Max sat to the side, sneering slightly at Dai Mubai and the others. He had already noticed Zhao Wuji, and even if the man was somewhat cocky, Max knew he wasn't going to stop any troublemakers. That, in itself, was disappointing.
"They're so full of themselves," Max thought, his eyes narrowing. "Sure, they're confident—because right now, we're wearing plain clothes without any academy badges. So, they assume we're weak."
He smirked darkly.
"Bully the weak and fear the strong. Typical two-faced behavior."
Max shook his head just as Dai Mubai and his group approached their table and began speaking arrogantly.
"Hey beauties, come with us," Ma Hongjun grinned as he looked lecherously at Xu Lulu and the others. "Join us fro a drink"
Upon hearing him, Rize's eyes turned cold and her expression twisted in anger. She was sitting beside Max, but she didn't wait for him to act. She moved instantly, her hand snapping forward and slapping Ma Hongjun across the face with such force that he stumbled backward, his cheeks burning and eyes bulging.
"Disgusting bastard," Rize spat coldly.
Dai Mubai took a step forward, shocked. He hadn't even seen her move.
"Wait—do you know who we are?" he growled, eyes narrowing as he motioned toward the others.
Just then, Tang San appeared with the rest of the Shrek group, glaring at Rize.
"You dare harm him?! He didn't even attack you—are you just looking for a fight?" Tang San said sharply.
Rize turned her gaze on him, unfazed. "We're not here to play with three-year-olds barking like they're kings."
She looked behind him at Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing, and smirked, "You girls might want to keep your men on a leash—or you'll be buried next to them."
"What did you say?!" Tang San shouted as Xiao Wu stepped up beside him, already releasing her Martial Spirit.
"Oh, so only you get to threaten people, but when someone else responds, it's suddenly disrespect?" Gwen scoffed from her seat, casually brushing back her silver hair with a sigh.
Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes and discreetly probed their levels. He was surprised to see that all of them were already at level 30, and the one who looked like a teacher or leader was around level 65. Still, he decided not to interfere.
"They're just a bit cocky," he thought. "My students will humble them soon enough."
With no intention of stopping the conflict, he simply sat back, ready to watch.
"What are we wasting so much time for?" Xiao Wu suddenly snapped, a hint of aggression in her voice. Her rabbits ears twitched slightly as her Martial Spirit activated. Two yellow spirit rings glowed beneath her, forming a familiar rhythm of a first-rate Shrek student.
"So you do want a fight? Fine by me," Rize said coldly as she stepped forward. Twin spirit rings appeared beneath her as well—but unlike Xiao Wu's yellow ones, both of Rize's rings were purple.
The moment they materialized, a heavy aura pressed outward, causing the rest of the Shrek group to falter. Several of them instinctively took a step back, startled by the pressure. Seeing, this other Nine students also stood up and released their Martial Spirit ready to teach the Shrek Studenst a lesson.
"All of them... and each one has double purple rings?" Ning Rongrong whispered, eyes wide in disbelief.
Tang San's expression twisted into confusion. "That's not right... how can someone's first and second rings both be purple? That's way beyond the absorption limit... even Grandmaster said so."
He blinked hard, focusing on Rize and the others, trying to pierce through what he was seeing.
Zhao Wuji's smile began to fade slightly as he looked over the entire group—ten students, all with perfect dual purple spirit rings. The aura they released wasn't just powerful—it was unnatural, almost like they had defied the very rules of cultivation.
Yet still, he remained seated.
"They're strong," Zhao Wuji admitted silently. "But still only level 30."
"So what if they have two purple rings?" Tang San said confidently. "We're from Shrek Academy—and we have a master guiding us."
As he spoke, he also stepped forward, his hand flicking slightly as the master form of his Blue Silver Grass Martial Spirit emerged. The spirit rings floated into place around him, glowing steadily with power.
The other Shrek students also nodded, releasing their Martial Spirits. All of them were two-ringed Spirit Masters, with only Dai Mubai possessing three rings—two yellow and one purple.
But before the fight could escalate further, Max raised a hand and spoke coldly.
"Jin Lian, Su Xulu, and Bai Chao—only you three fight them. Defeat them quickly. The rest of you, fall back."
The other seven students obeyed without question, stepping away from the center and returning to their seats beside Max. Only Jin Lian, with his Netherworld Needle, Su Xulu with her Flame Pattern Spear, and Bai Chao with his Snapping Turtle Martial Spirit stepped forward.
"What are you trying to pull—sending only three people against us?" Dai Mubai snapped, narrowing his eyes at Max.
Max didn't even look at him as he answered lazily, "No, it's not about numbers. I just don't want to waste time. You're all trash anyway."
He then glanced briefly at Su Xulu. "Even she alone could defeat all of you. But that might take too long, so I'm sending three."
Dai Mubai's expression twisted with anger. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."
Tang San, however, narrowed his eyes. His instincts were screaming—these three weren't just ordinary Spirit Masters. Something about their stance, their calm, the way they didn't flinch—made him uneasy.
"Be careful," he warned the others quietly. "They're not as weak as they seem."
Across the clearing, Su Xulu stepped forward, her Flame Pattern Spear igniting in a burst of elegant crimson light. The white lotus markings on her spear shimmered faintly, signifying the purity and control of her Martial Spirit. Two purple rings appeared beneath her feet—both spirit rings were over 1,500 years old.
Beside her, Bai Chao exhaled slowly as a heavy aura burst forth. His Snapping Turtle Martial Spirit manifested as a massive phantom turtle over his shoulders—defensive power radiated from him. He was the shield of their trio.
Jin Lian remained still at the center, his eyes glowing faintly with spiritual light. His Netherworld Needle hovered behind him like a shadow, nearly invisible to the naked eye. Precision and deadly strikes were his forte.
"Let's make it quick," Jin Lian said softly.
***
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