Su Chen raised his hand, gently pressed it against Xiao Wu's shoulder, and stepped half a pace forward.
"I accept this fight. But there's no need to wait a full incense stick's time. Half will be enough."
Half an incense stick? The moment those words rang out, the noisy village entrance fell silent.
Flender's eyes twitched uncontrollably. He had seen countless proud geniuses, yet he had never imagined that a boy of only twelve would dare speak so wildly to a Seven-Ring Soul Sage who had been famous for decades.
But remembering the Pope's Hall Shadow Guard who had just vanished into the shadows, Flender forcibly suppressed his shock and anger.
"It's good for a young man to have backbone, but excessive arrogance often comes at a price. Since you have such courage, young friend, I'll accept on Vice Dean Zhao's behalf. However..."
"If this is a wager, your agreement alone isn't enough."
Su Chen interrupted Flender, his gaze drifting over the surrounding crowd as he said coolly, "If I win, you must refund every applicant's registration fee in full. And anyone here at the village entrance who willingly chooses to leave with me must be allowed to go. Shrek Academy may not invent any excuses to stop them."
Flender frowned slightly, swiftly weighing the matter in his mind.
Most of these applicants had mediocre talent. Refunding their fees would hurt, but if he could use this opportunity to establish ties with Spirit Hall, the deal would be worthwhile no matter how he looked at it.
With that thought, Flender nodded decisively. "It's a deal!"
As soon as his words fell, the chaos ancestral dragon martial soul within Su Chen abruptly trembled. An invisible domain born of his ancient high dragon emperor bloodline spread through the morning breeze.
Beneath the trees, Zhu Zhuqing stirred. The Nether Civet martial soul lying dormant within her seemed to have encountered its sovereign. That warm, pure yang presence gently swept through her icy meridians, stirring a longing that threatened to melt her.
Zhu Zhuqing stared at the white-clad boy's back, and Dai Mubai's cowardly, depraved behavior at the Rose Hotel resurfaced in her mind.
The man before her possessed not only the overwhelming power to sweep everything aside, but also a towering majesty that let him face a Soul Saint head-on.
Without the slightest hesitation, Zhu Zhuqing, clad in tight black leather, walked straight through the astonished crowd and stopped two steps behind Su Chen.
At the front of the registration line, Ning Rongrong, wearing a pale blue-green dress, felt her heart jolt.
As the cherished jewel of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had grown up under the protection of Ning Fengzhi and two Titled Douluos. Her breadth of knowledge far surpassed that of ordinary Soul Masters.
The appearance of a Shadow Guard exclusive to the Pope's Hall had already shown that the power behind Su Chen was unfathomably deep.
The faint bloodline pressure emanating from Su Chen stirred a powerful resonance within her martial soul, the world's finest support-type tool martial soul.
Why go to Shrek to become some damned monster? Following a peerless boy with such towering backing and mysterious strength, one who even dared clash head-on with a Soul Saint, was clearly the wisest choice!
"Heehee, I don't think this lousy academy is very interesting either."
Ning Rongrong lightly pursed her red lips, a charming smile blooming on her delicate, lovely face.
Lifting her skirt slightly, she left the line with light steps and walked to Su Chen's side.
A soft hum rang out. A crystalline pagoda wreathed in seven-colored halos appeared above her palm. Two bright yellow hundred-year soul rings spiraled upward from beneath her feet, their radiant splendor bathing the surroundings in dazzling colors.
Ning Rongrong tilted her head toward Su Chen, her eyes shimmering. "Young master, Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda can enhance your strength whenever you need it."
Xiao Wu stood beside Su Chen as naturally as ever, hooked her arm around his, and lifted her little head to stick her tongue out at Flender.
For a moment, three girls of exceptional grace and breathtaking beauty all clustered around Su Chen.
Every young male Soul Master present watched in a dazzled trance, secretly going mad with jealousy.
"Move! Get the hell out of my way!"
A rough, hoarse shout came from the path leading to the village entrance, accompanied by the grating sound of wooden wheels grinding over dirt.
The crowd hurried aside. Yu Xiaogang pushed a crude wooden wheelchair through the opening, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.
The boy seated in the wheelchair was none other than Tang San.
His right arm hung limply against his chest, and rigid bamboo splints were strapped around his torso. To reach Suotuo City before Shrek Academy's registration closed, Tang San had forced himself to travel while injured at Yu Xiaogang's urging. The internal power of his Mysterious Heaven Skill within his meridians had long since been depleted to a pitiful state.
When Tang San raised his bloodshot eyes and saw the figures ahead, he froze.
Su Chen stood in the center, his robes whiter than snow and his expression calm and composed.
Beside Su Chen stood not only Xiao Wu, whom Tang San yearned for day and night yet could never approach, but also two stunning girls whose figures, looks, and martial soul foundations were all exceptional!
Zhu Zhuqing's cold, aloof Hell Spirit Cat aura, the dazzling radiance of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in Ning Rongrong's hand, and the unreserved trust and attachment in Xiao Wu's eyes...
Everything that should have belonged to him, the destined protagonist carrying the accumulated foundations of two lifetimes, now surrounded Su Chen like stars gathering around the moon!
Intense jealousy and humiliation became a poisonous fire, scorching Tang San's self-important heart until it twisted out of shape.
"Mad... utterly mad!" Yu Xiaogang trembled with anger, muttering hoarsely to himself. "He doesn't know his own limits! How dare he be so presumptuous before a Soul Saint? Does he truly think that getting lucky and obtaining two thousand-year soul rings lets him break the iron laws of the continent's Soul Master World?"
Su Chen did not spare the venomous gazes of master and disciple another glance.
He tilted his head slightly and calmly told the three girls beside him, "Step back thirty paces."
Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu obediently nodded and quickly retreated. Zhu Zhuqing gave Su Chen a long look, then withdrew with light steps, stopping at a safe tactical position.
Only Su Chen remained on the open patch of dirt.
Thud... thud... thud...
Heavy footsteps struck the earth like muffled thunder, making the surrounding muddy water shudder.
A burly man slowly emerged from the village.
His broad, powerful physique made him look like an iron tower carved from granite. His shoulder muscles bulged high, every strand of his thick, short hair stood upright, and his fleshy face radiated a fierce, murderous air.
The level seventy-six Battle Soul Saint, the Immovable Wisdom King... Zhao Wuji!
Zhao Wuji casually stuck the incense stick he held into the dirt beside him. His murky, vicious eyes swept over Su Chen, and he split his mouth in a grin, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Kid, that old bastard Flender told me everything. You've got guts, but I'm not a weakling like Li Yusong. Once we start fighting, don't accuse me of bullying a youngster if I smash your bones!"
Before he had even finished speaking, every bone in Zhao Wuji's body erupted in a sharp series of cracks, like beans popping in a pan!
"Great strength vajra bear, possess me!"
Boom! A savage Dark Golden Giant Bear phantom rose behind Zhao Wuji. His body swelled to over two meters tall, thick fur sprouting through his skin as he transformed into a humanoid ferocious beast.
Yellow... yellow... purple... purple... black... black... black...!
Seven dazzling soul rings rose from beneath his feet, and the crushing pressure of a Seven-Ring Soul Sage swept outward like a towering tidal wave, powerful enough to topple mountains and overturn seas!
The dozens of nearby applicants were forced to retreat again and again by that violent surge.
Yet the instant Zhao Wuji completed his Martial Soul Possession, his expression changed sharply.
Su Chen stood directly before him without a single soul ring lighting up, nor any complete dragon phantom appearing behind him. Only a primordial dragon might, still and deep as an abyss, rippled outward with the boy's breathing.
The great strength vajra bear, reputed to be a top-tier power attack system beast martial soul, actually let out a low whimper from the depths of its soul the moment it sensed that pure yang dragon emperor aura!
What the hell kind of martial soul is this? Shock surged through Zhao Wuji's heart like monstrous waves.
Before you continue