The Duel

"There's actually someone from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan."

Zhao Wuji didn't mind that Ning Rongrong had jumped the gun. The clock only started when he lit the incense, but he still had to make a token gesture.

He casually flicked the lit incense away, then half-crouched and struck the ground with both fists. A wave of earth surged straight toward Ning Rongrong.

It wasn't a Soul Skill, but it should still be enough to give these little kids a hard time.

Things, however, clearly didn't go as Zhao Wuji expected.

Jiang Jiu, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing completely ignored Ning Rongrong, each crossing the wave of earth in their own way.

"So fast!"

With her family's combat techniques, Zhu Zhuqing had a complete battle strategy of her own. She immediately moved to the side, slipping away soundlessly and with incredible speed.

At the same time, she kept a close eye on the situation, ready to act when the moment came.

That was the basic discipline of a Hell Spirit Cat Soul Master.

But right now, she was a little stunned by the explosive speed of Jiang Jiu and Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu was a Soul Elder, so she was in a league of her own—but was Jiang Jiu's speed, as if he'd suddenly charged right up to Zhao Wuji, for real?

Zhu Zhuqing had even caught a faint afterimage.

Were you supposed to be the agility-type Soul Master?

Thud!

With a muffled impact, a burly figure flew into the air.

"He's strong!"

That was Zhao Wuji's impression.

He'd planned to show off a little. He would fold his arms behind his back and let these close-combat youngsters attack while he stood firm as a mountain. That would be the perfect embodiment of his title, "Immovable Wisdom King."

But what was with that domineering punch?

Zhao Wuji was questioning his life choices in midair. He'd still been taking things easy; with Soul Power protecting him, he hadn't been hurt at all.

Boom!

Suddenly, a sharp sound split the air behind him. A heavy whip kick slammed into the back of Zhao Wuji's neck.

Xiao Wu's kick threw him off balance in midair, leaving him dazed.

Jiang Jiu closed in and met Zhao Wuji as he came flying toward him. He locked his hands around Zhao Wuji's neck, then followed up with a powerful back throw.

If he'd been going all out, this would've been the time to attack Zhao Wuji's neck, the back of his head, his eyes, or his chin. But the other side was obviously going easy on them, so a few throws were enough.

Zhao Wuji's body slammed into the dirt, leaving a solid crater. Jiang Jiu hadn't held back much, either.

His head was still buzzing when he felt someone grab his ankle. His body, which had just hit the ground, was flung into the air again.

This time, he landed face-first.

"Are you ever going to stop?!"

After being thrown around several times in a row, Zhao Wuji was getting angry.

All right, he'd already had enough after getting a mouthful of dirt the first time.

This was way too embarrassing, especially with a bunch of kids and those two old geezers, Li Yusong and Lu Qibin, watching.

"I'll have to get serious."

There was no helping it. Those two brats had some strength and skill, but Zhao Wuji had his pride to think of. He'd just been careless before.

Sensing that Zhao Wuji was beginning Martial Soul Possession, Jiang Jiu chose to retreat, and Xiao Wu withdrew in perfect sync.

Their movements were strange, though—slow yet fast, their legs occasionally colliding as if they were building up to something.

"You two are amazing!"

Tang San had used vines formed from Blue Silver Grass to pull Ning Rongrong out of the way of Zhao Wuji's attack, but she seemed to have none of the tension of battle. She only watched Jiang Jiu and Xiao Wu with shining eyes.

She still hadn't realized just how formidable Zhao Wuji would be after Martial Soul Possession.

"Little San, put in a little more effort."

Looking at Zhao Wuji's body, now about a meter taller, and the seven Soul Rings around him in the optimal configuration, Tang San could only smile wryly.

Jiang Jiu and Xiao Wu had already stolen the show during the easy part. How was a Blue Silver Grass Soul Grandmaster like him supposed to handle a Beast Martial Soul Soul Saint after Martial Soul Possession?

But even if he couldn't handle it, he still had to try.

Tang San took a deep breath, readying his Soul Skill.

"Old Zhao, you're using Martial Soul Possession against a bunch of kids? Isn't that a bit much?" Lu Qibin, watching from the sidelines, finally spoke up.

Showing these kids how powerful Shrek Academy was was one thing. Using Martial Soul Possession was another.

But Zhao Wuji was busy getting his pride back. He didn't have time to worry about that.

"I know what I'm doing."

"You don't know a damn thing."

Zhao Wuji was getting heated, so he could only offer a quick excuse. "The kids aren't objecting."

"Look, they're even more excited now!"

Lu Qibin and the others looked over at Jiang Jiu. Jiang Jiu and Xiao Wu were kicking at each other's legs, moving with such effortless grace that they looked like dancers, spinning again and again.

While Lu Qibin and the others were distracted, Zhao Wuji hurried to continue the fight he'd left unfinished.

"Kids, let's continue."

Covered from head to toe in brown fur, Zhao Wuji stared straight at Jiang Jiu with his yellow-brown eyes.

This was the guy who'd punched him into the air, and then thrown him around again and again.

Xiao Wu's kick had certainly hurt, but Xiao Wu was Shrek Academy's future treasure.

"Something's not right."

Unlike Zhao Wuji, who'd only glanced over briefly, Li Yusong had watched them for a while. He could sense the power steadily building between Jiang Jiu and Xiao Wu.

"Jiang Jiu, looks like that's all we can stack for now."

"That'll do."

"Go!"

Xiao Wu used Soft Technique with her whole body, turning herself into a link that transferred her strength to Jiang Jiu and "sent" him flying.

"Bring it on!"

Seeing Jiang Jiu spinning through the air as he swept in with a kick, Zhao Wuji raised his fan-like hands to meet him.

If a child so young had that much courage, what did the mighty Immovable Wisdom King have to fear?

"Who?"

Just as Zhao Wuji expected a decent clash, thorny vines suddenly wrapped around him. They couldn't get through his thick coat of fur, but they still disrupted his movements.

More treacherous were the vines that surged from the ground and tried to lift him up.

On top of that, a little cat was attacking his lower back. It couldn't break through his defenses either, but the constant clanging was annoying.

So what if I look bad?

Compared to getting kicked away by Jiang Jiu, Zhao Wuji silently decided to use his first Soul Skill.

Either way, he'd be embarrassed, since a bunch of kids had forced him to use a Soul Skill. At least this would save him some face.

"Immovable Bright King Body!"

His first Soul Skill activated, brilliant golden light blooming across Zhao Wuji's body.

Zhu Zhuqing cried out and was sent flying. Luckily, Xiao Wu caught her.

But Xiao Wu quickly dropped her to the ground and stared anxiously toward Jiang Jiu.

Jiang Jiu's foot slammed into Zhao Wuji's face as their opposing forces clashed.

The flesh on Zhao Wuji's face twisted out of shape. His jaw clenched, making him look especially ferocious.

I can't fly!