"Then let this be a private challenge from me to you. Do you dare accept it?" Shi Yu asked persistently.
He looked provocatively at Xu Sanshi—this was someone who needed to be pushed.
"What's there to be afraid of? If you've got the ability, fight me with your full strength," Xu Sanshi shot back confidently.
Shi Yu narrowed his eyes. "So you mean you won't suppress your soul power?"
"My soul power was earned through my own cultivation. Why should I suppress it to your level just to fight you?" Xu Sanshi replied matter-of-factly.
He knew well that Shi Yu's spatial abilities were tricky. If they were at the same level, he'd actually be at a disadvantage. He wasn't stupid enough to fall for that.
"Fair enough. Then we'll fight with our own power—whoever gives up and admits they're a turtle bastard loses," Shi Yu agreed.
Xu Sanshi looked at him in disbelief. "You really want to fight me with your current power?"
He was a four-ring Soul Ancestor, while Shi Yu was only a two-ring Grand Soul Master—two whole ranks apart. That meant almost a 20-level gap in soul power. And Shi Yu still dared to challenge him?
Xu Sanshi couldn't help feeling that Shi Yu might be out of his mind. He was also getting annoyed—this kind of underestimation was truly frustrating. He was itching to slam Shi Yu into the ground.
"Scared, are you?" Shi Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Don't talk nonsense. If you've got the guts, then of course I do too. Just don't come running and panicking in the middle of the fight. If that's the case, then there's no point in even starting," Xu Sanshi said irritably.
"Since you're not scared, let's find a place and fight now," Shi Yu said, clearly losing patience.
"Do you think I don't exist?" an angry voice suddenly interrupted. Yan Shaozhe's tone was cold and authoritative.
He released some of his aura, immediately silencing both Shi Yu and Xu Sanshi. They shrank back, not daring to utter another word.
"What is the meaning of all this? Are you ignoring the academy's rules?" Yan Shaozhe scolded sternly. He was clearly upset.
He had hoped to mediate between them and smooth things over. But instead, the two had only deepened their conflict. This level of hostility could easily turn into a deadly grudge.
Both Shi Yu and Xu Sanshi stayed silent.
"I think their idea isn't that bad," a lazy voice interrupted before Yan Shaozhe could continue lecturing.
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice—just outside the office.
An old man appeared in their view, dressed casually—almost sloppily—and gnawing on a chicken leg.
"Mr. Xuan?" Shi Yu recognized him instantly.
The man's disheveled look and love for chicken legs were unmistakable. Only one person matched that image: the Gluttonous Douluo, Mr. Xuan.
Yan Shaozhe's respectful bow confirmed Shi Yu's guess. "Mr. Xuan."
Director Du and Zhang Lexuan quickly followed, greeting him as well.
Shi Yu immediately stood and bowed too.
"Hmm," Mr. Xuan nodded casually, wiping his mouth with his sleeve after finishing the chicken leg. Then he turned to Shi Yu and Xu Sanshi with a smile that made Shi Yu feel a bit uneasy.
"Your suggestion's pretty good. I can seal Xu Sanshi's soul power down to your level so the two of you can fight fair and square," Mr. Xuan said.
"But after the fight, the grudge ends. No holding onto resentment—agreed?" he added offhandedly.
Xu Sanshi's expression shifted, but he didn't dare object. He knew exactly how terrifying Mr. Xuan could be.
Yan Shaozhe didn't speak either—if Mr. Xuan had made a decision, there was no way he would go against it.
Shi Yu paused to consider before saying, "Alright—but I want the fight to continue until the loser admits he's a turtle bastard."
Having Xu Sanshi's soul power sealed to his own level would basically give him the upper hand. Shi Yu was planning to enjoy this and vent all his pent-up anger.
Mr. Xuan laughed. "Kid, you really hold a grudge."
"If he had really killed that soul beast back then, I might never have found a suitable one for my second ring," Shi Yu said bluntly. "Space-attributed soul beasts are rare—you all know that better than I do."
"And the difference between getting a compatible ring and an incompatible one is huge. He never had any reason to do that to me. I never provoked him, yet he treated me like an enemy. How could I not hold a grudge?"
"You've been chasing Nan Nan nonstop. Isn't that provoking me?" Xu Sanshi snapped.
"My relationship with Sister Nan Nan is between me and her. If she thinks I'm harassing her, that's up to her—not you."
"Her attitude toward me is friendly. Toward you, she's cold and avoids you like the plague. You have no right to say I'm the one harassing her, let alone try to drive me away because of her."
Zhang Lexuan stepped in at the right moment. "Jiang Nannan's behavior toward Shi Yu is indeed friendly—more so than toward Xu Sanshi. With Xu Sanshi, she's rather distant and even repelled."
She wasn't taking sides—it was just an objective fact. Anyone who spent time around them would see the difference.
"I'm not harassing her!" Xu Sanshi argued. "Nan Nan is my future wife. What's wrong with me being persistent?"
"So it's a fight over a girl, huh?" Mr. Xuan said with a chuckle.
"No matter what the conflict is, let's just settle it with a proper match. Once it's over, let it all go—agreed?"
"I have no problem with that," Shi Yu said immediately.
"I do!" Xu Sanshi protested. "Can't I just fight him normally?"
"Are you seriously asking that?" Mr. Xuan looked down on him.
"I gained my strength through hard training—what's wrong with using it? Suppressing my soul power isn't fair," Xu Sanshi argued shamelessly.
"You've really got no shame," Mr. Xuan chuckled.
Shi Yu couldn't be bothered to keep arguing. "If he insists, then fine. Let's fight without suppressing soul power—just skill against skill."
"You sure?" Mr. Xuan confirmed.
"Yes."
Mr. Xuan nodded, a flicker of interest in his eyes. "Alright, then. Fight until one of you admits he's a turtle bastard."
Neither of them objected. They stared at each other, electricity almost crackling in the air between them.
Half an hour later, in the academy's special battle arena.
The news of the fight had already spread, and many outer court students came to watch. Both participants were well-known figures.
Xu Sanshi, of course, was one of the top talents in the outer court. Alongside Beibei, he was known as one of the Twin Stars—a testament to his strength and potential.
Shi Yu, on the other hand, became famous precisely because of Xu Sanshi. Fighting him when he was only a level-10 Soul Master had made Shi Yu's name explode.
Not to mention, he had even revealed soul bones—something that instantly drew attention across the outer court. Even senior students knew who he was now.
"Why is Xu Sanshi fighting Shi Yu again?" Tang Ya asked as she approached Beibei, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong.
Beibei could only sigh and explain the deeper grudge between Shi Yu and Xu Sanshi.