Evil Fire Phoenix

The man was about Tang San's height and quite fat as well, though he looked sturdier and fairer. He had short red hair, small eyes, and two little mustaches by his lips that looked like rat whiskers.

He looked utterly sleazy.

If Tang San resembled a Black Bear Spirit, then this man looked like a Wild Boar Spirit.

The sobbing girl standing beside him had ordinary features and wore simple farm clothes. She was probably a village girl.

Lu Shi knew who they were: Ma Hongjun and Cuihua.

Cuihua could no longer stand Ma Hongjun and was trying to break up with him.

Dai Mubai turned his head and saw Lu Shi's group approaching. Catching sight of his intertwined hands with Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Mubai could not help but feel irritated. Yet he could not openly lose his temper, so he could only impatiently say to Ma Hongjun,

"Fatty, she can't stand you anymore. Why are you still pestering her?"

Break up already.

Ma Hongjun lowered his head, his face full of dejection. At last, he did not try to keep Cuihua any longer and let her leave.

It was not because of Dai Mubai's attitude, but because he understood that Cuihua truly wanted to leave him.

There was no way to keep her.

When Xiao Wu spotted Lu Shi nearby, her gaze drifted around as her body stiffened. No matter how she positioned her arms, they felt awkward. Her little hand scratched her head one moment and smoothed her braid the next.

When she woke up that morning, she had not known how to face Lu Shi, so she had gone for a walk first. Tang San had followed her around like a clingy nuisance, leaving her flustered and irritated.

Then she had seen someone harassing a girl and stepped in to stop it. She had not expected such a commotion to break out and draw everyone over.

Tang San walked up to Dai Mubai, his face full of confusion. "What exactly is going on here?"

Dai Mubai crossed his arms. "I told you already. Including me, there are only three students in the academy. Oscar is the second, and the third is him, Ma Hongjun."

"I didn't witness what happened just now, but I can roughly guess. Honestly, you can't entirely blame Fatty. The real problem is that lousy chicken Martial Soul of his."

"Bullshit! Your Martial Soul is the lousy chicken! Your whole family is lousy chickens!"

Ma Hongjun cut him off in a furious rage. "I'm a phoenix! Even if all my ancestors were lousy chickens, I'd still be a phoenix that flew out of a chicken coop!"

Dai Mubai ignored him and continued, "Fatty's Martial Soul is quite unusual. It's a Mutated Martial Soul."

Upon hearing the words "Mutated Martial Soul," Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and even Tang San all turned to look at Lu Shi.

Because according to Lu Shi, his Martial Soul was also a Mutated Martial Soul.

And he even possessed Innate Full Soul Power.

Tang San hurriedly said, "Teacher once said that once a Martial Soul mutates, there are only two possibilities: it becomes extraordinarily powerful or extraordinarily weak. It seems Ma Hongjun's Martial Soul is the latter."

How about it, Xiao Wu? Didn't I know more than Lu Shi?

Wait, who were you looking at, Xiao Wu?

Look at me! Don't look at Lu Shi!

He wailed inwardly.

Dai Mubai neither confirmed nor denied it. "For some reason, everyone in his village has poultry Martial Souls without any offensive power. Only his Martial Soul possesses powerful fire abilities. This flame is very strange—it's incredibly hot, highly adhesive, and difficult to extinguish."

Then he said something that made all the girls frown. "But the downside is that the Martial Soul has had an enormous effect on his body, making him extremely capable in that area. His desire is more than ten times that of an ordinary person. If he only suppresses it without releasing it, then this Evil Fire may strike at any time and cause him to explode to death."

Seeing that he had been misunderstood, Ma Hongjun hurriedly said, "When the Evil Fire flares up, I can't suppress it! What else am I supposed to do?"

Tang San was dumbfounded when he heard that, and he even felt a little envious. "As expected of a monster academy. It even has a Mutated Martial Soul like this!"

If... if... I had this too...

How wonderful would that be?

Dai Mubai nodded. "Fatty's Evil Fire erupts regularly. When it does, he needs it at least three or four times a day. Almost no one can endure that, so in the end, they all break up with him."

"In that regard, probably not many people can compare to Fatty."

Ma Hongjun sneered. "If I had a slutty face like you and Little Ao, and could date several girlfriends at the same time, would I be in this situation? Don't sell yourself short either. Don't think I don't know that you run three dates a day, meeting different girls!"

Dai Mubai looked as though someone had stabbed him in the lungs and immediately retorted, "Fatty, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you want!"

Not just Zhu Zhuqing—being the beast among beasts that he was, he was interested in other girls too.

He had to protect his reputation.

"What nonsense? Haven't you always bragged about it?"

"Fatty, if you dare ruin my reputation again, don't blame me for getting rough!"

After the commotion ended, everyone headed to the cafeteria together.

The atmosphere along the way was extremely strange. No one said a word.

The group was clearly divided into two camps.

Ma Hongjun looked at Lu Shi enviously. All the girls were on his side. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were pressed close to him, while Xiao Wu followed behind them.

Every one of them was a breathtaking beauty.

Meanwhile, Dai Mubai's expression was dark as he strode along with a gust-like force. Tang San's expression gave him away—his heart was bleeding.

No, Xiao Wu, come back quickly!

Xiao Wu, I'm the only one who truly treats you well!

When they arrived at the cafeteria, everyone discovered that

the cafeteria was really just a slightly larger house with a stove set up inside and several old tables and chairs. They had simply hired a few villagers to cook.

The only food available at the moment was plain rice porridge.

Lu Shi served himself a bowl.

When he saw that the porridge was so watery that chopsticks would not stand in it, he was speechless. Wasn't this far too stingy?

They were all at an age when they were still growing and should be eating better. Besides, they were Soul Masters, and cultivation required large amounts of nutrition. When they enrolled, the academy had boasted that its teachers were either Soul Saints or Soul Emperors.

Its teaching staff was powerful, and its educational standards outstanding.

The registration fee alone cost ten Gold Soul Coins.

And now they were being served plain porridge?

Couldn't a Soul Emperor even get hold of a few Ten-Year Soul Beasts?

It was not just Lu Shi. The others also found it somewhat distasteful.

It was indeed far too poor.

On the other side of Shrek Academy, Flender was preparing to meet the new students when he was stopped by a masked person in a white uniform.

The masked person handed him a letter and a Gold Soul Coin card.

Curious about who it was from, Flender opened it and discovered that it was actually a handwritten letter from Ning Fengzhi, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

The letter was written in an earnest tone. It stated that Ning Rongrong was his daughter and hoped that Dean Flender would discipline her strictly. The Gold Soul Coins were sponsorship fees. Ning Fengzhi had heard of Dean Flender's educational philosophy and admired it greatly, so he wished to offer this small token of appreciation, and so on...

After reading it, Flender fell silent for a long while.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's... eldest young lady.

Flender had never expected that his tiny Shrek Academy would gather the prince of the Star Luo Empire, the eldest young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the son of the Clear Sky Douluo...

It was truly lively.

He understood very clearly that although Ning Fengzhi had politely said Flender need not spare his dignity and should discipline his daughter properly, if anything happened to Ning Rongrong, those two protector Douluos would likely tear Shrek Academy apart.

Nothing could happen to Ning Rongrong. She could not suffer even the slightest injury.

Otherwise, he would be finished.

However, this letter was also an imperial sword granting authority.

Ning Fengzhi understood Flender's concerns very well. Without being able to confirm Ning Rongrong's identity, he had no way to discipline her. Now, this letter represented a father's attitude.

Even if Ning Rongrong really ran back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to complain, Ning Fengzhi would not do anything to him.

After eating, the group arrived at the gathering place.

Before long, Flender strolled over at an unhurried pace.

Tang San saw the man approaching in glasses and with a hooked nose. This was... the owner of the Soul Tool shop in Suotuo City?

"Swindler!"

The word slipped out of his mouth.

Lu Shi looked over in surprise. He had not expected that even after he bought the Dragon Beard Needle crystal, Tang San had still bought something there.

Because of Xiao Wu?

Oscar looked puzzled. "What swindler? This is our dean, the founder of Shrek Academy, Four-Eyed Cat Owl Flender. He's a level seventy-eight Soul Saint, even stronger than Teacher Zhao. He has a rare flying beast Martial Soul, and Fatty is his direct disciple."

Then he covered his mouth and muttered in an extremely low voice, "Our dean is famous for being petty and holding grudges. Never say anything bad about him to his face."

Flender, who was walking over, suddenly shifted his gaze toward Oscar, a hint of amusement flashing through his eyes.

Oscar's face immediately turned pale, and his legs began to tremble.

I'm done for! He definitely heard that!