Yun Ming's Atlas Spear successfully pierced Zhao Wuji, but Zhao Wuji's instinctive Soul Power protection also rebounded against Yun Ming, just as he had intended.
"Step, step, step, step..."
Yun Ming retreated seven steps in a row, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. However, Yun Ming had no time to worry about that; he was far more concerned with the outcome of the battle.
Inside Zhao Wuji's inner world.
After a deafening roar.
The giant Atlas Spear formed by Yun Ming's Royal Power Spear Intent had vanished, leaving behind only a scarred, blood-stained giant bear. Although severely injured, Zhao Wuji had managed to block it after all.
However, Zhao Wuji blocking Royal Power did not mean he had won.
Outside, Zhao Wuji, having taken the Atlas Spear head-on, looked as pale as paper. His expression was listless, his aura had plummeted by fifty percent, and a mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth. His footsteps were unsteady as he staggered back five steps, taking a long time to regain his senses.
The surrounding onlookers, seeing a mere youth like Yun Ming strike back a Soul Saint head-on, were filled with disbelief. Once they snapped out of their shock, they quickly cleared the area, terrified that the Soul Saint might go berserk and harm innocent bystanders.
A sobered Zhao Wuji looked at Yun Ming with terror in his eyes. What kind of monster was this?!! A Soul Elder wounding a Soul Saint head-on?!!
Had he, Zhao Wuji, been out of the Soul Master World for too long?
Was this the level of geniuses in the Soul Master World now?!!
If that strike from Yun Ming had landed on a low-to-mid-tier Soul Emperor, there was a high probability it could have directly sent them to Soul Annihilation!
Yun Ming looked at the effects of the completed version of Royal Power and nodded with satisfaction; the result was truly worthy of the time he had spent. Being able to bridge nearly forty levels to damage a Soul Saint's mind, requiring at least three months to recover, was a formidable feat.
However, a full-power Royal Power also had its drawbacks.
First, the consumption was massive. Yun Ming had exhausted eighty to ninety percent of his strength, and as his cultivation grew and his aura became more imposing, the consumption would only increase.
Second, the momentum had been spent. Even if he had a way to replenish his energy, he could not use the move again in a short period.
Finally, this technique was essentially exclusive to peerless powerhouses like Yun Ming and Tang Chen, whose cultivation and internal energy were both off the charts; the possibility of passing it down was extremely low.
Yun Ming looked toward the terrified Zhao Wuji, his voice sounding somewhat weary as he spoke again.
"You lost!"
Hearing this, Zhao Wuji glanced at the position he had clearly been forced back from, then felt the dizziness and stinging pain in his mind caused by the earlier damage to his spirit. He was starting to regret provoking Yun Ming.
But the bet was lost, the outcome was set, and he had already lost face—what else could he do? Kill him to silence him? He hadn't dared to make a move before, and he certainly didn't dare to now!!! He had no choice but to accept his defeat.
Zhao Wuji replied to Yun Ming with a look of unwillingness.
"You won!"
"We, Shrek Academy, admit defeat this time!!!"
With that, Zhao Wuji secured Dai Mubai, who had been carried out by the hotel staff, hoisted him over his shoulder, and prepared to leave with his people.
Seeing Zhao Wuji about to walk away, Yun Ming spoke again in a flat tone.
"Wait!"
Hearing that Yun Ming was still looking for trouble, Zhao Wuji looked at him with cold eyes and an angry expression.
"Kid, we at Shrek Academy have already conceded. What more do you want?!!"
Watching Zhao Wuji act as if they were the victims, Yun Ming felt both heartbroken and amused. The heartbreak came from nowhere, while the amusement was genuine. Yun Ming calmed his emotions slightly and continued.
"You still owe me a condition! Well? Are you going to welch on it?"
Hearing Yun Ming bring up the previous bet, Zhao Wuji felt his headache worsen. But looking at the expression on Yun Ming's face—which clearly hoped he would renege—Zhao Wuji didn't want to lose any more face by refusing, nor did he want to let that kid make a fool of him. He suppressed his temper and said through gritted teeth.
"Speak! What do you want?!!"
Yun Ming was actually a bit disappointed that Zhao Wuji intended to honor the agreement.
Yun Ming had hoped the other side would welch, as that would make him even more disappointed in Shrek, accelerating the recovery of the memories in his mind. Seeing Yun Ming's disappointed expression made Zhao Wuji even angrier; that little brat really was just trying to make a fool of him.
Since he didn't get the answer he wanted, Yun Ming casually repeated Zhao Wuji's previous condition.
After all, his only goal regarding Shrek Academy was to let them disappoint him, but asking for that directly felt a bit too twisted, and Yun Ming still had his pride.
"Then apologize to me and pay ten thousand Gold Soul Coins."
Upon hearing the condition, Zhao Wuji's instinctive reaction was to refuse. Ask Shrek for money? Impossible.
"We, Shrek Academy, don't have—"
Then, Zhao Wuji saw the flame of hope rising in Yun Ming's eyes—the hope of seeing him make a fool of himself. Seeing this, he changed his tone.
"—a problem!"
Without waiting for Yun Ming's reaction, Zhao Wuji channeled his Soul Power, causing the stone tiles on the ground to crack—a sign of his damaged spirit and severely reduced control over his power. He carried Dai Mubai away and vanished into the street in front of the Rose Hotel, heading off to discuss countermeasures with the Shrek Dean.
As for what he had just promised Yun Ming, that was the Vice Dean of Shrek making the promise, so the Dean should be the one to handle it. Even if they couldn't pay the money in the end, someone else would have to be the one to lose face; that guy had no shame anyway. As for the apology, he would just make Dai Mubai do it when he woke up; it was his fault for causing the trouble in the first place!
Watching the Bear Blind run faster than a rabbit, Yun Ming felt a sense of secret satisfaction.
Afterward, Yun Ming calmed the Soul Power and blood flow within his body, stood up, and walked toward the hidden corner where he had placed the Star Luo spy.
But when he saw the spy, Yun Ming's expression darkened.
The man was dead. The wound was in his heart—a single, fatal strike—and the shape of the wound was very familiar.
Seeing this, Yun Ming roughly understood what had happened. People from home had arrived, and he could only let out a sigh.
"Sigh~"
"Come out!" Yun Ming said with a calm expression.
Soon, an old man with a ruddy complexion, white hair and beard, and a sinister look appeared before Yun Ming.
Looking at the old man in front of him, Yun Ming bowed in greeting.
"Yun Ming greets Fifth Grand Uncle!"
The old man whom Yun Ming called 'Fifth Grand Uncle' was Yang Wudi's cousin, Yang Wutian. He was one of the few remaining elders of the Yang family's 'Wu' generation, the second strongest of the Breaking Clan, and the First Elder of the Breaking Clan. He was a level 79 peak Soul Saint, second only to Yang Wudi. If it weren't for the severe injuries he sustained during that great battle involving the Clear Sky Sect, which damaged his foundation, he would have long since broken through to become a Soul Douluo.
Yang Wutian's low voice rang out.
"Ming Er, you should have killed him!"
Yun Ming looked at Yang Wutian and said with some helplessness.
"Fifth Grand Uncle, it wasn't strictly necessary to kill him."
"He was originally a spy watching Dai Mubai. If I had verified that he, like Dai Mubai, hadn't returned to Star Luo for several years, he probably wouldn't even know Zhu Zhuqing. Locking him up for a while would have sufficed!"
Yang Wutian spoke in a cold, stern tone to educate him.
"Ming Er, you are sometimes too kind!"
"In the world of Soul Masters, even the dead aren't necessarily reliable, let alone the living!"
"This is the Soul Master World. If you don't want to be killed, you can only kill others. It is always cruel!"
Listening to Yang Wutian's words, Yun Ming didn't say much. Did it make sense? In the cruel Soul Master World, these words held truth.
It was just that for people who didn't necessarily need to die, Yun Ming truly didn't want to kill them. However, since the person was already dead, there was no point in dwelling on it, and Yun Ming wouldn't blame his family for someone who might have ended up dying by his hand anyway. His kindness hadn't reached that level yet!
Yun Ming changed the subject and said to Yang Wutian.
"Fifth Grand Uncle, you should have seen what happened with Zhao Wuji earlier. Please go show your face for me!"
When Yang Wutian heard Yun Ming mention Zhao Wuji, killing intent surged in his eyes. It seemed he was very angry that a bastard like Zhao Wuji would bully the young. If it hadn't been for the bet that he would be the one taking the beating, Yang Wutian might have tested his spear on the Vajra Bear on the spot.
Seeing this, Yun Ming hurriedly tried to dissuade him.
"Fifth Grand Uncle, please don't kill him. Just show your face for me; I still have use for Shrek Academy later! Just reinforce the impression that I have backing behind me."
Upon hearing Yun Ming's words, Yang Wutian understood the effect he wanted. He grunted an "En" and vanished from where he stood.
Yun Ming watched the disappearing Yang Wutian and silently offered a three-second moment of silence for Zhao Wuji; his Fifth Grand Uncle was quite sinister.
After taking out the Corpse Dissolving Powder to dispose of the body, Yun Ming also left.
ps: Although the level gap is quite large, in Douluo Dalu III, Tang Wulin at the early Soul Ancestor stage could go head-to-head with the Two-Word Battle Armor Soul Emperor Long Yue, who possessed the top-tier True Dragon Spirit and Mountain Dragon King Spirit. Now that Yun Ming is using the power of his will, it should be reasonable for him to injure a Soul Saint's mind by crossing forty levels, right!
Seeking monthly tickets and recommendations.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader