Young man, you hit pretty hard

The young man leading them scrambled up from the floor, his face livid. He was about to charge again when—

"Enough."

A deep voice came from the stairway.

Ye Zhiqiu descended from the second floor in a Canghui Academy teacher's uniform. He looked ordinary, but when he revealed his Martial Soul, everyone's expression changed.

Martial Soul Possession. A massive turtle shell encased him, pitch-black and covered in uneven ridges. Five Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet—two yellow, two purple, and one black.

A Soul King.

Dai Mubai's expression shifted, and he instinctively stepped back.

Ye Zhiqiu glanced at his students sprawled across the floor, then at Dai Mubai and the other two. His face remained calm, but a chill lurked in his eyes.

"Young men, you hit pretty hard."

Before his words had faded, he moved.

The turtle shell shuddered. An invisible force spread from it and slammed into the three of them like a wall.

Dai Mubai took the brunt of it. His White Tiger Protection Barrier shattered instantly, and he flew backward into the wall before sliding to the floor. Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Flame crumpled before the impact like paper. The flames went out, and his round body hurtled back, overturning a table.

Tang San reacted fastest. He pushed Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to its limit and dodged sideways, but the force covered too wide an area. It still grazed him, sending him stumbling several steps before he caught his balance.

Ye Zhiqiu stood where he was. One strike had driven all three back.

"That's the difference," he said.

Xiao Wu sat nearby with a piece of meat in her mouth. She glanced at the three who had been sent flying and curled her lip.

Lin Yuan picked up a bite of food with his chopsticks and chewed unhurriedly. Guga, the Black Tortoise, sat on the table hugging a huge pork knuckle and gnawing away happily. Tables and chairs flew on one side; on the other, they ate with relish.

Guga had just finished the braised pork in his bowl. He looked up at the piece in Lin Yuan's bowl and swallowed. "Lin Yuan, Lin Yuan, is that piece fatty, Guga?"

Lin Yuan held the meat to his mouth with his chopsticks. "Go ahead."

Oscar was sweating with anxiety. He looked at Dai Mubai and the other two, then at Lin Yuan. After a moment's hesitation, he still didn't dare help.

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing sat nearby, each holding a bowl of noodles. They watched as they ate, with no intention of moving.

Dai Mubai got up and wiped blood from his face. He turned toward Lin Yuan's group and saw that none of them had lifted a finger. His face darkened at once.

"You—you're just going to watch?"

Xiao Wu frowned. "You picked the fight yourselves. Why should we step in?"

Ning Rongrong added, "Flirting with a girl from their academy for no reason was wrong to begin with."

Little Moon poked her head out, glanced at the three of them, and said with a grin, "How embarrassing, Guga. You can't win, so you blame everyone else for not helping."

Dai Mubai's expression grew uglier still. He was about to speak when—

"Enough."

Zhao Wuji came downstairs, looking displeased.

He walked up to Ye Zhiqiu and released his Martial Soul. Seven Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet—two yellow, two purple, and three black.

Ye Zhiqiu's expression changed instantly.

"A Soul Saint..."

Zhao Wuji glanced at him. "Why is an adult getting involved in a children's fight?"

Ye Zhiqiu fell silent for a moment, then withdrew his Martial Soul. He looked at his students sprawled across the floor, then at Zhao Wuji. In the end, he said nothing and led his students away.

Zhao Wuji turned to Dai Mubai and the other two, his expression grim.

"You three. Do you know what you did wrong?"

Dai Mubai lowered his head, unable to answer.

Ma Hongjun didn't dare make a sound.

Zhao Wuji swept his gaze over them. "I'm not saying you can't make trouble when you're out in the world. But if you start something and can't win, you're the ones disgracing Shrek. Next time, know how much you weigh before you throw a punch."

With that, he turned and went upstairs.

Dai Mubai stood rooted to the spot, fists clenched, his face shifting between livid and pale.

Full at last, Guga, the Black Tortoise, yawned and rolled over, nearly tumbling off the edge of the table.

After leaving the town, the Shrek group continued on their way.

At dusk, the outline of the Star Dou Great Forest appeared in the distance—an endless stretch of deep green, like a colossal barrier across the land.

Zhao Wuji stopped at the forest's edge and turned to the seven students, his expression stern.

"Once we're inside, stay sharp. The Star Dou Great Forest isn't one of those hunting grounds with captive Soul Beasts. Beasts a thousand or even ten thousand years old could appear at any moment. Ning Rongrong, Oscar, you two stay in the middle. Everyone else, keep formation and watch out for one another."

They nodded and filed into the forest.

Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, leaving the woods dim. Rotting leaves rustled beneath their feet. Dai Mubai led the way, with Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing on either flank and Ma Hongjun at the rear. Lin Yuan and Xiao Wu walked nearer the center, keeping Ning Rongrong and Oscar between them.

After about four hours, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly stopped, her gaze locking on a large tree ahead.

"Something's moving."

The moment she spoke, a dark shape burst from the undergrowth and shot forward about three meters above the ground, trailing a rank wind.

It was a snake.

Its body was emerald green and about seven meters long. A fleshy crest, blood-red and larger than its head, rose from its crown. Its fan-shaped tail spread like a fan of colorful feathers, while pale-red wings beat rapidly through the air.

Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up. "A Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent! A thousand-year-old one!"

Guga poked his head out from behind Lin Yuan's leg. "What a huge snake, Guga!"

Before the words had faded, Zhao Wuji charged. His Great Strength Vajra Bear Martial Soul possessed him, his body swelling in an instant as he struck at the snake with one paw. The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent reacted swiftly, twisting in midair and lashing its tail at him like a whip.

Zhao Wuji neither dodged nor retreated. His bear paw seized its tail, and he slammed it into the ground. Boom! A shallow crater appeared. The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was left reeling and struggled to escape, but Zhao Wuji's third Soul Ring lit up—Gravity Enhancement. The snake's body abruptly sank as though a mountain had fallen on it, pinning it in place.

"Got it." Zhao Wuji gripped the snake's head and looked at Oscar. "Oscar, hurry!"

Oscar's hands trembled with excitement as he took the dagger Zhao Wuji offered and walked toward the snake's head.

Just then, a hoarse voice came from deep in the woods.

"Stop."

Two figures emerged from the shadows of the trees—an old woman and a young woman.

The old woman wore a gray robe and leaned on a cane topped with a snake's head, her bearing formidable. The young woman looked sixteen or seventeen. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail, and she held a Serpent Cane. She was tall and beautiful.

The old woman glanced at the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent in Zhao Wuji's grip. Her gaze lingered on three wounds on its belly before she looked up at him. "Soul Saint, we found this Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent first, and we were the ones who wounded it. We chased it all the way here. I ask that you let us have it."

Zhao Wuji frowned. "You say it's yours. What proof do you have?"

The old woman pointed her cane at the snake's belly. "Look. My granddaughter left those three wounds with her Snake Blade. We chased it a long way before finally driving it in this direction."

Zhao Wuji looked down. Sure enough, three clean wounds marked the snake's belly. After a moment's thought, he said, "I'm Zhao Wuji. How should I address you, senior?"

"I'm Chao Tianxiang, known as Snake Granny." The old woman cupped her hands. "This is my granddaughter, Meng Yiran. She's just reached level thirty and needs this Soul Ring. I'd be deeply grateful if you let her have it."

Zhao Wuji looked at Oscar, then at Chao Tianxiang, torn.

Oscar grew anxious. "Teacher Zhao—"

Chao Tianxiang noticed Oscar too and paused. "What, has this student of yours reached level thirty as well?"

Zhao Wuji nodded. "His name is Oscar. He's also just reached level thirty. He has a Food-type Martial Soul."

Surprise flickered in Chao Tianxiang's eyes. She considered for a moment, then said, "In that case, why not follow the rules of the Soul Master World? Let your student fight my granddaughter. Whoever wins gets the Soul Ring."

Zhao Wuji looked at Oscar. Oscar was stunned. He was a Food-type Soul Master. How could he possibly beat a Battle Soul Master?

"Sister Chao, my student is a Food-type Soul Master. Having him fight your granddaughter wouldn't be fair."

"Then what do you suggest?"

Tang San, who had been standing nearby, suddenly spoke. "Teacher Zhao, let me do it."

He stepped forward and looked at Chao Tianxiang. "Senior, my name is Tang San. I'm a level-thirty Battle Soul Master. Let me fight Miss Meng. If I win, the Soul Ring is ours. If I lose, we'll turn around and leave without another word."

Chao Tianxiang sized Tang San up, then looked at her granddaughter and nodded. "Very well. We'll do that."

Meng Yiran stepped forward and tapped her Serpent Cane lightly against the ground. Three Soul Rings lit up.

"Meng Yiran. Martial Soul: Serpent Cane. Level-thirty Battle Soul Master with two Soul Rings."

"Tang San. Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Level-thirty Battle Soul Master with two Soul Rings."

They took their positions ten meters apart, their gazes clashing in midair.