I swear to
Ma Hongjun couldn't help but curse aloud.
Just when he thought he'd caught a break after being suppressed by Yu Tianlong's spirit advantage, now someone else had stepped in—and this guy was Level 46?
Meanwhile, Ma Hongjun himself was only at Level 35.
A soul power gap of eleven levels—unless the opponent was a total idiot, there was no need to even debate the outcome.
The Dragon-Marked Soul-Piercing Spear was a deep, inky black, its surface etched with golden dragon runes that flashed faintly like sparks before vanishing. The foot-long spear blade alone radiated an intimidating aura.
And as for Yang Dianfeng, just standing there with the spear in hand gave off a profound feeling of man and weapon fused into one.
Hell no. This guy doesn't look like a fool at all.
Liu Erlong sighed and said, "Fatty, come back."
She turned toward Yang Dianfeng with a frown. "You're probably around eighteen already, aren't you?"
Yang Dianfeng gave a respectful nod. "Just under a month away from turning eighteen."
"Humph." Liu Erlong snorted coldly. "But Ma Hongjun is still under fourteen."
Her meaning was clear—the massive gap in soul power came from a clear age difference. A match like this wasn't fair.
Chen Feng tilted his head slightly, feigning confusion. "I heard from Teacher Li Yusong that Shrek Academy is aiming to win the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament?"
Liu Erlong nodded. "That's correct."
Chen Feng's expression remained neutral. "Then surely you know that the official age limit for that tournament is twenty-five years old, right?"
Liu Erlong's face darkened instantly.
Chen Feng didn't spell it out, but his implication was painfully obvious:
If you think an eighteen-year-old is too old, what are you going to do when you're facing twenty-somethings in the tournament?
A cold sneer appeared on his face. Not long ago, Ning Rongrong's decision to leave Shrek had drawn dissatisfaction from the academy. They tried to guilt-trip her using the upcoming tournament as an excuse.
Now, Chen Feng had finally seized the chance to give Shrek a taste of their own medicine.
"Championship contender"? Don't be ridiculous.
If you can't even beat us, how are you going to win a continental title?
Without the enhancement of immortal-grade herbs to elevate their martial spirits, these so-called "monsters" of Shrek were noticeably lacking in power. At this rate, even reaching the top three in the tournament would be a challenge.
Chen Feng spoke again:
"As I said before, I only came to Shrek Academy today for two reasons. One, to accompany Ning Rongrong in officially withdrawing.
Two, to teach your so-called little monsters a proper lesson."
He gestured politely.
"If you're still unconvinced, feel free to continue the matches."
"Outrageous!"
A wave of protests erupted across the training grounds. The students and teachers around them burst into angry shouts and curses.
"Who do you think you are? A few duels prove nothing! Dare to fight in a team battle?"
"Using age to bully others? Shameless!"
"Stick around, let Tang San come back and deal with you!"
The complaints were like crashing waves—loud, chaotic, and relentless.
Chen Feng remained unfazed, smiling faintly as he stepped forward a few paces.
"If that's not enough, how about this?
Let Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun all come at me together—I'll take them all on."
That instantly sent the crowd into a frenzy of outrage. The teachers and students were about to retort when a thunderous voice, empowered by soul force, rang out from the distance:
"Enough arrogance, brat. We're here!"
Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Yu Xiaogang arrived together.
Trailing behind them, Tang San and Xiao Wu had also returned just in time.
Yu Xiaogang's face was grim as he stepped forward first, anger flashing in his eyes.
"Such arrogance at your age. Didn't your elders ever teach you humility?"
Chen Feng blinked innocently and replied:
"Arrogance? With all due respect, senior—how exactly have I been arrogant?"
"We're all soul masters of the same generation, engaging in a fair match. What's wrong with that?"
"Isn't 'Don't be afraid to provoke trouble' one of Shrek's mottos?
So why is it suddenly unacceptable when someone else plays by that same rule?"
His questions came in rapid succession, rendering Yu Xiaogang momentarily speechless. After thinking carefully, the elder found himself unable to provide a proper rebuttal.
Yu Xiaogang finally adjusted his tone.
"Perhaps I overreacted. Now that our remaining students have returned, I ask—would you still like to continue the match?"
"Of course," Chen Feng said, nodding slightly. He glanced briefly at Tang San, then toward Zhao Wuji, giving them both a respectful nod.
Regardless of their current positions, they were once acquaintances—it was only right to show proper manners.
Zhao Wuji let out a complicated sigh.
"Chen Feng, long time no see. Never thought you'd come to Shrek to challenge us, huh?"
Chen Feng replied, "To be honest, this all started because of a moment of frustration. My main goal in coming here was to support Rongrong's withdrawal. After all, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has now opened its academy, led by its direct bloodline. Tell me, how could she not join?"
Zhao Wuji smacked his lips.
Yeah… if your father's starting a school, how can anyone reasonably stop you from attending it?
Chen Feng continued, "But when we brought it up, your teachers tried to use the tournament and championship prospects to morally pressure her. That's what sparked all this."
Naturally, that wasn't the full truth.
Chen Feng had come here purely to pick a fight.
But of course, he couldn't say that out loud.
Much better to blame the other side—it gives him the moral high ground.
Tang San finally stepped forward to mediate.
"A friendly match is fine, but let's not ruin relationships over it."
He even gave Chen Feng a warm smile.
From Tang San's perspective, Chen Feng had once done him a favor. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gifted him a storage belt—even if it was just a copy.
Yu Xiaogang thought for a moment and said:
"Let's settle it like this.
Tang San will represent Shrek, and Chen Feng will represent your team.
One-on-one sparring match. Does that sound fair?"
He looked at both Chen Feng and Liu Erlong, then at Flender, seeking confirmation.
"No problem."
Both sides nodded in agreement.
Tang San was the strongest among the Shrek Seven Devils. If even he couldn't win a solo match, there'd be no point in sending anyone else.
Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"Then it's settled. Tang San, enter the field. Everyone else, stand back!"
The match was officially on.
Chen Feng's heart pounded in his chest. He took several deep breaths to calm himself.
This would be his first real duel with Tang San.
After all, the boy would one day ascend to godhood. How could Chen Feng not feel some degree of pressure?
Fortunately, at this point, Tang San had only applied soul rings to his Blue Silver Grass. Meanwhile, Chen Feng wielded the Seven Kill Sword—a martial spirit that was naturally strong against plant types.
So on paper, he held the advantage.
Both men stepped onto the field.
At Yu Xiaogang's signal—"Begin!"—they activated their martial spirits at once.
With a flash of blue light, the Seven Kill Sword manifested in Chen Feng's hand.
As expected, Tang San summoned Blue Silver Grass.
The vibrant glow of their martial spirits lit up the arena in unison.
Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Black.
Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black.
To everyone's surprise, both of their fourth soul rings were black, signifying ten-thousand-year soul rings!