Ma Hongjun's Humiliation! An Irreconcilable Hatred!

"Ah—!!!"

A roar, suppressed to the utmost limit before finally erupting hoarsely, shattered the room's silence.

Ma Hongjun abruptly sat up in bed, his eyes bloodshot and crimson. Overwhelming hatred and humiliation burst from his gaze, making him look like a vicious ghost that had crawled back from hell.

"Bastard!"

"I, Ma Hongjun, will never rest until you're dead!!"

He slammed a fist into the bedboard with such force that the sturdy wood groaned under the strain.

Seeing this, Dai Mubai frowned deeply and strode over to restrain him.

"Fatty, calm down! Your injuries haven't healed yet!"

Dai Mubai's voice was low, rage churning in his evil eyes.

Although he and Ma Hongjun usually bickered and found each other unpleasant, Ma Hongjun was still a member of Shrek—a brother Dai Mubai acknowledged.

Now that his brother had been crippled like this, how could he, the boss, retain any dignity? And how could he possibly swallow this outrage?

"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down?!"

Ma Hongjun grabbed Dai Mubai by the collar, looking utterly deranged.

"He destroyed me! He ruined me! Boss Dai, tell me, what kind of man am I supposed to be from now on?!"

"What's the point of me staying alive?!"

Seeing him break down, Dai Mubai's own fury surged. He gripped Ma Hongjun's wrist tightly and said, word by word:

"Don't worry."

"I'll make him pay for this!"

There was an unquestionable viciousness in his voice.

"What you need to do now is recover. Once you can get out of bed, take me to find that bastard!"

"I, Dai Mubai, swear here and now that I'll repay every bit of humiliation you suffered a hundred, a thousand times over!"

"I'll make him understand the consequences of touching someone from Shrek!"

Only after hearing Dai Mubai's promise did some of the madness in Ma Hongjun's eyes recede, replaced by bone-deep hatred.

He released his grip and fell heavily back onto the bed, his teeth grinding audibly.

"Good... good! Boss Dai, I'll wait for you!"

"I want to watch him die without a whole corpse!"

Inside Ye Lengleng's private cultivation room at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.

Tang Shuo sat cross-legged nearby with his eyes half-closed, his expression focused as he stood guard over Ye Lengleng while she absorbed the medicinal power of the immortal herb.

Time passed second by second.

The room had originally been filled only with the fragrance of the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, but now it was shrouded in an even more sacred and majestic golden radiance.

Ye Lengleng sat quietly in the center of the room, her entire body wrapped in brilliant golden light like a goddess bathing in divine splendor.

The phantom of her Nine-Heart Begonia martial soul behind her was no longer simply pink. It had been tinged with a magnificent golden edge, every petal shimmering with light and emitting an unprecedented aura of life.

"Buzz—"

With a soft hum, all the light receded like the tide and withdrew into Ye Lengleng's body.

She slowly opened her eyes.

At that instant, the entire room seemed to brighten.

Her already clear and captivating sapphire-blue eyes were now as flawless as two blue gemstones. It was as though galaxies flowed within them, deep and enchanting.

A faint treasure-like radiance flowed across her icy skin, reflecting her cool and stunning gaze and lending her an otherworldly, immortal air.

She was like a snow lotus quietly blooming amid frost atop an icy mountain peak—beauty so chilling, so untouched by the mortal world, carrying an aloofness and nobility that kept strangers at a distance.

As her soul power fluctuations stabilized, her aura was far stronger than before.

Level thirty-two... level thirty-three... level thirty-four!

The immense medicinal power of the immortal herb had not only allowed her to break through two levels in succession, but had also made her foundation incomparably solid.

Ye Lengleng slowly rose to her feet, feeling the unprecedented abundance of power in her body and the transformation that seemed to have remade her from within.

She could clearly sense that the healing effect of her Nine-Heart Begonia martial soul had undergone a qualitative leap.

More importantly, the immortal herb had strengthened her physique. From now on, she would no longer feel unable to continue after using high-intensity healing soul skills.

With graceful steps, she walked over to Tang Shuo.

Looking at the gentle-faced young man before her, an indescribable warmth rose in Ye Lengleng's heart.

An immortal-grade treasure!

It was a legendary treasure.

Yet he had given it to her without the slightest hesitation.

This kindness was as weighty as a mountain.

More importantly, it proved that she held significance in his heart.

Ye Lengleng secretly thought this, the corners of her lips unconsciously curving into a faint smile.

Surely... I matter far more to him than Dugu Yan does!

"I... I've finished absorbing it."

She spoke softly, her voice even clearer and more pleasant than before, carrying a trace of joy from her recent breakthrough.

Tang Shuo opened his eyes, looked her over, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad. It seems the effect was even better than I expected."

"Thank you, Tang Shuo."

Ye Lengleng thanked him sincerely, her beautiful eyes fixed unblinkingly on him.

"What are you planning to do next? Are you going to the Great Soul Arena?"

Tang Shuo stood up, stretched his somewhat stiff limbs, and replied with a smile:

"That's right. I was just thinking of doing that."

"I need to register first and get familiar with the place."

"I'll go with you!"

The words almost slipped out of Ye Lengleng's mouth.

She was extremely familiar with the Great Soul Arena in Heaven Dou City. With her leading the way, Tang Shuo could avoid quite a bit of trouble.

A hint of amusement flashed through Tang Shuo's eyes at her words.

"That would naturally be for the best."

The two walked out of the cultivation room side by side, heading toward the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena.

Along the way, Ye Lengleng's changes drew many sidelong glances from the academy students. Her transcendent aura made her the most dazzling focus of attention.

Before long, an incomparably grand circular building appeared before them.

This was the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena.

Its scale was far beyond anything a small place like Soto City could compare with.

Once they entered the Great Soul Arena, it was even more packed with people and buzzing with activity.

Ye Lengleng led Tang Shuo with practiced ease to a relatively quiet area.

"This is the registration area, specifically for new Soul Masters to complete their registration."

She pointed at a window.

Tang Shuo nodded and walked up to it.

The person handling registration was a middle-aged man. Without even raising his head, he asked:

"Name, martial soul, soul power level."

Tang Shuo looked calm as he slowly spoke.

"Tang Shuo."

Then he changed the subject and added:

"At the Great Soul Arena, I won't be using that name."

"Call me Shuofeng."

Shuofeng.

The cold north wind—biting and deadly.

Hearing the name, Ye Lengleng's eyes lit up.

She softly repeated it.

"Shuofeng... it sounds pretty nice."

The name carried a character from his real name, while also possessing the cool sharpness that suited his temperament.