Empire 4th Prince – Avalanche!
At the sound of those commanding words, a youth of about seventeen or eighteen stepped forward, flanked by several attendants. He wore a regal yellow-and-white robe, exuding nobility with every step he took.
A finely crafted jade pendant swung at his waist, gleaming in the sunlight—it was clearly a mark of the imperial family.
"Country bumpkin, move aside!"
"Don't block the path of our Fourth Prince—His Highness Xue Beng!"
The youth's voice had barely faded before his attendants followed with arrogant jeers.
From their words, it was evident—this young man was none other than the fourth prince of the Heaven Dou Empire: Xue Beng!
"Country bumpkin?"
"We are from Shrek Academy, here to initiate an exchange with your academy. Could you direct us to the main teaching hall?"
Despite the insult, Flender, standing at the front of the Shrek group, kept his expression in check, his voice polite though his eyes had turned cold.
"Exchange? Hah! You're dreaming! A pathetic backwater academy like yours wants to associate with Huangdou Academy? What a joke!"
"Hey! This little girl's pretty cute. How about you come with your big brother?"
Xue Beng let out a disdainful laugh, a twisted gleam in his eyes as he leered at Xiao Wu beside Yu Chen.
"Three seconds. Leave."
Yu Chen stepped forward calmly, shielding Xiao Wu with his body. His voice was flat but sharp, and a cold gleam flickered in his eyes.
"Hahaha! A brat barely twelve dares to talk to me like that?!"
"You fools really don't know the meaning of fear!"
Xue Beng burst into laughter, the contempt on his face deepening. His attendants sneered in unison, regarding Yu Chen as nothing more than a child with a death wish.
But then—
Buzz!
A fierce burst of soul power erupted from Yu Chen. His aura surged like a tide, forming the phantom of a dragon that slammed straight toward Xue Beng and his lackeys!
Boom!
When Yu Chen arrived at Huangdou Academy earlier, he had completed a hidden system task and received a +1 bonus to his soul power!
From rank 38 to rank 39—he now stood just one step away from entering the realm of a Soul Ancestor!
With a single release of his powerful spirit energy, Xue Beng and his men were sent flying!
Although Xue Beng held the title of a prince, his spirit rank was barely in the twenties. His attendants were even weaker, not worth mentioning!
Under Yu Chen's overwhelming force, the three of them were blasted backward like ragdolls.
Xue Beng, being the closest, slammed into a stone wall, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as he collapsed.
"Y-You…! Y-You're only twelve, how can you have such terrifying soul power?!"
"No… Impossible!"
Lying on the ground, Xue Beng and his followers stared in disbelief at Yu Chen. Their faces twisted with shock. A twelve-year-old boy had soul power nearing level 40?!
Even Flender and Yu Xiaogang exchanged startled glances. They could hardly believe Yu Chen had grown so strong in such a short time.
"Who's causing a commotion in the academy?!"
A stern voice echoed across the field. A middle-aged man in a Huangdou Academy uniform approached swiftly.
It was none other than Qin Ming, a teacher at Huangdou Academy!
"Teacher Qin Ming! These people attacked me! Hurry up and punish them!"
Xue Beng staggered to his feet, clutching his chest as he tried to appeal to the newcomer.
But Qin Ming didn't even glance at him.
Instead, he stepped directly to Flender and bowed deeply.
"Teacher!"
"I've long awaited your arrival. Forgive me for leaving in a hurry after our loss in the Spirit Arena. I didn't get a chance to bid proper farewell!"
Qin Ming's voice was full of sincerity.
He was once the captain of the Emperor Team, but more importantly—he was a former student of Shrek Academy and one of its finest graduates!
Now only thirty-six, Qin Ming had already reached the rank of Soul Emperor—level 62!
"…"
The expressions on Xue Beng and his followers froze as they watched the scene unfold. Their jaws slackened in disbelief.
They had assumed Qin Ming would teach Yu Chen a lesson. Never did they imagine that this dignified teacher would treat Flender and the others with such humility!
"Qin Ming, long time no see!"
"It's been almost ten years since you left Shrek," Flender said warmly, patting Qin Ming on the shoulder.
"Yes, it's been quite a while."
"This must be the 'Nine Heavens Azure Dragon' who crushed Yu Tianheng's team in the Soto Arena? Back then, you were only at level 33. How have you reached 39 in such a short time? Your talent is unparalleled!"
Qin Ming looked at Yu Chen with awe. As the former leader of the defeated Emperor Team, he clearly remembered Yu Chen's performance.
Now, sensing the young man's strength firsthand, he was even more impressed.
"Teacher Qin Ming, you flatter me."
Yu Chen retracted his soul power and smiled respectfully.
He hadn't aimed to kill Xue Beng—after all, Yu Chen knew the real Xue Beng was far more perceptive than he let on. This behavior was merely a facade.
"To have such power at such a young age, and yet remain humble… Truly admirable!"
"Also—Prince Xue Xing is awaiting your arrival at the Education Committee Hall. Please, allow me to escort you."
With that, Qin Ming cast a brief glance at Xue Beng's group, then turned and guided Flender and Yu Chen toward the academy's inner sanctum.
"Uncle Xue Xing?"
"I want to see what they're up to…"
Xue Beng muttered quietly, wiping the blood from his lip. He began trailing them at a distance.
…
Huangdou Academy spanned a vast area. Under Qin Ming's guidance, Shrek's group crossed dense woods and flowing streams before arriving midway up the mountain, where the main teaching building stood.
A large crowd of students had gathered nearby.
Most of them wore refined clothing, clearly children of nobles or high-ranking officials from the Heaven Dou Empire and its vassal states.
"Teacher, the academy is structured across the mountainside. The base and summit house auxiliary facilities, while the core teachings occur here."
"These students you see—nobles and heirs from across the continent—still can't match Shrek's team in raw talent."
"Even the Emperor Team led by Yu Tianheng, once our pride, was defeated by Shrek. That speaks volumes about your students' caliber."
As Qin Ming spoke, he led them further into the inner compound—toward the gates of the Huangdou Academy's Education Committee Hall.
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