Chapter 77: Protecting Zhao Xuan

At the VIP round table of the Chicken Fork Shop, Zhao Xuan and Na’er sat facing each other, the table piled high with the owner’s signature snacks.

Stacked chicken forks rose like a small mountain; golden pistol legs, nearly as large as a face, were irresistibly tempting; pipa legs and chicken wing roots emitted a fragrant, crispy aroma that made mouths water.

Today, not a single chicken would leave Shrek City alive.

The food was simply too much—Na’er couldn’t even see Zhao Xuan across the table. No matter; she’d finish it all soon enough!

With whirlwind speed, she shoveled food into her mouth, left hand gripping her beloved chicken forks, right hand clutching the delicious golden pistol legs, Na’er ate with unrestrained joy, her happiness overflowing.

Never doubt Na’er’s appetite. From Zhao Xuan’s perspective, the mountain of food visibly shrank, gradually revealing the delicate face of the silver-haired girl.

Na’er grinned with bared teeth, then noticed Zhao Xuan had stopped eating and was staring at her. She mumbled:

“Eat! Why are you staring at me?”

“You’re appetizing.”

Glistening chicken curled in a tempting arc along Na’er’s lips. Zhao Xuan propped his chin, smiling as the specks of cumin on her nose bounced with each word she spoke.

“Here, a reward—ah—”

The silver-haired girl was ridiculously easy to please; four simple words made her radiant. Na’er leaned forward, her drawn-out tone sugary sweet, collar slipping to reveal exquisitely defined collarbones. Her fingertip pinched a strip of chicken and pressed it against Zhao Xuan’s teeth.

The chicken strip nudged his lips. Zhao Xuan didn’t refuse. As his mouth opened, Na’er deliberately lingered a few seconds longer—the golden, oily crust brushed his incisors; her neatly rounded nails grazed his palate by accident.

“Crack!”

The crisp sound of strong teeth biting echoed. For some reason, feeding Zhao Xuan made her happier than eating herself. Maternal affection surged in her heart—she wanted to keep feeding him.

She trotted around and sat beside Zhao Xuan, picked up another chicken fork, her silver-white eyes sparkling as she gazed at his handsome face, then extended it toward him.

“Another reward!”

Watching this, the chicken fork owner beamed like a blooming flower. He had witnessed nearly their entire growth, seen them grow inseparable—his heart swelled with the joy of witnessing a real couple.

Meanwhile, five young men in their early twenties approached the chicken fork shop. Each wore open shirts, proudly displaying grotesque tattoos on their chests—clearly no good.

Shrek City residents on Phoenix Street saw them and turned pale, scrambling aside. Even the chicken fork owner dared not continue his loud banter—he hurried back inside.

“Brothers, yesterday I ate at the shop ahead—damn, that was authentic!”

The gaunt youth spun his thumb two and a half times, grinning: “Let’s all try it together!”

The five surged into the shop, glanced at the timid owner, pointed at the soul-tool menu screen, and ordered in a commanding tone: “Ten pounds of chicken forks, ten pistol legs.”

The owner said nothing, bowed his head, packed it all, and carefully handed it to the skinny youth.

The five nodded in satisfaction, turning to leave—when a cold, sharp shout rang out:

“Stop! Did you pay?”

Na’er’s gaze turned icy. Chicken forks were her favorite snack—this shop was under her protection!

“Pay? When did we ever pay?”

The five burst into wild laughter, doubling over. All were applicants who’d failed the Shrek Academy entrance exam—talent so exceptional they’d be fought over by academies in any city.

They came with absolute confidence, only to be easily rejected by Shrek. The bitter resentment drove them to form a gang, roaming Shrek City’s alleys until they sank into feared delinquents.

Shrek City residents knew their danger and avoided conflict—usually they endured. The chicken fork owner planned to swallow his pride. But Na’er wouldn’t allow anyone to bully those under her protection!

The five thugs surrounded her, leering. The skinny youth shook his head: “We forgot our money. Why not come with us to get it?”

“Disgusting. Shake your brain out before you speak. A little mud eel with a pinch of salt thinks it’s seafood?”

Holding back her childhood friend, Na’er unleashed maximum verbal scorn. She was never a fragile flower—she didn’t need Zhao Xuan guarding her every second!

The skinny youth panted like an ox and charged forward to teach Na’er a lesson.

“Crack—”

The air shattered like breaking glass. The youth’s rage froze on his twisted face—his throat met an icy, piercing edge.

The Silver Dragon Spear resembled a deadly serpent, its tip pressed against his throbbing Adam’s apple. The silver-haired girl remained seated, still calm enough to bite into a chicken wing root.

The other four youths screamed, summoning their martial souls and soul rings—but instantly, their shadows slid unnaturally across the ground. Space wrinkled like crumpled silk. Na’er’s figure flickered across four directions, her afterimages thrusting crescent-shaped silver spearlight.

In the skinny youth’s bulging eyes, he saw his companions’ thighs bursting into blood. The noisy thugs twitched like cockroaches pinned through—silver spearlight ravenously corroded their flesh.

Na’er turned her spear lightly; a thread of silver flame slithered along its shaft, incinerating dripping blood into blue smoke.

When the Silver Dragon Spear lifted the youth’s chin, his earlier slacker demeanor vanished entirely—he dared not move, throat straining, lips trembling, unable to utter a single plea.

“Still want me to come with you?” Na’er smiled coldly.

The youth’s head shook like a blur, his face pleading. Na’er sneered and spat two words: “Pay.”

The Silver Dragon Spear’s tip was as effective as physical restraint. The youth respectfully pulled out all his Federal coins from his storage soul-tool and humbly handed them to the chicken fork owner.

Na’er nodded slightly. Upholding fairness, she stabbed the skinny youth once in the thigh, then flicked each of them out of the shop like trash.

The five thugs limped away. Na’er sheathed the Silver Dragon Spear and grumbled: “Shrek City claims to be the safest on the continent—how do such lowlifes still exist?”

“I overheard our two homeroom teachers mention them,” Zhao Xuan said calmly. “These failures each have backgrounds. They’re not entirely evil.”

“So Shrek Academy didn’t eliminate them—just let them cause trouble.”

Zhao Xuan turned to the hesitant owner and struck right to his heart: “Phoenix Street is Phoenix Clan property. You operate here—we have an obligation to protect your rights.”

“Since these thugs provoked us, we’ll clean them up. They’ll be back.”

“They dare come back?” Na’er blinked. “Still want more beating?”

“Don’t underestimate a thug’s vengeance. Their boss is a few years older than Wu Teacher. Talent and background both elite—but he failed the mental test during entrance exams.”

“He couldn’t resist the temptation of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion skull. In the virtual space, he slaughtered all his teammates. That’s why Shrek Academy expelled him. He became a street thug, clawed his way to the top.”

“Supposedly, Wu Teacher once beat him. He never explained why. Shen Laoshi said that when I meet him, I’ll understand—I’ll be unable to resist doing exactly what Wu Teacher did: beat the thug boss to death.”

“Boom, boom, boom—”

Before he finished speaking, the ground trembled. A monstrously oversized figure squeezed into the chicken fork shop—yes, literally squeezed in!

Over three meters tall, weighing over five hundred jin, mid-thirties, with a full beard. Fat rippled like water as he walked. Tiny pea eyes glared at Zhao Xuan and Na’er, brimming with malice.

“It’s them!”

Ignoring his bloody wounds, the skinny youth clung to the fat giant’s thick leg, performing a vivid display of dog-barking-at-the-boss: “Big Boss, we were all stabbed by that girl—you must avenge us!”

The tiny shop shook violently. Hu Yanba loomed above, his massive shadow swallowing Na’er whole. He rumbled:

“You. Come with me.”

Hearing this, Na’er’s eyes rolled, then she collapsed dramatically onto Zhao Xuan’s chest, feigning weakness. Wiping oil from her lips, she whimpered:

“Waaahhh, Xuanzhen-giegie~ You won’t abandon me to power, will you?”

Before Zhao Xuan could speak, Hu Yanba corrected: “Losing to a girl proves they’re useless. I don’t fight women. I meant him.”

“Come back with me tonight. This ends.”

“...Wait, is that even right?”

Na’er exploded in rage. To target Zhao Xuan? Better to target her—normal human instinct. But this guy? Pure heretic—he belongs on the gallows!

“Thorn Dragon, Jade Jade Dragon, march with me!”

Hu Yanba was older than Wu Kongkong. Even though he’d abandoned his second career and couldn’t wear Doukai armor, his pure soul power couldn’t be low.

So Na’er immediately summoned two soul spirits to fight alongside her. Beneath her feet, four soul rings rose—three purple, one black!

The Thorn Dragon whipped its spiky tail. The soul spirit and soul master influenced each other; nurtured by Na’er’s Silver Dragon King bloodline, the Thorn Dragon evolved into true dragon blood!

Space flickered. A soul beast covered in jade dragon scales appeared, three pairs of crystal horns on its skull, scales shimmering like frozen deep Tan jade. Wings flapped, spraying emerald light; wing edges tore open emerald rifts. Where it passed, space trembled silently under its pressure.

Ten-thousand-year soul spirit: Jade Jade Dragon!

One of the supreme true dragon soul beasts, its bloodline traced back to one of the Nine Dragon Kings—the Jade Dragon King, master of space!

Silver Dragon Spear, Thorn Dragon, Jade Jade Dragon—three space-attribute attacks descended. Hu Yanba’s expression shifted. He was stunned by Na’er’s power far exceeding Soul Ancestor level—and realized the little brat had provoked not an ordinary Shrek student, but an elite among elites!

Soul power surged. Hu Yanba’s already massive body swelled further, ballooning like an inflated balloon. Thick, amber-hued keratin hardened over his skin; two monstrous tusks burst from his face!

Martial Soul Embodiment: Diamond Mammoth!

Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Purple, Black, Black!

A 71st-level Soul Sage!

Hu Yanba came from the Xiangjia Sect, older than Shrek Academy—a former bottom-four of the Seven Great Sects two ten-thousand years ago.

During the Jia Ling Pass battle between the Spirit Hall Empire and Heaven Dou Empire, Xiangjia Sect suffered devastating losses and never recovered. In this era of over a dozen Limit Douluo, Xiangjia Sect now had only its sect master, Xiangjia Douluo, as a Titled Douluo—its glory long gone.

Hu Yanba willingly sank into thuggery, stubbornly staying in Shrek City to annoy the Academy. Xiangjia Douluo exhausted every plea to dissuade him—finally, heartbroken, he and his wife started new characters to retrain.

The three space-attribute attacks struck. His pupils shrank to twin golden dots. A low growl rumbled from his throat. His first soul ring blazed—Gravity Amplification!

Instantly, air hardened like iron. The two dragon soul spirits sank half a foot into the ground. Na’er gripped the Silver Dragon Spear horizontally, silver flame flickering at its tip—but it sank like mud, her movements slowed by a third.

The ten-thousand-year soul ring erupted. Brilliant silver-white light enveloped the area. A mighty dragon roar shattered the suddenly intensified gravity. Silver Dragon Spear’s fourth soul skill: Silver Dragon Realm!

A domain-type soul skill. Space power became the core of the Silver Dragon Realm. Na’er’s all attributes surged. Her Silver Dragon King blood concentration rose. Her silver eyes turned violet crystal. The Silver Dragon Spear entered combustion state!

“Hum—”

A second domain surged: the ten-thousand-year Thorn Dragon King soul bone skill—Space Thorn Battlefield!

Dual Domains fused!

Under Na’er’s dual domain boost, the Thorn Dragon and Jade Dragon moved as if swimming in water. Deep within their dragon eyes, a pure violet shimmer appeared—the honor that countless true dragons could never attain: becoming vassals of the Silver Dragon King!

“Boom—”

Space shattered!

Hu Yanba was blasted out of the shop. Black-and-white energy currents protected the surroundings, preventing battle ripples from destroying the chicken fork owner’s property.

“Dare to covet Zhao Xuan’s fasting? I’ll crush your pelvis into calcium powder if you’re not bone-hard enough!”

Na’er’s voice was icy, like frozen ice.

To protect Zhao Xuan’s dantian, Na’er would never refuse!

“Kong—”

A thunderous crash rolled. Shattered stones flew. Hu Yanba stood up, brushing dust off his body.

The Diamond Mammoth’s defense was formidable. The three-rank gap in soul rings was undeniable—Na’er’s attack hadn’t truly injured Hu Yanba, only left him humiliated and enraged.

The second and third soul rings blazed with light; Huyan Ba’s defense grew even more terrifying. Amidst a grating, ear-piercing tearing sound, the Diamond Mammoth, bearing the two dragon clan’s assaults, reached out its massive palm toward Na’er!

A brilliant golden figure appeared just in time before Na’er, delivering a palm strike to Huyan Ba’s abdomen with a knee-pull and twist motion. The Taiji Diagonal Flight technique redirected force, flinging away the thousand-pound mountain of flesh now fused with the Diamond Mammoth!

“Cough, cough—”

Huyan Ba winced in pain. Zhao Xuanzhen’s attack was far more vicious than Na’er’s—not only did it use his own method against him, but a hidden force surged through his abdomen, piercing his meridians. This time, his defense was utterly ignored!

Zhao Xuanzhen did not waste words on Huyan Ba. He finally understood why Wu Changkong had beaten him senseless—who could possibly endure such a thing?

The fifth soul ring at the end of the line ignited!

Zhao Xuanzhen opened his palms, two flames blazing like sun and moon in unison: his left palm held a deep, abyssal yin fire; his right palm burned with fierce yang fire. Where the two met, the air twisted into fine, intricate cracks—as if heaven and earth itself feared this ultimate yin-yang power.

The two utterly different flames collided, producing a layered, sizzling sound. Rather than devouring each other, they slowly rotated under Zhao Xuanzhen’s guidance, forming a Taiji pattern.

“Yin and yang converge—fire lotus blooms!”

The spinning Taiji pattern suddenly contracted into a pinpoint of light. Zhao Xuanzhen thrust both palms forward, palm to palm, and a breathtakingly exquisite flame lotus crystallized from empty space!

Fifth soul skill: Chaotic Lotus!

(End of chapter)