Seeing Xu Yuan's silence, Liu Erlong changed the subject. "Let's not talk about him. Starting tomorrow, I will formulate training plans based on the Spirit characteristics of you three."
Xu Yuan nodded in understanding. Seeing that Liu Erlong had nothing else to say, he stood up to bid her farewell.
After returning to the dormitory, Xu Yuan found his room had been cleaned spotlessly.
Xiao Wu came to Xu Yuan's side and asked proudly, "How is it? Zhuqing and I cleaned your dormitory together. It's spotlessly clean."
Xu Yuan looked at the clean room. The bedding on the bed was folded neatly, and even the dust in the corners had been wiped away.
"It's very clean, thank you both," Xu Yuan thanked Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing.
Xiao Wu puffed out her chest. "Of course! Zhuqing and I divided the work; she wiped the tables and I swept the floor. We finished in no time!"
Zhu Zhuqing stood at the door, still holding a damp cloth. Hearing this, she gave a soft hum, her ears turning slightly red.
She had followed Xiao Wu to help, but hadn't expected Xu Yuan to return so quickly, leaving her feeling a bit flustered for a moment.
Xu Yuan thought for a moment and proposed, "I'll treat you both to dinner. Since it's our first time in Heaven Dou City, we might as well walk around."
"Eating out?" Xiao Wu's eyes instantly lit up like they were studded with two stars. "Great, great! I heard Heaven Dou City has a lot of delicious food."
Zhu Zhuqing also looked up, a hint of anticipation flashing in her eyes, but she still said softly, "Would it be too much trouble? There should still be food in the cafeteria."
She knew that prices in a national capital were quite high. Since Xu Yuan and Xiao Wu came from a remote area, they certainly wouldn't have much money on hand.
"It's no trouble," Xu Yuan smiled. "Just consider it getting familiar with the environment. Besides, Teacher Liu said training starts tomorrow, so we probably won't have much free time later."
Xiao Wu immediately grabbed Zhu Zhuqing's arm. "See, Zhuqing! Brother Xu Yuan said so, let's go eat out!"
Zhu Zhuqing had no choice but to nod as Xiao Wu shook her arm.
After leaving Lanba Academy, the prosperity of Heaven Dou City rushed toward them.
Lanterns were lit in the shops on both sides of the street. Cries of vendors and laughter rose and fell, and pedestrians in various outfits came and went.
The three of them found a hotel for a simple meal, wandered for a while, and then returned to the school to rest.
Before the sky was fully bright, a thin layer of dew condensed on the bluestone slabs of the Training Ground.
Xiao Wu yawned and rubbed her eyes, complaining, "This is too early. I haven't had enough sleep yet..."
Despite her words, her eyes were bright, and she glanced toward the entrance from time to time, clearly full of anticipation for Liu Erlong's training.
Zhu Zhuqing stood straight, her long black hair tied back with a hairband, revealing her smooth forehead.
She wore a Short jacket, more than usual, clearly prepared for intense exercise.
Xu Yuan was warming up his limbs, his joints making slight popping sounds.
His gaze swept across the Training Ground. Many Wooden stakes and Sandbags for actual combat were piled in the corners, and the ground was covered with footprints of varying depths, clearly marks left by years of practice.
"She's here," Xu Yuan suddenly spoke.
The two followed Xu Yuan's gaze and saw Liu Erlong wearing a Tight-fitting suit, carrying a long whip, walking with large strides.
"Punctual, at least," Liu Erlong walked up to the three, her gaze sweeping over their faces.
Liu Erlong lightly cracked the long whip on the ground. With a crisp'snap', Xiao Wu was startled and instantly became mostly awake.
"Since you are students I am personally leading, you must follow my rules," Liu Erlong's gaze was as sharp as a blade. "For the first lesson, we won't practice Spirit Abilities, but the basics first."
Liu Erlong pointed to the Training Ground. "First, a hundred laps. Start running now!"
Xiao Wu was the first to rush out, looking back while running to make a face at Zhu Zhuqing. "Zhuqing, come and catch me!"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes narrowed, and her figure streaked out like a flash of pale purple lightning, quickly catching up to Xiao Wu.
She deliberately held back her speed, but was still much steadier than Xiao Wu, her breathing even and her pace perfectly rhythmic.
Xu Yuan trailed at the end, taking steps at a moderate pace... In the blink of an eye, ten days passed.
After Liu Erlong's training, all three of them had improved significantly, especially Zhu Zhuqing.
It couldn't be helped; Zhu Zhuqing was the weakest among the three of them.
"Xu Yuan, I want to challenge you," Tai Long came before Xu Yuan and issued a challenge.
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and said, "Are you sure, Tai Long? You're only a Rank 25 Spirit Grandmaster right now."
He wasn't very surprised that Tai Long challenged him.
Because Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were called the two great goddesses of Lanba Academy by the students, and many people pursued them.
But Xiao Wu clearly stated she had someone she liked, and with the matter of Zhu Zhuqing having a fiancé, the number of people pursuing them decreased.
Tai Long didn't give up and wanted Xiao Wu to be his girlfriend.
Xu Yuan had told Xiao Wu to let Tai Long come and challenge him.
He didn't expect Tai Long to come so soon.
Tai Long nodded and said, "Naturally, I don't think I will lose."
Although his Rank was lower than Xu Yuan's, he was a Battle Spirit Master, while Xu Yuan was only a support system Spirit Master.
It was well known that it was impossible for a support system Spirit Master to defeat a Battle Spirit Master.
God King Tang San looked at the challenging Tai Long and couldn't help but sneer in his heart.
If Tai Long weren't his future subordinate, he would have already found a path to his own death.
During these ten or so days, he had been quietly using his Origin to modify Xu Yuan's body so that Xu Yuan could better withstand his Soul in the future.
His Soul was at the Divine Rank, and Xu Yuan's body couldn't withstand it at all. If he forcibly performed Possession on Xu Yuan's body, the body would collapse.
Now, God King Tang San was more and more satisfied with Xu Yuan; he had already surpassed his former self in all aspects.
He was confident that after seizing Xu Yuan's body, he could reach even greater heights.
Speaking of which, after Tai Long was beaten, his grandfather would surely come for revenge. At that time, he could let Xu Yuan display the Clear Sky Hammer and then use his own power to influence the opponent to recruit them for his own use.
This time, he wanted the Tang Sect to be his best tool, propagating his name to collect a large amount of faith.
At the same time, he would make the entire Douluo Continent his backyard once again.
"Since you insist, I'll spar with you," Xu Yuan's tone was flat, but his gaze gradually sharpened.
With his current strength, even another Tai Long wouldn't be able to defeat him.
Many students soon gathered around the Training Ground; after all, both Tai Long and Xu Yuan were famous in Lanba Academy.
Tai Long's muscles were well-trained, and combined with his stubborn refusal to lose, many people were waiting to see this good show of a support system versus an attack system.
Almost no one thought Xu Yuan could win against Tai Long.
Because support Spirit Masters were recognized as the weakest and most easily challenged by those of lower Ranks.
"Xu Yuan, go!" Xiao Wu, clinging to the front of the crowd, vigorously waved her fist.
Zhu Zhuqing also cheered for Xu Yuan: "Xu Yuan, go!"
"Tai Long! Beat him up! Show this support system guy what's what!"
"Exactly! A support Spirit Master daring to challenge a battle Spirit Master, doesn't know his place!"
"Tai Long, go! If you win, I'll treat you to braised pork knuckle in the cafeteria!"
The surrounding shouts rose and fell, almost overwhelmingly favoring Tai Long.
Many boys, seeing Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing cheering for Xu Yuan, had fire in their eyes.
Why should this support system guy get the favor of two great goddesses?
Many girls cheered Xu Yuan on, as they really liked handsome guys like him.
Tai Long, stirred by the commotion, felt his blood surge. He slapped his chest, and his Spirit, the Great Ape, suddenly manifested.
Brown-black fur sprouted from beneath his skin, his muscles instantly bulged, and his arms became thick as pillars.
"Roar!" Tai Long let out an ape-like roar.
A yellow spirit ring shone brightly at his feet as he unleashed his Second Spirit Skill without reservation.
"Second Spirit Skill: Explosive Giant Strength."
Tai Long's body suddenly swelled, the veins on his already thick arms bulging as if harboring the power to tear steel.
He stomped the ground fiercely, causing several fine cracks to appear on the bluestone slabs, and he lunged at Xu Yuan like a fired cannonball.
His fist cut through the air with a sharp whistle, the force compressing the air into a whimper.
"Be careful!" Xiao Wu cried out in alarm, her heart in her throat.
Zhu Zhuqing also clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white, her gaze fixed intently on the arena.
Watching Tai Long's fist, Xu Yuan easily dodged the attack.
The Blue Silver Emperor broke through the ground, instantly wrapping around Tai Long's arms and waist.
The moment the vines touched Tai Long's skin, they bloomed with delicate white flowers, petals adorned with glistening dewdrops, emitting a soothing fragrance.
"Huh?" Tai Long was about to channel his spirit power to break free.
But he suddenly felt a strange tingling from the Bindings. His previously frenzied spirit power calmed somewhat, and even his surging Qi and blood grew more docile.
What horrified him more was that his internal spirit power seemed to be quietly drained by the vines, making it difficult to break free now.
"What kind of Spirit Ability is this?" Tai Long wondered in shock and confusion, looking down at the white-flowered vines.
In the moment Tai Long's mind was slightly disturbed by the fragrance of the white flowers, Xu Yuan moved.
His figure was like lightning. Seizing the instant the Blue Silver Emperor restrained Tai Long, he executed the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps underfoot again, turning into a blur.
Tai Long only saw a flash before his eyes as Xu Yuan appeared half a step in front of him.
He instinctively tried to raise his arms to block, but found them tightly bound by the Blue Silver Emperor. His spirit power flow was sluggish, and his movements were more than half a beat slow.
Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed, his right fist clenched tightly, spirit power gathering quietly on its surface.
The fist cut through the air with a steady force, landing squarely on Tai Long's chest.
"Thud!"
A dull thud echoed across the training ground. Tai Long felt as if his chest had been struck by a heavy hammer, a tremendous force spreading along his ribs, shaking his Qi and blood.
"Ugh—"
Tai Long cried out in pain, his massive body uncontrollably flying backward.
He traced a parabola through the air, landing heavily in the sand five meters away, stirring up a cloud of dust.
The Blue Silver Emperor retracted with a sound. Xu Yuan stood in place, a slight numbness lingering on his fist from the exertion.
He watched Tai Long struggling in the sand, not pressing the advantage, just standing quietly.
The surroundings fell completely silent.
Those who had been cheering for Tai Long moments ago now stood with mouths agape, disbelief written in their eyes.
Tai Long scrambled up from the ground, disheveled, and charged toward Xu Yuan.
"First Spirit Skill: Stone Skin."
The yellow light of Tai Long's first spirit ring lit up, a layer of earthy-yellow aura instantly covering his entire body. His skin seemed to turn into hard rock, even the dull pain from the earlier punch lessening somewhat.
Roaring, he charged at Xu Yuan, arms crossed in front, intending to use this rock-like defense to knock his opponent flying.
"Again?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, his footwork shifting as he executed the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps once more.
Like a ghost, he circled to Tai Long's side, fingers twitching slightly as several Blue Silver Emperors broke through the ground again.
This time, the Blue Silver Emperors didn't wrap directly but lashed out like flexible whips, whistling through the air toward the backs of Tai Long's knees.
Xu Yuan knew well that while Stone Skin enhanced protection, it made joints sluggish.
This was a flaw of such Spirit Abilities.
"Crack! Crack!"
Two crisp sounds as the Blue Silver Emperors precisely struck Tai Long's knees.
Tai Long felt a numbness in the backs of his legs. His sure-charge immediately lost balance, his massive body staggering forward, nearly face-planting in the sand.
Xu Yuan activated the Blue Silver Domain, converting the surrounding Blue Silver Grass into Blue Silver Emperors, controlling them to bind Tai Long.
Just as Tai Long barely steadied himself from the imbalance, he felt a dense, tangled sensation at his feet.
Looking down, he saw countless Blue Silver Emperors surging from all directions, flooding toward his ankles, calves, waist... This time, their numbers far exceeded before, almost sealing every gap around him tightly.
"No!" Tai Long roared, channeling Stone Skin with all his might.
The earthy-yellow aura flared brightly, trying to break the vines with rock-like hardness.
But these Blue Silver Emperors, transformed by the Domain, were several times more resilient. Not only did they not break, they tightened further, thorns digging deep into his rock-like skin, sending waves of pain.
"How can this be..." Tai Long's eyes filled with despair.
He couldn't understand why a support system Spirit Master was so formidable.
Xu Yuan pressed the advantage, giving Tai Long no chance. He took a deep breath and threw a punch toward Tai Long's stomach.
The fist, carrying spirit power condensed to its peak, landed precisely on Tai Long's abdomen, where the Blue Silver Emperors bound him tightest.
Though covered by Stone Skin, that area had a slight flaw in defense due to the vines' pull.
"Thud!"
This punch was heavier than the last, like striking a taut drumhead, emitting a dull reverberation.
Tai Long felt a piercing pain explode from his abdomen. The earthy-yellow defensive aura instantly dimmed, as if this punch had shattered his Foundation.
The Blue Silver Emperors on him tightened fiercely, thorns embedding deep into his skin, pain darkening his vision.
"Ugh..." Tai Long let out a muffled groan from his throat, unable to hold on any longer.
His massive body thudded to its knees, hitting the sand, dust splashing onto his face.
The aura of Stone Skin completely dissipated, the brown-black fur receding to reveal his original form. But now, his face was pale, lips trembling, without even the strength to stand.
The Blue Silver Emperors slowly retracted as Xu Yuan stood before Tai Long.
"You lost
Tai Long lay prone on the sandy ground, his chest heaving violently, every breath bringing a tearing pain.
He heard Xu Yuan's calm voice, which like a needle, pierced through his last bit of stubbornness.
"I... lost..." Tai Long squeezed out those three words with all his strength.
Tears mixed with sand slid down from the corners of his eyes, not because of pain, but because of an unprecedented sense of defeat.
His prideful strength and defense were so vulnerable before this support system.
The surrounding crowd completely erupted.
"My god! Tai Long really lost!"
"That's the Great Ape Spirit! To be beaten like this by Blue Silver Grass?"
"What kind of monster is Xu Yuan? Can a support system Spirit Master be this strong?"
The girls' screams were particularly loud, their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at Xu Yuan.
Xiao Wu squeezed through the crowd to Xu Yuan's side, so excited she was incoherent: "Brother Xu Yuan! You're amazing! I knew you were the best!"
Zhu Zhuqing also followed; she didn't lose her composure like Xiao Wu, but simply looked at Xu Yuan.
Zhu Zhuqing gently handed over a waterskin and said softly, "Good work."
Xu Yuan took the waterskin, unscrewed it, and took a sip, the cool water sliding down his throat.
God King Tang San nodded slightly, feeling that Xu Yuan resembled his younger self.
Xu Yuan looked at Tai Long, who was still lying on the ground, and said to the surrounding students, "Who can help take him to the infirmary?"
Immediately, two boys familiar with Tai Long ran over and carefully helped him up.
Tai Long was supported by his arms, his head lowered so no one could see his expression, only his shoulders were still trembling slightly.
"Wait," Xu Yuan suddenly spoke.
Tai Long's body stiffened, thinking he was going to say something mocking, but he heard Xu Yuan say, "Your strength is pure, but your technique is too crude. Go back and practice hard, you might not lose next time."
Tai Long looked up sharply, meeting Xu Yuan's calm gaze.
There was no mockery or pride in those eyes, only an equal scrutiny, which left him with mixed emotions.
He opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing, simply limping away from the training field supported by his companions.
The crowd gradually dispersed, but the discussion about this duel spread throughout the entire Blue Tyrant Academy.
Xu Yuan's name became the hottest topic in the academy overnight—the support system Genius who could pummel an attack system with Blue Silver Grass... The next day, Blue Tyrant Academy Square.
Liu Erlong stood on the rostrum, looking at the students below and said, "I have an announcement to make today: I've decided that the Lanba Battle Team will participate in the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament."
"The All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament?"
The crowd below erupted instantly, students whispering to each other, their eyes full of shock and excitement.
That was the top Spirit Master competition on the continent, hosted by the royal families of the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires, and co-organized by Spirit Hall.
It was held every five years, with the finals always held in Spirit City.
The tournament basically represented the development direction of the Spirit Master's world for the next few decades, and champion team members often had the potential to become Titled Douluo in the future.
Participants must be under 25 years old, and seven members must participate in each match.
Maiming or killing opponents is prohibited in matches, as is the use of non-Spirit weapons and drugs not produced by food system or healing system Spirit Masters. Violating academies will be expelled from the tournament.
"Dean, are we really going?" a senior student couldn't help but ask loudly.
Liu Erlong's gaze swept across the field, her voice suddenly rising with unquestionable authority: "When has what I, Liu Erlong, said ever not counted?"
The noise died down immediately, and everyone straightened their backs, waiting for her to continue.
"I have preliminary decided on the roster for the participating team." Liu Erlong paused, her gaze landing on Xu Yuan, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing in the crowd. "Xu Yuan, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, step forward."
The three looked at each other and stepped quickly to the front.
"Tai Long, Jiang Zhu, Huang Yuan, and Jing Ling." Liu Erlong called four more names, including Tai Long, who had been defeated by Xu Yuan yesterday.
The four people called stepped forward and stood beside Xu Yuan's group of three.
Tai Long was a bit restrained, his eyes occasionally glancing at Xu Yuan with complex emotions.
Jiang Zhu was a very beautiful girl with an exceptionally good figure. Her Spirit was the Healing Scepter, and she had a gentle smile on her face.
Huang Yuan is an attack system Battle Soul Master with the Lone Wolf Spirit, while Jing Ling is an agility-attack system Battle Soul Master with the Skeleton Spirit.
God King Tang San looked at the three including Jiang Zhu and recalled in his mind.
When they participated in the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament, the Ranks of Jiang Zhu and the others were all 35.
Their talent could only be said to be okay; if they were to participate in the tournament, they would need Immortal Herbs to improve.
Don't look at them being only Spirit Elders at 18; God King Tang San knew in his heart that their talent was quite good among commoners.
If he hadn't given Dai Mubai and the others Immortal Herbs, Dai Mubai would likely have reached Rank 40 only at age 20.
At that time, Dai Mubai had told him that he had hit a Bottleneck and would need a lot of time to Breakthrough.
God King Tang San glanced at their current strength; they were already Rank 34.
If all these people took Immortal Herbs, their Ranks could all reach over 40.
The only pity was that these people were a bit old.
God King Tang San began to feel conflicted, wondering whether he should give these people Immortal Herbs.
The seven stood in a row, and the students below fell silent instantly, their gazes scanning back and forth across them.
There were gasps of wonder, envy, and many people were secretly sizing them up.
Liu Erlong walked up to the seven, her gaze like a torch: "From today on, you are the core of the Lanba Battle Team. I don't care what grudges you had before; on the field, you must trust each other with your backs. If anyone dares to drag the team down because of personal grudges, don't blame me, Liu Erlong, for being heartless."
With the last sentence, her gaze lingered on Xu Yuan and Tai Long for a moment.
Tai Long stiffened his neck and said in a muffled voice, "Don't worry, Dean, I won't."
Xu Yuan also nodded, "Understood."
After Liu Erlong finished her announcement, all the other students left the square, leaving only Xu Yuan and the others.
Looking at Xu Yuan and the others, Liu Erlong spoke: "In a while, we will head to the Star Dou Great Forest for combat training. All of you, get ready over the next few days."
"Star Dou Great Forest?" Xiao Wu's ears twitched slightly when she heard the name.
A trace of complex emotion flashed in her eyes, and it was unclear what she was thinking.
Xiao Wu asked Liu Erlong, "Are we going to hunt Spirit Beasts?"
Liu Erlong shook her head: "Not to hunt Spirit Beasts, but for combat coordination. Opponents in the All-Continent tournament are not like the wooden posts in the academy; the Spirit Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest will let you know what true life-and-death pressure is."
She had always believed that only real combat could produce a Genius; she was like that back then
On the other side, Shrek Academy.
"Boss Dai, you have to avenge me!"
A bruised and swollen Ma Hongjun said while hugging Dai Mubai's thigh.
Dai Mubai looked at Ma Hongjun with a face full of disgust while pushing away Ma Hongjun, who was clinging to his thigh.
Oscar walked over and said gloatingly, "Ma Hongjun, who beat you up like this?"
Ma Hongjun complained to Oscar and Dai Mubai, "I went to a brothel today and got beaten up by a wretched middle-aged man. You guys have to avenge me."
"A brothel?" Dai Mubai's face darkened, and he raised his foot to give Ma Hongjun a kick on the butt. "You brat, you went to mess around in a place like that without calling us? You deserve to be beaten!"
Oscar nodded in agreement, "Exactly. Not calling your brothers to go along is really not cool."
In the distance, Ning Rongrong heard their conversation and showed a look of disgust.
She somewhat regretted joining Shrek Academy. If she hadn't wanted to prove herself, she would have long since left Shrek Academy to go play elsewhere.
Tang San, who was cultivating under a tree, heard their words, glanced at them, and continued his cultivation.
After joining Shrek Academy, they weren't as close as the characters in novels.
Seeing that Tang San's Spirit was Blue Silver Grass and remembering being beaten himself, Dai Mubai led Oscar and the others to isolate Tang San.
And Ning Rongrong didn't like being around Tang San, who had a face half-covered in acne and was quite ugly.
In Shrek Academy, Tang San kept to himself.
Tang San didn't care about this situation at all. He had only one thought in his mind: to defeat Xu Yuan.
Ma Hongjun hugged Dai Mubai's thigh and said, "Boss Dai, you're my boss; you have to avenge me."
Dai Mubai said somewhat helplessly, "Fine, fine. I'll go avenge you. Lead the way."
Ma Hongjun's face lit up with joy. Ignoring the pain on his face, he scrambled up. "It's in Zui Chun Alley in the south of the city. That man is still drinking at the wine stall at the entrance of the lane after beating me up!"
Dai Mubai patted his head. "Lead the way."
Oscar pulled out two Sausages from his spirit tool and stuffed them into Ma Hongjun's hands. "Eat these first to tide you over, so you don't run out of energy to cheer for us later."
Ma Hongjun took the Sausages and stuffed them into his mouth, muttering indistinctly, "Just wait and see how I use my Phoenix Flame to burn his beard..."
The three of them walked out with their arms around each other's shoulders, passing by Ning Rongrong.
Dai Mubai whistled. "Rongrong, want to come watch the fun? Guaranteed to be exciting."
He was currently interested in the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and wanted to woo Ning Rongrong.
If he could win her over, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School would become his backing.
If he couldn't defeat his elder brother in the future, he would have a way out.
Love someone?
How could that be? As a prince, how could he only love one person?
His father had married many wives; he would have to marry at least five or six. If he became the emperor, he would marry even more.
Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes and turned her head away. "Who wants to watch you guys brawl? How childish."
But she muttered to herself that Zui Chun Alley didn't sound like a good place. These people really weren't up to any good.
Tang San, under the tree, didn't even lift an eyelid, but he heard their conversation clearly.
Ever since he was isolated by Dai Mubai and the others, he actually had more time to focus on his cultivation.
"Let's go, let's go!" Dai Mubai's voice faded into the distance.
Tang San slowly opened his eyes, a cold light flashing in them.
He stood up, brushed off the grass clippings, and instead of following them, he turned and walked toward the small woods deep within the academy... Meanwhile, at Zui Chun Alley in the south of the city, a middle-aged man in his forties was drinking.
The middle-aged man was of medium-to-short stature and extremely obese. His face was piled with fat, and his small eyes were squeezed into narrow slits by the flesh.
A lewd, sinister, and greedy light always flickered in those slits, and he always looked at people with unabashed wretchedness.
"*Burp—*" He let out a wine burp, his gaze sweeping over the pedestrians coming and going at the entrance of the lane.
Especially when his gaze lingered on passing young women, an uncomfortable light would flash in his slit-like eyes, and a greasy smile would hang on his lips.
The owner of the wine stall nearby was a lean old man. While wiping a bowl, he stole glances at him with a hint of wariness in his eyes, yet he didn't dare to speak.
Ma Hongjun saw him from afar and immediately gritted his teeth in anger, pulling on Dai Mubai's arm. "Boss Dai, that's him! His name is Bu Le. Look at how wretched he is!"
Dai Mubai narrowed his eyes to size up the fat man and snorted through his nose. "This guy? He's worthy of beating my brother?"
Oscar also leaned in and whispered, "Boss Dai, let's finish this quickly. This place has a bad vibe."
Just as the three were about to step forward, Bu Le seemed to sense something. He suddenly turned his head, his small eyes accurately locking onto Ma Hongjun.
Bu Le then revealed a mocking smile. "Yo, isn't this the little brat I slapped twice just now? What, you dare to call for backup?"
He slowly stood up, patted the fat on his belly, and cracked his wrists. "It just so happens I haven't had enough wine. Hand over all your money, and maybe I'll spare you a beating."
Ma Hongjun was enraged by his attitude. Just as he was about to release his Spirit, Dai Mubai pressed down on his shoulder.
Dai Mubai took a step forward, and the spirit power fluctuations around him were suddenly released. "Enough talk. Either apologize or get beaten up. Choose one."
Bu Le looked disdainful; they were merely Spirit Elders, while he was a Spirit Ancestor.
In the next second, white, yellow, purple, and purple spirit rings appeared beneath Bu Le's feet.
"A... Spirit Ancestor?!" Oscar's face changed drastically, and he subconsciously took half a step back.
He never expected that this wretched fat man would actually be a Spirit Ancestor over level forty.
Ma Hongjun was so frightened that he forgot his anger, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg.
He actually dared to challenge a Spirit Ancestor just now? No wonder he didn't even have the strength to resist when the other party attacked.
Dai Mubai's pupils constricted, and he slightly tightened his clenched fists.
He cursed Ma Hongjun frantically in his mind for actually provoking a Spirit Ancestor.
Although Bu Le's spirit ring configuration wasn't a perfect match, it didn't change the fact that he was a Spirit Ancestor.
Dai Mubai took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm. "I didn't expect Your Excellency to be a Senior Spirit Ancestor. I apologize for the offense just now..."
He thought to himself, deciding to go back and get Zhao Wuji to teach Bu Le a good lesson.
"Senior?" Bu Le sneered, a hint of cruelty flashing in his small eyes. "Now you know to call me Senior? Weren't you acting quite tough just now?"
He patted the fat on his belly and approached them step by step, his spirit power pressing down on the three like a tide. "Since you dared to come for revenge, you must be prepared to face the consequences."
"Boss Dai, what do we do?" Ma Hongjun's voice trembled.
Oscar had already kept a certain distance from Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, silently backing awayh