Driving Yu Xiaogang to Tears

"Yu Xiaogang, here's my advice: if you're sick, get treatment. If you're not, go die."

"Yang Jian! You-you actually dare insult me! Of course! You can't win the argument, so you resort to personal attacks! If your martial soul weren't like my Luo Sanpao, and if it weren't for Flender's sake, do you think I'd instruct you? Refusing radishes and eating dragon blood from who knows where instead-you're practically courting death!"

Shrek Academy.

In the clearing outside the Dormitory.

A youth and a middle-aged man were furiously trading insults.

Both had seemingly similar external beast martial souls, but there was a difference: the youth's was a little golden dog, while the one at the middle-aged man's feet was a purple pig.

"One correction: my martial soul is called Xiaotian, not Sanpao. Second, my Xiaotian is a dog, not a pig."

"Pfft-" The moment Yang Jian finished speaking, Ning Rongrong covered her mouth and snickered beside him.

"Hahahahaha... mmph!" The chubby Ma Hongjun was even more dramatic, clutching his belly as he burst out laughing. Had Dai Mubai not covered his mouth, he could have laughed even louder and longer.

[Ding! Detected that Yu Xiaogang, the owner of a similar martial soul, is raging like thunder. Reward: current soul power increased by one level, and the age of all soul rings increased by five hundred years.]

Huh?

This emotion system hasn't responded in forever. How did taking a jab at the God of Farts earn me so much?

Is it because my martial soul is the manga version's Golden Sacred Dragon cub, while his is the animated version's Luo Sanpao?

At that thought...

Yang Jian's eyes suddenly lit up. Feeling the newly arrived energy coursing through his body, his mood instantly soared.

Having only just reached level forty, he had been worrying about the considerable risk of absorbing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. Now, not only had he gained another level of soul power, but the quality of all his soul rings had also improved significantly. With that, a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring as his fourth ring was a certainty, nailed firmly into place.

He might even be able to consider one around twenty thousand years old.

That would give him quite a few more choices. Perhaps Xiaotian could even unlock some of his bloodline power as a result.

"What are you laughing at?"

Just as Yang Jian was about to speak again and farm another reward, Flender, who had been standing nearby, spoke up. "What kind of behavior is this! Little Jian, you... ahem. Well, Xiaogang, they're all children. You shouldn't stoop to arguing with them."

Flender had originally intended to make a show of reprimanding Yang Jian, but the moment he saw the boy's smile turn cold and insincere, he swallowed the words on his tongue.

He couldn't help it. Yang Jian's tongue was simply too lethal. After finally enjoying three years of peace, Flender had no desire to experience it again.

"Children? Flender, you..."

"Um, Grandmaster, didn't you say you would explain the essentials of our training in advance later? Why don't we do that now?"

The sight of Yang Jian's expression had set alarm bells ringing in Dai Mubai's heart as well. To prevent the conflict from escalating-or rather, to prevent Yu Xiaogang from being steamrolled by Yang Jian-

He immediately interrupted Yu Xiaogang.

After all, others might not know Yu Xiaogang, but as a prince of the Star Luo Empire, Dai Mubai knew Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's reputation, earned through publishing the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, like thunder ringing in his ears.

Now that such a figure had come to teach them, he naturally didn't want everyone's relationship to become too strained.

"Training? You still remember training? A student like this isn't fit to attend my lessons!"

Pointing at Yang Jian, Yu Xiaogang shouted furiously, "Luo Sanpao should eat radishes! That reduces the soul master's soul power consumption and increases the power of his soul skills! Therefore, your martial soul should also eat radishes, or other vegetables and fruits. These are the results of my research!"

"You feed your martial soul the flesh and blood of soul beasts with dragon bloodlines every day. That's a criminal waste of precious resources! Not only does it slow your soul power cultivation, but it also causes excessive toxins to accumulate inside your martial soul."

"One day, you will eat the bitter fruit of your own actions!"

His words were exceptionally severe, seeming to strike the ground with a resounding clang as they fell upon the clearing. For a moment, everyone went quiet.

Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang thought he had cowed them all, and he began to feel rather pleased with himself.

He clasped his hands behind his back, his face full of solemnity laced with smug satisfaction.

However...

What he hadn't expected was that, after their silence, the other members of Shrek showed no admiration on their faces. Instead, a trace of pity appeared.

Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others even covered their faces helplessly.

The sight instantly left the smug Yu Xiaogang puzzled.

"Eat radishes? Tsk, so you can fart better?"

[Ding! Detected that Yu Xiaogang, the owner of a similar martial soul, has been angered. Reward: one piece of ten-thousand-year whale glue containing a dragon bloodline.]

Hearing the system's long-absent notification sound again, Yang Jian felt thoroughly refreshed.

Ever since he had milked everyone around him dry three years ago, leaving him unable to earn system rewards no matter what he said, Yang Jian had thought he would have to rely entirely on himself from then on.

He hadn't expected the system's voice to sound again and again today.

If I don't fleece him now, when will I?

Who would have thought that, after three years, I'd still have to rely on myself in the end? Without my eloquent tongue, where would these system rewards come from?

Yang Jian mused inwardly.

"You, you, you..."

"You what? Am I wrong? In the world of soul masters, the accomplished always come first. What the hell are you? A broken-backed old dog who hasn't reached level thirty but has successfully broken past fifty years of age, and you dare yap and bark in front of me?! I have never seen anyone so utterly shameless!"

[Ding! Detected that Yu Xiaogang, the owner of a similar martial soul, has flown into a rage. Reward: the age of all soul rings increased by one thousand years, one drop of thousand-year lesser dragon blood essence, and current soul power increased by three levels.]

[Ding! Detected that Tang San has been angered. Reward: upgraded Mysterious Heaven Skill: Mysterious Heaven Skill.]

[Mysterious Heaven Skill: an internal cultivation method with an unending cycle of vitality, capable of continuously restoring soul power. Any injury that does not kill the practitioner in a single blow can gradually heal.]

"You, you, you, pfft-"

So enraged by Yang Jian that he spat out a large mouthful of blood, Yu Xiaogang toppled backward, stiff as a board.

"Teacher!"

Tang San reacted swiftly, darting behind Yu Xiaogang to catch him in his arms before turning a cold gaze toward Yang Jian.

"What are you trying to do?!" The chubby Ma Hongjun had followed Yang Jian around since childhood. Seeing something wrong with Tang San's demeanor, he immediately stepped in front of Yang Jian.

"Things have already come to this. I suggest you take Grandmaster back to rest."

Dai Mubai also stepped in front of Ma Hongjun. Among Shrek's younger generation, he was second only to Yang Jian in both age and strength.

No matter how much he admired Grandmaster's character, he would not let Tang San run wild here.