"It's Zhu Zhuqing. We lost you earlier, Grandmaster's been so worried, and sent Teacher Qin Ming and Dai Mubai to look, but we couldn't find you anywhere..." Tang San's face didn't redden as he said it, sounding genuinely glad Zhu Zhuqing was unharmed.
"..."
"Don't call me Zhu Zhuqing! Disgusting!" Zhu Zhuqing's gaze was icy as she glared at them.
She'd battled the black panther for at least 3 hours, over thousands of square meters, leaving lots of traces. With Qin Ming's Soul Emperor strength, he could have easily caught up.
After surviving her own sister's assassination attempt, she was no longer Shrek's naive little princess. She was highly sensitive to betrayal.
"Zhu Zhuqing, you're still our teammate. It was Grandmaster's mistake, but that doesn't change the fact we're comrades, bound by life and death," Ning Rongrong reached out softly.
"Have you forgotten? The people around you nearly killed you in the Soul Arena. We're your real teammates..."
"Yes, Zhu Zhuqing, I acted rashly, but it was all for your performance at the upcoming contest, right?"
"Even if we don't win, just making the finals will benefit all of us—especially you…" The Grandmaster sighed, posturing as some detached, hidden master.
But Zhu Zhuqing stepped back, coldly: "Peh, disgusting!"
"I see through you now. What Mr. Su Lin scolded that day was right: a fake Grandmaster who ruins students, money-grubbing owl, and a bunch of thugs (gesturing at Qin Ming), hypocrites (Tang San, Ning Rongrong), and their lackeys."
"..."
A deathly silence.
The Grandmaster's lips twitched, his face turning black. Hearing those words from Zhu Zhuqing hurt even more than when Su Lin insulted him.
Tang San and the others darkened as well.
Only Dai Mubai gritted his teeth. If Zhu Zhuqing left Shrek, he'd have no shot with her, and after this fiasco, her opinion of him could only be worse.
She'd probably marry someone else.
With his possessiveness, this was torture.
He expected his own woman to stay pure—never mind his own escapades.
A classic double standard.
"Zhu Zhuqing!" Dai Mubai couldn't hold back. "Get your ass back here! You're my fiancée. If you run off again, I'll break your legs!"
Even Flender twitched at this. This kid is desperate, verging on madness. Can't everyone just be civil?
"Heh, come try it," Dugu Yan said lazily, slinking forward, firmly shielding Zhu Zhuqing behind her, her snake-like green eyes coldly staring down Dai Mubai.
After watching for a while, she understood.
This silly girl wanted to break from Shrek, and she'd help make trouble.
The academy's brainwashing was powerful—even friendly Qin Ming now just snorted when he saw her, arms crossed, acting like a stranger...
But who really betrayed first?
Wasn't it Qin Ming who dug up and brought Shrek into the academy, abandoning his own, letting others invade their place and take their spot?
Didn't Teacher Su Lin inherit a mess left by others?
Never mind that the main team members had all been lured away by Qin Ming...
"Dugu Yan, this is just a little squabble among students. Don't get involved. Zhu Zhuqing belongs with Shrek," Qin Ming said lightly.
"Who are you?" Dugu Yan asked, surprised.
Qin Ming frowned, about to act like a teacher.
But Dugu Yan suddenly remembered.
"Aren't you Teacher Qin Ming? No wonder, I heard you tried to bring this trash from Shrek into the Imperial Academy, but got exposed and lost your post. Now you think the school and the whole Empire betrayed you?"
"So Shrek's your real home? Makes sense. That dump has no resources—so who funded your breakthrough to Soul Emperor?"
"It was the Imperial Academy!" Dugu Yan exposed him mercilessly.
Qin Ming went from shocked to furious.
"You're the real ingrate. Zhu Zhuqing called you that, and she's not wrong. Shrek's got nothing; most resources came from us. But you tried to bring in these leeches, and when you failed, you forgot all the school did for you," Dugu Yan sneered.
"Even biting the hand that fed you…"
"No wonder—a true Shrek graduate."
"Teacher and students, all the same."
"Pathetic!"
"..."
"Honestly, isn't Shrek just a parasite? Sucking dry every resource from the rest, then pooling it for themselves."
"Yet, you demand a reputation too."
"Disgusting!"
"Dugu Yan, you think I'll let this slide?!" Qin Ming almost exploded.
Six spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black—rose from underfoot, fire wrapping his body, Martial Soul possessed: Blazing Fire Cang Wolf.
Blood-red eyes glared at Dugu Yan.
"Tch!"
Dugu Yan sneered, and four spirit rings rose—Soul Sect power, without hiding at all.
Her five companions instantly revealed theirs as well.
Zhu Zhuqing paused but also showed her rings.
Six people, all Soul Sects!
This power stunned the Shrek group. Last time, Dugu Yan had only been Level 38, and Ye Lingling was Level 35!
Qin Ming's eyes flashed with astonishment.
In the next moment, a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Xiao Qin, don't be reckless…"
Flender glanced nervously at the opposite group.
They were close to the Star Dou Forest core—without Spirit Saint strength, no one dared linger here. He suspected Su Lin, or perhaps a member of the Imperial Academy board, was close by…
"Whew." Qin Ming took a deep breath, suppressing his rage.
He glared at Dugu Yan, trying to look tough: "Let's see if you're so cocky on the competition floor."
"Won't need to."
A light voice sounded.
A white-robed figure appeared, and a bone-crushing pressure slammed down on Qin Ming.
His already summoned martial soul was forcibly invoked again. This soul-deep terror made Qin Ming's face instantly pale, as if crushed under a mountain.
"..."
He clenched his teeth, staring at the stranger before him.
That calm look radiated superiority and contempt.
"Su Lin!!!"
"Still able to talk…" Su Wen clicked his tongue.
"Buzz!"
The last blood drained from Qin Ming's face as his back bent under the pressure.
"Shouting at my students, making threats…" Su Wen chuckled. "Let's see if your mouth is still so tough…"
Flender watched anxiously, wanting to intervene but not daring to.
First the juniors fight, then the master shows up...
Why stir up trouble for yourself?
He'd played dead while Dugu Yan and Zhu Zhuqing lambasted them—he couldn't afford to be caught up.
The people behind these kids—Shrek was nothing compared to them.
"Pfft—!" Qin Ming's face turned bright red then, reaching his breaking point, he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed, pinned to the ground, writhing like an earthworm.
"You, bullying the weak… Isn't that too much?" Tang San shouted, eyes glinting.
"When Qin Ming tried to bully me with power, you didn't say that…" Dugu Yan sneered.
"Get lost." Su Wen glanced coolly at them.
All of them bowed their heads but clenched their fists in seething anger.
Xiao Wu clung to Tang San's hand, lost in thought.
"As you said, see you on the battlefield…" Su Wen said indifferently.
"I'll kill him!!!"
Dai Mubai, his eyes bloodshot, vented his fury on a tree.
"Sigh…" Flender sighed helplessly.
Grandmaster, however, wasn't worried. "Let that ingrate go. We still have Tianheng, right…Tianheng?"
He cast a glance at his now-absent-minded nephew, frowning and sighing to prompt him.
"Uh… yes." Yu Tianheng forced a smile.
He deeply regretted it.
Why? Ever since Dugu Yan showed up at Level 47 Soul Sect, he knew something was wrong. Even the former weakest, Ye Lingling, had revealed Soul Sect power!
What did that mean?
That Su Wen's teaching was terrifyingly effective!
Or perhaps some incredible treasure was involved!
How else could they reach such strength so quickly?
His old team had all boarded a spaceship to greatness—while he, just to follow Qin Ming and his uncle, had voluntarily abandoned the chance!
He felt like he'd eaten a fly.
If he'd always been part of Shrek, fine. But he'd actually had access!
His uncle's fault!
"You wondering how they got so strong, so fast?" Grandmaster snorted. "Everything comes at a price. I could give you a massive power-up, but you'd never reach Title Douluo in your life. Do you want that?"
"This…" Yu Tianheng came back to his senses.
"Heh, Su Lin's strong. It's easy for him to cheat shortcuts. But all that is wickedness! Zhu Zhuqing has surely been tricked and believes it."
"Only loyal training my way leads to true greatness!"
He glanced around, seeing his students deep in thought. Now he could relax.
He wasn't just persuading Yu Tianheng, but everyone.
Without them, who would prove his theory?
"By the way, where's Xiao Wu?"
He looked at Tang San.
"She said she went to the bathroom, shouldn't be far," Tang San replied.
High on an ancient tree.
Xiao Wu giggled. "Er Ming, I'm here now."
"Xiao Wu-jie!"
In front of her, a hundred-meter-tall beast looked at her with fondness.
"Big Brother and I both missed you…"
"Life in the human world is so colorful, you don't have to worry about me. I'm doing great." Xiao Wu smiled.
"By the way, I came today to ask you something," Xiao Wu's face grew serious.
"Find a group of humans—and ruin them."
"Ah?" The Titan Giant Ape looked blank, then fierce as he remembered, "Someone bullied you?"
"Mm." Xiao Wu nodded.
Hurting her friends was hurting her.
That Su Lin especially bullied her Third Brother.
He deserved to die!
She briefly described Su Lin and the other seven's appearance, then left after giving a light kiss to the Titan Giant Ape, who was instantly smitten.
The Titan Giant Ape grinned.
"Those fools, daring to enter our turf… Do they know what death means?!"
"But I've heard that human is special…" The Titan hesitated.
"Best call Big Brother too."
He'd once been beaten by Tang Hao, so didn't underestimate humans...