Hearing Ma Hongjun's words, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing also felt a chill of revulsion.
Back in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect (Star Luo City), no one would have dared speak to them like that.
If Chen Ci had not been standing in front of her, Zhu Zhuqing would have taught this sleazy fatty a lesson herself.
Ning Rongrong leaned close to Chen Ci's ear and said:
"Brother Chen Ci, help Zhu Zhuqing and me vent our anger!"
Chen Ci nodded, then turned to Zhu Zhuqing and said:
"Zhu Zhuqing, just leave small fry like this to me."
Hearing that, Ma Hongjun immediately laughed:
"Boy, I'm a student of Shrek Academy.
"Our Shrek Academy only accepts monsters.
"I'm one of those legendary monsters. If you know what's good for you, hand those two little beauties over obediently.
"Don't force your lord here to act personally, or you'll end up dead or injured!"
Hearing Ma Hongjun's words, which betrayed his ignorance of the immensity of heaven and earth, Chen Ci said scornfully:
"You?
"I'm afraid you're nowhere near good enough to hurt me."
Ma Hongjun flew into a rage and said:
"Boy, I already warned you. You asked for this, so don't blame me for showing no mercy!
"Phoenix Possession!"
Ma Hongjun summoned his Evil Fire Phoenix, his arrogance swelling further:
"Boy, my Martial Soul is a phoenix, a top-tier Beast Martial Soul. It's not too late to be afraid."
Seeing the Phoenix Martial Soul, Zhu Zhuqing's expression grew solemn, and she wanted to step forward to help Chen Ci.
But Ning Rongrong held her back and said to her:
"Zhu Zhuqing, Brother Chen Ci is a Soul Elder just like me. Dealing with a Soul Grandmaster will be easy for him, like taking something right from his palm."
Concern had clouded Zhu Zhuqing's judgment. Only then did she remember that Chen Ci had used a Thousand-Year Soul Skill in his earlier battle against the mounted bandits, so he was certainly a Soul Elder.
Little did she know that what Chen Ci had used earlier was only his second Soul Skill, not his third Soul Skill.
By then, Ma Hongjun had activated his second Soul Skill, Phoenix Bathing in Fire, and charged toward Chen Ci.
Since they were in the city, he had not used his first Soul Skill, Phoenix Fire Line.
A faint layer of Soul Power flames wreathed his body, enough to burn any Soul Master who dared attack him at close range.
Just then, Chen Ci summoned the Passionate Sword. Three bewitching purple Soul Rings adorned its magnificent blade.
"First Soul Skill: Once."
A purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring shone, and a peculiar fluctuation spread through the surroundings.
Ma Hongjun seemed to recall an exceptionally beautiful scene. His body stalled, and the Phoenix Flame on him disappeared.
He returned to his state from two seconds earlier, before he had activated his second Soul Skill, Phoenix Bathing in Fire.
Under the influence of Evil Fire, Ma Hongjun's desires quickly replaced the beauty of the past. He said in disbelief:
"How is that possible?!
"I clearly used my second Soul Skill!"
Chen Ci did not answer Ma Hongjun's question, merely sending a light sword slash toward him.
Facing Chen Ci's slash, Ma Hongjun's pupils abruptly contracted, and he felt immense pressure.
It was clearly just a simple slash, yet it bore the weight of a thousand mountains.
He crossed his arms in front of himself and took Chen Ci's slash head-on.
As Chen Ci's sword fell, Ma Hongjun's body sank, and several cracks split the red bricks beneath his feet.
Chen Ci drew back his sword, intending to slash again.
But Ma Hongjun seized the opportunity to retreat. Looking at Chen Ci, he said through gritted teeth:
"You forced me to do this!
"First Soul Skill: Phoenix Fire Line!"
Ma Hongjun's Soul Power transformed into crimson fire elements, gathering within the phantom of his Phoenix Martial Soul, about to condense into a beam and shoot out.
Facing this attack, Chen Ci neither dodged nor evaded, an amused smile on his face.
Just as the Phoenix Fire Line was about to fire, Chen Ci opened his mouth and softly uttered a few words:
"Third Soul Skill: Remorse!"
Another purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring lit up, and a mental impact slammed into Ma Hongjun's soul.
His sea of consciousness churned violently. Under the effects of Remorse, all the painful memories he had buried were dragged out and magnified hundreds and thousands of times.
"Ma Hongjun, your Martial Soul is disgusting! It actually has a side effect that makes you do that kind of thing!"
"Ma Hongjun, if your teacher Flender hadn't paid me, I'd never help you relieve your side effects."
"Ma Hongjun, why don't you piss a puddle and look at your reflection? You're as fat as a pig and hideously ugly, too.
"If you weren't Flender's disciple, I'd never be your girlfriend..."
"Ma Hongjun, you're so ugly..."
"Ma Hongjun, you're disgusting..."
Under the effects of Remorse, all the Soul Power fluctuations around Ma Hongjun vanished. He kept pounding his head with both hands, kneeling helplessly on the ground.
Snot and tears had already mingled, but Ma Hongjun had no attention to spare for such things.
He had been utterly submerged in the inferiority he had deliberately buried.
He wailed:
"Please, stop saying it!
"I'm not trash! I don't want to do this either...
"It's all this Evil Fire's fault!"
Seeing Ma Hongjun's state, Chen Ci suddenly felt that Remorse was far more powerful on the Douluo Continent than its description suggested.
Among the Shrek Seven Devils, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Tang San all had extremely painful pasts, as did Yu Xiaogang, Bibi Dong, and others.
Even Tang Hao, that world-renowned Titled Douluo, had memories that had left him unable to recover.
Remorse truly was the ultimate killing weapon against the Douluo Continent.
Seeing Ma Hongjun wailing, a flicker of pity passed through both Zhu Zhuqing's and Ning Rongrong's eyes.
After all, both were innocent young girls, and they thought this was too cruel.
The two spoke at the same time:
"Brother Chen Ci, why don't we spare him?"
Chen Ci shook his head and said to the two girls:
"Zhu Zhuqing, Rongrong, mercy toward an enemy is cruelty toward yourself.
"If we weren't strong enough and lost to him.
"If you fell into his hands, what kind of life do you think you'd have?"
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance. Both saw the lingering fear in the other's eyes and said nothing more.
Chen Ci looked at the suffering Ma Hongjun, with no intention of dispelling Remorse's effects.
If Ma Hongjun had not provoked them first or spoken rudely to the two girls, and had instead ended up like this after being struck by Remorse during a future sparring match.
Chen Ci could have dispelled Remorse himself.
But the present Ma Hongjun had taken the initiative to forcibly seize innocent women.
Although Evil Fire's influence was a factor, Chen Ci did not consider that an excuse.
Ma Hongjun's Martial Soul was flawed, but rather than finding a way to restrain the effects of Evil Fire, he had become its slave, using Evil Fire as an excuse to indulge his desires.
He was simply scum, a piece of human trash.
Chen Ci quietly watched Ma Hongjun wail in agony while contacting Suotuo City's law enforcement officers.
When Suotuo City's law enforcement officers arrived, they saw only Ma Hongjun lying on the ground with a peaceful expression. Clearly, Remorse's attacks had already left him unable to fight.
The officers recognized Ma Hongjun as a repeat offender at a glance, and Chen Ci also had his affiliation with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
They quickly sent Ma Hongjun to prison.
At the same time, to prevent Dai Mubai from getting Ma Hongjun out, Chen Ci specifically instructed the officers to keep Ma Hongjun there for a few extra days.
Let him stay put for a few days and cool down.
After Chen Ci and the two girls left, Dai Mubai hurried over upon hearing the news, hoping to get his underling out, only to be told that an important figure had ordered Ma Hongjun to spend a few extra days behind bars.
In a foreign land, Dai Mubai did not dare reveal his identity as the Star Luo Empire's third prince, so he could only swallow his anger.
"No matter who you are, you dared hurt my underling.
"I'll make you repay it a hundredfold!"