Zhao Wuji's Scoundrel, Battle Soul Sage

Xuanming did not turn around. The Demon-Binding Rope in his hand tightened once more, suppressing the Crimson-Eyed Scale-Armored Beast's struggles.

He replied coldly:

"No interest."

Zhao Wuji was not angered and said with a chuckle:

"Our Shrek Academy is the best Soul Master Academy on the entire continent. It's full of monster-level geniuses. You definitely won't lose out by joining us."

Xuanming said:

"I said I'm not interested."

Zhao Wuji's eyes shifted as he suddenly blurred.

Like an enraged giant bear, he crossed dozens of yards in an instant and appeared directly above the Crimson-Eyed Scale-Armored Beast.

A heavy phantom of a brown bear paw covered his right arm as he slammed it downward.

Great Strength Vajra Palm.

With a thunderous boom, the Crimson-Eyed Scale-Armored Beast's limbs went weak from the blow, and its massive body crashed flat onto the ground.

Zhao Wuji landed steadily on the soul beast's back. Turning to Xuanming, he grinned and said:

"Kid, I've intercepted this soul beast now. If you're willing to join Shrek, this soul beast is yours. If you're not willing... then I'll slap it to death. Your choice."

His words were utterly shameless, yet he wore an expression as though it were only natural.

Xuanming stopped what he was doing, turned around, and looked at Zhao Wuji expressionlessly.

His gaze swept over the Shrek group behind Zhao Wuji as he said coldly:

"You want me to join you? Are you even worthy?"

The moment those words came out, Dai Mubai's expression darkened.

Ma Hongjun also frowned.

Tang San's expression remained unchanged, but his gaze deepened slightly.

The smile on Zhao Wuji's face faded somewhat. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly sensed an extremely concealed killing intent at his side.

A pitch-black figure emerged from the shadows like a ghost, and two black long blades silently slashed toward the back of Zhao Wuji's neck.

Demon-Slaying Sword and Demon-Chopping Saber.

Taixu's clone had made its move.

Every hair on Zhao Wuji's body stood on end as his Soul Power erupted instantly.

Immovable King Body.

A dense layer of golden light burst from his body, knocking the two black blades several inches away.

But Taixu's clone was incredibly fast. After missing its strike, it immediately retreated into the shadows and vanished once more.

The entire exchange had happened so quickly that no one present had time to react.

Zhao Wuji's expression grew more serious.

He touched the back of his neck, where the sword qi had left a faint white mark.

Although the Immovable King Body had blocked the attack, the angles of those two strikes had been exceptionally tricky, and their timing had been flawless. Clearly, this was a ruthless opponent accustomed to assassination.

Standing where he was, Xuanming said calmly:

"If you can defeat the two of us, both of us will join your academy."

Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up instantly.

He threw back his head and laughed. Battle intent surged from his body as seven soul rings slowly rose from beneath his feet—two yellow, two purple, and three black—radiating a heavy, oppressive aura beneath the sunlight.

"Kid, you said that yourself."

Without further nonsense, Xuanming and Taixu moved at the same time.

Xuanming's Demon-Binding Rope slithered silently along the ground like an ice-blue venomous snake, shooting straight for Zhao Wuji's legs.

Taixu's figure melded into the shadows once more, while the Demon-Slaying Sword and Demon-Chopping Saber simultaneously slashed at Zhao Wuji's back from another direction.

The two worked together seamlessly, one in front and one behind, one in the open and one in the dark, trapping this Soul Sage-level powerhouse between them.

Zhao Wuji grinned as golden light flashed brilliantly around him.

The Immovable King Body activated instantly. A dense golden protective glow exploded from his body and sent the Demon-Binding Rope flying away.

At the same time, without even turning his head, he struck a backhanded palm at the empty air behind him.

The force of the Great Strength Vajra Palm swept through the air, forcing Taixu's figure out of the shadows. It flipped through the air before barely managing to stabilize itself.

Zhao Wuji said:

"Kid, not bad teamwork. But with just this much, you think you can make me back off?"

Xuanming did not answer.

With a flick of his wrist, the Demon-Binding Rope lashed out again. This time, it split into six strands, simultaneously winding around Zhao Wuji's limbs and neck.

Zhao Wuji stood where he was and let the ropes coil around his body.

Then he suddenly flexed, and all six ropes shattered into icy fragments.

Zhao Wuji laughed.

"Those two ropes of yours are too thin. Put some strength into it—they're not even good enough for scratching an itch."

Taixu cut in from the side again, his twin blades carving out two pitch-black air blades that crossed as they slashed toward Zhao Wuji's waist.

Zhao Wuji shifted slightly, dodging one air blade. The other struck the golden light protecting his body, producing a sharp metallic clang.

The golden light merely trembled once, without even a crack appearing.

Zhao Wuji patted the clothes at his waist and said, "Your blades are fast enough, but sadly, you're too weak."

Tang San stood outside the field, his gaze fixed tightly on the battle between the two sides.

His Purple Demon Eye circulated in secret as he tried to discern the martial souls and Soul Skill trajectories of the two youths.

The longer he watched, the tighter his brow furrowed.

The youth wielding the ropes was the same as the one wielding the twin blades.

Both of their soul ring configurations were yellow, yellow, purple, purple.

Shock surged through Tang San's heart.

These two looked no older than sixteen or seventeen, yet their Soul Power Levels had already reached forty-nine.

Moreover, their martial souls were of extremely high quality, and their coordination was terrifyingly seamless.

Dai Mubai's expression was equally unpleasant.

He said quietly to Tang San, "Either one of them could beat me. If both attacked together, even the six of us joining forces would probably have a hard time winning."

Tang San nodded silently.

Xiao Wu merely blinked as she watched the excitement, a faintly amused smile hanging on her lips.

As Zhao Wuji fended off their attacks, he continued speaking.

"I'll admit it, boys, you've got some skill. But if you think this is enough to defeat me, you're still far from it. Why not surrender obediently and join our Shrek? I can make you stronger."

Xuanming said coldly, "Dream on."

Zhao Wuji laughed loudly.

"Then keep fighting. Let me see how much Soul Power you still have left to burn."

The moment his words fell, a shrill howl suddenly came from the sky.

The sound rushed closer at incredible speed, as though something were plummeting from the heavens.

Zhao Wuji instinctively looked up.

A crimson staff descended from above, smashing toward his head with a force that seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth.

The golden runes on its shaft trailed a dazzling golden tail of flame as it fell at high speed.

The smile on Zhao Wuji's face instantly froze.

His Immovable King Body erupted in full force, its golden light growing incomparably dense. He crossed his arms over his head, trying to block the blow.

But the force behind the descending staff far exceeded his expectations.

With a thunderous boom, Zhao Wuji's arms were driven violently downward. His knees buckled, and the ground beneath his feet shattered inch by inch.

The staff smashed his entire body into the earth.

Dust billowed and shattered stones flew in every direction, while a huge crater several yards across appeared in the ground.

Zhao Wuji knelt on one knee at the bottom of the crater, his arms still numb, his expression a mixture of shock and fury.

The crimson staff was embedded in the ground beside him, its shaft trembling faintly as it emitted a low hum.

Tang San's gaze locked onto the staff, his pupils contracting slightly.

Dai Mubai took a deep breath and instinctively stepped back half a pace.

Ma Hongjun's mouth hung wide open, unable to say a single word.

The instant Xiao Wu saw that staff, her body suddenly froze.

She raised both hands to cover her mouth, disbelief flickering in her eyes.

She recognized that staff.

Though she had not seen it for a long time, she could never mistake it.

Zhu Zhuqing was frozen in place as well.

She stared blankly at the crimson staff embedded in the earth, and a memory long buried in the depths of her mind suddenly surged forth.

Her lips moved slightly, yet no sound came out.

The same name appeared in both their hearts at once.

Was it him?

Was it really him?