A soul beast with over a thousand years of cultivation rivaling one with more than five thousand years—if the Ashglow Bird appeared in the human world, it would be considered a prodigy capable of fighting above its rank.
Of course, comparing humans and soul beasts is only an approximation. To truly determine who is stronger, they'd have to fight.
On Lu Jingming's right hand, thick black mist surged like a tidal wave. Within the rolling black fog, a jet-black spear slowly materialized.
The moment the spear appeared, it emitted a repressive aura. Without hesitation, Lu Jingming thrust the dark spear fiercely toward the Ashglow Bird, which had already lost the ability to resist. His movement was clean and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
"Stop!" Just as the spear was about to pierce the Ashglow Bird's heart, a loud, bell-like shout rang out.
However, Lu Jingming seemed not to hear it; his hand didn't pause. The black spear, filled with unstoppable momentum, plunged straight into the heart of the Ashglow Bird.
As the spear pierced in, its tip shimmered with strange black light particles that seemed alive. They rapidly spread across the bird's hard exoskeleton protecting its heart core.
In an instant, the seemingly indestructible outer shell disintegrated like fragile tofu—silent but terrifying in power.
Only after a brilliant purple soul ring slowly appeared on the Ashglow Bird's body did Lu Jingming calmly turn his gaze toward the source of the voice.
A dazzling golden light streaked across like lightning, and then a middle-aged man dressed in pure white robes appeared, accompanied by a red-haired girl with a playful bun hairstyle.
The middle-aged man carried an extraordinary aura—steady and reserved—while the red-haired girl radiated vitality. Her large eyes sparkled like lively stars but were now wide with anger.
Seeing the already dead Ashglow Bird, the man's brows knitted tightly, his expression darkening with displeasure and regret.
The red-haired girl's eyes grew even wider in disbelief. Then, placing her hands firmly on her hips, she shouted in a petulant and spoiled tone, "I told you to stop! Why did you still kill it?"
Lu Jingming merely cast them a cold, disdainful glance. His eyes carried a hint of contempt and indifference as he replied flatly but with undeniable firmness, "You say stop, so I should stop? Why should I listen to you? Who exactly are you?"
"You!" The red-haired girl was rendered speechless by Lu Jingming's ruthless reply, stunned and unable to find words to retort.
She never expected that this kid, who looked no more than six years old, would speak so arrogantly and domineeringly, completely disregarding her.
"This is a millennium soul beast! You're just a kid, and even if you kill it, you won't be able to absorb its soul ring. You're just wasting it!" she fumed, her small chest rising and falling fiercely with anger, her temper flaring instantly.
"Whether it's wasted or not is my business, what does it have to do with you?" Lu Jingming shot back, but his gaze subtly shifted toward the silent man in white.
In that brief moment, he keenly noticed that part of Jingliu's attention had also turned toward the man.
From what he knew about Jingliu, this clearly meant the man in white was no ordinary figure.
"Heh, look at my temper! You annoying little brat, today I, your auntie, will give you a good lesson!" The red-haired girl was livid, flames swirling wildly around her. She was poised to charge at Lu Jingming, clearly intent on giving him a harsh beating to vent her anger.
"Xiaotao, don't be rude," the man in white finally spoke, his tone calm but carrying an unchallengeable authority. He first halted the impulsive girl, then turned his gaze to Jingliu, smiling humbly as he cupped his hands in greeting. "I am Yan Shaozhe, Head of the Martial Soul Department at Shrek Academy. May I ask your name?"
Hearing Yan Shaozhe introduce himself, Lu Jingming's eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise.
He never expected to coincidentally meet the famous Martial Soul Dean of Shrek Academy, Mingfeng Douluo Yan Shaozhe, here.
After a moment's thought, his eyes shifted back to the red-haired girl. From this, the identity of the fiery-tempered girl became clear.
Based on the timeline and ages, he was around the same age as Beibei and Xu Sanshi, while Ma Xiaotao should be about five years older than him.
Judging by her appearance and demeanor, the red-haired girl before him looked to be around twelve years old.
Adding to that, Yan Shaozhe had just affectionately called her "Xiaotao." Putting all the clues together, Lu Jingming was now almost certain that the girl before him was indeed Ma Hongjun's descendant—the Fiery Phoenix of Evil Flames, Ma Xiaotao.
"Jingliu." Jingliu's tone was as calm as ever—just two simple words, yet enough to respond to Yan Shaozhe.
Yan Shaozhe's lips twitched involuntarily. He had already introduced himself, proudly revealing the name of Shrek Academy, expecting at least some acknowledgment or respect in return. But instead, he only received a name he had never even heard before.
This left him somewhat helpless and stirred a faint sense of dissatisfaction within.
Still, he forced himself to suppress those feelings. After all, he couldn't fathom Jingliu's true strength.
That alone made him cautious—this was not Shrek Academy's territory, but the perilous Star Dou Great Forest.
If they inadvertently provoked a powerful individual, Yan Shaozhe himself was not afraid. But Ma Xiaotao's safety was a different matter altogether.
As her teacher, ensuring his student's safety was paramount.
"Sir, we have been tracking this Ashglow Bird for quite some time," Yan Shaozhe said, striving to keep his tone as gentle as possible. "And as you know, it is a millennium soul beast. Considering the age of this young friend here, it's not really appropriate for them to absorb its soul ring. Don't you think such an action might be somewhat improper?"
Normally, if anyone else dared to openly disregard Shrek Academy like this, even if he wouldn't start a war over a single millennium soul beast, he would at least give them a stern warning to remind them of the academy's unassailable authority.
But when facing Jingliu, his instincts constantly urged him to proceed with utmost caution.