"His Highness Qinghe has always valued the academy. With his personality, there's no way he'd approve of you dropping out."
Meng Shenji sighed deeply.
No one really understood why, but Xue Qinghe placed great importance on the Royal Academy.
At this point, there was no chance Dugu Yan could quit.
Her eyes flickered. With her intelligence, she quickly understood the key issue.
Realizing there was no hope of leaving, she could only walk away in disappointment.
Lanba Academy.
"Erlong, just give these kids a taste of your strength," Zhao Wuji laughed heartily.
Without warning, he threw a heavy punch at Dai Mubai, holding nothing back.
The sheer force of the blow pushed Dai Mubai back several steps.
A flash of light appeared in his eyes as his martial spirit possessed his body. He met Zhao Wuji's punch head-on with both arms.
The clash was brief but explosive.
Zhao Wuji remained standing, unmoved, while Dai Mubai skidded backward several meters.
Liu Erlong cast a sidelong glance at Zhao Wuji.
This guy told me to go easy on them, but he didn't hold back at all.
She parted her red lips slightly.
A giant crimson dragon appeared above everyone's heads.
The searing heat it radiated made sweat bead on everyone's faces.
"Erlong's power has grown even stronger… the temperature is much higher than before," Flander said in surprise.
He'd known the magical herb would significantly boost Liu Erlong's strength, but he hadn't expected it to be this dramatic.
"First soul skill: Tyrannosaurus Possession."
Once she began, Liu Erlong didn't hesitate at all. Her eyes turned sharp and fierce.
Ma Hongjun immediately became serious.
Knowing Liu Erlong's temper, even if she wouldn't go all out on them, some bruises were guaranteed.
"Martial spirit, possess!"
A pair of large golden wings burst from Ma Hongjun's back.
With a flash, he shot toward Liu Erlong like a streak of light.
He couldn't let her get close—Ning Rongrong and Oscar were standing behind him. If she did, they'd have no way to avoid her attacks.
"Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, second ability: Speed Boost!"
Ning Rongrong activated her martial soul, enhancing Ma Hongjun's speed.
In a blink, he moved even faster, leaving only a golden afterimage behind.
Liu Erlong clenched her fists, eyes softening with pride.
In her heart, Ma Hongjun—Flander's disciple—was like her own.
Neither she nor Flander had children. They both poured their affection into this one disciple, naturally treating him with extra care.
Seeing Ma Hongjun display such strength made her feel proud.
But then, a fierce gleam returned to her eyes.
She launched a powerful punch at him.
With her martial spirit active, her strength reached terrifying levels.
She initially thought this red-haired boy couldn't possibly withstand the blow.
Out of caution, she even pulled back slightly at the last moment to avoid injuring him too seriously.
But to her surprise, Ma Hongjun didn't dodge at all—he charged straight toward her.
As the gap between them closed, Liu Erlong's expression shifted.
She sensed an even more violent, brutal power surging from Ma Hongjun.
Her instincts screamed, and she instantly unleashed her full strength.
She completely forgot about suppressing her soul power.
"Second soul skill: Dragon Arm!"
Liu Erlong subconsciously activated her skill to enhance the strength of her arms.
Bang! A blinding burst of light exploded in the air.
Golden-red flames collided with blazing red fire, creating a shockwave that forced the onlookers to retreat.
Several people looked on in shock.
"Is this really Fatty's full power? It's terrifying," Dai Mubai said, eyes narrowing.
Flander was stunned too.
He hadn't witnessed the earlier battles and had no idea how much Ma Hongjun had grown.
Though he knew the boy's body had become stronger, he didn't expect such an overwhelming display.
"Good kid. I really underestimated you," Flander said with a grin.
"With your current strength—even with soul power suppressed—I wouldn't be able to beat you."
Liu Erlong looked just as shocked.
As the one who took the hit, she could feel exactly how monstrous his strength was.
If she hadn't gone all out, even a rank-50 Soul King couldn't have endured that punch.
After the shock came delight.
"Flander, you've found a gem. With this kid's power, no one can match him in the Advanced Soul Master Academy Competition."
Liu Erlong burst into laughter.
"Good boy! I'll spar with you myself and see just how far you've come!"
With that, she stopped holding back and unleashed her full might.
As expected of the "Fiery Demon Dragon" of the Golden Triangle, Liu Erlong's strength was terrifying.
Despite Ma Hongjun's best efforts, he couldn't withstand the full force of her attacks.
She didn't show mercy to any of them, and all ended up bruised and battered.
Even though Ma Hongjun was fast and tried to dodge, he still got kicked—though thankfully, not in the face.
When it was all over, Liu Erlong wore a satisfied smile.
The others lay groaning and sighing.
"Good training today. Same time tomorrow," she said cheerfully before walking off with Flander and the others.
As soon as they left, Oscar collapsed to the ground, no longer caring about appearances.
"It hurts... Teacher Erlong really didn't hold back," he groaned, rubbing the bruises under his eyes.
Of the group, only Ma Hongjun's speed spared him from heavy injuries.
Liu Erlong naturally held back more when facing the girls.
Dai Mubai and Oscar, though, took the brunt of it.
"Hahahaha! Oscar, you look ridiculous!" Ning Rongrong burst out laughing when she saw Oscar's panda-like eyes.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing couldn't hold back their giggles either.
"Brother Hongjun, what are you doing?"
A gentle voice sounded from behind.
Xiao Wu turned first and saw Dugu Yan standing there expectantly.
Her hair swayed gently as she approached.
Xiao Wu frowned and looked at the charming figure with irritation.
"Why are you here again?" she asked, her tone sharp.
Dugu Yan ignored her. She was used to Xiao Wu's hostility by now.
Ma Hongjun was surprised to see her too.
Ever since she found out he was at Lanba Academy, she'd been coming almost every day.
At first, she talked about transferring schools. Later, she stopped bringing it up and just kept visiting.
"It's nothing. We're just training," Ma Hongjun said casually.
As for Dugu Yan, he felt helpless. He didn't have the time or energy to deal with her feelings.