Calling for Backup (1 / 2)

Zhao Wuji shakily rose to his feet, wiped the blood smeared around his mouth, and looked toward Li Tianyuan, his expression tinged with embarrassment and fear.

"I acted rashly and offended you. Thank you for sparing my life!"

Zhao Wuji bowed deeply, his manner utterly humble.

He knew perfectly well that if Li Tianyuan had brought the Heavenly Demon Hand down just now, he would have died or at least had a layer of skin stripped off.

Fortunately, he had known better than to keep putting up a brave front. At the critical moment, he had bowed his head and admitted his mistake.

Otherwise, he probably would no longer have been able to stand.

Li Tianyuan said coolly, "You may be spared death, but you cannot escape punishment!"

"You and those Shrek students will work as attendants!"

Li Tianyuan gave his orders.

"Understood!"

Not a trace of arrogance remained on Zhao Wuji's face as he answered respectfully.

Facing an expert of Li Tianyuan's caliber, he did not dare utter even half a word of nonsense.

Li Tianyuan said no more and turned back into the Heavenly Secrets Tower.

Once he saw Li Tianyuan leave, Zhao Wuji breathed a sigh of relief, but he soon noticed the looks the students around him were giving him.

There was something strange in the gazes of Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, and Tang San.

"What are you little brats staring at?"

"Victory and defeat are commonplace on the battlefield."

Zhao Wuji awkwardly tried to justify himself.

As he spoke, he stood off to one side, watching the passing crowds and listening to their pointing and murmuring. He could barely keep his composure.

"Teacher Zhao, even you lost. What are we supposed to do now?"

Dai Mubai walked over to him and asked helplessly.

He had never imagined that even a Battle Soul Saint like Zhao Wuji would be no match for Li Tianyuan.

After pondering for a moment, Zhao Wuji gestured to Ma Hongjun, who stood nearby. "Ma Hongjun, hurry back and tell the dean to come ransom us!"

"Tell him exactly what happened here. Make sure he doesn't act rashly!"

Zhao Wuji waved a hand.

The owner of the Heavenly Secrets Tower had nearly blasted him to death. Even if Dean Flender came, he would be no match for him.

That was why he specifically warned Ma Hongjun not to let Flender do something foolish too.

"Understood!"

Ma Hongjun nodded slightly and told the others, "Teacher Zhao, Boss Dai, wait here. I'll head back to Shrek right away!"

With that, he hurried off at a run.

Watching him leave, Zhao Wuji breathed a small sigh of relief, then turned a furious glare on Dai Mubai, Ning Rongrong, and the others.

"How did you lot manage to offend an expert like that?"

"You've really done me in!"

Zhao Wuji said.

Had he known how powerful the man was, he would never have been so reckless as to try forcing him to submit through strength.

Ning Rongrong lowered her head and said helplessly, "Teacher Zhao, it's all my fault. I never thought he would be so strong!"

Dai Mubai added, "Who could have imagined that such a terrifying expert was hiding in Suotuo City?"

"Could he be a Soul Douluo?"

Dai Mubai looked at Zhao Wuji as he offered his guess.

"He probably is. To think someone so young is already a Soul Douluo. His talent is simply incredible!"

"I wonder where he comes from."

"Could he be an unparalleled genius from Spirit Hall?"

Zhao Wuji propped up his chin with one hand as he speculated.

Shrek Academy.

Inside the dean's office.

An ordinary-looking middle-aged man with a crew cut and a gray robe pushed the door open. Anger showed on his face as he swept his gaze around the room and spotted an old man seated in the office chair. The old man had a shoehorn-shaped face, a hooked nose, and black-framed crystal glasses, and was fiddling with a trinket in his hands.

"Flender, if this keeps up, Shrek Academy will sooner or later be ruined in your hands!"

The middle-aged man who had entered glared at the old man and snapped angrily.

"What's wrong, Xiaogang? Did you take the wrong medicine?"

Flender pushed up his glasses and asked the middle-aged man.

The two men were Flender and Tang San's teacher, Yu Xiaogang.

"I haven't seen anyone anywhere in the academy!"

"All the students are missing. Where have they gone?"

Yu Xiaogang demanded heatedly.

"What?!"

Flender sounded startled.

Today was not a holiday. There was no way every student would be gone unless something had happened.

But after thinking it over, he soon regained some of his composure.

"Perhaps Zhao Wuji took them out for some practical training. Don't worry too much about it."

Flender waved a hand.

"Zhao Wuji took them out without telling you beforehand?!"

"Doesn't that strike you as a problem?"

Yu Xiaogang said coldly.

He was certain something fishy was going on.

"That is a little strange. If Zhao Wuji really took them out, he should have told me!"

Flender frowned and rubbed his hooked nose, unable to shake the feeling that something might be wrong.

"How about this? Let's go out and ask what happened."

Flender rose from behind his desk, intending to investigate.

Just as he spoke, a figure appeared outside the office. Seeing the open door, he immediately rushed inside.

"Dean, this is bad! Something terrible has happened!"

It was Ma Hongjun. He looked at Flender, his expression anxious.

"What happened?"

Flender looked at him with a frown.

"Teacher Zhao, Dai Mubai, and the others have been detained. They need you to go ransom them!"

Ma Hongjun said.

"What?!"

"Who did this? How dare they detain people from our Shrek Academy! This is outrageous!"

Flender flew into a towering rage.

"Dean, please calm down. Teacher Zhao told me to warn you that the man is very powerful!"

Ma Hongjun recounted everything that had happened.

After listening, Flender and Yu Xiaogang exchanged a glance, surprise in their eyes.

"Since when has Suotuo City had an expert like that?"

"Zhao Wuji couldn't fight back at all? Even against a Titled Douluo, surely he wouldn't have been beaten so badly?"

Flender could scarcely make sense of it.

"Dean, you'll understand once you get there!"

Ma Hongjun said, still shaken.

He had seen with his own eyes how powerful that enormous black hand was. Even Zhao Wuji's five-meter-tall Martial Soul Avatar had been no match for it.

"Xiaogang, let's go together!"

Sensing that things were looking grim, Flender turned to Yu Xiaogang.

"Bring plenty of money!"

Yu Xiaogang reminded him.

"Where would I get that much money?"

Flender replied coldly. Over the years, he had exhausted his funds keeping Shrek Academy running.

"Then we'll go negotiate with him!"

"I'd like to see where he comes from and what martial soul he has, to act so arrogantly in Suotuo City!"

At that, Yu Xiaogang clenched his fists.

"Let's go. We'll find out who he is first. If he's from Spirit Hall, perhaps he'll show you some respect!"

Flender reached out and patted Yu Xiaogang on the shoulder.

Yu Xiaogang could not help recalling certain things. Without another word, he turned and walked out.

"Xiaogang, why are you walking so fast?"

Flender followed close behind, calling after him.

Ma Hongjun took in the situation and followed them as well.