Magus
patreon
Chapter 85: Spirit Masters Who Like to Cause Trouble are Good Spirit Masters
🕑 Added 2025-08-08 20:09:41 +0000 UTCThe common room of the roadside inn buzzed with evening chatter, but tension crackled in the air near one particular table. Tang San and his six teammates from Shrek Academy had been enjoying a quiet meal when insults began flying from a neighboring group of older students.
What started as mere verbal sparring had quickly escalated. Now, several members of the Canghui Academy team moved with obvious hostile intent toward Dai Mubai's group, their spirit power already beginning to manifest.
Before anyone else could react, Xiao Wu gracefully leaped from her seat, flipping in mid-air with practiced ease. She landed directly in their path, her petite frame deceptively casual.
"Hello there, little brothers," she said with a sweet smile that didn't reach her eyes.
The three advancing Canghui Academy members stopped abruptly. Something about the pink-haired girl's confident stance made them hesitate, whispering urgently among themselves.
From behind her, Ma Hongjun called out nervously, "Little San, get up there quick! Don't let Xiao Wu get hurt by these arrogant people."
Tang San remained seated, though his muscles were coiled and ready. A knowing smile played across his lips. "Xiao Wu never lets anyone take advantage of her," he said calmly. "In the end, they'll be the ones who suffer."
As if summoned by his words, Xiao Wu's dark eyes suddenly blazed with pink light. She placed her left hand on her hip in a sultry pose and covered her lips delicately with her right hand, the gesture somehow both innocent and dangerously seductive.
"Second soul skill—Charm!"
Pink bubbles seemed to float in the three men's eyes as they stared at her in a complete daze, their aggressive postures melting into slack-jawed fascination.
Without missing a beat, Xiao Wu's expression shifted to businesslike efficiency. "First soul skill—Waist Bow!"
She flowed like water behind one of the charmed students, pressed her right knee against his lower back, and with a sharp twist of her hips, launched him flying across the room. The other two mesmerized Canghui Academy members suffered identical fates before they could even process what was happening.
The remaining four Canghui members, seeing their teammates dispatched so effortlessly, charged at Xiao Wu with renewed fury. But her soft martial arts style made their attacks seem clumsy and predictable. Using a combination of redirected momentum and precise pressure point strikes, she sent all four sprawling in different directions.
CRASH—
The sound of splintering wood and shattering ceramic filled the inn as three tables and over a dozen plates were destroyed by the seven bodies that had been unceremoniously flung about the room.
The inn fell silent except for groans of pain and the settling of debris.
An older man with stern features and elaborate robes stood up from the Canghui Academy table, his face flushed with rage. Spirit rings materialized around him—one white, two yellow, two purple—marking him as a formidable five-ring Spirit King. As his martial soul activated, a greenish turtle shell covered in menacing spikes appeared on his back.
He surveyed the aftermath, his eyes burning with anger as they settled on Dai Mubai and the others, who had also revealed their spirit rings in response to the threat. Except for Tang San, who bore three rings marking him as a Spirit Elder, the rest showed two rings each—Spirit Grandmasters all, but with the standard configurations that marked them as genuinely talented rather than artificially enhanced.
The sight made him pause, but only briefly.
"I am Ye Zhiqiu, Director of External Affairs at Canghui Academy," he announced with cold authority. "Which sect do you children belong to? Surely you were not raised without proper guidance in respecting your elders."
Dai Mubai stepped forward, his tiger-like features set in defiant lines. As the nominal leader when Tang San chose not to take charge, he felt the weight of his team's reputation on his shoulders—and perhaps more importantly, he was acutely aware of Zhu Zhuqing's dark eyes watching from beside him.
"We're students of Shrek Academy," he declared.
Ye Zhiqiu's eyebrows rose, and he actually chuckled. "Shrek? Never heard of it. Must be some third-rate academy scraping together whatever students they can find."
The casual dismissal hit its mark. Ma Hongjun, already irritated by the evening's events, felt his phoenix fire flare within him. His spirit rings blazed as he stepped forward.
"I think you're just ignorant," Ma Hongjun shot back, his voice heated. "Our academy is so respected that even Spirit Hall deacons give us their personal recommendations. What would a country bumpkin like you understand about true quality?"
If words could kill, Ye Zhiqiu's glare would have incinerated the entire Shrek team. The insult to his knowledge and status struck deep—these weren't children from some prestigious sect or powerful family. They were nobodies from an academy he'd never heard of, and they had just humiliated his students.
"What did you say?" His voice was dangerously quiet.
The Black Turtle martial soul fully manifested now, and Ye Zhiqiu's presence became genuinely threatening. The other inn patrons began quietly moving away from the area.
"Where's your teacher?" Ye Zhiqiu demanded, his professional restraint barely holding. "I don't want to bully you little brats, but someone needs to answer for this insult."
Ma Hongjun's phoenix flames danced higher around him. "You old turtle, no need to trouble our teacher. The few of us can beat you to a pulp without breaking a sweat."
The crude nickname and continued disrespect finally snapped Ye Zhiqiu's control. But Tang San, who had been analyzing the situation with his calculating mind, stepped forward with a slight frown. A Spirit King was no joke—even with seven of them working together, this would require careful tactics and possibly his hidden weapons to end quickly.
"What did you say?" Ye Zhiqiu's voice had gone deadly calm. "Fine! Since that's the case, I'll teach you the basic principle of respecting your teachers and elders on behalf of your incompetent instructor."
He gestured toward the inn's entrance, where the evening air beckoned. "There's not enough room inside for what I'm about to do. Do you dare fight outside? Or are you only brave when surrounded by furniture and innocent bystanders?"
Dai Mubai felt his tiger spirit roar within him. This battle had become about more than just defending Shrek's honor—it was a chance to prove himself in front of Zhu Zhuqing. Since she'd enrolled over a month ago, she'd maintained her cold distance, immune to his attempts to bridge the gap between them. Even with Xiao Wu's help, nothing seemed to work; if anything, Zhu Zhuqing appeared more disgusted with him each day.
But here was an opportunity: seven against one, facing a Spirit King, protecting their academy's reputation. Surely this would show her his worth.
"What's there to be afraid of?" he declared boldly.
---
The cool evening air outside the inn carried the scent of dust and distant cooking fires. Tang San quickly formulated battle tactics as all seven Shrek students formed a loose semicircle around Ye Zhiqiu, their martial souls activated and spirit rings glowing in the twilight.
Ye Zhiqiu wasted no time on further conversation. "First soul skill—Black Turtle Protection!"
His already formidable shell doubled in thickness, spikes growing longer and more menacing. Before the students could fully coordinate their attack, he immediately followed up:
"Black Water Ice Seal!"
Two columns of freezing blue water erupted from the ground, aiming to trap several of the students in ice. Despite Tang San's shouted warning, there wasn't enough time for a coordinated defense.
Dai Mubai had no choice but to react instinctively. "White Tiger Light Wave!"
The golden beam from his attack forcibly shattered the water columns, sending steam and ice fragments scattering, but the effort left him momentarily drained.
"Zhu Zhuqing, this is a good opportunity!" Tang San called out, recognizing the brief opening in Ye Zhiqiu's defenses.
Zhu Zhuqing hesitated for a fraction of a second. She didn't want to be part of this fight—it felt like showing off, and she disapproved of the entire confrontation. But she was part of this team now, whether she liked it or not, and becoming stronger meant accepting these battles.
Her decision made, she moved like a shadow given form. "Netherworld Thrust!"
Her claws, wreathed in dark spirit power, struck at Ye Zhiqiu's shell with devastating speed and precision. But the Spirit King had anticipated this.
"Black Turtle Protection!" he called again, retracting his head and limbs completely into his shell.
Under Zhu Zhuqing's relentless barrage, she found herself unable to penetrate his enhanced defenses. Worse, her claws became embedded in the shell's surface, the spikes designed precisely for this trap.
"He actually retracted completely!" she gasped, struggling to free herself.
"I can't pull my hands out!"
Inside his shell, Ye Zhiqiu smiled grimly. The classic turtle strategy—let the enemy overcommit, then strike when they're vulnerable.
"Didn't expect that, did you? Third soul skill—Black Water—"
"How dare you!" Dai Mubai roared, seeing Zhu Zhuqing trapped and helpless.
This was his moment—the chance to play hero and save the girl he'd been trying so hard to impress. His tiger claws extended to their full length as he charged forward with desperate speed.
But he was still a step too late.
"—Black Water Surge!"
Ye Zhiqiu's third soul skill erupted with tremendous force. A violent torrent of blue-black water exploded outward, catching Zhu Zhuqing at point-blank range and hurling her several meters through the air.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—
She hit the ground hard and rolled repeatedly before coming to a stop, clearly injured. Four claws on both hands had snapped from the impact, and several gashes marked her arms and torso where she'd scraped against the rough ground.
Seeing his chance to play hero slip away, Dai Mubai's fury reached new heights. His failed rescue made the situation worse—now Zhu Zhuqing was hurt because of his inadequacy.
With a roar of rage, he launched himself at the still-retracted Ye Zhiqiu and delivered a devastating punch to the shell, the impact sending the Spirit King flying backward through the air.
Tang San seized the opportunity immediately. "Bind!"
Countless strands of Blue Silver Grass, enhanced with poisonous thorns, erupted from the ground and wrapped around the airborne Ye Zhiqiu like a net. Ma Hongjun followed up instantly, his phoenix flames igniting the grass bindings and turning them into a blazing prison.
"Black Water—" Ye Zhiqiu began, trying to extinguish the flames.
"White Tiger Barrier!" Dai Mubai interrupted, his amplified strength allowing him to deliver another crushing blow that sent Ye Zhiqiu tumbling across the dusty ground.
However, the Black Turtle martial soul's defensive capabilities were truly formidable. Despite the combined assault, Ye Zhiqiu managed to land on his feet, battered but still dangerous.
His patience had reached its end. These children had pushed him too far.
"You brought this on yourselves!" he snarled, his fifth spirit ring beginning to glow ominously. "Fourth soul skill—"
But before he could complete the technique that would have seriously injured or killed several of the students, a new voice cut through the night air.
"What are you still doing here so late? Why don't you go back to sleep?"
The voice was casual, almost bored, as if commenting on the weather. Everyone turned to see a powerfully built man emerging from the inn, stretching as if he'd just woken up from a nap. He looked around at the scene of destruction—the injured students, the furious Spirit King, the scattered debris—with the air of someone who'd seen it all before.
This had to be their teacher.
Zhao Wuji completely ignored Ye Zhiqiu's presence and waved dismissively at Tang San and the others. "Go inside and get some rest. It's been a long day."
The seven Shrek students immediately began retracting their martial souls and moving toward the inn, their relief evident.
"Wait!" Ye Zhiqiu's voice cracked with indignation.
Zhao Wuji paused and looked back with mild curiosity, as if noticing the Spirit King for the first time. "What?"
"You're their teacher!" Ye Zhiqiu pointed an accusing finger at the retreating students. "They beat up my students and destroyed inn property—don't you owe us an explanation?"
Zhao Wuji scratched his head thoughtfully, then shrugged. "An explanation? What explanation? You're a five-ring Spirit King who can't even handle seven kids, and you want an explanation from me?"
The casual dismissal was like a slap across the face.
"How about I give you an explanation instead?"
With deliberate slowness, Zhao Wuji clasped his hands together and flexed his massive muscles. What happened next made everyone from Canghui Academy take an involuntary step backward.
Seven spirit rings appeared beneath his feet in perfect succession: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black.
The sight of those final three black rings—ten-thousand-year soul rings that only the most elite spirit masters could ever hope to obtain—turned Ye Zhiqiu's face pale with terror.
A Spirit Sage. He was facing a Spirit Sage.
"Spirit Sage, sir," Ye Zhiqiu's voice had lost all its earlier arrogance, becoming almost pleading. "Let's talk this out reasonably. Perhaps we can just forget about your students'... youthful indiscretions... and the insults to our Canghui Academy."
Zhao Wuji cracked his knuckles with sounds like breaking branches. "I won't even use my martial soul or soul skills. If you can beat me in a straight fight, they'll apologize to you properly."
Before Ye Zhiqiu could refuse or negotiate further, Zhao Wuji had moved.
What followed could hardly be called a fight. The Spirit King, for all his earlier bluster and genuine skill, was completely outclassed. Within moments, he was on the ground, thoroughly beaten and gasping for breath, while Zhao Wuji stood over him without even breathing hard.
The Shrek students, who had paused to watch their teacher work, were particularly satisfied by the outcome. Their academy's honor had been decisively upheld.
Only Zhu Zhuqing stood apart from the group's celebration, quietly tending to her injuries and lost in her own thoughts. The night had proven once again that she would need to rely on her own strength, not on heroes who arrived too late.
