Inside the shattered formation, Dai Yueheng and the others finally saw daylight again. Cold sweat dripped from their brows, their chests heaving violently.
Even though they had only been trapped for a short time, the killing intent within the array had been unbearable! A sword mark had already appeared on Dai Yueheng's neck, the stinging pain constantly gnawing at his nerves.
The four of them looked at Jiang Shengyu with undisguised fear—especially Chen Zifeng and Xi Xi. Just moments ago, they had truly felt as if they might die within that domain.
Xiao Hongchen, watching Yan Shaozhe personally intervene and break apart the Zhu Xian Sword Formation, immediately grew furious. He glared up at Yan Shaozhe in the sky and shouted:
"Senior, what is the meaning of this?! Again? This is unfair! Don't tell me Shrek Academy doesn't care about fairness anymore?"
Yan Shaozhe's gaze fell on the group below, his voice low and stern:
"With a hundred-thousand-year soul ring involved, there's no need for this match to continue!"
"But you still allowed a Soul Emperor to compete!" Xiao Hongchen shot back.
"Enough! An unforeseen circumstance has arisen. Ending the match here is the best course of action." Yan Shaozhe frowned, speaking to Xiao Hongchen with authority.
In his eyes, it was unthinkable to truly allow Jiang Shengyu to defeat four of the inner court's students by himself. Wouldn't that be a disgrace to Shrek Academy?
What he failed to realize was that his very actions had already stripped the Martial Soul Department of all its dignity.
Jiang Shengyu calmly withdrew his soul ring and the twin flames. Turning to reassure Xiao Hongchen, he said:
"Don't worry. It's not over yet."
At those words, Xiao Hongchen raised a brow, his gaze shifting knowingly toward the fire lotus that still floated in the distance.
Poison Undying, watching Yan Shaozhe and Xiao Hongchen bicker, suddenly burst into laughter, openly mocking Xuan Zi:
"Xuan Zi, you'd better find yourself a new dean for the Martial Soul Department! This Yan Shaozhe—he's useless!"
The match had already been humiliating enough. Instead of ending it cleanly, Shaozhe wasted time arguing—
and with a junior, no less!
Hearing Poison Undying's laughter, Xuan Zi's expression darkened. He was just about to call Yan Shaozhe back when he noticed that the fire lotus had not dissipated. It continued to rotate slowly, the power inside growing increasingly unstable.
Xuan Zi's brows knitted. He shouted:
"Shaozhe! Watch the lotus!"
At the warning, Yan Shaozhe looked down. When he saw the lotus still distorting the space around it, a puzzled look crossed his face.
When he had broken Jiang Shengyu's domain earlier, he had exerted no small amount of soul power. Shouldn't the fire lotus have been shattered along with the formation? Why was it still intact?
By now, the lotus had begun to swell, the destructive force within it on the verge of erupting.
Yan Shaozhe flashed in front of the fire lotus, raising his palm to press it down.
But at that critical moment, the lotus detonated!
Twin-colored flames burst forth like a storm, swallowing Yan Shaozhe whole. Under his immense power, however, the storm was contained quickly, vanishing in an instant.
Even so, part of his robes had already been scorched away by the fiery blast, and a lock of his hair was singed black.
The dignified Dean of the Martial Soul Department, a level 95 Super Douluo, had made a fool of himself! The onlookers exchanged awkward glances, not knowing how to react.
Yan Shaozhe's face darkened with fury. He clenched his fist, forcing himself to calm down before turning to Xuan Zi on the main platform and bowing slightly:
"Elder Xuan, I shall go and change my clothes first."
Xuan Zi gave a faint nod. After Yan Shaozhe left, Elder Zhuang came forward to examine Dai Yueheng and the others. Finding only superficial wounds, he couldn't even be bothered to heal them. Instead, he tossed each one a healing salve.
"Apply it yourselves."
Chen Zifeng frowned. "Elder Zhuang, just one salve each?"
"You should be grateful to get even that! Complaining, are you? A bunch of inner court seniors, and you can't even defeat a single junior!" Elder Zhuang shot him a sharp look.
Chen Zifeng muttered in protest: "But… he had a hundred-thousand-year soul ring!"
Before he could say more, Xuan Zi and the other elders descended from the platform. At this, Elder Zhuang dropped the matter. Cai Meier instructed Dai Yueheng's group to go rest. As they left, Ling Luochen kept glancing back at Jiang Shengyu from time to time.
Her behavior did not escape Xuan Zi and the elders' notice.
Once the others had gone, Xuan Zi said to Jiang Shengyu:
"Shengyu, come with us to the Sea God Pavilion."
Xiao Hongchen immediately stepped in front of Jiang Shengyu, frowning at the elders.
"What for? Planning to gang up on him?"
"You brat, don't be so defensive!" Elder Song glared at him. "There's simply something we need his cooperation with. With so many ninth-level soul tools on him, who could possibly harm him?"
Xiao Hongchen muttered under his breath: "Who knows what shady tricks you might pull. If—"
Before he could finish, Meng Hongchen stepped forward, patting his shoulder.
"Brother! Enough. Don't misunderstand the elders. That's enough."
Xiao Hongchen glanced at her, then fell silent.
Jiang Shengyu cupped his hands politely.
"May I ask, seniors, what you require of me?"
From the side, Poison Undying spoke coldly:
"Just come along. You'll know soon enough."
"So it was Your Majesty, the Body Sect Master." Jiang Shengyu clasped his hands again in feigned courtesy, his tone mocking. "I didn't recognize you earlier. My apologies."
Poison Undying: "…"
This brat was mocking him!
The aftermath of the match was left to Cai Meier and Xian Lin'er to handle, while Xuan Zi and the elders escorted Jiang Shengyu back to the Sea God Pavilion. There, they surrounded him in a circle, the atmosphere heavy—like an interrogation.
Poison Undying said sternly:
"Brat, release your hundred-thousand-year soul ring!"
Jiang Shengyu, facing Poison Undying's grave expression, showed not the slightest sign of panic. Calmly, he released the ring. The oppressive blood-red glow reflected off his tranquil features.
Among those present, only Xuan Zi and Poison Undying possessed hundred-thousand-year soul rings. The rest of the elders had ninth rings of merely ten-thousand-year grade. Even within Shrek Academy, those capable of bearing a hundred-thousand-year ring were exceedingly rare.
If not for this, why would Mu En have once offered a hundred-thousand-year ring as bait to recruit Jiang Qingtong?
Gazing at the pulsing crimson, Poison Undying asked coldly:
"Brat, are you a savage beast in human form?"
At that, Jiang Shengyu's expression turned strange.
"Senior, that's a truly high-level question. If I really were a beast in human form, and you asked me so directly, would I be stupid enough to admit it? Besides, whether I'm a beast or not—surely you Title Douluo seniors can tell for yourselves?"
Xuan Zi nodded.
"Indeed. There is no trace of a soul beast's aura on him."
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