Dai Yueheng's Provocation, Jing Hongchen's Suspicion

When Ye Ming followed Yan Shaozhe to the Inner Court's combat arena, quite a few people had already gathered there.

Jing Hongchen stood with his arms crossed, saying something to Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.

Xian Lin'er, Cai Meier, and several elders stood beside the combat platform with Yao Haoxuan, Ling Luochan, Dai Yueheng, and the others, their faces grave.

"Elder Cai, Haoxuan and the others may not be a match for Xiao Hongchen. Let me go!" Dai Yueheng rubbed his still faintly aching chest, a vicious look appearing on his face. "If those Hongchen siblings win, won't that make them look down on our Shrek?"

"No!" Cai Meier frowned. "Your old injuries haven't healed. How can we send you into battle again? Besides, those two siblings are both fourteen. Even if you win, you'll still be accused of bullying the young with your age."

"Then I'll go!" Yao Haoxuan stepped forward voluntarily and gritted his teeth. "I'd like to see just how powerful their soul tools really are!"

Cai Meier raised a hand to stop them and looked toward Yan Shaozhe, who was approaching from the distance. "Stop arguing. Listen to your dean!"

"You're older than them. Even if you win, people will still talk!" Yan Shaozhe walked over with Ye Ming and smiled at the group. "Don't worry. With Ye Ming here, we won't lose this match."

Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier glanced at Ye Ming, their brows furrowing slightly.

However, both knew Yan Shaozhe's temperament. They knew he would not joke about something like this, so neither spoke in objection.

But when Dai Yueheng and the others saw the first-year uniform Ye Ming wore, they could no longer remain calm.

"Dean, he's only a first-year freshman, isn't he?" Ling Luochan was full of doubt. "Can he defeat a five-ringed soul engineer?"

"Exactly!" Yao Haoxuan chimed in. "Dean, if we go up and win, at worst we'll be accused of bullying the young. But if this kid loses, it'll be our academy's reputation that suffers!"

Dai Yueheng had the hottest temper. He looked directly at Ye Ming and said viciously, "Kid, I don't know what method you used to get the dean to bring you into the Inner Court. But this battle concerns the academy's reputation. It's not something a freshman like you can meddle in!"

"Since the dean brought you here, know your place and stand aside to watch!"

Their words made Yan Shaozhe frown slightly. Still, with what had happened to Xixi and Ma Xiaotao, they had been in bad moods these past few days. He could understand that.

Ye Ming looked at the several silent deans and immediately laughed.

They had brought him here to bolster their side, only for Shrek's own monsters to provoke him and let things continue like this.

That really was Shrek Academy's style!

If it were not for the Golden Tree's sake, he would have turned around and left.

Still, even for the Golden Tree, he would not swallow this insult.

Ye Ming looked Dai Yueheng straight in the eye, the corners of his lips lifting slightly as he sneered, "Ah, I recognize you guys..."

Dai Yueheng had been about to puff out his chest and accept the praise when Ye Ming continued, "Aren't you the battered, defeated bunch that flew overhead earlier?"

"What, you got humiliated outside, so you think you can throw your weight around in front of me just because I'm a freshman?"

"Buddy, if you can't cut it, admit it. If you could handle it, why would the dean call me here?"

"If you can't beat them, then get lost. Why are you still standing around here waiting to be fed?"

"What did you say?!" Dai Yueheng flew into a rage, glaring fixedly at Ye Ming.

What had happened to Xixi and Ma Xiaotao was a thorn in their hearts. Before that thorn had even settled, Ye Ming had grabbed it and viciously stabbed it back into the wound, even twisting it a few times.

How could he possibly endure that?

"Kid, if you've got the guts, let's get on the platform and fight! Whoever chickens out is a grandson!"

"Fine, let's fight. But looking as drained as you do, you should recover first. Otherwise, I'd be afraid you'd accuse me of bullying you!"

"Enough!" Yan Shaozhe barked, stopping them. "There are outsiders here. What are you all arguing for?!"

Dai Yueheng gave a cold snort. He did not dare defy the dean, but inwardly, he swore that once this was over, he would teach this kid a brutal lesson!

He would make him learn how to respect his seniors!

Yan Shaozhe had a terrible headache. He knew Ye Ming had a sharp tongue, but he had not expected him to start arguing with the Shrek team members after only a few sentences.

He should have separated them earlier.

"Oh? Dean Yan, things seem quite lively on your side. Have you chosen opponents for my disappointing grandson and granddaughter yet?" Jing Hongchen walked over with Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen. He paused when he saw Ye Ming, then burst into laughter. "Don't tell me Dean Yan intends to send this kid up? He's only a first-year or second-year student at your academy, isn't he?"

Yan Shaozhe laughed heartily. "That's right. He's a student of our Outer Court."

"Guests are guests. If I sent an Inner Court disciple into battle, wouldn't that be bullying the young?"

"Rest assured, Hallmaster. This Outer Court student of mine has some skill. He won't let your granddaughter and grandson get bored."

Arrogant!

Conceited!

Yan Shaozhe simply did not take them seriously.

Jing Hongchen sneered and patted Xiao Hongchen on the shoulder. "Since Shrek Academy is being so courteous, you two should show some real skill as well. Don't let them look down on you!"

"Don't worry, Grandpa!" Xiao Hongchen tilted his neck. "I'll take good care of him!"

"Good!" Jing Hongchen laughed and looked at Yan Shaozhe. "Dean Yan, how about one one-on-one match and one two-on-two match?"

"No need to waste time." Ye Ming stepped forward directly. "Let the two of them come at me together!"

Dai Yueheng had riled him up, and he was in a foul mood now!

"Oh? This young friend does seem rather strong!" Jing Hongchen paused for a moment before laughing loudly. "Why not grant this young friend's wish, Dean Yan?"

He knew this kid might truly be a genius, but he had absolute confidence in his grandson and granddaughter!

If they lost control and crippled a genius from Shrek Academy, they could simply say that blades and swords had no eyes...

Yan Shaozhe considered it. Ignoring the looks of protest from Cai Meier and the others, he actually nodded in agreement.

"Fine. We'll do as the Hallmaster says."

The three of them sprang onto the combat platform.

Meng Hongchen looked at the handsome youth opposite her. Her pretty face flushed faintly beneath her wine-red hair. "You're Ye Ming, right? You're very handsome."

"Thanks, but even if you compliment me, I'll still beat you up!"

"Uh..." Meng Hongchen wrinkled her delicate nose, moved to the side, and put some distance between herself and Xiao Hongchen. Clenching her small fists, she said, "Brother, he's such a jerk! Beat him up!"

"Understood!" Xiao Hongchen snorted coldly. Two yellow, two purple, and one black soul rings rose beneath his feet. At the same time, a flash of golden light appeared, and another leg emerged from behind him, from around his backside.

Meng Hongchen's wine-red hair turned snow-white, and her eyes became blood-red. A chilling aura spread from her body as five soul rings rose beneath her feet as well, pulsing around her.

Ye Ming grinned. His hands transformed into golden dragon claws, and three black ten-thousand-year soul rings slowly rose.

In that instant, Dai Yueheng, Yao Haoxuan, and the others, who had never seen such a soul ring configuration, were stunned.

Xian Lin'er and Cai Meier looked at Yan Shaozhe in even greater astonishment.

"Three ten-thousand-year soul rings?!"

Jing Hongchen cried out in shock, inwardly thinking that it was impossible!

Could this person be a soul beast in human form?

He tapped his right temple with a finger, and a mechanical eye instantly extended from his temple, covering his right eye.

This was the ninth-grade detection soul tool he had specially developed, the Eye of the Sun and Moon!

Besides its basic functions of observing a soul master's soul power and vital signs, it could also unleash spiritual attacks at the level of a Titled Douluo.

But its greatest use was detecting and distinguishing the different life fluctuations of humans and soul beasts in human form.

In other words, it could see through whether this person truly was a soul beast in human form!

He had never used this soul tool after creating it, until today, when he finally had a target to examine.

Jing Hongchen looked toward the platform through the Eye of the Sun and Moon. The moment he did, the fluctuations of soul power throughout his body became chaotic!

Something was wrong!!