.
"Fatty!"
Oscar, a short distance away, had gone deathly pale. He scrambled over on his hands and knees.
Seeing the small depression in Ma Hongjun's chest, Oscar felt his scalp turn numb, and his palms were slick with cold sweat.
"Daddy Has a Big Sausage!"
To save him, Oscar didn't care that he was making a spectacle of himself in the street. He hurriedly recited his Soul Incantation.
A faint halo lit up in his palm.
A Recovery Big Sausage, glowing faintly, materialized out of thin air.
Oscar shakily forced the sausage into Ma Hongjun's mouth and urged him anxiously,
"Quick! Fatty, chew it a couple of times and swallow!"
A pained whimper rose from Ma Hongjun's throat as he chewed the sausage almost frantically.
As the food-type Soul Power took effect, the agony in his chest, as if countless ants were devouring him, finally eased a little. But the injuries to his body were still far from healed.