Standoff!

The corners of Chao Tianxiang's lips lifted slightly into a serene smile as she replied modestly, "You flatter me. Yes, that is this old woman. May I ask your esteemed name, Soul Saint?"

At the words "Peerless Dragon Snake," Zhao Wuji's calm expression instantly turned grave.

He had long heard of the couple's formidable reputation and knew their strength was extraordinary.

Dragon Duke Meng Shu in particular had a name that thundered through the Soul Master World, and his strength was unfathomable.

The Dragon Duke wielded a Dragon-Headed Cane, while the Snake Granny held a Snake-Headed Cane, the two complementing each other.

The couple had also mastered an exceptionally overbearing Martial Soul Fusion Skill, whose power, it was said, could only be withstood by someone at the Titled Douluo level.

Although Zhao Wuji was also a Soul Saint, he knew there was still a considerable gap between his strength and the Dragon Duke's.

The Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang before him might have seemed slightly weaker than him, but her strength was certainly not to be underestimated.

Moreover, the Peerless Dragon Snake shared a deep bond as husband and wife and never separated. If the Snake Granny was here, the Dragon Duke had to be nearby.

A chill rose in Zhao Wuji's heart. It was not as though he had never considered silencing this grandmother and granddaughter to cut off future trouble.

But he also understood the consequences. Killing the child might be easy, but eliminating the Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang would be anything but.

If she escaped, he would face the Peerless Dragon Snake couple's relentless pursuit and vengeance.

At that thought, Zhao Wuji could only suppress his killing intent and put peace first.

Zhao Wuji smiled and replied, "My name is Zhao Wuji."

A flicker of surprise crossed Chao Tianxiang's eyes when she heard the name.

She nodded slightly. "No wonder. I was wondering how I could chance upon such a young Soul Saint. So you are the Immovable Wisdom King, renowned throughout the Soul Master World."

Zhao Wuji gave an awkward smile and sighed inwardly. He knew his reputation in the Soul Master World was hardly glorious; that "renown" probably meant notoriety more than anything else.

Thus, Zhao Wuji responded modestly, "You flatter me. I certainly was notorious back then. But I've lived in seclusion these past few years, teaching students at an academy. This time, I brought these children to the Star Dou Great Forest partly to find a suitable soul ring for one of them, and partly to let them broaden their horizons. I never expected to encounter you here, Senior."

[Ding! Host, please snatch the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent first. Reward: one lottery draw.]

[Ding! Host, please snatch Meng Yiran first. Reward: one lottery draw.]

Deep within the dense forest, Chen Xuanqing lurked in the dark shadows of the trees, already growing impatient.

His eyes narrowed as he watched the two pairs testing each other. Wasting this much time really was padding the word count.

At last, the endless rustling of leaves seemed to wear away the last of Chen Xuanqing's patience, and he could no longer endure this tedious wait.

Chen Xuanqing drew a deep breath of fresh forest air, then moved, leaping from the shadows like a hunting leopard and heading straight toward them.

Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing shook her head helplessly and murmured, "Honestly, Brother Xuanqing is so impatient."

Beside her, Xiao Wu grinned smugly. "Hmph, this is the Star Dou Great Forest-my territory. Brother Xuanqing can do whatever he wants. Who would dare object?"

With that, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing followed close behind, and the three walked toward Zhao Wuji and the Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang together.

Zhao Wuji and the Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang had remained on high alert, so both naturally noticed the approaching figures.

The Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang's gaze swept over Chen Xuanqing, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing, and a trace of curiosity stirred in her heart.

She had never expected to encounter three more such young talents in the Star Dou Great Forest.

That these three young soul masters dared enter this danger-ridden forest on their own was truly surprising.

The Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang could not help asking, "Have the three of you also come to the Star Dou Great Forest to train? Your courage is truly admirable."

Upon seeing Chen Xuanqing and the others arrive, the Shrek Academy group immediately summoned their martial souls warily and assumed battle stances, ready to face a formidable enemy.

Their gazes were icy, as though they were ready to attack at any moment.

Dai Mubai's eyes gleamed with excitement as he said through gritted teeth, "Heaven had a road, but you refused to take it; hell had no gate, yet you barged right in. Chen Xuanqing, you brought death upon yourself. Today, I'll give you a taste of my power!"

Zhao Wuji refused to show weakness either. He activated his Martial Soul Avatar, and his figure instantly grew imposing and muscular.

Then Zhao Wuji looked provocatively at Chen Xuanqing and sneered. "Chen Xuanqing, you'd better know what's good for you. Stand right there and let us teacher and students give you a proper beating so Mubai can vent his anger. Otherwise, the Star Dou Great Forest will gain another corpse."

The atmosphere instantly grew tense, thick with the smell of gunpowder.

Seeing this, the Snake Granny Chao Tianxiang pulled Meng Yiran back several steps, clearly unwilling to become entangled in the fight.

Meng Yiran watched the situation with keen interest. Her gaze lingered on Chen Xuanqing, and his outrageously handsome appearance in particular stirred an inexplicable impulse in her heart.

At that moment, Meng Yiran only wanted to see just how powerful this man was, and whether he could emerge victorious from this fight.

Chen Xuanqing, meanwhile, stood there expressionlessly, as though he had expected all of this.

An icy chill shone in Chen Xuanqing's eyes, and a mocking smile curled his lips as he slowly said, "Well, you small fry weren't my main targets to begin with, but since you've delivered yourselves to my doorstep, you'd better be prepared to pay with your lives!"

Then Chen Xuanqing turned his gaze toward Zhao Wuji, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar, his eyes gleaming with disdain. "There's really no deep-seated grudge between me and you three bit players. If you know what's good for you, get lost. As for Dai Mubai and Tang San, those two will have to stay today and leave a few parts behind for me."

Hearing Chen Xuanqing's words, Tang San felt a surge of confusion.

He watched Chen Xuanqing warily, his brows tightly knitted, and asked, "I don't think I've ever provoked you, have I? Is there some deep-seated grudge between us?"

Chen Xuanqing gave a cold smile without answering Tang San's question directly.

At that moment, Xiao Wu could no longer contain her fury. Her eyes widened as she glared at Tang San and said through gritted teeth, "You despicable, shameless bastard! Your father, Tang Hao, once hunted Brother Xuanqing and me down. If Brother Xuanqing hadn't had special methods, we would already have..."

Before she could finish, however, Chen Xuanqing cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Xiao Wu, there's no need to waste so many words on him. Today, I'll cripple Tang Hao's son and collect a little interest."

As he spoke, Chen Xuanqing looked sinisterly at Tang San. "A father's debt is repaid by his son. Don't blame me when the time comes."