Shaking Them Down

Yan Shaozhe's eyes widened, and even his voice cracked. "Are you crazy?!"

Xuan Xiao sneered, his smile dripping with mockery.

"I think you're the crazy ones. Without offering anything, just by flapping your lips, I'm suddenly your disciple? Where's your shame?"

He turned toward Xian Lin'er, his tone growing even sharper.

"And you said the entire Soul Guidance Department would be mine in the future? Do you even realize how badly the Martial Soul Department has crushed the Soul Guidance Department? Could selling off the entire Soul Guidance Department even buy the engraving knife in my hand?"

Those words were like a knife stabbing straight into Xian Lin'er's heart.

She opened her mouth, wanting to argue, but found herself unable to say a word.

Because Xuan Xiao was telling the truth.

The Soul Guidance Department had indeed been suppressed by the Martial Soul Department for years, unable to lift its head. Its resources were pitifully scarce, and its funding was stretched thin.

Even if all the Soul Guidance Department's assets were added together, they might truly not be worth as much as the Darkgold Nebula in Xuan Xiao's hand.

Mu En could no longer sit still. He stepped out from the shadows, wearing a kindly smile as he tried to ease the tension.

"Hehe, little fellow, don't be so hot-tempered. We can talk this out."

Xuan Xiao gave him no face at all. He turned to look at Mu En, his eyes filled with undisguised ridicule.

"You're no better. Anyone who knows their history knows these deans are all your disciples."

"If I were you, I'd have slapped every last one of them to death already."

The moment those words came out, the air in the entire room froze.

The smile on Mu En's face stiffened.

He had lived for more than two hundred years, yet this was the first time someone had confronted him so bluntly.

But he did not get angry. Instead, he fell silent.

Because Xuan Xiao was right.

He knew Yan Shaozhe had flaws in his character. Otherwise, with the potential of a Light Phoenix, how could he have only reached Rank 95?

Given the Light Phoenix's potential, if Yan Shaozhe had no issues with his temperament, he should have reached at least the peak of Rank 96, if not Rank 97, by now.

Yet he had been stuck at Rank 95 for decades, unable to advance, all because his mind was too narrow. He possessed none of the Light Phoenix's boundless grandeur.

It was true that Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo were married, but her heart still belonged to Yan Shaozhe.

Mu En had seen this clearly, but had never exposed it.

As for Qian Duoduo, he was merely a peacemaker who could never be firm when it mattered. He always muddled through everything.

Shrek's entire upper echelon appeared infinitely glorious on the surface, but in truth, it had long since rotted from within.

Mu En sighed. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed the words before they could leave it.

Seeing his hesitant expression, Xuan Xiao snorted coldly and turned to leave again.

Mu En hurriedly called out to stop him.

"Little fellow, don't rush off yet. This old man has a few words to say to you."

Xuan Xiao stopped, but did not turn around.

"Go ahead. I'm listening."

Mu En was silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

"It's true that you can go to the Sun Moon Empire, but what if they cannot satisfy you either?"

Hearing this, Xuan Xiao turned around with an amused smile on his face.

"Then you're mistaken. What I want is resources. Do you think I didn't investigate Shrek before enrolling here?"

He began counting on his fingers.

"Want to take a look at the rewards for your freshman assessment? A core disciple spot? Does that count as a reward? Help hunting Soul Beasts? Isn't that something the academy should be doing anyway?"

Mu En fell silent.

Every word Xuan Xiao spoke was like a needle piercing his heart.

Shrek Academy had truly become too comfortable over the years—so comfortable that it had forgotten its original purpose.

Those so-called rewards were completely dispensable to genuine geniuses.

Seeing Mu En's silence, Xuan Xiao sneered.

"I came to Shrek for Shrek's foundation, not to work myself to the bone for you."

"If you can give me what I want, I'll stay. If you can't, then I'll go somewhere else."

He paused, then dropped his final bombshell.

"Let me tell you something. The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Guidance Academy approached me a long time ago."

That final sentence was complete nonsense, but Xuan Xiao's expression did not change. He spoke with such certainty that it sounded entirely real.

Mu En frowned.

He knew Xuan Xiao was most likely lying, but he did not dare take the gamble.

A twelve-year-old third-level Soul Engineer who also possessed something on the level of the Ranked Engraving Knife.

If someone like that were poached by the Sun Moon Empire, it would be Shrek's greatest humiliation.

And with this kid's talent, if he truly went to the Sun Moon Empire—

In another eight or ten years, he might really create something extraordinary.

By then, Shrek would not even have a place to cry.

Mu En drew a deep breath and asked in a low voice, "What do you want?"

No matter what he wanted, they needed to stabilize him first.

Mu En could tell that this kid did not want to leave either—at least, not yet.

This was exactly the sentence Xuan Xiao had been waiting for.

He had no intention of leaving so easily. He had only done this to squeeze some benefits out of them.

"A Soul Beast for my fourth Soul Ring."

Mu En relaxed upon hearing that.

That was it?

He had thought this kid would make some outrageous demand for something incredible.

"No problem. Shaozhe, go to the Beast Arena and find one—"

Before Mu En could finish, Xuan Xiao interrupted him.

"Don't try to fob me off with trash."

Xuan Xiao's voice turned cold. He slowly raised a hand as Soul Power began surging within him.

A powerful aura erupted from his body, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

A five-meter-tall giant phantom slowly emerged behind him.

That was his Martial Soul.

Six snow-white wings slowly spread open. His azure body was clad in golden armor, and his fists, three times larger than an ordinary person's, were likewise covered in heavy golden gauntlets.

Everyone present was seeing Xuan Xiao's Martial Soul for the first time.

And when their gazes fell upon Xuan Xiao's feet, everyone sucked in a sharp breath.

Two purple, one black.

Three Soul Rings floated silently beneath Xuan Xiao's feet, slowly rotating.

That black Soul Ring in particular radiated a heart-pounding pressure.

Yan Shaozhe's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Two purple, one black?

Twelve years old, three rings, two purple and one black?

What the hell kind of heavenly setup was that?!

Normally, if a Soul Master's third ring was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring of more than fifteen hundred years, that was already considered quite good.

Most people's third rings were purple Thousand-Year Soul Rings. Almost no one could obtain a Ten Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

Even his teacher's first three Soul Rings had all been of normal age limits. Only starting with the fourth ring had they become Ten Thousand-Year Soul Rings.

But this kid's third ring was already a Ten Thousand-Year Soul Ring!

Mu En's pupils contracted slightly as well.

But he was, after all, someone who had weathered countless storms. His expression remained unchanged on the surface.

Seeing their shocked expressions, Xuan Xiao secretly felt delighted.

Yet outwardly, he still looked calm and unconcerned.

"My first Soul Ring came from a Pureblood Wind Dragon."

"My second Soul Ring came from an ancient brute known as the Demon Emerald Bird."

"My third Soul Ring came from a twenty-five-thousand-year Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear."

The first two Soul Rings had come with him anyway. They could not tell what Soul Beasts they were actually from, so wasn't it up to him to say whatever he wanted?

A Pureblood Wind Dragon was a legendary existence, even rarer than an ordinary dragon.

The Demon Emerald Bird was an ancient vicious bird famed for its speed. It was said that when flying at full speed, it could even outrun light.

As for the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear, there was even less need to explain. A twenty-five-thousand-year Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear was enough to make even an ordinary Titled Douluo avoid it.

Xuan Xiao had brought out all those names precisely to intimidate these people.

Sure enough, Yan Shaozhe's expression had changed completely.

He looked at Xuan Xiao as though he were looking at a monster.

Xian Lin'er also fell silent. She finally understood why this kid dared to be so arrogant.

With such talent and such confidence, who wouldn't be arrogant?

Mu En was silent for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh.

"Tell me. What kind of Soul Beast do you want?"