At the sight of the two people suddenly rising to their feet, Yan Shaozhe's gaze sharpened.
His eyes quickly swept over Leng Yaozhu and Gu An.
His mind raced as he searched through the records of every renowned powerhouse on the continent.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
A stunning red-haired woman and a handsome-looking boy...
The intelligence files of Shrek Academy contained no record of either of their appearances.
Though, to be fair, their intelligence was pretty lousy.
Fan Yu, Qian Duoduo, and Mu Jin, standing beside Yan Shaozhe, conducted the same frantic search through their minds at the same time.
They exchanged glances, finding the same answer in each other's eyes.
They didn't know them.
There was no need to think twice. These two definitely weren't from Shrek Academy.
Yan Shaozhe's expression darkened, his brows drawing tightly together.
"Who are you?"
"How dare you trespass into Shrek Academy and interfere in our affairs?"
Shrek's long-standing reputation for invincibility lent his voice an imperious, interrogative edge.
He didn't take Leng Yaozhu and Gu An seriously.
To put it simply, he'd paid some attention to them, but not much.
A young woman and an eight- or nine-year-old child—even if they had some strength, at most they'd cause Shrek Academy a little trouble.
They wouldn't make much difference.
Shrek Academy's ten thousand years of accumulated strength spoke for itself.
Though Dragon God Douluo Mu En was in poor condition, he was still alive, and the Golden Ancient Tree was still there.
So Yan Shaozhe hadn't made a move from the outset.
Leng Yaozhu stood behind Gu An with her arms crossed. Her fiery red hair fell to her waist, and her face was expressionless.
She didn't speak.
Gu An was the one who answered.
Gu An rose from his seat and walked over at an unhurried pace. He stepped onto the stairs and made his way down one step at a time.
His chin tilted slightly upward, and a faintly amused smile played on his face.
He walked with the elegance of a young nobleman.
He was just showing off.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
"I'm a first-year student at Spirit Transmission Academy."
"I heard Shrek Academy was the strongest academy on the continent, so I came especially to see it for myself. But the result..."
At this, Gu An paused and looked around before shaking his head.
"Tsk, tsk." He clicked his tongue.
He hadn't said anything.
And yet, it was as though he'd said everything.
Yan Shaozhe's expression turned even uglier.
A student from an academy he'd never heard of, with a name he didn't recognize, had actually come to Shrek Academy and mocked them in front of all these people.
Spirit Transmission Academy.
He was indeed hearing that name for the first time. Either it was newly established, or it was some insignificant little academy.
Did they really think Shrek Academy was an easy target?
Yan Shaozhe knew exactly why they'd come.
They simply wanted to climb the ladder of fame by stepping on Shrek Academy.
People who didn't know their place had tried this before.
Before Yan Shaozhe could speak, Zhou Yi had already lost her patience.
She'd just been openly talked back to by Xiao Xiao, and the fury burning in her chest had been waiting for an outlet.
Now, seeing Gu An, some brat who'd come out of nowhere, dare to make snide remarks about Shrek Academy, she exploded.
"What kind of trash academy is Spirit Transmission Academy?"
"I've never even heard of it."
Zhou Yi's face was full of mockery, her eyes brimming with disdain.
"If you know what's good for you, get out of Shrek Academy right now."
Her Soul Power perception swept over Gu An. He was just a child, with only the fluctuations of a single Soul Ring about him.
As for the red-haired woman behind Gu An, Zhou Yi had tried to sense her strength but couldn't determine her level.
But she was so young, and didn't look that old.
How strong could she be?
If she were really powerful, why would she be holed up in an academy nobody had ever heard of?
So Zhou Yi wasn't afraid in the slightest.
As soon as she finished speaking, the others in the academy stepped forward one after another.
Mu Jin, Qian Duoduo, Fan Yu, and the others all took a step forward, glaring at Leng Yaozhu with hostility.
Driving out outsiders was the most important thing.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of Shrek Academy's internal affairs, outsiders weren't allowed to meddle.
That was Shrek Academy's rule.
Gu An clicked his tongue in irritation.
He raised a hand and pointed at Zhou Yi. "You old hag."
"Who do you think you are, butting in?"
Zhou Yi's eyes flew wide open.
"Xiao Xiao is my younger sister."
Gu An's voice turned cold. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a thin veil of chill.
"You nearly ruined her future. I haven't even settled the score with you yet."
Hearing a child dare to speak to her that way, Zhou Yi's chest heaved violently.
Her nostrils flared, and her cheek muscles bulged as she clenched her teeth.
She was like a volcano on the verge of eruption, fury smoldering from head to toe.
If looks could kill, Gu An would already have been chopped into mincemeat.
Xiao Xiao stood in the corner, watching Gu An shield her.
Her big eyes sparkled.
Being protected.
It felt wonderful.
She wasn't worried in the slightest about her relationship with Gu An being exposed.
Did they really think she'd gone home yesterday just to have a good cry?
Her family had already moved away from their old city and gone to Seven Treasures City.
She had nothing left to worry about.
After saying her piece, Zhou Yi immediately prepared to attack.
Soul Power surged from her body, and she released the full pressure of a Six-Ring Soul Emperor.
Her Soul Power pressed several hairline cracks into the ground beneath her feet.
She was going to teach that brat what happened when someone acted wild in Shrek Academy.
The next second,
an overwhelming, indescribable aura burst from Leng Yaozhu.
Her fiery red hair stirred and drifted behind her, though there was no wind.
One Soul Ring after another rose from beneath her feet.
Six black and three red!
Nine Soul Rings slowly revolved around her, each one radiating a suffocating pressure.
Leng Yaozhu lowered her head slightly, her gaze settling on Zhou Yi.
It was only a glance.
"Pfft!"
The Martial Soul Zhou Yi was gathering hadn't even fully manifested before it let out a muffled thud.
Her Martial Soul shattered! She couldn't summon it at all!
At the same time, the six Soul Rings around her filled with countless cracks.
They all shattered.
Zhou Yi's body shuddered. A metallic sweetness surged up her throat, and she spat out a mouthful of blood, splattering the ground at her feet.
She staggered backward two steps, then dropped heavily onto the ground, her face deathly pale.
The whole place fell silent.
Mu Jin stood with her mouth hanging open, her jaw nearly hitting the floor.
She had a feud with Zhou Yi, but she'd never expected things to turn out like this.
The Gold Soul Coin Qian Duoduo had been toying with slipped to the ground at some point. His fingers trembled slightly.
Fan Yu's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.
What kind of Soul Ring configuration was this?
Six black and three red.
All nine Soul Rings of a Titled Douluo—six ten-thousand-year Soul Rings and three hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings.
They'd never even heard of such a Soul Ring configuration.
Why had they never heard of a Titled Douluo this powerful before?
Could that Spirit Transmission Academy really be some insanely powerful force?
No one could give them an answer.
Yan Shaozhe clenched his teeth against the aura sweeping over him like a tidal wave.
He couldn't just stand by and watch any longer.
If he didn't act, Zhou Yi would be crushed to death by that aura.
He stepped forward, releasing every bit of Soul Power in his body without reservation.
The Martial Soul Bright Phoenix spread its wings behind him, golden feathers burning with pale-white flames.
Nine Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet.
The aura of a Super Douluo surged toward Leng Yaozhu's pressure.
The two auras clashed in midair, and the ground beneath Yan Shaozhe's feet shattered outright.
Under the pressure of Leng Yaozhu's Heavenly Phoenix Martial Soul, his Bright Phoenix's wings drew in a little despite himself.
Martial Soul suppression!
What kind of rank did he think he had, daring to compare himself to the Heavenly Phoenix?
But he had no choice but to step forward.
It was precisely because Mu En couldn't use his strength right now that he had to act even more resolutely.
If he backed down, if he showed weakness now,
everyone would learn that Shrek Academy's Dragon God Douluo was nothing to fear.
As long as no one had solid proof of Mu En's true condition, no one would dare attack Shrek Academy outright.
Yan Shaozhe stared at Leng Yaozhu, his voice squeezed out through clenched teeth.
"Your Excellency."
"Shrek Academy has no feud with you."
"Are you trying to start a war with Shrek Academy?"