Starfall's Light, One Punch Through Space

Under ordinary circumstances, Yan Shaozhe would have kept up appearances in front of the students.

But the matter at hand concerned the next master of the Sea God Pavilion. After the humiliation he had suffered not long ago, being lectured by a child was more than he could bear. His anger finally broke loose.

"This is a matter for the academy's senior leadership, not something a student like you can interfere with. Stand in my way again, and I'll expel you in my capacity as dean!"

Yan Shaozhe's face darkened. As he delivered the rebuke, a crushing pressure radiated from his body.

It was the pressure of a level 95 Super Douluo. Even an ordinary Soul Saint could not withstand it, much less a mere Soul Ancestor.

Even so, Nan Qiuqiu did not retreat half a step. She stood stubbornly where she was, her eyes full of resolve.

To Yan Shaozhe, her defiance was a challenge.

A Titled Douluo could not be insulted!

Especially not one from Shrek Academy—and a dean who held such power within it.

The next moment, Yan Shaozhe made his move.

Inside the room, Huang Jinxu had just finished refining the pill.

He had succeeded, but anger burned in his chest.

At the critical moment of refinement, waves of Soul Power had shaken the area several times. If his Spiritual Power had not been strong enough, he would have failed.

"Whoever you are, you'll pay for this today."

Seething, Huang Jinxu deactivated the protective Soul Tool Formation.

The next instant, his anger surged higher, beyond anything he could contain.

"Yan Shaozhe, you're courting death!"

With an enraged roar, Huang Jinxu entered Martial Soul Possession. All nine of his Soul Rings appeared at once.

"Ninth Soul Skill: Starfall!"

Soul Power surged through him as the Zhou Tian Star Art revolved furiously. Starlight blazed, and Huang Jinxu became a dazzling star.

He held nothing back. His first move was his ninth Soul Skill, an attack meant to take Yan Shaozhe's life.

If Yan Shaozhe had merely interrupted his pill refinement, Huang Jinxu would not have been this furious.

He had entered seclusion to refine a pill that would prolong Mu En's life. Yan Shaozhe had disturbed him twice. He might as well have been trying to get Mu En killed.

If Huang Jinxu framed it that way, he would not even need to act. The others at Shrek Academy would tear Yan Shaozhe apart with their bare hands.

But Yan Shaozhe should never, ever have raised a hand against his daughter.

Huang Jinxu carried a deep sense of guilt toward his daughter, Nan Qiuqiu.

When he had traveled to the Earth Dragon Sect years ago, he had intended to get his hands on the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow. Instead, Nan Shuishui had unexpectedly fallen for him.

Her childhood sweetheart had been no match for the man who came out of nowhere. Once Huang Jinxu appeared, that so-called sweetheart might as well have been a stray dog by the roadside.

Even knowing that staying beside him would bring disaster, she had thrown herself into it without hesitation.

Since leaving home at five, he had seemed to have plenty of people around him, yet he had always been alone. Faced with her wild intrusion into his life and a declaration of love that felt like a robbery, Huang Jinxu had to admit that, for one moment, his heart had stirred.

But he knew his own circumstances. Rather than bring misfortune upon someone else, he chose to leave.

What he had not anticipated was how extreme someone utterly lost in love could become. To sleep with him, she had drugged him and forced herself on him.

Huang Jinxu had wanted to stay a little longer, but every moment he spent with Nan Shuishui brought her another measure of bad luck.

She had faced brushes with death that should never have happened.

For her sake, and for the sake of their unborn child, Huang Jinxu had left.

When the young woman first arrived at the academy, he had immediately felt the connection in their blood. But Shrek Academy's Fortune had been teetering on the brink, and Huo Yuhao, the Child of Fortune, had yet to appear. He could only keep his distance.

All he could do was drop Mu En a hint and ask him to look after her.

Over the past three years, his daughter had come to the tavern where he stayed whenever she had free time. She never approached him. She only watched from afar.

Father and daughter had been so close they could almost touch, yet for certain reasons, they could never draw near.

That was why he felt so guilty toward her.

He had planned to acknowledge his daughter once Huo Yuhao became his disciple and he transferred the full burden of the Heavenly Lone Star's curse onto him, leaving it unable to affect anyone else.

But before he could take that final step, he saw Yan Shaozhe about to attack his daughter.

How could he endure that, as a man and as a father?

He struck with the intent to annihilate, leaving no room for restraint or reconciliation.

His ninth Soul Ring came from the Abyssal Star Spiral Emperor, a 250,000-year-old Soul Beast from the deep sea.

It was a multi-attribute Soul Beast with powers over stars, defense, gravity, and water. It had granted him two Soul Skills: Star-Orbit Gravity Field and Star Spiral Myriad Guard.

Starfall was a Self-Created Soul Skill he had developed from Star-Orbit Gravity Field. It carried a Gravity Domain and could also reverse gravity, gather its force into an eruption, and compress it—unleashing, in an instant, the power of a punch that could shatter a star.

Of course, at his current strength, he could not actually shatter a star with one punch. Destroying a mountain, however, would be no problem.

Bearing that mountain-destroying force, he charged straight at Yan Shaozhe.

"Light of Spatial Shelter!"

Huang Jinxu's attack came so suddenly that the other Titled Douluo present had no time to enter Martial Soul Possession and block it.

But Qian Duoduo, standing beside Yan Shaozhe, activated a Soul Tool to protect him, trying to stop the fatal blow.

He could activate the Level 8 Soul Tool, the Light of Spatial Shelter, so quickly only because he had already summoned it.

His reason for summoning it had been simple: to oppose Yan Shaozhe.

If Yan Shaozhe truly attacked Nan Qiuqiu, Qian Duoduo intended to use the Soul Tool to raise a Spatial Barrier at once. It would block the attack and move her out of the way.

He had no other motive. He simply wanted to oppose Yan Shaozhe.

Whatever Yan Shaozhe wanted to do, Qian Duoduo would stop him.

That was all.

But he had never expected the Heavenly Fiend Douluo to burst out of the room. Against such power, Yan Shaozhe could not possibly defend himself without Martial Soul Possession.

Because of his wife, Qian Duoduo did not get along with Yan Shaozhe. But he would not stand by and watch him die.

So he activated the Soul Tool on instinct.

"Get out of my way!"

At Qian Duoduo's sudden interference, Huang Jinxu roared. He neither slowed nor eased the force of his attack.

His fist slammed into the Spatial Barrier.

The immense force shattered it and sent Qian Duoduo flying. Huang Jinxu's fist drove on toward Yan Shaozhe.