"Wait — we're Shrek students. We only attacked because of the assessment. We didn't mean any harm."
Seeing Yu Longheng fell into a rather strange silence, Ning Yue panicked. She mustered her courage, looked up, and said: "Fellow students — and that uncle over there — I'll compensate you for your losses afterward!"
What on earth was going on?
That blue-eyed boy had only looked at them once why had Longheng become stiff and unable to move?
It was simply unbelievable!
"Shrek?" Xie Xie paused, his expression strange. "You're Shrek students?"
"My martial soul is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!" Ning Yue raised the seven-story pagoda in her hand. "I'm a member of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. You must have heard the legend of our ancestor Ning Rongrong. That should serve as proof."
Xie Xie glanced at Gu Yuena, then looked at Ning Yue, his expression growing stranger. "You're both about fourteen years old, right? As Shrek students, you're only Spirit Elders?"
Leaving aside a freak like Boss Huo, by the time Sister Na reached that age, she would at least be a Spirit Ancestor—if not already a Soul King.
A fourteen-year-old Spirit Elder?
Even before entering the Spirit Transmission Tower, she could have achieved that.
On top of that, with Shrek Academy's absurd assessment system, Xie Xie suddenly felt as though his previous assumptions had completely shattered.
Wei Xiaofeng wanted to enter Shrek… hopefully, he'd be alright.
The corner of Ning Yue's mouth twitched slightly. She couldn't help but feel that this kid was subtly mocking their level of cultivation.
What was wrong with being a Spirit Elder at this age?
Was that so bad?
And if Longheng had wanted to, he could have advanced to Spirit Ancestor long ago. He was just precipitating to absorb a ten-thousand-year spirit ring for his fourth spirit ring.
But she didn't have the heart to argue about this. She simply asked: "Do you believe our identities now? Can you let us go?"
Xie Xie shrugged. "Too late. I've already told the law enforcement team big brother. And shouldn't compensation be given now? This uncle and I were beaten up pretty badly by you two. You weren't thinking of just leaving, were you?"
Actually, after seeing the two frightened by a single look from Huo Yuhao, his anger had mostly subsided. The key was this innocent uncle who had been electrocuted... Speaking of which, this uncle really was weak. He had thought earlier that he was in cahoots with these two to scam people.
This...
Ning Yue looked at the middle-aged man lying in the corner. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Seeing this, Xie Xie's expression changed. He said coldly: "You weren't really thinking of leaving, were you? According to Federation law, if a spirit master injures someone without justifiable self-defense, minor causing injuries, they can be fined or detained. For serious injury or death — imprisonment! Do you want to be locked up?"
In cultural class, Teacher Luo Yanglu had taught them the most about following Federation law. He had memorized those spirit masters until he was dizzy.
He hadn't expected to use it now.
If you hit someone and don't pay compensation or take responsibility, then we'll just follow Federation law. Who cares about your assessment?
Ning Yue: "..."
Fined? Detained? Imprisoned?
They had had all their belongings taken away. The money they had earned along the way was just enough to get by they didn't have much! And they couldn't be detained here, otherwise, they would run out of time for the assessment!
Ning Yue was anxious.
She was just an auxiliary system spirit master, not a match for a battle spirit master. She was relying on Yu Longheng. Now that he seemed to have lost his combat ability, she was completely helpless.
It seemed her only hope was for her teacher to intervene. But even by the time the law enforcement team arrived, Shen Yi still hadn't appeared. Ning Yue gave up hope.
"I suppose so. If the teacher intervened, our assessment would be a failure. What would be the point?" Ning Yue sighed, feeling inwardly annoyed.
If not for that blue-eyed boy and the black-haired girl, they would have been long gone. She wouldn't have to pray for her teacher's help.
But contrary to Ning Yue's thinking, it wasn't that Shen Yi was unwilling to intervene. Rather, from the moment Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena had arrived, she had been locked by a powerful spiritual force.
She frowned and observed, eventually reaching an answer that filled her with disbelief.
This Spirit Abyss realm spiritual power was emanating from Huo Yuhao!
The Spirit Abyss realm — that was usually a realm only Title Douluos reached. Even for those peerless geniuses, they would need to be at the Soul Sage level. How could this young man possibly have it...
The always calm and composed Shen Yi stared at Huo Yuhao, her heart in turmoil.
A ten-year-old with the Spirit Abyss realm — had such an existence ever existed in all of Federation history?
Just as Shen Yi was losing focus, the law enforcement team members quickly arrived. It was too late for her to intervene. She could only watch
as Yu Longheng and Ning Yue were taken away by the law enforcement team.
Among them, Yu Longheng's steps were heavy, as if he was still immersed in the shock of earlier.
Just at the moment when he was about to pass by Huo Yuhao, Yu Longheng suddenly looked up. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
He turned his head, his gaze like a blade stabbing toward Huo Yuhao. "Eighth on the Junior Genius Rankings — Huo Yuhao — I'll remember you! The humiliation of today — I will return it in the future."
Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow.
Why did he feel like he was the villain?
Oh, right — in the Dragon King version, the Spirit Transmission Tower did play the villain's role.
"The Junior Genius Rankings? What's that?" Xie Xie glanced at the departing Yu Longheng, didn't care about his words, and looked curiously at Huo Yuhao.
He wasn't a match for Boss Yuhao now. He never would be.
Huo Yuhao explained: "A ranking established by the Spirit Transmission Tower, facing the entire Federation. It includes spirit masters under the age of eighteen, ranking them based on spirit power level, potential, and secondary professions."
The strength of spirit masters in Eastsea was in the second tier of the entire Federation. People didn't pay much attention to the Continental Rankings and its sub-rankings. After all, they had nothing to do with Eastsea City — no locals had ever made the list. So Xie Xie really didn't know.
Xie Xie's eyes lit up. "That guy just said you're number eight, Boss. That means your talent is in the top ten in the entire Federation? As expected of you!"
At this point, Xie Xie thought of something and suddenly looked at Gu Yuena.
"Sister Na — are you on it too?"
"Thirteenth."
Gu Yuena faintly, didn't say much more. Her gaze turned to the middle-aged man who had long since woken up but hadn't left. She exchanged a glance with Huo Yuhao and transmitted privately.
"Yuhao — he's Emperor Tian's deputy assigned to Bear Lord, the deputy tower master of the Tiandou branch. A Title Douluo."
"Yes — I probably guessed his identity. He should be the one Xie Xie mentioned today, the teacher teaching him. Quite an... interesting person."
A Title Douluo, defeated by Yu Longheng, a Spirit Elder. A Spirit Elder defeating a Title Douluo — the latter could brag about that for a lifetime.
Huo Yuhao thought this. He withdrew his spiritual power, which had been restraining Shen Yi, looked at the middle-aged man in the corner, and transmitted to Gu Yuena: "Let's go. He's probably here to see Xie Xie."
With that, Huo Yuhao said to Xie Xie: "If you save a person, save them all the way. Want to take this uncle to a healing spirit master?"
"Sure." Xie Xie had no objection. He walked over and grabbed the "bewildered" uncle, leading him away. "Uncle — I'll take you to get checked out."
Liang Xiaoyu looked at him, somewhat speechless.
This prospective disciple wasn't very bright. He had clearly heard his voice before, yet he still hadn't realized what was happening. Today, he had wanted to meet Xie Xie, his trainee disciple, and test him by the way. He hadn't expected to run into Shrek students cornering someone near the Spirit Transmission Tower. He couldn't just pretend not to see them and let them fight near the Spirit Transmission Tower.
So, he had planned to pretend to be a Spirit Ancestor and give these little punks a bit of a lesson, as well as invite them to the Spirit Transmission Tower for "tea" — to keep them from causing trouble for others.
But Xie Xie had arrived, so he hadn't rushed to act. He wanted to see this prospective disciple's character and ability. The rest, well, was already known.
"This kid's responses were too poor. If not for his companions being strong enough, he would have been in for more than just a little shock. Still needs training training."
Liang Xiaoyu thought to himself.
Just then, Xie Xie smiled. "Uncle — how come you're so weak? A Spirit Ancestor couldn't even take one hit from a Spirit Elder?"
"Anyway — getting shocked like that, the little hair you have left on your head is probably going to fall out even more. And it wasn't much to begin with. What are you going to do now?"
Liang Xiaoyu: "..."
This mouth was so nasty. Suddenly, he didn't want to take this disciple anymore.
***
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