"How is this possible?" Zhao Wuji instantly unleashed his spiritual power to probe the three versions of Li Chang'an. But even so, he couldn't tell which one was the real one!
"Teacher Zhao, come on!" the three Li Chang'ans said in unison, each holding a golden staff in their hands.
'Three people, three martial spirits—and even my Purple Demon Eye can't see through the illusion. Could this really be a ten-thousand-year soul skill?' Tang San thought to himself, deeply troubled.
The massive bear lunged at one of the Li Chang'ans, but behind all three of them, five identical soul rings lit up. At the same time, their second and fourth soul rings activated in perfect synchrony!
"Second Soul Skill: Thunder Moon Slash!"
"Fourth Soul Skill: Phantom Speed!"
All three of them moved at blinding speed, practically vanishing from sight. Their staffs surged with the power of lightning, which instantly enveloped the entire training ground!
"All three have soul power close to the Spirit King level?! Kid, where the hell did you get all that soul power?" Zhao Wuji's Martial Soul True Body was indeed terrifying, but he couldn't catch even a glimpse of Li Chang'an. Meanwhile, Li Chang'an's lightning attacks couldn't quite break through his defenses either.
"Careful, Teacher Zhao!" All three Li Chang'ans activated their first soul ring, clearly preparing for one final, all-out strike!
"Bring it on!" Zhao Wuji shouted as he went all in, using the overwhelming might of his Martial Soul True Body to compress the space around Li Chang'an.
The fearsome bear suddenly unleashed a burst of terrifying power, while the momentum from all three Li Chang'ans reached its peak!
"Hah!!"
BOOM!
...
With the two at the center, the ground around them caved in violently, the entire plaza collapsing as though struck by a massive earthquake…
Tang San and the others had only suffered light injuries and were able to retreat in time. Only Xiao Wu looked toward the battlefield with deep worry—she couldn't see Li Chang'an at all.
Zhu Zhuqing, on the other hand, frowned slightly. Her eyesight was sharper than Xiao Wu's, and for a brief moment, she caught sight of Li Chang'an—unconscious and covered in blood.
"Help him!" Zhu Zhuqing was the first to rush to his side, followed closely by Xiao Wu, then the rest of the group.
"Cough… cough…" Not far away, Zhao Wuji had already released his Martial Soul True Body and was lying prone on the ground. He wasn't unconscious—just too exhausted to move.
'Good, good. The kid lost. If he'd won, I wouldn't know how to show my face again,' Zhao Wuji thought to himself.
The angle, the positioning—it had all been perfect. And he'd given Zhao Wuji enough face. That should count as doing his best. Besides, judging by Zhao Wuji's current state, he probably didn't have the strength to take another beating anytime soon.
So thought Li Chang'an, who was only pretending to be unconscious...
After Xiao Wu helped clean his "wounds," and it was confirmed that he was only exhausted, Dai Mubai and Oscar supported Li Chang'an back to the dorm.
As luck would have it, Zhu Zhuqing caught a glimpse of Li Chang'an's most serious injury—his back. Seeing the bloody mess made her feel another wave of guilt. After all, he had taken that blow to protect her.
[Ding! Mission completed. Reward received: 100,000 points and 1 Martial Spirit Evolution Pill]
Back in bed and still feigning unconsciousness, Li Chang'an received the mission rewards and casually checked the pill's effects.
Martial Spirit Evolution Pill – Allows the user's martial spirit to undergo a positive evolution. Degree of evolution varies.
'Alright then, as long as it's beneficial. I'll just find a chance to give it to Zhu Zhuqing.'
Now that he had officially joined Shrek Academy, it was time to start thinking about the future.
First: Win over Zhu Zhuqing
Second: Find an opportunity to completely ruin Yu Xiaogang!
That's right. Li Chang'an wasn't some saint. He didn't have an ounce of respect for someone like Yu Xiaogang. Many of his so-called theories didn't even work.
As for Tang San and the other "chosen ones," he couldn't kill them—at least not yet. They were the favored children of this world's destiny. Even with the deterrence of the Pangu Axe, that was only deterrence. If he killed one of them outright, it'd be like flipping the whole table.
Right now, he didn't have the strength to flip the table. So no outright killing—yet. But skirting the line? That was fair game.
For example: roughing up Tang San, bullying Dai Mubai, messing with the so-called "Grandmaster"—those were all just technical fouls. The question was how many of those this world would let him get away with.
Having sorted all his thoughts out, Li Chang'an finally drifted off to sleep…
---
The next morning, Li Chang'an stretched lazily as he woke from a steamy dream. Looking around his room, he saw that it was a single, wooden suite—one of the perks of being a "teacher."
He pulled out his toiletries from the Nullspace, washed up thoroughly, fixed his hair, changed clothes, and opened the door.
After a quick scan with his spiritual power, he pinpointed Xiao Wu's dorm and headed there.
He didn't barge in—he knew more than just Xiao Wu lived there. He called out gently, and soon enough, Xiao Wu opened the door and stepped out.
"Big brother!" she cried, grabbing his hand and looking him over from head to toe. Once she confirmed he was okay, she sighed in relief but still asked,
"Are you sure you're alright?"
Li Chang'an took her hand and placed it over his chest, smiling. "Feel for yourself. Other than my heart racing from seeing you, I'm perfectly fine."
Xiao Wu blushed. "Brother…"
Li Chang'an ruffled her hair. "Let's go find something to eat. You must be hungry too."
"Mm!" Xiao Wu smiled brightly and looped her arm through his.
---
Shrek Academy remained calm and quiet, but in the nearby village, life had already begun. As the sun rose, the farmers were up and working—relying on the land to feed their families.
Just as the two were looking for a farmhouse to buy some food, they noticed a boy and girl arguing up ahead.
The teenage pair looked quite young. The girl was about fourteen or fifteen, her features plain but youthful and full of life. Dressed in simple village clothes, she was clearly a local.
The boy arguing with her was even younger—around Xiao Wu's age. He was short and pudgy, yet solidly built. With a round face, small eyes, and freshly sprouting peach-fuzz on his upper lip, he looked… oddly adorable.
The most amusing part was the thin mustache he was growing—two little streaks that looked like mouse whiskers.
The girl stared at the chubby boy, eyes tinged with fear. "Ma Hongjun, stop looking for me. I won't be with you anymore."
The chubby boy whined, "Cui Hua, didn't I treat you well? Why are you breaking up with me?"
Li Chang'an suddenly understood. So this is Ma Hongjun... No wonder. This guy and Dai Mubai were both infamous brothel hoppers in the original story.
Cui Hua's face flushed red. "You were good to me, sure. But I just can't take it anymore. We're not right for each other. You should find someone else. Besides, I'm a few years older than you. Please, stop looking for me."
Ma Hongjun scowled, "What do you mean you 'can't take it'? I don't get you girls at all. Fine, we can break up. But you gotta sleep with me one more time before that. Otherwise—no deal!".
__
T/N:
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