"In that case, you will be buried with my students! Give me your lives!"
Zhao Wuji's voice boomed through the hotel hall as his power surged. "Seventh Soul Skill: Soul Form, Mighty Vajra, "
Bang!
Before he could finish invoking his martial soul ability, Victor's palm struck Zhao Wuji squarely in the chest.
The sound was thunderous. In an instant, Zhao Wuji exploded into a cloud of blood mist that dispersed through the air, following his students into oblivion.
"What a racket," Victor muttered, lowering his hand. "What era is this? People are still shouting their attack names during a fight?"
He'd encountered this phenomenon before in other worlds, calling out techniques and abilities during combat. But usually, the attacks were already launched before or during the announcement. Sometimes practitioners would shout the skill name only after landing the blow, as a finishing flourish.
These soul masters were different. They actually began their assault after completing their entire verbal declaration.
It was either a fundamental flaw in their combat training, or a systematic weakness in how soul masters operated.
In any other world Victor had visited, by the time you finished your speech, you'd already be dead.
This brutal display shocked everyone present yet again.
Killing a Soul Sage in a single move, without even activating a martial soul.
Could Victor be a Titled Douluo?
No, even a Titled Douluo probably couldn't eliminate a Soul Sage in one strike without using their martial soul!
A Super Douluo, perhaps?
As this possibility took root in their minds, the horrified gazes of the onlookers filled with awe.
Even in the frightened eyes of Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, reverence now mingled with their fear.
Victor glanced at the blood and fragments scattered across the ground, silent for a moment. Then he stood and spoke to Gu Yuena. "Forget it. Let's go upstairs to eat."
Gu Yuena nodded and followed him toward the stairs.
As the two disappeared from view, the fear finally faded from Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's faces.
The girls looked at each other.
"What should we do now?" Ning Rongrong asked.
Zhu Zhuqing thought for a moment before shaking her head slightly. "I don't know either, but we definitely can't return to Shrek now. With Dean Flender's personality, he'll definitely blame us when he discovers everyone else is dead and only the two of us survived."
All those who died were students and teachers of Shrek Academy, including Flender's direct disciples.
If Flender learned of this, he would likely go mad.
If they returned, they would become the target of his grief and rage.
Even though Ning Rongrong was the daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, she might still be killed by a maddened Flender.
"You're right. Why don't you come back with me to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan?" Ning Rongrong suggested.
Whether or not she could return to Shrek didn't really matter to Ning Rongrong. She'd never felt any sense of belonging to the academy anyway.
She'd only snuck out this time for fun.
Now that this had happened, she was no longer in the mood to continue playing around. She just wanted to go home quickly.
Only at home could she feel safe.
Zhu Zhuqing hesitated briefly before agreeing to Ning Rongrong's proposal.
Dai Mubai was dead. She alone couldn't complete the competition in a few years' time.
Her best choice now was to return to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan with Ning Rongrong, or even join the sect.
With the protection of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, even the Star Luo Empire couldn't touch her.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go!"
Without any hesitation, Ning Rongrong grabbed Zhu Zhuqing's hand and rushed out of the hotel.
Their speed was the fastest in their lives.
Even Zhu Zhuqing, an agility-type soul master, was shocked by how quickly Ning Rongrong moved.
She was genuinely worried that Victor might suddenly change his mind and come back to kill them as well.
Meanwhile, in a small town housing a branch of the Spirit Hall.
Tang Hao, who had just destroyed said branch, suddenly felt a palpitation for no apparent reason, as if something important had been lost.
He couldn't afford to be careless about this feeling.
As his strength had increased over the years, he'd developed a certain premonition about anything threatening to him or his interests.
Especially after becoming a Titled Douluo, this perception had grown more accurate.
"This feeling... Could it be that something happened to Ah Yin?"
The first thing Tang Hao thought of wasn't his son Tang San, but his wife Ah Yin.
After all, Tang San had the protection of a Soul Sage, so there shouldn't be any problems.
On the other hand, his wife was trapped in a hidden cave without any protection whatsoever.
Once someone broke in and discovered her, she would be powerless to resist!
Thinking of this, Tang Hao no longer hesitated. He took to the air and flew toward Holy Soul Village.
'Ah Yin, please don't let anything happen to you. At least your soul bone must not be lost...'
After dinner, Victor and Gu Yuena returned to their respective rooms.
Lying on the bed, Victor opened the chat group as usual.
[Shinoa: Why? Why am I always the last one? I don't want to be last forever! (╥﹏╥)]
As soon as he came online, he saw Shinoa's unwilling lament, which immediately piqued his curiosity.
[Victor Stone: Shinoa, what's wrong?]
[Rin Tohsaka: Just now, Miss Kikyo broke through to the first level of Qi Refinement.]
Got it.
Another newcomer with top-tier cultivation aptitude.
As a senior, Shinoa had been hit hard once again.
[Shinoa: Now I just hope another newcomer can share in my suffering!]
[Bai Yuekui: Your curse is rather vicious.]
[Shinobu: Honey, why haven't you come home yet so late?]
[Lumine: Do you even need to ask? He must be enjoying a shameless romantic life with his new lover and not missing home!]
[Belle: Is that so?]
[Victor Stone: I wish that were the case.]
[Gu Yuena: ...]
[Kiana: Gu Yuena? Who is this person? Is there such a person in our group?]
[Stelle: I'm also confused.]
[Tsunade: Wow! I clicked on the avatar and it turns out to be a beautiful lady with long wavy silver hair!]
[Victor Stone: She is the Silver Dragon King. She just got a name.]
Though Victor had expected the name change, he hadn't anticipated that even the avatar would transform.
[Kurumi Tokisaki: Wow, I didn't expect Miss Silver Dragon King to be so beautiful. No wonder Mr. Victor Stone hasn't returned home yet. He really is so happy there that he doesn't want to go home.]
[Gu Yuena: Don't get me wrong. Master Victor and I are about to go somewhere.]
[Belle: Where?]
[Victor Stone: A treasure land full of rare herbs and medicines!]
[Victor Stone: After we acquire that treasure land, we might be able to refine some high-level elixirs.]
All along, they had been unable to refine high-level elixirs due to the lack of high-quality spiritual herbs and medicines.
If they obtained the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, that problem would be completely resolved!
[Shinoa: Please help me refine a Marrow Cleansing Pill when the time comes! You promised me before!]
[Victor Stone: Sure thing!]
The next morning, Victor and Gu Yuena rose early.
After checking out, the two took the map they'd obtained from the hotel waiter and flew toward the Sunset Forest.
With the map in hand, their journey was much faster.
In less than half an hour, they had traveled thousands of kilometers and arrived at the Sunset Forest.