Weighing a Soul Sage!

But right then, Dai Mubai was more interested in something else.

Which of the two was more exciting: the cool beauty in black or the girl in green?

"One's cold, the other's proud. Both are stunners."

Dai Mubai was secretly delighted. His gaze flicked between them as he began plotting how to strike up a conversation.

Before he could settle on an opening line, however, Li Yusong cried out ahead of him.

"A th-thousand-year Soul Ring? And there are two of them!?"

Li Yusong stared wide-eyed at the purple Soul Ring slowly rising beneath Xiao Wu's feet.

He checked three times to make sure he wasn't seeing things, then hurriedly asked, "Young lady, h-how old are you?"

"N-no problem..."

Li Yusong took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "W-what's your name?"

"Xiao Wu."

"Xiao Wu..."

Li Yusong wrote her name on the list, his hand trembling. "Y-you pass. Go stand at the back."

"Okay."

Xiao Wu withdrew her martial soul, then skipped over to stand beside Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.

Ning Rongrong stared at her, curiosity filling her eyes. "Is your second Soul Ring really a thousand-year one?"

"Mm-hmm."

Xiao Wu raised her chin proudly. "What, don't believe me?"

"It's not that..."

Ning Rongrong bit her lip, her expression conflicted. "I'm just curious how you did it."

"Well..."

Xiao Wu's eyes darted toward Jiang Hao in the line, and the corners of her mouth lifted.

"Secret."

Zhu Zhuqing stood to one side without speaking, but her cool eyes remained fixed on Xiao Wu.

She had seen plenty of geniuses, but never one with a thousand-year second Soul Ring at twelve years old.

This girl was no ordinary talent.

Li Yusong collected himself and motioned for the next person to step forward.

Jiang Hao stepped out of the line and was about to release his martial soul when—

"Hold it!"

A gruff voice came from behind the crowd, making everyone's heart sink.

Jiang Hao raised an eyebrow and looked toward the voice.

A short, stocky middle-aged man with a broad, powerful build was striding toward them.

Behind him walked a blue-haired youth: Tang San.

Tang San kept his head lowered, but a faint sneer lingered on his lips.

"Teacher Zhao, what brings you here?"

Li Yusong hurried to his feet when he saw him, his manner respectful.

Zhao Wuji ignored him completely. His bell-like eyes locked onto Jiang Hao and sized him up.

"You're Jiang Hao, kid?"

Jiang Hao smiled. "That's me."

Zhao Wuji snorted. "I hear you're rotten to the core and vicious to boot. You humiliated a classmate in public and even injured a teacher?"

"Oh?"

A playful smile touched Jiang Hao's lips. "Who told you that?"

Zhao Wuji snorted again. "Never mind who told me. Did you do it or not?"

"And if I did?" Jiang Hao asked coldly.

Zhao Wuji's face darkened. He hadn't expected the kid to admit it so readily, without even bothering to defend himself.

With a snort, he let Soul Power stir around him. An invisible pressure closed in on Jiang Hao.

"Since you admit it, don't blame me for turning you away. Shrek Academy doesn't take students with rotten character. Go back where you came from!"

"Teacher Zhao, that's..."

Li Yusong opened his mouth, but a glare from Zhao Wuji silenced him.

At the back of the line, Xiao Wu bristled. She rushed to Jiang Hao's side and pointed at Zhao Wuji.

"Hey! How can you do that? You haven't even found out what happened, and you've already made up your mind! What gives you the right to say Jiang Hao has rotten character?"

"Because he injured a teacher and humiliated a classmate!"

Zhao Wuji sneered. "What, are you going to stand up for him?"

"You—"

Xiao Wu was about to argue, but Jiang Hao raised a hand to stop her.

Jiang Hao looked at Zhao Wuji, a slight smile on his face.

"I've heard Shrek Academy has a defense-type instructor at the Soul Sage level. That must be you."

Zhao Wuji grinned mockingly. "That's right. Now that you know how strong I am, scared?"

Jiang Hao shook his head and took a step back, a spark of fire lighting his eyes. "Not scared. I just want to see what a Soul Sage like you can do."

The entire place fell silent.

"Test me?"

Zhao Wuji froze for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. The battered wooden door shook with it.

"Hahahaha! Kid, are you even old enough to shave? You think you can test me?"

"Fine! I'll stand right here and let you punch me three times. If you can make me take even half a step back, I'll kowtow to you three times and call you Grandpa!"

Jiang Hao smiled. "No need. I'm afraid you won't take losing well."

"Losing?"

Zhao Wuji's face darkened. Soul Power erupted from him, and Soul Rings rose one after another beneath his feet.

Two yellow, two purple, three black. Seven Soul Rings in all!

Terrifying pressure swept over the crowd like a tidal wave. Even the air seemed to freeze.

Li Yusong's expression changed, and he hastily retreated several steps to give them room.

Dai Mubai leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "Tsk. The kid must be out of his mind, picking a fight with Teacher Zhao."

Tang San stood behind Zhao Wuji, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Jiang Hao, you brought this on yourself.

Xiao Wu stamped her foot anxiously and grabbed Jiang Hao's sleeve. "He's a Soul Sage!"

"Don't worry."

Jiang Hao patted the back of her hand. "I know what I'm doing."

Xiao Wu opened her mouth, but in the end she let go and stepped aside.

She trusted him.

"Ready?"

Zhao Wuji grinned, showing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "I'll let you make the first move."

"No need."

Jiang Hao flexed his wrist. "You go first. We should respect our elders and care for the young, after all."

"You!"

Zhao Wuji nearly choked on his own breath.

In all his years, he had seen arrogance, but never anything like this!

"Fine! Fine! Fine!"

After saying it three times, Zhao Wuji's face had gone completely grim. "If you're looking to die, I'll oblige!"

Before the words had left his mouth, he stamped his right foot and shot toward Jiang Hao like a cannonball!

He moved far faster than anyone would expect from a short, stocky middle-aged man!

A fierce rush of air sounded. Zhao Wuji clenched his right fist, and the phantom of an enormous black bear appeared behind him. His fists, wrapped in violent Soul Power, came crashing down toward Jiang Hao like a mountain!

He had put seventy percent of his strength into that punch.

As far as he was concerned, the brat would be half-dead from it, if he survived at all.

Jiang Hao's eyes sharpened. His first Soul Ring lit up beneath his feet.

Silver-white flames surged out and enveloped his entire body.

Fire Spirit Body, activate!

At the same time, an invisible force spread outward from him.

Five Elements Auspiciousness Domain, activate!

In an instant, Jiang Hao's presence surged!

Within the domain, allies gained a 50% boost to all attributes, while enemies suffered a 30% reduction to all attributes!