My surname is Dugu!

When Xue Qinghe heard Ning Fengzhi's terms, he almost lost control and attacked.

The beads of that abacus are practically flying into my face, and he still wants compensation.

Sunday smiled faintly and helped Ning Fengzhi straighten from his cupped-hand bow.

"Sect Master Ning, you're too kind. If you're interested, we can discuss it in detail when we have some time later."

"Thank you!"

Seeing that Sunday had no intention of revealing the method of Martial Soul Evolution, Yu Xiaogang immediately looked displeased and rebuked him loudly.

"Sunday, how can you be so selfish? A theory that benefits the development of the soul master world should be shared with everyone.

"Yet you're concealing it and using it to trade for benefits. As a scholar, don't you feel ashamed?"

His words gave everyone a whole new understanding of just how shameless Yu Xiaogang could be.

Sunday ignored Yu Xiaogang and looked at Tang San instead.

"Although I don't know what your martial soul originally was, I can say for certain that it was, at the very least, a life-type martial soul.

"The only reason you've been able to absorb soul rings so recklessly and still cultivate this far is that you've been squeezing your martial soul's potential dry.

"Have you noticed your cultivation getting slower and slower?"

Tang San looked shocked at Sunday's question and hurriedly nodded.

"Yes. Do you know why?"

"That's normal. Once your martial soul's potential is completely exhausted, you really will be finished.

"Besides, your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul has no foundation for poison attributes whatsoever.

"If you keep absorbing soul rings like this, it won't be long before you suffer a backlash.

"After your fifth ring at the latest, that backlash will definitely kill you."

Yu Xiaogang immediately argued back.

"Impossible! Blue Silver Grass's defining trait is its adaptability. There's absolutely nothing wrong with Little Three's soul ring absorption.

"Besides, where would his means of attack come from if he didn't absorb poison-attribute soul rings?

"This is utter nonsense! Who came up with this garbage?"

"Is that so? I happen to see things differently!"

The moment Yu Xiaogang finished speaking, a middle-aged man's sharp voice rang out.

An immense pressure immediately swept across the entire entrance of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, making everyone's heart sink.

Gu Rong gave Ning Fengzhi a grave look and moved closer to the two of them, his voice heavy.

"Fengzhi, he's here too."

"Yes. Let's watch and see."

A foul-smelling wind swept past, and a man in green robes appeared beside Sunday, his snake-like pupils fixed on Yu Xiaogang.

Poison?

As a disciple of the Tang Sect, Tang San recognized the poison the instant that foul wind swept past.

"Why aren't you keeping your granddaughter company?"

Sunday looked curiously at Dugu Bo as he approached.

After all, this doting grandfather would have gladly spent every day with his granddaughter.

Dugu Bo coughed and clasped his hands behind his back.

"Hmph. All this racket at the entrance disturbed my granddaughter and me. Otherwise, do you think I'd want to come out?"

Looking at Dugu Bo's somewhat familiar attire, Flender mustered his courage, stepped forward, and cupped his hands.

"This junior is Flender. May I ask who you are, senior...?"

Dugu Bo glanced at Flender and snorted coldly.

"My surname is Dugu, and my given name is Bo. Now you know."

Upon learning that he was Dugu Bo, everyone from Shrek felt their hearts grow colder still.

Wonderful. On their very first day in Heaven Dou City, they had managed to offend all three of its greatest powers.

Dugu Bo's granddaughter, Dugu Yan, had just been taught a lesson by Tang San in Suotuo City.

Ning Rongrong had gone back crying so bitterly earlier that they could easily imagine how Ning Fengzhi would deal with them afterward.

As for Xue Qinghe, that went without saying. They had questioned his specially appointed adviser, and worse, they weren't even as capable as the man.

Dugu Bo showed no particular reaction as he looked at the Shrek group. Before meeting Sunday, if someone had neutralized his granddaughter's poison, he would have insisted on finding out how.

But after meeting Sunday, he no longer found such things surprising.

That monster Sunday had nearly crushed him to death merely by releasing his martial soul, let alone neutralizing poison.

The others, however, did not see it that way.

Qin Ming stepped forward and shielded Tang San behind him.

"Senior Dugu Bo, the Imperial Fighting Team lost that battle. Victory and defeat are commonplace in war. I hope you won't hold it against them."

Dugu Bo frowned. He had not cared much to begin with, but Qin Ming's words actually angered him.

"Hmph! Is that really the sort of man you think I am?"

"I doubt it was that simple. A team made up entirely of Soul Elders, all high-level ones at that,

"lost to a mixed team of people in their twenties and thirties. How interesting."

Dugu Bo looked back at Sunday in puzzlement.

"You mean...?"

Standing behind Xue Qinghe, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's three education commissioners immediately understood Sunday's implication when they recalled where Qin Ming had come from.

Meng Shenji's face darkened.

"That Qin Ming really is an ungrateful wolf. I thought the Imperial Fighting Team had run into some monstrous prodigies.

"Hmph! Now it seems that beast was pulling strings behind the scenes, deliberately making the Imperial Fighting Team lose to them so he could borrow our hen to lay their eggs!"

Bai Baoshan and Zhi Lin also gritted their teeth. For a school that had taught him for just a few years, he had actually been willing to betray the empire that had spared no effort in nurturing him.

"Once this matter is settled, we must send him to the Ministry of Justice!"

Hearing Sunday's words, Qin Ming puffed out his chest.

"I, Qin Ming, act openly and honorably. I never play tricks behind anyone's back. The Imperial Fighting Team lost, and that's that. They weren't as skilled as their opponents. What's so hard about admitting it?"

Sunday had nothing but contempt for Qin Ming's excuses.

What he hated most was this fly-by-night academy called Shrek.

Never mind its school rules, which were practically brain-damaged, openly proclaiming that bullying the weak and fearing the strong was something to be proud of.

There was also its unbroken tradition of ingratitude: which of the Shrek soul masters standing here had never received a subsidy from Spirit Hall?

Even Dai Mubai's and Ma Hongjun's whoring money had come from Spirit Hall, yet when the time came to attack it, each had been more eager than the last.

All that talk of having suffered under Spirit Hall for so long, of it being a dictatorial institution.

And then there was Qin Ming. What level had he been when he arrived at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy? The Heaven Dou Empire had provided all his cultivation resources and helped him obtain his soul rings over these past few years.

Yet he had simply turned his backside, spun around, and run off, displaying his ungrateful-wolf nature in all its glory.

Someone like Flender had no business being a teacher, swindling and cheating wherever he went.

Out of sixty-four students in total, nearly forty had never graduated. Most likely, the teachers had gotten every one of them killed while obtaining soul rings.

"Whether it's true or not, just call Yanyan over and ask her. Someone who was there is still around. What's there to panic about?"

Sunday spoke calmly. Whatever Qin Ming said, it was still only his side of the story. Dugu Yan and the others were right there at the academy; calling them out and asking would settle it.

Dugu Bo nodded, shot straight into the air, and flew deeper into the academy.

"I'll fetch Yanyan right now. Wait here!"

Watching the scene grow increasingly chaotic, Flender no longer hoped to gain admission to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. He would thank heaven and earth just to leave alive.

"I wonder whether Sister Erlong received the message. We really are in trouble this time."