Chen Jin, who was just about to turn and leave, froze. He slowly looked back, his gaze falling upon Du Qingyuan. He had not expected this youth to actually dare to stop him.
The pressure belonging to a Spirit Saint rose silently like an undercurrent, and the surrounding air suddenly stagnated, turning into an invisible giant wave that pressed down toward Du Qingyuan's head. Although Du Qingyuan possessed outstanding natural talent, he was currently only a four-ring Spirit Ancestor after all, with a chasm of over thirty levels separating him from a Spirit Saint. Facing such an overwhelming crushing aura, his heart trembled uncontrollably, and fear born of instinct welled up involuntarily. Yet his feet remained rooted to the spot, his back held straight, never retreating even half a step.
Right at that moment, Huo Yuhao, who was by his side, took a step forward, shielding Du Qingyuan steadily behind him. The mental force of the Spirit Sea Realm surged out like a tide, transforming into a flexible and vast barrier that met Chen Jin's Spirit Saint-level pressure head-on.
Buzz!
The two invisible forces collided in mid-air. Huo Yuhao's figure did not budge an inch; he actually managed to firmly withstand the Spirit Saint's aura! Du Qingyuan's pupils constricted slightly. From the brief exchange just now, he knew Huo Yuhao was definitely not simple; those three ten thousand year spirit rings had already explained everything. But he never expected that Huo Yuhao would truly be able to block a Spirit Saint's pressure.
Chen Jin's brow twitched, and a hint of surprise flashed in the depths of his eyes. The strength Huo Yuhao displayed at this moment had already exceeded his normal understanding of a genius. Curiosity couldn't help but rise in his heart; he wanted to see just how far this youth could hold out. And just how much stronger was he compared to those favored children of heaven from Shrek behind him?
The Thunder-Fire Glazed Lamp emerged in his palm once more, its purple-gold flame light flowing eerily. Seven spirit rings rose in sequence, and the pressure, like layers of dark clouds, began to bear down on Huo Yuhao in an even more solid form. A faint sound of spirit power friction came from the air, as if invisible strings were being tightened inch by inch.
Facing the ever-increasing pressure, Huo Yuhao's expression remained calm. He even had the strength left to look up and speak, his voice clear: "Is Senior going to take action against us?"
Chen Jin snorted coldly. "I wouldn't go so far as to personally attack two juniors." His voice paused slightly as his gaze swept over the two of them. "However, today I shall teach you a principle... When facing those who are stronger, one should harbor reverence in their heart. After all, many people in this world will not speak to you of rules or reason."
After finishing his sentence, a sharp light flashed in Chen Jin's eyes, and his spirit power output suddenly intensified! An even more majestic and solid pressure surged toward Huo Yuhao and Du Qingyuan like raging waves hitting the shore. That aura almost transformed into visible distorted ripples, and the air let out a low groan as it became overburdened.
A flash of worry appeared in Du Qingyuan's eyes, and cold sweat had already seeped into his palms. But right then, Huo Yuhao suddenly smiled. The smile was very faint, but it made Chen Jin's heart skip a beat for some reason.
In the next instant, the vast pressure released by Chen Jin vanished instantly. This, naturally, was not something Huo Yuhao could have achieved. Almost simultaneously, a voice as cold as an icy spring drifted in from an unknown location.
"What you said makes a lot of sense."
Chen Jin's expression changed drastically! A terrifying aura far exceeding his Spirit Saint Realm had already pressed down like an invisible mountain. He didn't even have time to make any reaction... Bang!
His knees buckled, and Chen Jin fell heavily to his knees on the ground. The bluestone slabs beneath him shattered upon impact, and spiderweb-like cracks spread out as stone fragments flew! Chen Jin struggled to raise his head, his gaze scanning the surroundings like a hawk, trying to capture a trace of the person who had acted.
At the same time, his thoughts raced, and he secretly cursed himself for wasting his breath just now! This place was, after all, the Wanxing City Spirit Pagoda's jurisdiction; the one suppressing him right now was likely a powerhouse from the Spirit Pagoda. And that cold voice from just now... he actually found it somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.
Just as this thought flashed through his mind, the light and shadows in the area suddenly wavered. Two figures appeared beside Huo Yuhao, seemingly condensing out of thin air without a sound.
Chen Jin's pupils constricted violently! He recognized one of them—that signature long red hair, that face as cold as frost and snow, and the vast aura around her that remained heart-palpitating even when deliberately restrained. It was the Spirit Pagoda's Vice Tower Master, the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, Leng Yaozhu.
Cold sweat instantly soaked through his clothes, and Chen Jin felt his heart thumping wildly in his chest. This person... why would she appear in Wanxing City?!
The reason Huo Yuhao was so fearless was naturally not due to blind confidence. No matter how extraordinary his talent was, it was impossible for him to confront a Spirit Saint head-on at this stage. The real reason was that his Mental Detection had already perceived that Leng Yaozhu was nearby.
From the start of the conflict until now, there had been quite a disturbance, yet no Spirit Pagoda patrol had appeared. This was precisely because Tower Master Lin Feng had already secretly given the order. The middle-aged man standing side-by-side with Leng Yaozhu at this moment was the Wanxing City Spirit Pagoda Tower Master, Lin Feng. His broad palm patted Du Qingyuan's shoulder, and his eyes showed approval. "Good lad, you didn't disgrace the Spirit Pagoda."
Seeing his teacher arrive in person, Du Qingyuan's tense nerves finally relaxed, and a smile unique to a youth appeared on his face. Leng Yaozhu's gaze swept over Huo Yuhao, and then she took a step forward. The majestic pressure belonging to a Titled Douluo pressed down again like an invisible mountain, three times heavier than before. The spirit power in the air seemed to freeze instantly, and even the light became stagnant.
"Shrek Academy is truly becoming more and more arrogant." Her voice was cold as she said word by word, "Do you not even place my Spirit Pagoda in your eyes anymore?" Her gaze dropped, falling upon Chen Jin, who was kneeling on the ground. "You are but a Spirit Saint. Do you really think... you are also Yun Ming?"
Chen Jin's head, which he had barely managed to raise, was forced back down by this pressure. Veins bulged on his temples, and cold sweat slid down from his sideburns like rain. He didn't dare to hesitate for a moment, hurriedly defending himself: "Her Excellency Heavenly Phoenix, please forgive me! We had absolutely no intention of offending! Just now... it was Chen's slip of the tongue and loss of composure. I hope you can be magnanimous!"
Faced with superior power, Chen Jin's attitude instantly took a hundred-and-eighty-degree turn. However, Leng Yaozhu's next words made his heart sink abruptly. "I just said that what you said was quite right." Her voice remained calm, yet every word was like a blade. "Many people indeed will not speak to you of rules or reason. So now, what will you do?"
Chen Jin trembled all over. His mind raced to calculate, but he could find no way to break the deadlock. He could only fiercely curse Li Luo and the others in his heart for acting so recklessly and causing such a disaster. After a long while, having no other options, he could only speak hoarsely: "Her Excellency Heavenly Phoenix, please... for the sake of the many years of friendship between Shrek and the Spirit Pagoda..."
Before he could finish, he was calmly interrupted by Leng Yaozhu: "The Spirit Pagoda and Shrek do indeed have a friendship, but you do not represent Shrek. Naturally, this friendship does not apply to you."
Chen Jin's face turned deathly pale in an instant.
"The Spirit Pagoda will negotiate this matter with Shrek Academy itself. During this time, you shall remain in Wanxing City. Wait for Shrek Academy to come and collect you in person."
As her voice fell, the fate of Chen Jin and his four students was already sealed. The terrifying pressure weighing on him suddenly relaxed. Chen Jin looked up staggeringly, only to see a team of enforcers in standard Spirit Pagoda uniforms silently surrounding them, their expressions cold and their spirit power flickering. He knew that from this moment on, he and his four disciples had become prisoners of the Wanxing City Spirit Pagoda.
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