Nan Zhuliu coldly watched the tall, burly young man with thick brows, fierce eyes, a straight nose, and a square mouth clutching the spot where the gold soul coin he had hurled back had struck him. "Who gave you the nerve to bully one of mine?"
Seeing Nan Zhuliu suddenly appear and utterly humiliate him in front of everyone, the young man roared, "Brat, you're courting death!"
He strode forward, reaching his large hand straight toward Nan Zhuliu's chest.
Nan Zhuliu did not dodge, nor did he deign to.
As that hand drew closer, Nan Zhuliu raised his own and caught the young man's wrist in an iron grip.
The young man struggled a few times in disbelief, but Nan Zhuliu's five fingers seemed cast from iron. No matter how he struggled, he could not break free.
Nan Zhuliu pulled, then pushed, sending the young man staggering backward.
Like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, Nan Zhuliu immediately lunged after him, hammering the young man's face with punches from both hands.
Bam!
The young man took a solid punch, and blood instantly spurted from his nose.
A dozen punches fell in the blink of an eye, leaving the young man's face smeared with blood.
Nan Zhuliu uttered no threats, but every punch, brimming with power, seemed like a heavy hammer crashing down on everyone's hearts. Each blow made their hearts tremble, and some had even begun observing a moment of silence for the young man.
Dazed by the dozen punches, the young man finally reacted, and a powerful surge of Soul Power suddenly erupted from his body.
Those nearby with weaker cultivation were blown away outright. Only Nan Zhuliu stood firmly in place, like the divine needle that anchored the seas.
Yellow, yellow, purple-three Soul Rings slowly rose from beneath the young man's feet, and an enormous turtle-shell shield appeared in his hand.
The Mysterious Underworld Turtle Shield Martial Soul-who else could this be but Xu Sanshi?
Xu Sanshi burned with rage. "When the tiger doesn't show its might, you really take it for a sickly cat!"
Nan Zhuliu finally spoke, his voice cool. "Stop gilding your own face. A tiger? Aren't you just a turtle?"
Someone in the crowd immediately burst out laughing.
It was the first time Xu Sanshi had ever been called a turtle, and his chest heaved violently with anger. "You!"
Just as Xu Sanshi was about to attack again, a breathtakingly beautiful girl cried out in shock and anger, "Xu Sanshi, what are you doing? Stop right now!"
Hearing that voice, the flustered, furious Xu Sanshi instantly became like a bristling cat whose fur had been stroked smooth. He pointed pitifully at his face. "Nannan, look how badly he beat me up. It hurts!"
Jiang Nannan actually laughed in anger at his words. "You attacked a little girl over a disagreement. You deserved that beating."
"I've told you there is absolutely no chance of anything between us. Please stop bothering me, and please stop bullying others and ruining my reputation under the banner of doing what's best for me."
Nan Zhuliu chimed in at just the right moment. "Licking dogs never meet a good end."
Xu Sanshi immediately glared at him. "What's it got to do with you? Who asked you to butt in?"
With that, he immediately tried to chase after Jiang Nannan, only for Nan Zhuliu to block him. "What are you doing? Get out of my way."
Nan Zhuliu looked at him coldly. "You frightened my friend and caused her irreversible psychological harm. You're not going anywhere until you give me an accounting."
"Brat, don't think that just because you're strong and got the better of me earlier, I can't do anything to you. Get out of the way while I'm still willing to leave you alone, or else..."
"Or else what?"
Nan Zhuliu narrowed his eyes slightly and raised his chin. He was already considerably taller than Xu Sanshi, and looking down at him made him seem all the more imposing.
Sensing his presence, Xu Sanshi's heart tightened. This guy is no pushover. "What do you want?"
"Judging by your Martial Soul, you're from the Mysterious Underworld Sect, aren't you? Three Mysterious Water Pills, and I can let bygones be bygones."
"Impossible!" Xu Sanshi blurted out. "I never so much as touched either of you, and you demand three Mysterious Water Pills just like that? Why don't you just rob someone?"
"You don't have the right to refuse. I don't mind beating you up and taking them off you."
Within the crowd, a pink-and-blue figure stirred.
Why does this guy keep talking about beating people up?
Xu Sanshi laughed. "Fine. You want Mysterious Water Pills? You look like a Shrek student too. Come fight me in the Soul Dueling Area. Win, and I'll give them to you. But if you lose, you'll be my lackey. If I tell you to go east, you can't go west."
"Fine."
Xu Sanshi tipped his chin at him. "Let's go."
Huo Lingtong came up beside Nan Zhuliu and asked quietly, "Zhuliu, are you really going to be all right? That Xu Sanshi is a three-ring Soul Elder..."
Nan Zhuliu said flatly, "He is, so I can't be one too?"
Huo Lingtong's eyes immediately widened in disbelief.
Nan Zhuliu was actually a Soul Elder too?
She had asked Nan Zhuliu before. He was a few months younger than her, and his eleventh birthday was still a little way off.
In other words, Nan Zhuliu was already a Soul Elder before he was even eleven!
Huo Lingtong felt a little dizzy.
Hearing that Nan Zhuliu and Xu Sanshi were heading to the Soul Dueling Area, the Shrek students present brightened and followed them there.
The Soul Dueling Area was hexagonal and about the same size as Shrek Square. The surrounding stands could hold up to three thousand spectators at once.
At that moment, roughly three hundred people sat in the stands, and their numbers continued to grow steadily.
On the dueling ground, Nan Zhuliu and Xu Sanshi faced each other from opposite sides. Between them stood a middle-aged teacher who looked to be over forty.
The referee said gravely, "First-year Nan Zhuliu challenges fifth-year Xu Sanshi. Should Xu Sanshi lose the match, he must pay an additional ten gold soul coins. You have already agreed privately on the stakes. Are you both ready?"
Hearing that Nan Zhuliu was actually only a first-year, Xu Sanshi nearly spat out a mouthful of water, while also feeling rather pleased with himself.
A first-year newcomer could have two rings at most, right? No matter how strong he was, could he really defeat a Soul Elder like him, who possessed the top-tier Mysterious Underworld Turtle Shield Martial Soul?
Starting today, I'll have another little brother.
The students who had come to watch were also rather bewildered.
A first-year challenging a fifth-year? Was this a joke?
At the referee's question, Nan Zhuliu and Xu Sanshi nodded simultaneously. "Ready."
"Match-begin!" After giving the command, the referee swiftly withdrew from the grounds.
Xu Sanshi immediately released his Mysterious Underworld Turtle Shield Martial Soul, dense black Soul Power flowing over his body.
Nan Zhuliu shot forward like lightning. Although he had not released his Martial Soul, the speed he unleashed made both Xu Sanshi's and the students' eyelids twitch violently. So fast...