Zhou Tao's First Pot of Gold! Gangzi Arrives Early at Shrek Academy!

"You may not know this, young friend."

Zhao Wuji smiled as he spoke, his tone carrying a hint of confidence.

"Though our academy was only recently established, it has already nurtured quite a few geniuses.

Among them is a Soul Master named Qin Ming, who has now joined Heaven Dou Royal Academy as an instructor."

Zhou Tao merely smiled faintly at this and did not pursue the matter further.

He raised his eyes and swept his gaze around, taking in the devastation before him.

After the fierce battle just now, every table and chair in the restaurant had been crushed into splinters and wood dust, scattered all over the floor.

The surrounding walls were covered in sinister black scorch marks, all remnants left behind by the rampaging Phoenix Fire Line.

Especially where Zhao Wuji had stood earlier—the floor had collapsed in layers, forming several pits of varying depths, a shocking sight to behold.

The restaurant owner and his attendants huddled in a corner at the back, silent as cicadas, scarcely daring to breathe.

Their hearts ached over the terrible losses to their establishment, yet they knew full well how powerful Soul Masters were. They did not dare step forward to demand even a single coin in compensation and could only endure in silence.

Zhou Tao's gaze darkened slightly as it swept over the wreckage on the floor before finally locking firmly onto Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun.

The two had already been badly shaken. Now, under Zhou Tao's icy stare, their hearts jolted violently, and they completely lost their composure.

They had deliberately provoked trouble, never imagining that they would kick an iron plate.

Faced with the unfathomably powerful Zhou Tao, they were filled with terror, afraid that if he was displeased, he would strike again and punish them harshly.

"Se-senior..."

Dai Mubai's throat was dry and tight. He gathered his courage to beg for mercy, but his voice still trembled uncontrollably, the fear in his heart nearly overflowing.

Ma Hongjun, beside him, was even more frightened. He shrank his neck and desperately tried to hide his fat body behind Dai Mubai, wishing he could vanish completely.

Zhou Tao walked forward at an unhurried pace and stopped before Dai Mubai. His tone was calm and flat, without the slightest hint of emotion:

"Tell me, how should this matter be settled?"

As soon as those words fell, Dai Mubai's heart clenched. His mind raced as he desperately tried to think of a way out of this crisis.

In the past, he had relied on his strength to act without restraint. He had always been the one bullying others, never needing to consider consequences or clean up the mess afterward. Now that he had suddenly been driven into a desperate situation, he was utterly at a loss.

Seeing Dai Mubai remain silent for so long, Ma Hongjun gathered his courage and rashly spoke up from behind him. "Senior, can't you just treat us like a fart and let us go?"

Dai Mubai's vision went dark at once, and he cursed Ma Hongjun inwardly for being incomparably stupid.

In this situation, only by paying a painful price could they quell the other party's anger and resolve this grudge.

Yet this idiot still wanted to brush it off and muddle through. He was simply courting death.

"Did I let you speak?"

Zhou Tao's eyes turned cold, and he backhanded him with a crisp slap.

Slap!

The blow was powerful, instantly swelling half of Ma Hongjun's face bright red and turning him into a veritable pig head.

"I was wrong! Senior, I'll never dare again!"

Ma Hongjun was in excruciating pain. He immediately dropped to his knees and prostrated himself, hurriedly kowtowing and begging for mercy, with none of his former arrogance left.

After dealing with Ma Hongjun, Zhou Tao turned his gaze back to Dai Mubai.

Dai Mubai's heart tightened. Afraid of ending up like Ma Hongjun, he hurriedly spoke before Zhou Tao could say anything:

"Senior! We're willing to compensate for everything in full!"

Zhou Tao spoke slowly, his tone firm and leaving no room for negotiation:

"This matter began with your unprovoked provocation, so you will naturally bear all losses in full. For the damage to the restaurant and compensation for everyone's fright, you will pay five thousand Gold Soul Coins.

As for the price of disturbing and offending me, add another fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins."

When immortals fought, mortals suffered. Since the disaster had been caused by the two of them, they should naturally pay for all the restaurant's losses.

"Fifty-five thousand Gold Soul Coins?!"

The moment Ma Hongjun heard that astronomical sum, his scalp went numb and his vision darkened in waves.

A stray thought flashed through his mind: that enormous fortune would have been enough for him to spend lavishly for at least ten years.

Dai Mubai's expression also became incredibly ugly. Though he was a prince of the Star Luo Empire, he had not brought much savings with him on this journey of training. Fifty-five thousand Gold Soul Coins would nearly drain more than half his wealth.

But seeing Zhou Tao's cold expression, which brooked no argument, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and say in a low voice:

"We'll pay!"

At this point, only paying to avert disaster could settle this calamity.

Suppressing the pain in his heart, Dai Mubai took a heavy money pouch from his storage bag and offered it to Zhou Tao with both hands.

Only after accepting the pouch did Zhou Tao's expression ease slightly.

Fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins had come so easily—truly an unexpected windfall, enough for him to live comfortably for several years.

He then took out five thousand Gold Soul Coins and handed them to the restaurant owner beside him.

"Thank you, Senior!"

The restaurant owner's face lit up with joy as he hurriedly accepted it with both hands.

Compared to the soul masters who were usually overbearing, tyrannical, and used their power to bully others, a strong expert as reasonable and generous as Zhou Tao was practically a saint.

With the dispute completely settled, Zhou Tao did not linger. He turned and left gracefully with Dugu Yan.

Only the Shrek group remained rooted to the spot, their faces filled with shock as they were unable to recover for a long while.

It was not until Zhou Tao's figure had completely vanished from sight that Zhao Wuji, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Osler slowly came back to their senses.

Dai Mubai was full of worry, his tone carrying lingering fear.

"Teacher Zhao, that man's talent and potential are terrifying. He will definitely become one of the continent's top experts in the future.

"We have thoroughly offended him today. What should we do from now on?"

"Let's return to the academy first and discuss it at length."

Zhao Wuji's expression was grave, his heart full of apprehension as he said in a deep voice, "If we want to stand against him, I'm afraid we can only reunite the Golden Iron Triangle and face him together."

Elsewhere, within Notting Academy.

Yu Xiaogang had spent more than half a year barely healing the flesh wounds on his body, but the humiliation and psychological trauma brought by that crushing defeat had become like a brand, one that could never heal.

"Zhou Tao! I will definitely tear you to pieces!"

"If I do not get rid of you, then I, Yu Xiaogang, will have lived this life in vain!"

Ever since he had been crippled and humiliated that day, Yu Xiaogang had shut himself in his room every day, letting out unwilling, furious roars again and again.

Yet all of it was ultimately nothing more than impotent rage.

With his current strength, let alone taking revenge on Zhou Tao, even if they met again, he would only be able to flee in panic.

He had also considered relying on his disciple Tang San to avenge him. But although Tang San was a rare Twin Martial Souls genius, he had not yet fully matured.

Moreover, Notting Academy had a shallow foundation and lacked resources. It simply could not support Tang San's rapid breakthroughs and transformation. A small place could never nurture a top-tier expert.

"No! I must make Xiao San grow quickly, so that he can stand on his own as soon as possible and avenge this blood feud for me!"

Yu Xiaogang anxiously paced back and forth through the room, swiftly considering a way to break the deadlock. Before long, he came to a decision.

"We can't stay at Notting Academy any longer!"

"The only way out now is to go to Shrek Academy in Suotuo City and seek refuge with my brother, Flender!"

"As long as the Golden Iron Triangle reunites and unleashes the Golden Holy Dragon Martial Soul Fusion Skill, dealing with a mere Zhou Tao will be as easy as turning over a hand!"

Over the years, he had often heard news about Shrek Academy.

He knew that Flender had managed the academy remarkably well and, through various means, had recruited countless young soul masters with exceptional talent.

If Tang San and Xiao Wu, these two top geniuses, were added to the mix, it would form an overwhelmingly powerful lineup with no equal.

When the time came, under his personal instruction and with the growth of this group of geniuses, not only would he be able to crush Zhou Tao with ease, but he would also be able to completely prove his martial soul theories and wash away the humiliation he had endured for so many years!

"I truly am the greatest sage of this age!"

A self-satisfied gleam flickered in Yu Xiaogang's eyes as he could not help but begin imagining the future.

When the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament began a few years later, this group of genius disciples under his command would surely make a stunning debut in the arena and amaze the entire continent.

At that time, endless glory and towering fame would all come pouring toward him, the continent's number one theory master!

At that thought, the gloom and frustration in Yu Xiaogang's heart were swept away. His back unconsciously straightened, and his face once again took on that proud, composed expression of someone who held everything in his grasp.

"Xiao San, Xiao Wu, the two of you have excellent judgment. You are fortunate to have become my disciples."

"Next, I will take you to meet the true prodigies and enter a true place of cultivation!"

After a round of self-aggrandizement and brainwashing persuasion, Yu Xiaogang immediately set out with Tang San and Xiao Wu, traveling a great distance toward Suotuo City.

After much travel and hardship, the three finally arrived at Shrek Academy, located outside the city.

Returning to this familiar place, the pride in Yu Xiaogang's heart instantly revived in full.

Shrek was the foundation of his sworn brother Flender, which made it practically half his home turf.

As the sworn brother of the academy's dean, his status here was comparable to that of the dean himself. Naturally, he had to carry himself with sufficient bearing and display his pride.

With that thought in mind, Yu Xiaogang raised his head and puffed out his chest. His brows and eyes were filled with lofty arrogance, his imposing manner fully on display.