Chapter 3: What Yan Shaozhe Lost Was Face — But My Mother Lost Her Life

"Back then, I personally brought Yue'er to Shrek City and spoke directly to your teacher. He promised—promised—to take good care of my disciple.

And now? Today, you bring me nothing but her cold, lifeless corpse!"

"And worse—you, a junior, dare stand before me and shift the blame onto my poor, dead disciple—and even bully her orphaned child?

Yan Shaozhe! You've gone too far!"

Clutching the dark-gold Xuanwu Shield, Xu Xiaoyun looked like a fearsome ancient beast awakened in wrath. One by one, soul rings flared to life around him—each one seemingly burning with fury.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, red! Red!

Nine soul rings, far beyond the conventional best configuration, rose slowly around him. His cold gaze was sharp as blades, and his tall figure expanded, the elderly features on his face receding into youthful power. His eyes blazed like meteors. The massive dark-gold shield stood solid behind Xu Tianxi, sheltering him completely.

In the spacious room, the air seemed to freeze. Water elements roared in turmoil, and those nearby could almost hear crashing ocean waves in their ears.

"S-Senior Xu, you're a respected figure in the soul master world… please, don't stoop to the level of us juniors…"

Yan Shaozhe was being crushed beneath Xu Xiaoyun's aura. A terrifying sense of drowning overwhelmed him. Cold sweat drenched his back, and his words came out stuttered.

In that moment, he realized something horrifying—this man's aura was even more oppressive than Elder Xuan's. The pressure he exerted ranked just below that of Yan Shaozhe's own teacher.

Which could only mean one thing: Xu Xiaoyun was a rank 98 Super Douluo. And his strength may not be beneath Elder Xuan's at all!

But how was that possible? Xu Xiaoyun was of the same generation as his teacher, but among those legendary figures from back then, he wasn't one of the names that had shaken the world.

Even Elder Xuan, a generation younger than his teacher, was only about a decade junior and hailed from Shrek itself. His cultivation had long reached the pinnacle of rank 98.

Xu Xiaoyun wasn't from the Body Sect, nor was he the famed Dark Holy Dragon… how could he possess power on par with Elder Xuan?

The Dark Holy Dragon had studied in Shrek Academy and even received guidance from Yan Shaozhe's grandmaster! Xu Xiaoyun, as far as he knew, had never set foot in Shrek.

Zhang Lexuan stared in astonishment, jaw slightly open. The aura Xu Xiaoyun radiated was so vast it blurred the line between illusion and reality. This was a Super Douluo whose strength surpassed anything she had known.

Though he restrained his aura so she didn't feel endangered, the mere pressure he emitted was enough to render even a rank-95 like Yan Shaozhe unable to breathe.

In the realm of Super Douluo, each rank was a world of difference. To suppress a Shrek-trained rank-95 entirely by pressure? Not even a rank-97 could do that. Only someone like Elder Xuan could.

"Sister Xiyue had already met all graduation conditions as an Inner Court disciple. With a teacher like this, even after leaving Shrek, her cultivation should never have been a concern.

If not for going out to help me get a soul ring, how could she have died to a hundred-thousand-year soul beast…"

As Zhang Lexuan stared at the eighth soul ring on Xu Xiaoyun—a red one, ten-thousand-year class—memories of the nightmare in Star Dou Forest flooded back.

At that critical moment, Kong Xiyue, the strongest among them, had stepped forward without hesitation to protect the rest.

The soul beast had been a terrifyingly fast Dark Predator—a type born to kill. Without Kong Xiyue's desperate intervention, not one of the twelve students might've survived.

After seven teammates died, they finally saw a sliver of hope—only for the beast to launch a final desperate counterattack. Zhang Lexuan and another student were its targets.

Kong Xiyue self-detonated her martial soul to protect them. And she never returned.

Now that she thought about it—if Sister Xiyue had left the Inner Court sooner and been under this elder's protection, none of this would have happened.

Not every top-level powerhouse is like Elder Xuan, right? ...Heh.

Xu Tianxi also stared in shock, stunned by the strength of this "cheap" Grandmaster of his.

No wonder he told me to speak freely. The man's backing it with absolute strength.

Come to think of it, in the original novel, the Xuanwu Shield Martial Soul was close to an ultimate martial soul. Xu Sanshi had been powerful, and the Xuanming Sect was a major force in alchemy.

Having a hidden powerhouse like this ancestor wasn't surprising.

After all, besides the Golden Tree, Shrek didn't possess any exclusive resources. Their continued production of powerhouses was like a snowball effect. Even in alchemy, their skills likely couldn't match Xuanming Sect's mass production of Xuan Shui Pills and Xuanwu Divine Pills.

Even the "accomplished" Elder Xuan, who could've been an Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult, had relied on Mu En's guidance and Huo Gua's Heavenly Creation Pill to break through—otherwise, a hundred years wouldn't have helped him.

While Xu Tianxi mused, the pressure from Xu Xiaoyun continued to rise. Yan Shaozhe felt as if an invisible force was crushing his throat. It was like sinking into deep, heavy water—he couldn't even release his martial soul. His face turned beet red.

"S-Senior Xu, I was wrong! I—I sincerely apologize!"

Xu Xiaoyun gave him a sidelong, icy glance and said coldly:

"Apologize? What were you doing just now? Now that I'm angry, you want to smooth things over?

Too late!"

He snorted and turned toward Xu Tianxi, a kind smile appearing on his previously cold face.

"Child, you spoke very well earlier. These people from Shrek are out of line—blinded by their so-called 'honor,' with no regard for the lives of your mother and her comrades."

"So don't be polite. Get up, and slap that old dog a few times. Vent your anger for your mother."

Xu Tianxi's eyes widened. He pointed to himself, then to the livid-faced Yan Shaozhe.

"You want me to slap him? Not you?"

A kid without a martial soul, slapping the Dean of Shrek Academy? Was Grandmaster playing too hard here?

Super Douluos probably had skin thicker than city walls. If he hit Yan Shaozhe, he would be the one hurting.

But Xu Xiaoyun nodded kindly.

"Yes, you. He insulted your mother—you're her son, and it's your right to retaliate."

"Senior, this is going too far! I'm a Super Douluo! Dean of Shrek Academy! How can you—!"

Yan Shaozhe roared, but Xu Xiaoyun didn't give him the chance to finish.

His eighth soul ring, blood-red, lit up. Behind him, the phantom of a monstrous beast appeared and merged with his body. On his right index finger, a six-pointed black starburst flared to life and slowly pointed toward Yan Shaozhe's dantian.

Yan Shaozhe's pupils dilated in horror. He desperately summoned his martial soul to defend.

With a phoenix's cry, the Radiant Phoenix rose behind him—two yellow, two purple, four black, one red. A perfect ring configuration. His rank-95 aura surged.

But—in front of a rank-98, it was utterly meaningless.

He couldn't even move, could only watch in terror as the glowing black fingertip approached.

And then—it struck his dantian.

"You dare get this close with such weak cultivation? Fool. Even two hundred years ago, Mu En never dared underestimate me like this!"

Xu Xiaoyun's words dripped with disdain. The black starburst unleashed a surge of terrifying soul power, flooding Yan Shaozhe's meridians—like eternal ice and endless deepwater, crushing his once-pure light-element soul power.

And then—it sealed his soul core.

Yan Shaozhe's eyes bulged. His cultivation was being sealed. His soul core was submerged under an ocean of crushing darkness.

Zhang Lexuan gasped. In that instant, she could clearly feel Yan Shaozhe's soul power plummet—Super Douluo… Titled Douluo… Soul Douluo…

He finally stopped falling at the Soul Ancestor level.

"You possess a top-tier martial soul like the Radiant Phoenix and a hundred-thousand-year ring, yet after nearly a century you still haven't broken past rank 95?

Lazy and complacent. Go home and cultivate for a few decades before talking big again."

Xu Xiaoyun sneered, then slapped his palm against Yan Shaozhe's chest, slamming him to the ground—right at Xu Tianxi's feet.

"You insulted a mother, and bullied her son. Utter disgrace!

I'm of equal generation to your teacher, so I shouldn't bully the young—but my descendant is here, and since you made excuses for that beast Xuanzi, a few slaps are well deserved!"

He shouted angrily, then turned to Xu Tianxi with a warm, encouraging look.

"Well, Xiao Tianxi? His cultivation is sealed now. His body's a lot weaker.

Are you brave enough to slap him twice?"

The atmosphere was already primed. If Xu Tianxi backed down now, he might as well pack up and go home. Besides, he had been furious earlier.

He leapt from the bed, pulled free from Zhang Lexuan's embrace, and raised his pale right hand.

Facing the old man's furious, frightened face—he swung.

"Don't, Tianxi!" Zhang Lexuan finally reacted. Her face turned pale.

"He's still the Dean of Shrek! If you hit him, Shrek won't let it go! And Senior Xu, please—consider the consequences for Xuanming Sect!"

Having cultivated in Shrek for years, she understood the stakes. The Sea God's Pavilion housed over a dozen elders, many stronger than the four deans. Titled Douluos, Super Douluos—the power behind Shrek was immense.

If Yan Shaozhe was humiliated today... who knew what would follow?

"Right! Kid, don't—!"

SMACK.

A crisp slap rang out in the room. Yan Shaozhe froze. Zhang Lexuan froze.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Xu Tianxi didn't stop. Left and right, he landed four consecutive slaps—each louder than the last.

Wincing from the sting on his own palm, he waved his hand and grinned innocently at Zhang Lexuan.

"Aunt Xuan, next time please speak faster. My hand just wouldn't stop."

Xu Xiaoyun nodded in satisfaction, then grabbed Yan Shaozhe by the collar.

With the terrified dean still stunned, he slammed him hard into the ground.

BOOM—

A human-shaped crater formed in the floor. Though bloodless, Yan Shaozhe's hair scattered wildly, face buried beneath his own tangled locks. He looked utterly humiliated.

Xu Xiaoyun glared coldly.

"I've lived over two hundred years. I've never been fond of showing off—but I won't stand to be stepped on either."

"Next time, use your eyes. If you dare show off in front of me again, I'll personally discipline you on Mu En's behalf!"

"Now—get off my land. And don't ever let me see that shameless face again."

His fourth soul ring lit up. The soul skill Xuanwu Displacement activated. The Xuanwu Shield pulsed with black light—and Yan Shaozhe was teleported away, helpless to resist.

And just before the portal closed, Xu Xiaoyun threw in a finishing kick—bam!—catching Yan Shaozhe in the face and sending a spray of blood flying midair.

Zhang Lexuan stared blankly at the crater in the floor. The absurdity of it all left her dazed. After several seconds, she recovered and gave a bitter smile.

"Senior Xu, I understand Dean Yan's words were disrespectful... but he's Mu En's disciple. His status is not insignificant. If Shrek responds…"

"Aunt Xuan!"

Xu Tianxi cut her off, clenching his fists and roaring with righteous anger:

"What Dean Yan lost was just his dignity.

But my mother lost her life!

Isn't Shrek in the wrong? They killed my mother and slandered her!

So why shouldn't we hit him!?"

Zhang Lexuan's voice caught in her throat. Her face froze, unable to respond.

Yes… she had known it all along. The Academy was at fault. So why...

Why had she tried to defend them?

At that moment, the holy image she'd held in her heart for so long... finally cracked.

A fine dust of disillusionment settled across her soul.