The blinding white light swallowed everything.
The instant Zhao Wuji’s Vigorous Vajra Palm came into contact with the light, it shattered like paper.
The dark golden surface of his bear paw cracked apart inch by inch, and the phantom of his Martial Soul True Body melted and collapsed with a thunderous roar.
Flender had it even worse.
He was in midair, closer to where the light needles had descended.
The azure feathers on his wings melted away one after another beneath the radiance, as though flames were sweeping across them.
His entire body plunged straight down from the sky.
When the light finally dispersed, a massive molten-stone crater had appeared on the ground, so deep that its bottom could not be seen.
Zhao Wuji lay on his back beside the crater, disheveled.
His skin was cracked and covered with traces of dark blood.
His chest was still rising and falling, but every breath brought up blood.
Flender’s condition was even worse.
Relying on the defensive power of the Vigorous Vajra Bear martial soul, he tried to force himself upright, but his arms trembled like sieves.
In the end, he couldn’t do it, and his face slammed heavily back into the ground.
Two Soul Saints.
Neither was capable of fighting any longer.
Yet the Glazed Pure Light Armor remained suspended in midair.
Suddenly, countless specks of light drifted through the air.
The full-power soul power output had left them unable to maintain the martial soul fusion skill any longer.
Two figures fell from the sky.
Ning Rongrong’s toes touched the ground.
Her knees bent slightly, and her pale face looked almost transparent beneath the sunlight.
Strands of hair stuck to her cheeks, damp with sweat.
Her soul power was completely exhausted.
Even maintaining her stance left her trembling.
Her eyes swept across the miserable scene before her.
“Hmph!
Serves them right…” A hand reached over from the side, slipped beneath her knees, and supported her back, lifting her completely into his arms.
Ning Que’s eyes were half-lowered, still carrying that sleepy look as though he hadn’t gotten enough rest.
His soul power was also nearly depleted, but as long as light existed, he could never truly run out of strength.
Their usual positions had been reversed.
Ning Rongrong showed not the slightest trace of embarrassment.
The corners of her lips curled upward, and the smile grew wider and wider.
There was weakness in her eyes, but also a satisfaction she couldn’t hide.
She buried her face against his chest and closed her eyes.
Her entire body curled up in his arms like a cat that had finally found its nest.
“I’m leaving it to you, Ning Que…” Her breathing gradually became steady.
Ning Que yawned.
Specks of light seeped through his pores and entered his meridians, slowly replenishing the depleted circuits of his soul power.
Holding Ning Rongrong in his arms, he turned around.
His gaze swept across the group.
Li Yusong was leaning on his Dragon Pattern Staff.
Tang San stood behind him, supporting Xiao Wu.
Dai Mubai crouched in the corner, covered from head to toe in dust.
Ning Que’s gaze did not linger on any of them.
There was no expression on his face and no unnecessary emotion.
He simply started walking.
“Let’s go.” His voice was soft and sleepy, as though he had said it casually.
Zhu Zhuqing clearly heard those words.
This was the first time Ning Que had ever spoken to her.
“Yes!” Zhu Zhuqing immediately responded.
Her body reacted even faster than her mind, and she quickly followed in Ning Que’s footsteps.
Because he was someone who could truly protect her.
The three of them gradually disappeared into the distance beneath the complicated gazes of everyone from Shrek.
Li Yusong watched their departing figures before finally letting out a long breath.
His hand was trembling.
He was still shaken by what had happened, but right now, something else was more important.
“Old Zhao!
Dean!” “Shaoxin!
Shaoxin, get over here!
Quickly!!” Li Yusong infused his voice with soul power, and his shout echoed throughout Shrek Academy.
Tang San stood frozen in place.
His fists clenched instinctively.
How could a martial soul fusion skill possibly be this powerful?
He had spent six years at Nuoding Academy.
He believed his understanding and efforts regarding the soul master system were second to none, and he had always considered himself quite knowledgeable.
He knew that the amplification of a martial soul fusion skill was multiplicative rather than additive.
But— A soul master who wasn’t even a Soul Elder, at only rank 29, combined with that young man… No matter how powerful they were, they shouldn’t possibly exceed the level of a Soul Ancestor!
Yet after their martial soul fusion skill, they had completely overwhelmed two Soul Saints who had activated their Martial Soul True Bodies.
This was already far beyond his understanding.
Unless… Unless the strength didn’t lie solely in the martial soul fusion skill.
It also came from that young man himself.
Thinking back, from beginning to end, that golden-haired boy had never revealed his soul power rank in front of them.
He had never revealed his soul ring configuration.
They didn’t even know the specific name of his martial soul.
Was it an assault-type martial soul?
An agility-type martial soul?
Or some kind of mutated martial soul that had never been recorded before?
“Xiao San.” A faint voice came from behind Tang San.
Xiao Wu huddled behind him.
Her face was completely bloodless, even her lips pale as she tightly gripped Tang San’s sleeve.
She wasn’t frightened by the battle.
As a 100,000-year soul beast, she had witnessed much greater scenes than this.
What made her tremble was the glance from that golden-haired young man just now.
It had been light and brief, lasting no more than half a breath.
But in that instant, Xiao Wu felt as though her entire body had been seen through.
It was as if a beam of light had pierced through her disguise, exposing everything inside and out.
A 100,000-year soul beast transformed into a human faced the risk of being exposed before Soul Douluo-level opponents and above.
Although that young man wasn’t a Soul Douluo… Under the martial soul fusion skill, he had clearly undergone a qualitative change.
He had defeated Soul Saints.
Perhaps that possibility truly existed!
“Don’t worry, Xiao Wu.
I’m fine.” Tang San took a deep breath and suppressed the thoughts in his heart before softly comforting her.
“This isn’t over yet.” Tang San raised his eyes and looked toward the three figures that were almost disappearing from his sight.
His gaze became increasingly resolute.
“Today’s humiliation will be repaid someday.” “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river…” Dai Mubai stood alone in the corner.
No one was looking at him.
No one cared whether he had apologized just now.
No one cared how badly he had been beaten.
Even Li Yusong was solely focused on saving Zhao Wuji and Flender.
When he passed by Dai Mubai, he didn’t even raise his eyes.
He should have been furious.
His fiancée had been taken away right in front of him.
He should have felt humiliated, beaten down by a young girl and a pretty boy until he couldn’t even raise his head.
He should have been unwilling to accept this.
After all, when had the Third Prince of the Star Luo Empire ever suffered such humiliation?
But he didn’t.
Anger, humiliation, unwillingness—all those emotions seemed to have been drained away by that molten-stone crater.
Only one thing remained in his heart.
Fear.
Dai Mubai’s hands trembled.
His entire body trembled as well.
Once again, he looked toward the entrance of the village.
The black-clothed young woman was following half a step behind the golden-haired young man, quiet and obedient like a maid.
At least the other side still had something she could use her body for.
But he truly had nothing.
Nothing!
Run.
The thought surfaced in his mind.
It wasn’t the first time, anyway.
He had already run once when he left the Star Luo Empire.
What difference would running away again make?
Face?
Dignity?
Fiancée?
None of them were more important than his life.
He was going to die eventually.
So why not enjoy himself while he is still alive?
He could go somewhere new and continue being Young Master Dai.
“I’m sorry.
I’m sorry, I can’t… Sorry, sorry, sorry, I’m sorry…” Dai Mubai repeatedly shook his head and muttered frantically.
He didn’t know where the strength came from, but he suddenly stood up.
He glanced around.
Then he looked at the former dean and teachers of Shrek Academy.
In a miserable state, without looking back, he staggered away in large strides in the direction opposite to Ning Que and the others.