As Huang Jinxu announced Shrek's victory, cheers erupted throughout the stadium.
Almost everyone shouted in unison.
" Shrek! Shrek!"
Shrek!
"..."
Everyone in Shrek, even their leader Zhou Yi, felt an indescribable sense of pride.
Enjoying the applause of the audience, the competition came to a complete end with the final speech by the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire.
Just as Zhou Yi was about to lead Huo Yuhao and the others away from Star Luo Plaza, Elder Ma from the opposite rest area walked over.
Elder Ma's expression was stern as he directly stopped Ma Xiaotao, his tone firm. "Please return the Sword of Judgment! And cure Meng Hongchen!"
Ma Xiaotao's face was displeased, and sparks were faintly visible on her shoulder. She retorted without any politeness, "This was something I had no choice but to seize after your student maliciously attacked me when I was about to stop. So I need an apology."
"So, please apologize to Shrek then, and we will return it. As for Meng Hongchen, the cold poison in her body is entirely caused by her Martial Soul; I can only help suppress it for now."
Ma Xiaotao paused, glancing almost imperceptibly at Huo Yuhao. Seeing him nod, she said, "You can hand her over to us to take back to Shrek for treatment. Of course, the decision is yours."
"This..." Elder Ma hesitated for a moment, not expecting Ma Xiaotao's words to be so sharp.
More importantly, he received information before the finals began that the final item at the auction was won by the Shrek Academy.
He immediately notified Jing Hongchen, the grandfather of Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, to come and seize the treasure.
But who could have imagined that such an unexpected event would occur during the competition? Meng Hongchen's condition is currently extremely poor, and it can be said that he can no longer afford to delay.
However, handing Meng Hongchen over to Shrek Academy now is tantamount to handing over a bargaining chip to Shrek Academy. The Hall Master's subsequent actions will inevitably be restricted, and he may not even be able to make a move at all.
Seeing that he didn't answer for a long time, Ma Xiaotao lost her patience. She held up five fingers and said impatiently, "I'll give you five seconds. Whether you answer or not is up to you. Her life or death is none of my business."
"Five"
"Four"
With each number called out, Ma Xiaotao slowly bent one of her slender fingers, adding to her unique mature and sophisticated aura.
Even Elder Ma, who was practically on his deathbed, felt immense pressure, because if a fight really broke out, he might not even be a match for Ma Xiaotao.
"Two!"
Unbeknownst to him, Elder Ma felt Ma Xiaotao's voice grow even louder, and the decision in his mind was constantly being torn apart.
Large beads of sweat appeared on his wrinkled forehead under the pressure.
"Have you thought it through? We're leaving soon."
Ma Xiaotao casually extended her last raised finger and waved it in front of Elder Ma, a sly glint in her eyes.
With increasing pressure and a certain amount of psychological suggestion, Elder Ma suddenly felt unwell all over, his mouth slightly open, as if he wanted to agree.
"One..."
Ma Xiaotao slowly curled her fingers, deliberately drawing out the sound.
In the end, Elder Ma didn't dare gamble on whether Meng Hongchen could hold on, so he could only say, "Wait! Can you guarantee you'll be able to hold onto Meng Hongchen?!"
Zhou Yi also stepped forward at this moment, her eyes clear and bright. She nodded slightly and said, "Of course. If you've come all this way, don't you trust the reputation of the Shrek Academy?"
Elder Ma's beard twitched upwards, thinking about how Ma Xiaotao had just unceremoniously taken the Sword of Judgment. "Is Shrek's reputation really that good?" he thought.
However, Elder Ma wouldn't voice his true thoughts. He simply asked the Shrek Academy members to agree on three rules before handing Meng Hongchen over to Ma Xiaotao.
The Shrek crew then left and returned to their hotel accommodations.
Watching the Shrek members depart, Elder Ma sighed helplessly. He then produced a Soul Tool from his hand, and with a flash of light, seemed to transmit a message.
Inside the hotel, the Shrek members looked at Meng Hongchen, who was lying unconscious on the sofa, and were unsure of who to entrust her with.
Wang Dong'er pinched Meng Hongchen's face without any politeness, even using a pen in her right hand to write and draw on her face, muttering, "Serves you right, you deserved to come and steal Yuhao..."
Seeing this scene, Zhou Yi didn't know what to say. She looked at Ma Xiaotao and asked, " Xiaotao, do you really have a way to suppress her cold poison?"
Ma Xiaotao hesitated for a moment before nodding, but also pointed out the drawbacks, "It's possible, but with the Ultimate Fire entering her body, her body simply can't withstand it. After suppressing the cold poison, if she's lucky, she'll probably end up with hemiplegia."
Everyone was shocked to hear this, not expecting the consequences to be so severe.
"Great idea! I think this is a good idea."
An untimely voice immediately answered.
Everyone looked over, and it was Wang Dong'er, who was still teasing Meng Hongchen, who shouted it out.
Dai Yueheng and the others felt awkward for a moment, and looking at Wang Dong'er's bright smile, they couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts.
Ning Tian and Wu Feng exchanged glances, thinking to themselves simultaneously, " Wang Dong'er, you're a devil!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi immediately and firmly refused, "No, if that happens, and her grandfather comes knocking on our door, Shrek will be in a difficult position to deal with these days."
"And just now, I heard that the news of us winning the final auction item has been leaked."
"And this Meng Hongchen might just be the key to our safe departure!"
Zhou Yi spoke earnestly, and Wang Dong'er, standing beside her, could only angrily throw down her paintbrush and sit back down in her seat.
Dai Yueheng then asked, " Teacher Zhou, what should we do next? Besides, Meng Hongchen's condition probably won't last much longer."
Zhou Yi was caught in a dilemma. After she delivered the message, Xuan Zi was probably already on his way.
If it were Xuan Zi, he could certainly resolve this, but time waits for no one. I fear that by the time Xuan Zi arrives, Meng Hongchen will already be unable to hold on.
Ma Xiaotao glanced in Meng Hongchen's direction, as if she had seen something, and then said, " Teacher Zhou, why don't we hand it over to Yuhao and me?"
" Yuhao? You must be joking. Yuhao doesn't understand these things either." Zhou Yi said, speechless.
The others glanced at Huo Yuhao beside Meng Hongchen and subconsciously nodded in agreement with Zhou Yi's point of view.
Ma Xiaotao then patiently explained, " Teacher Zhou, it's like this. You know Tang Ya is the leader of the Tang Sect Clan. Besides Hidden Weapon, the sect also cultivates poison techniques."
Zhou Yi frowned slightly, her eyes filled with regret, and she still asked with doubt, "The Poison Scripture? I've heard of it, but Tang Ya... and what does this have to do with Yuhao?"
Ma Xiaotao smiled and said, " Yuhao was with Xiao Ya before he enrolled."
"Fellow travelers?! That means!" Zhou Yi exclaimed in surprise.
"Mm." Ma Xiaotao nodded.
Zhou Yi immediately turned to look at Huo Yuhao and hurriedly asked, " Yuhao, is it true?"
Huo Yuhao nodded calmly and said, "Yes."
"So, you understand the art of poisons!"
As expected, Huo Yuhao nodded and said, "I discussed it with Xiao Ya and have learned a little bit."
Ma Xiaotao winked at him and immediately replied, "Just the basics are enough. As long as Yuhao is there to take care of things, it won't be a problem to hold out until Xuan Zi arrives."
The Shrek members were overjoyed and turned to look at Huo Yuhao.
Jiang Nannan, Ling Luochеn, and the others all wore enigmatic smiles.
"There's still a chance! Quick, Xiaotao, take her to get treatment. Her safety is crucial to our safe return to Shrek."
Zhou Yi immediately continued, and Ma Xiaotao and Huo Yuhao stood up at the same time, about to take Meng Hongchen away.
Wang Dong'er shouted in protest against Zhou Yi's decision, "No, I disagree!"
Zhou Yi, Xiao Xiao, Wu Feng, and Ning Tian almost simultaneously objected, "No! Protest overruled!"
Wang Dong'er could only watch helplessly as Ma Xiaotao and Huo Yuhao led Meng Hongchen away from the conference room, bound hand and foot.