Scolding Xuanzi, Xuanzi's True Purpose
Xuanzi could naturally hear the sarcasm hidden in Yuhao's laughter. His originally calm face instantly darkened, and his eyes turned cold as he said in a deep voice:
"Boy, what are you laughing at?"
"I'm laughing at your short-sightedness," Yuhao replied calmly. "I'm laughing at how you can't recognize gold and jade even when they're right in front of you."
Even when facing Xuanzi, a level ninety-eight Super Douluo known as Taotie Douluo, Yuhao showed no intention of giving him any face.
Jin Peng and Lang Ya, who were standing to the side, were both stunned upon hearing this, not to mention Xuanzi himself.
"Do you even know what you're talking about?" Xuanzi said coldly, his voice filled with pressure.
"Of course I know," Yuhao replied without hesitation.
He tilted his head slightly and continued indifferently:
"You want to recruit me just by offering a mere position as a core disciple of the outer academy. Is that how highly you think of your Shrek Academy?"
"Shrek Academy is the number one academy on the continent," Xuanzi immediately retorted. "I don't need you to belittle it."
"The number one academy?"
Yuhao sneered openly and said with undisguised disdain, "You think Shrek deserves that title?"
Whether Shrek Academy was worthy or not was not something a junior could decide. Xuanzi snorted coldly and said:
"That's not for you to judge. The fact is that our Shrek Academy has cultivated countless outstanding talents for the entire Douluo Continent."
Xuanzi's tone was filled with pride. As he said, Shrek Academy had indeed produced generations of elites, and this was the foundation of its prestige.
However, to Yuhao, these words only sounded even more ridiculous.
"Haha," Yuhao laughed softly. "Who on the continent doesn't know that Shrek Academy only recruits monster-level geniuses? You don't accept civilians, nor do you give ordinary soul masters any chance."
"Taking already outstanding geniuses and polishing them into elites—any academy can do that."
"And yet, you shamelessly claim all of that as Shrek's credit. It really reminds me of one word—disgusting."
The moment these words fell, Xuanzi fell silent.
But the gaze he cast at Yuhao was filled with undisguised killing intent.
Yuhao had clearly struck right at Shrek Academy's deepest pain point.
However, Yuhao ignored that pressure completely and continued speaking:
"Training geniuses into stronger geniuses isn't real ability. Training ordinary people into geniuses—that's true capability."
"In this regard, Shrek Academy isn't even comparable to Spirit Hall ten thousand years ago. At the very least, Spirit Hall gave civilian children the opportunity to awaken their martial souls for free."
"But Shrek Academy? You've completely cut off the survival path of civilian soul masters."
"If I had to evaluate it," Yuhao said coldly, "Shrek is nothing more than a group of hypocrites obsessed with reputation."
By this point, Yuhao was no longer mocking—he was openly scolding.
Even with Xuanzi's cultivation and age, his face turned red with rage. Veins bulged on his arms as terrifying soul power surged outward.
"You ignorant brat!" Xuanzi roared. "You dare insult Shrek Academy—are you courting death?!"
Jin Peng and Lang Ya had been secretly pleased while listening to Yuhao criticize Shrek Academy. After all, they had never had a good impression of Shrek.
In their eyes, Shrek Academy was merely a gathering place for top talents who were attracted by its reputation.
If these same talents were placed in the Noumenon Sect or other great forces, they would still achieve the same accomplishments—perhaps even greater ones.
However, neither of them expected Xuanzi to actually lose his composure and attack a junior.
At that moment, Golden Body Douluo Jin Peng reacted instantly. Golden light burst forth from his entire body, covering him in a layer of dazzling brilliance as if he had transformed into a golden statue.
Clang!
A deafening sound rang out as Jin Peng raised his palm and blocked Xuanzi's fist.
The collision between fist and palm unleashed a violent shockwave. Tiles on the ground shattered and flew into the air, while nearby pedestrians were forced to retreat in panic.
Yet Yuhao and Lang Ya, who stood behind Jin Peng, were completely unaffected.
"Xuanzi," Jin Peng said coldly, "for you to attack a junior—haven't you lived your life in reverse?"
"Hmph," Xuanzi snorted. "This brat insulted Shrek Academy. As an elder, am I not qualified to discipline him?"
"Yuhao is a member of my Noumenon Sect," Jin Peng replied angrily. "If anyone is going to discipline him, it should be me. Who do you think you are?"
As he spoke, Jin Peng's anger surged.
"And I don't think there was anything wrong with what he said."
"Old Jin," Xuanzi shouted furiously, terrifying pressure erupting from his body, "are you trying to start a war?"
Jin Peng showed no fear at all and replied calmly:
"If you want to fight, I'm not afraid. But if you have the guts, take it outside the city. I don't want tens of millions of people in Tiandou City to die because of our battle."
Titled Douluo possessed destructive power capable of shaking heaven and earth—let alone Super Douluo like them.
Once they truly clashed, Tiandou City would be reduced to ruins.
"Fine," Xuanzi said coldly. "Let's go."
He agreed immediately.
Although Jin Peng's cultivation was slightly lower than Xuanzi's, his confidence remained unwavering. He turned to Lang Ya and Yuhao and said:
"You two stay here. I'll go—"
Before he could finish speaking, Yuhao's pupils shrank violently as he shouted:
"Careful!"
Xuanzi seized the instant Jin Peng turned around and launched a sneak attack.
Although Yuhao's warning was timely, Xuanzi's speed was far too fast. Before Jin Peng could fully react, a palm imbued with terrifying soul power struck directly into his back.
Puff!
This was a full-force strike from a level ninety-eight Super Douluo with a divine beast martial soul. Completely unprepared, Jin Peng spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot.
"Xuanzi, you're shameless!" Jin Peng roared.
He attempted to circulate his soul power, but the moment it surged, his throat tightened. With a "wa" sound, he spat out another mouthful of blood.
Taking advantage of this opening, Xuanzi struck Lang Ya away with a palm, then grabbed Yuhao and immediately retreated.
"Old Jin," Xuanzi said coldly, "don't blame me. I will never let this child fall into the hands of your Noumenon Sect."
After leaving behind those words, his figure flickered several times before disappearing completely from Jin Peng's sight.
"Ah! Damn it!"
Jin Peng was furious beyond measure. Without even checking on Lang Ya's condition, he forcibly suppressed his injuries and chased after Xuanzi.
...
On the other side, Yuhao hadn't expected that after failing to recruit him, Xuanzi would actually resort to abducting him.
He had already made his stance clear—he would never join Shrek Academy.
Didn't Xuanzi understand that forced melons were never sweet?
As Yuhao pondered this, Xuanzi led him southward at full speed, eventually stopping at the edge of the Star Dou Forest.
"Hmm?"
Seeing Xuanzi halt, Yuhao raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at the endless primeval forest before him. With no trace of human presence around, he immediately understood Xuanzi's intention.
"Haha," Yuhao laughed softly. "So this is what a so-called righteous elder is like."
Xuanzi was unaware of Yuhao's thoughts. He turned around calmly, his face devoid of the previous rage, as if nothing had happened.
"Boy," he said flatly, "I'll ask you one last time. Are you willing to join Shrek Academy? As long as you agree, I can forget everything you said earlier."
"Not joining," Yuhao replied decisively.
Even without Jin Peng by his side, Yuhao showed no fear toward the Super Douluo before him.
Yuhao's firm attitude instantly angered Xuanzi. However, after thinking of something, he forcibly suppressed his rage and said:
"You really don't know what's good for you. Do you know what kind of existence the Noumenon Sect is?"
"They are a group that will never give up until they achieve their goals. Every time they emerge, they stir up storms across the entire continent."
"If you join them, there will be no good ending."
"I rescued you today, yet you don't appreciate it."
"Rescue me?" Yuhao sneered. "Do you really think I'm as foolish as you?"
"With my talent, once I join the Noumenon Sect, I'll be treated as a core disciple. In the future, I may even become the Young Sect Master."
"Do you really think my ending would be miserable?"
Xuanzi's face was unbelievably thick-skinned. Even after being exposed so directly, he showed no embarrassment at all and said stiffly:
"You don't understand, I—"
Yuhao cut him off impatiently.
"Enough," Yuhao said coldly. "Don't think I don't know why you brought me to this deserted Star Dou Forest."
"If you want to make a move, then stop wasting time and do it."