Hua Xiong Gained Another Little Brother

As Sword Douluo began to regulate his breathing, Guan Sheng suddenly said, "If you want to watch, come out and watch."

Ten seconds later, a figure appeared beside them. His head was lowered, hiding his face. They looked at the newcomer, and soon Tang Hao's hoarse voice rang out.

"I never thought you'd become this strong. Two Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings, level 97 Soul Power, the Flame Emperor Sect... truly unbelievable."

Guan Sheng fell silent for a moment before finally replying,

"Xiao San will grow even stronger." Xiao San was his disciple too. If Xiao San achieved great things, he would be proud.

He had always considered Tang Hao a worthy opponent. Before, he had lacked the strength and would have been hammered flat in a fight. Now seemed like a good opportunity, but he gave up on the idea when he remembered Tang Hao's injuries.

"Are your injuries serious? Once you've recovered, let's have a match."

Tang Hao glanced at Sword Douluo, then at Hua Xiong's battle. Nearly half a minute passed before his hoarse voice sounded again.

"Didn't you just have a fight? I'm not dying yet, but let's forget about sparring."

After that, none of them spoke. They quietly watched Hua Xiong and the others fight.

As time passed, Sword Douluo woke. He had known when Tang Hao arrived; he was not foolish enough to shut out all awareness of his surroundings here. He did not ask who Tang Hao was. If a man hid his face, he clearly did not want anyone to know.

But Sword Douluo was deeply shocked. During the battle, he had sensed no one nearby. Now he understood the gap between himself and Guan Sheng.

Hua Xiong's battle was drawing to a close. It ended soon after, with Hua Xiong victorious. He had not even used his killing move, Hundred-Mile Slash.

"Congratulations, Host. Hua Xiong has defeated Bone Douluo. Reward: Hua Xiong has awakened his trait."

Yang Xiu smiled when he heard the system.

Seeing him smile, Ning Fengzhi said, "Sect Master Yang seems very confident."

Yang Xiu did not answer directly. He gave a faint smile and said, "We'll see."

Back at the battlefield, Bone Douluo's injuries looked worse than Sword Douluo's, though they were only superficial. Hua Xiong was injured too, but he grinned happily. If they fought again now, he could thrash Bone Douluo.

Gu Rong looked at the smiling Hua Xiong and decided the man was mad for battle. Why else would fighting make him so happy? At last, he roared at him,

"You're a lunatic! Do we have a grudge? Every move you made was deadly. If I hadn't had some strength, you'd have killed me!" Gu Rong overlooked the fact that he could take a beating better than most. He was a defense-type Soul Master, after all.

Hua Xiong was too pleased to care. He looked at the cuts on Gu Rong's face and promptly began treating him like a brother.

"Heh, brother, next time your big brother won't hit you in the face."

"Next time? I'd have to be an idiot to fight you again."

A beat later, Gu Rong caught up with what Hua Xiong had said.

"Who's your brother? Even if we were brothers, I'd be the big brother!"

Hua Xiong smiled wickedly. "Are you sure? Who's the big brother?"

"I am..." Gu Rong's confidence faltered.

"Then let's go another round."

"Let's go! Who's afraid of you?" Despite his words, Gu Rong did not move.

"Come on." Hua Xiong walked over to drag him along.

Seeing trouble coming, Gu Rong fled. That fight-to-the-death style had frightened him. At last, he said without much conviction,

"Fine. You can be the big brother from now on."

"Hahaha..." Hua Xiong laughed triumphantly. Just like that, the two had fought their way into a friendship.

The group soon returned. Tang Hao had vanished again.

"Grandpa Bone, Grandpa Sword, are you all right? How did you get hurt so badly?" The four had barely come in when Ning Rongrong saw the two Douluo covered in wounds and rushed to ask. Tears streamed down her face. She was still a child, and the grandfathers she had thought invincible had been beaten like this. It felt as though the world had changed. She could not always count on her elders to back her up. She had even prepared to mock the others earlier, but reality had slapped her hard across the face.

She sat on the ground in a daze.

Tears kept falling, and she ignored everyone who called to her. When Ning Fengzhi found he could not persuade his daughter, he left her alone and turned to the two Douluo beside him. "Uncle Gu, Uncle Jian, did you really lose?" He clung to one last shred of hope. The condition of all four fighters had already made the outcome clear, but he still held on to that fantasy. When Sword Douluo nodded, Ning Fengzhi stopped struggling against it.

"Sect Master Yang, we lost. Your sect's people truly are formidable. After what happened, we have no face to argue further. A wager is a wager. Let this matter end here."

"You're generous, Sect Master Ning. From now on, your sect and the Flame Emperor Sect are friends."

After the two exchanged pleasantries,

Ning Fengzhi said, "Then we'll take our leave. Rongrong, come along. We're going home."

Ning Rongrong had thought about many things, and the experience had taught her a great deal. Hearing her father, she stood and walked toward Yang Xiu's group. "Dean Flender, Teacher Bai Kai, Sister Bai Ling, I'm sorry. I know I was wrong. Please forgive me. I was too willful. This time I realized so much. I've been childish for years. I want to stay and study at the academy. Could you give me another chance? Please forgive me... I..."

Everyone was stunned by her words.

Yang Xiu smiled. So a beating really could make someone grow up. No wonder people in his previous life had always said, "You're only this arrogant because society hasn't beaten you black and blue yet."

Bai Ling glanced at her and gave a cold snort without speaking. She clearly had not forgiven Ning Rongrong, though her opinion of her had improved.

Bai Kai, meanwhile, smiled and said, "It's all right. What matters is that you recognized your mistake and changed."

No one knew what he was really thinking.

Flender accepted her apology. Shrewd as he was, he could tell Ning Rongrong was genuinely remorseful. Still, he had been cursed at, so he gave only a few perfunctory replies. His thoughts had already turned to the Flame Emperor Sect. Hua Xiong had visited his academy many times over the years, yet Flender had never imagined he was this strong. Bone Douluo, long famous across the continent, had been beaten into that state. More terrifying still, the man standing nearby had defeated Sword Douluo without so much as a crease in his clothes. He had to be a super-strong expert above level 96. And the Titled Douluo everyone on the continent knew from the Flame Emperor Sect were not even these two. The sect was frightening indeed. Flender grew excited. With Shrek's relationship to the Flame Emperor Sect, who would dare bully them in the future?

Ning Fengzhi was happiest of all. He felt that his daughter had grown up, and it filled him with relief. He turned to Flender. "Dean Flender, what do you think about Rongrong staying?"

"If Sect Master Ning is willing to let his precious daughter endure hardship here, what objection could I have? Shrek is an academy. Teaching students is what we do."

"In that case, thank you. I'll leave Rongrong in your care."

Neither Sword Douluo nor Bone Douluo had imagined that getting beaten once would help their little princess grow up and form her own views. They had never thought Ning Rongrong would apologize to anyone or admit she was wrong. Looking at her now, they felt today's beating had been worth it. They had even come out ahead. Somehow, their faces no longer seemed to hurt.

As Ning Fengzhi was about to leave, Hua Xiong suddenly stepped in front of Gu Rong and said,

"Brother, you're leaving already. Aren't you going to say goodbye to your big brother?"

Gu Rong's mouth twitched. He did not want to engage with Hua Xiong, but he feared Hua Xiong would demand another fight. It was not that he was afraid of the man; Hua Xiong simply fought too recklessly, and Gu Rong had no reason to tangle with such a hotheaded fool. He saw Hua Xiong watching him with an amused look, then turned a pleading gaze on Sword Douluo. Chen Xin ignored him as though he had seen nothing. With no way out, Gu Rong finally said,

"Goodbye, big brother. I have to go."

"Hahaha..." Hua Xiong laughed wildly. Gu Rong wanted to strangle him, but held back. Once Hua Xiong finished laughing, he patted Gu Rong's shoulder. "Not bad. I accept you as my little brother. I'll visit you at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect when I have time."

"No need, no need." Gu Rong had no desire to see him again. He hurried after Ning Fengzhi and the others, who had already gone ahead.

And with that, the whole farce came to an end.

Ning Fengzhi left with Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, and everything returned to how it had been. After receiving a brutal beating from the world, the former Little Demoness began to change. She no longer thought herself above everyone else and started treating the people and things around her as equals. Everything at Shrek seemed to be moving in a better direction. Yang Xiu left Hua Xiong behind, gave him and Tang San a few instructions, then departed with Zhu Zhuqing and Guan Sheng. Before leaving, he checked Hua Xiong's trait.

Name: Hua Xiong

Martial Soul: Demon Bear

Soul Power: Level 95 (yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black)

Trait: Demon General. Plants a Demon Seed within himself, transforms his body into a Demon Form, and commands demonic power. Greatly increases Soul Power (by 1–2 levels), greatly strengthens his defense, reduces damage taken by 40%, and makes him immune to all negative effects.

Hua Xiong really was a bear now. With that defense and 40% damage reduction, even if Sword Douluo reached level 97, could he hurt him? Hua Xiong's Soul Skills leaned toward defense too.