After venting fiercely, Chen An suddenly realized he did not have to demonstrate anything.
He would have to challenge the Immovable Wisdom King, Zhao Wuji, later anyway.
"Mubai, take them inside first!"
The old man beckoned, and Dai Mubai immediately jumped down from the tree.
"Chen An, long time no see!"
Dai Mubai had actually spotted the three of them long ago, but because of what had happened at the Rose Hotel, he had not wanted to greet them early.
"Oh! So it's you, the pervert. I thought we'd have some handsome, pure-hearted senior!"
After spending so much time with Chen An, Xiao Wu had become bolder in her speech too.
"You!" Dai Mubai gritted his teeth, his eyes nearly popping out. This was Shrek, yet some little girl was mocking him on his own turf.
Chen An hurriedly pulled Xiao Wu behind him and gave a thoroughly hardcore explanation. "Sorry, she takes after me!"
"I'll let it slide this time. Next time, I won't go easy on you!" Seeing Chen An step in, Dai Mubai forcibly suppressed his anger.
"What are you afraid of..." Xiao Wu looked at Chen An in confusion.
He shook his head and explained quietly, "We might end up being companions. Say a little less."
Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue after hearing that. "I don't want a pervert as my companion!"
"Is everyone here?"
Zhao Wuji sat on a stool, his muscles taut. His massive, sturdy shoulders made it clear how powerful he was.
"Yes, five in total," Dai Mubai said after counting them.
"Good!" With a stern expression, Zhao Wuji solemnly announced the assessment rules. "Just beat me within the time it takes an incense stick to burn!"
At that moment.
Everyone present exchanged looks, unsure what to do.
Seeing no one react, Dai Mubai hurriedly urged them from the side, "Attack together! Whatever means of attack you use, just defeat Teacher Zhao!"
"Heh, easy for you to say. Why don't you do it yourself if you're so capable?" A girl in a pale blue dress planted her hands on her hips. She clearly had serious objections to this assessment.
"Enough!"
"Ning Rongrong, right? I've put up with you long enough!"
Dai Mubai clenched his fists, looking ready to erupt at any second.
"Ooh, I'm so scared!" Ning Rongrong was a little demon herself and did not buckle under pressure at all.
Seeing her continue to provoke him.
Dai Mubai truly could not hold it in anymore.
He had been furious ever since he first received Ning Rongrong.
Princess Ning complained either that the academy was too remote or that its teachers were unreasonable.
Worst of all, she had openly called him a sleazebag!
If not for Ning Rongrong's background, Dai Mubai would have taken her somewhere else and taught her a harsh lesson, no matter what!
"Come on, come on! Blondie, hit me if you've got the guts. You think I scare that easily?" Determined to blow things up, Ning Rongrong kept provoking him.
"Fight, fight..." Xiao Wu hid behind Chen An, muttering under her breath.
At that moment.
Chen An, on the contrary, had no interest whatsoever in their argument.
He was concentrating hard on something else: admiring an outstanding figure and its contours.
Holy shit!
Zhu Zhuqing actually looked this good in person!
Coolly beautiful and slender, with long, straight black hair-a catlike beauty through and through!
The sight left Chen An itching, and he thought how exciting it would be if Xiao Wu were like that too.
"Ah!"
Chen An gritted his teeth, really wanting to slap himself.
Important things had to be repeated three times: Xiao Wu above all, Xiao Wu above all, Xiao Wu above all!
However.
He had a half-formed idea. Playing some sort of role-playing game would actually be exciting too, like an aloof mature woman, an innocent younger girl...
"I'm not getting involved in matters between you youngsters."
"However!"
"Don't say I didn't warn you. That incense stick is almost burned out!"
Zhao Wuji's words brought everyone present back to their senses.
With no time to discuss tactics, Tang San was the first to summon his martial soul and choose a head-on clash.
Zhu Zhuqing then searched for openings from the flank to assist him.
Only Chen An, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong stood quietly, paying it no heed.
"Xiao An, aren't we going to help?" Though she had turned considerably darker after following Chen An, Xiao Wu still retained a trace of kindness.
Chen An hesitated a little.
It was not that he would not help. He truly had no way to do so.
The Ultimate Ice he had consumed had not fully replenished yet, and he could not reveal the Ultimate Fire inside the bamboo-joint spaces ahead of time.
So he truly lacked the strength to cross ranks and defeat the Immovable Wisdom King, Zhao Wuji.
Besides, this assessment was utterly meaningless.
Against a Seven-Ring Soul Sage, even with cheats, wouldn't someone have to be a Five-Ring Soul King to win?
Chen An was no fool.
He knew that even without taking the assessment, he would most likely get in.
Taking a step back, it was not as though he absolutely had to enter Shrek. Spirit Hall was a very good option too.
He could first join Spirit Hall as an undercover agent, then secretly assassinate Bibi Dong or win her over. That way, he could justify it to Xiao Wu too.
Of course, the likelihood of taking that route was very low.
First, going to Shrek had been Yu Gangzi's suggestion. Given Gangzi and Flender's friendship, they could get in through the back door one way or another.
Second, Chen An had tremendous confidence in his own martial soul, Lone Bamboo.
I wouldn't have taken issue with you calling Lone Bamboo a trash martial soul before, but now it's a vessel capable of channeling ultimate powers, so you'd better weigh your words!
When he absorbed his second soul ring, the Ultimate Fire from the hidden Easter egg reward had caused his martial soul to mutate.
The Lone Bamboo in Chen An's hand was no longer ordinary, and it even had a full name: Nine-Section Lone Bamboo.
Each section contained an independent space that could store overbearing origin power.
Apart from Chen An.
Who could have imagined a piece of bamboo could hold so many ultimate powers?!
Yu Xiaogang could not.
If word got out, he would probably be the first to step forward and refute it.
"Seven Treasures turn forth, revealing colored glaze. First: Strength!"
Ning Rongrong ultimately chose to summon her martial soul and join the assessment too.
After all, she had come to Shrek to prove herself, not to truly act like some pampered princess.
"Xiao An!"
Seeing that only she and Chen An remained, Xiao Wu urged him anxiously.
Chen An sighed. "Go ahead. I'll look for an opening from behind!"
After receiving his instruction.
Xiao Wu eagerly joined in too.
About several dozen seconds later.
The battle reached a fever pitch, the fighting exceptionally fierce.
Afraid of getting hurt, Chen An squatted in a distant corner to watch the show.
"Hiss..."
"The more I look at Zhu Zhuqing, the more pleasing to the eye she gets!"
"Wait!"
"I didn't notice earlier, but Ning Rongrong's face and figure aren't bad either!"
Chen An had originally been focused on the details of the fight, but before he knew it, his attention had shifted to admiring them.
"Oh!"
"Not bad, Xiao Wu! Just what I'd expect from the promising talent I personally trained... and taught."
Just as Chen An was about to deeply relax his body and mind, a scolding shout rang out:
"You there!"
"Yes! You! What are you doing squatting over there?!"
At Zhao Wuji's words, everyone present turned their gaze toward Chen An.
Oh, crap!
How did this happen?!
Weren't you all having a blast fighting?
God King Tang was useless too! Where were his hidden weapons, his Tang Sect Secret Arts, his Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record?!
Chen An was so embarrassed that even his toes tensed.
He stammered, finally managing to squeeze out two sentences:
"Um..."
"My stomach hurts a little. Could I take leave and do the assessment tomorrow?"