"Cough! Cough!"
Muffled coughing came from inside the Black Tortoise shell in the crater, heavy with the sound of churning blood and Qi. Then Ye Zhiqiu's hands and feet struggled out, bracing against the uneven ground as he tried to lift the shell.
But the Black Tortoise shell had barely risen half a foot before his legs suddenly buckled. He crashed heavily back into the pit, sending up a cloud of dust.
"..."
A deathly silence fell.
The Canghui Academy students were deathly pale, terror written across their faces. They looked at the wretched Ye Zhiqiu in the pit, then swiftly glanced at Lin Kong and the others standing nearby before hurriedly lowering their heads, not daring to look again, afraid that a single glance would draw these "gods of slaughter" to them.
"Holy shit! They... they actually beat a mighty Soul King that badly?!"
The townspeople watching erupted into an uproar, cries of astonishment rising one after another. In their simple understanding, more Soul Rings and a higher Soul Power realm meant absolute strength. Yet Ye Zhiqiu, a Soul King, had been beaten by a bunch of greenhorns without being able to fight back. It completely overturned everything they knew!
Panting heavily, Ye Zhiqiu struggled to poke his head out of the Black Tortoise shell, his bloodshot eyes sweeping into the distance with hatred.
The next second, his pupils contracted sharply!
At some point, Lin Kong had appeared at the edge of the pit, barely two meters away. Arms folded, he looked down at Ye Zhiqiu from above, a mocking curve on his lips. His voice was indifferent, yet dripping with scorn. "Well?"
"You little bastard! You're fucking asking to die!" Ye Zhiqiu roared, his eyes nearly splitting with rage.
He hadn't lost! He hadn't lost at all!
After releasing his fifth Soul Skill, there had merely been a brief gap in the circulation of his Soul Power. Then the Evil Fire Phoenix's flames had countered him, letting these brats seize the chance to gang up on him and leave him in this wretched state!
In truth, he had barely suffered any injuries. At the critical moment, he had already activated his fourth Soul Skill to further strengthen his defenses, and that storm of attacks had all struck the Black Tortoise shell. Although he had consumed an enormous amount of Soul Power, he could still keep fighting-besides, these brats' Soul Power was surely stretched thin by now too!
Ye Zhiqiu slammed both hands against the ground. Using the recoil, he forcibly hauled himself out of the pit, staggered two steps, and steadied himself before impatiently roaring at Lin Kong, his eyes bloodshot and his appearance crazed. "Brat! This fight isn't over! Come on! Come at me again if you have the guts!"
Watching him struggle like a cornered beast, Lin Kong shook his head lightly. The last trace of pity in his eyes vanished completely. He could not even be bothered to waste another word on Ye Zhiqiu, simply turning around and walking away.
"You little punk! Stop right there!" Ye Zhiqiu flew into a thunderous rage and was about to give chase.
But just then, a lazy voice rang out beside everyone's ears:
"It's the middle of the night. Why aren't you resting instead of coming out here to make a fuss?"
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw that Zhao Wuji had appeared beside the crowd at some point, his hands in his trouser pockets and a hint of impatience on his face.
Hearing him, Lin Kong stretched languidly, his tone as relaxed as though he were discussing something utterly trivial. "Teacher Zhao, we'll leave the rest to you. We're going to bed."
"How could sleeping be more important than eating!" Xiao Wu rubbed her flat stomach and chimed in earnestly, "My stomach's shriveled from hunger. Let's go back and eat!"
"Exactly! That fight made us hungry!"
"Let's go, let's go! Back to the inn!"
The Shrek group chimed in over one another. They truly treated Ye Zhiqiu as though he were thin air, laughing and chatting as they headed toward the inn.
How could Ye Zhiqiu swallow this insult? Pointing at their retreating backs, he bellowed, "Stop right there, all of you! This fight isn't over!"
Zhao Wuji slowly turned around. The laziness instantly left his face, replaced by icy coldness. He cast Ye Zhiqiu a cold glance, his voice low as thunder. "Stop for what?"
"The fight isn't over! It isn't over!" Ye Zhiqiu roared like a madman.
"Wonderful." A savage smile suddenly curled Zhao Wuji's lips.
The next second, he vanished from the spot!
Ye Zhiqiu's pupils trembled violently as terror swept through his entire body. Before he could react at all, he sensed a figure appear beside him.
"It's over."
The instant that icy voice fell, Zhao Wuji's palm slammed into the Black Tortoise shell with unstoppable force!
Crack-crack-
Sharp cracks rang out one after another. Spiderweb-like fractures covered the thick Black Tortoise shell, and Ye Zhiqiu flew diagonally upward like a hurled sandbag. He violently spat out a mouthful of blood in midair, his Black Tortoise Martial Soul forcibly shattered by that terrifying power!
Zhao Wuji gave Ye Zhiqiu, who lay collapsed on the ground, one final glance before turning toward the inn, muttering under his breath as he walked, "Slapping people around without using a Martial Soul really does feel good. No wonder..."
In fact, Zhao Wuji had noticed the commotion back when Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai first started stirring up trouble. He had remained hidden in the shadows, watching the entire battle unfold.
From Lin Kong's accurate prediction of the Canghui Academy group's Soul Power Levels to Ye Zhiqiu's refusal to let things go while throwing his weight around as a Soul King, and then Tang San's quick thinking in coming up with a battle plan-at that point, Zhao Wuji had silently nodded to himself, thinking the boy knew a thing or two. Yet the next second, Lin Kong had put his finger squarely on the plan's fatal flaw, then presented a plan with every step linked together, one that could be called perfect. At that thought, a flicker of embarrassment immediately crossed Zhao Wuji's heart-as a Soul Saint, he actually could not match a greenhorn like Lin Kong in tactical planning. It truly left him ashamed!
Later, seeing that Ye Zhiqiu still stubbornly refused to admit defeat despite having clearly lost in such miserable fashion, and even wanted to bully his students with his superior Soul Power, Zhao Wuji naturally showed no courtesy. He simply slapped the man flying, wrapping things up for the youngsters.
Meanwhile, with the Canghui Academy students scrambling to support him, Ye Zhiqiu struggled to his feet and raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. Watching Zhao Wuji's retreating back, he felt towering waves surge through his heart. Even now, it was as though an invisible mountain still weighed on his back, pressing down so hard that even breathing felt difficult.
Recalling the unmatched force contained in that palm strike, Ye Zhiqiu could not help shuddering. He cast a venomous glance in the direction the Shrek group had gone, but ultimately dared not linger any longer and slunk away with the Canghui Academy students.
The inn's main hall was brightly lit.
When Zhao Wuji pushed the door open and entered, he saw Lin Kong and the others seated around a large table covered with steaming dishes, all eating with gusto.
Secretly pleased, Zhao Wuji nevertheless kept a stern face and deliberately lowered his voice. "Hmph, you had such a hard time beating one old turtle. Just you wait. Once we get back, your special training will be doubled! Still..."
Before he could finish, Lin Kong interrupted him with a teasing note in his voice. "If you want to praise us, just say it, Teacher Zhao. All this hemming and hawing..."
"Eww..." Ma Hongjun immediately played along, shrinking his neck and deliberately drawing out the sound, looking thoroughly eager to stir up more trouble for his own amusement.
Zhao Wuji choked on his words, then pointed at Lin Kong and said irritably, "You brat..."
"Exactly! Brother Lin's right!" Ning Rongrong immediately set down her chicken drumstick and joined in.
"Teacher Zhao, don't interrupt our meal!" Xiao Wu said indistinctly, her mouth stuffed with food.
Had one of the boys dared speak to him like that, Zhao Wuji would already have greeted him with a punch. But faced with the girls' persistent coaxing, he could only wave his hand helplessly.
"All right, all right." Zhao Wuji cleared his throat, some of the sternness leaving his face as he said seriously, "You really did do well this time. Especially Lin Kong. Your tactics were sound, and you neutralized every advantage that Soul King had."
"Fatty's Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul also happened to counter the Black Tortoise Martial Soul perfectly. Nicely fought."
"The rest of you coordinated very well too. No one dropped the ball."
As he spoke, his gaze slowly settled on Tang San, who sat silently to one side. He frowned, seemingly choosing his words carefully, and only after a long while managed to squeeze out, "You... did pretty well too."
Tang San's face darkened.
If you can't speak properly, could you just shut up?!
Throughout the entire battle, his role had been utterly lowly-he had simply summoned Blue Silver Grass, which Lin Kong's Dark Blue Silver Grass then devoured and absorbed, contributing a continuous stream of Soul Power until he had drained every last bit of his own.
How did that count as "pretty well"? Was there anything worth praising?
No!
Just as Tang San was stewing in frustration, Lin Kong suddenly turned toward him, a sincere smile on his face, and said clearly, "Tang San, thank you for this."
"!!!"
Everyone fell silent, stunned. They all looked at Lin Kong, then at Tang San, wondering whether they had misheard.
These two had clearly always been at daggers drawn, clashing constantly. Why would Lin Kong suddenly thank Tang San?
Tang San himself froze, the hand holding his rice bowl stopping in midair. His feelings were complicated in the extreme: suspicion, confusion, and even a trace of indescribable delight that he himself had not noticed.
Only Lin Kong was secretly chuckling to himself:
Hehe, by absorbing the Soul Power from his Blue Silver Grass, my own Soul Power quietly rose by an entire level! What's wrong with saying thank you?
Pure profit, no loss!