At this moment, Lu Jingming did not speak again. True respect should be given to genuine power.
Yan Shaozhe was a level 95 Super Douluo, undoubtedly among the strongest on the entire Douluo Continent.
Even the hot-tempered Ma Xiaotao was obediently quiet now, kicking at the stones beneath her feet in frustration without making a sound. This alone showed just how imposing Yan Shaozhe's presence was.
Ma Xiaotao only occasionally shot Lu Jingming a fierce glare with her eyes to vent her displeasure.
Though she was quick-tempered, she wasn't stupid. From her teacher's attitude, she keenly sensed that Jingliu must also be an extraordinary powerhouse, worthy of her teacher's serious attention.
Under such circumstances, she knew she had no right to interrupt.
"The rules of soul hunting have always been first-come, first-served. Whoever kills the soul beast naturally claims it. If anyone has objections, then let strength be the judge," Jingliu said calmly and plainly.
Her meaning was crystal clear: even if you were the first to target the Phoenix Flame Bird, in the end, it was us who defeated and killed it.
If you have a problem with that, then by all means, fight for it.
Yan Shaozhe's cheek twitched involuntarily. He hadn't expected Jingliu to be so domineering and unyielding, showing no respect at all to Shrek Academy.
With the Phoenix Flame Bird now dead, he originally had no intention of making a big deal out of it. If Jingliu softened just a little, offered some compensation or apologized, the matter could be settled.
But Jingliu's forceful attitude had put him in a difficult position. If he backed down now, it wouldn't just be his own face lost, but the prestige of Shrek Academy as well.
Caught in this dilemma, it seemed the conflict could only be resolved through combat.
"Fine! Since you insist on this, then we shall settle this right here and now!" Yan Shaozhe laughed bitterly. The moment his words fell, a loud phoenix cry suddenly exploded.
In an instant, a dazzling spectral phoenix of radiant light slowly appeared behind him. Its overwhelming soul power surged like a tidal wave, sweeping outward in all directions.
That overwhelming brightness instantly dispelled the shadows that had lingered in the forest, bathing the surroundings in a brilliance like daylight.
At nearly the same moment, a clear, piercing sword sound pierced the sky.
An intense, bone-chilling sword intent, capable of freezing all living things, soared into the clouds. Accompanying it, the surrounding air instantly thickened and the temperature plummeted, spreading icy chill everywhere.
In the blink of an eye, large snowflakes began to fall from the sky—an unusual phenomenon of snow in June.
Under Jingliu's mighty sword intent, the powerful aura Yan Shaozhe had just unleashed was instantly suppressed.
Ma Xiaotao instinctively stepped back. In a daze, she seemed to glimpse a longsword wrapped in biting cold, capable of cleaving stars, as well as the frost-like moonlight that froze everything in its path.
Strangely, beneath this biting cold, the scorching heat of the demonic fire that had tormented her for years now felt inexplicably relieved.
That tormenting evil fire that had caused her so much pain suddenly dissipated considerably in this moment.
The irritation that had made her furious at Lu Jingming gradually calmed, and her heart became unusually peaceful.
"Extreme… Ice!" Yan Shaozhe spoke each word deliberately, his eyes filled with deep caution yet also undisguised surprise.
He had spent years trying everything to help Ma Xiaotao rid herself of the stubborn demonic fire inside her—searching far and wide for soul masters with extreme ice attribute powers, but all efforts had failed.
Both he and Ma Xiaotao had almost lost hope.
They never imagined that on this mission to hunt a third soul ring for Ma Xiaotao, they would unexpectedly encounter a powerhouse with the extreme ice attribute.
Yet after his moment of joy, Yan Shaozhe quickly grew troubled again. The current situation was tricky.
Had he known Jingliu was an extreme ice attribute expert, there was no way he would have recklessly clashed over a mere thousand-year soul beast.
Now he was truly caught in a dilemma. If he started a fight and deeply offended Jingliu, how would he have the face later to ask for help in dispelling Ma Xiaotao's demonic fire?
Moreover, from the brief aura clash just now, he was painfully aware he was probably no match for Jingliu.
But he was not willing to admit defeat and soften so easily.
After all, Shrek Academy's reputation on the Douluo Continent was well known. As the Head of the Academy's Spirit Hall, if Yan Shaozhe retreated now, it would be a blow to the academy's prestige.
Just as Yan Shaozhe was tangled in this inner conflict, he glanced at Ma Xiaotao standing beside him—someone he loved like his own daughter.
Gritting his teeth, after a difficult struggle within himself, he finally decided to set aside his pride and yield.
"Both of you, please stop. If there's anything to discuss, let's talk it over calmly," a clear, pleasant female voice suddenly rang out at this critical moment.
Hearing the voice, Jingliu and Yan Shaozhe almost simultaneously withdrew their auras.
Yan Shaozhe secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling grateful. He quickly turned to the newcomer, a trace of goodwill appearing in his eyes.
A golden-haired girl wearing an ornate golden dress approached with light, graceful steps.
She carried herself with elegance and poise, every step seeming to radiate an innate nobility and refinement.
Behind her followed several figures, each exuding an extraordinary aura—clearly no ordinary people.
From their formation, it was clear that all of them regarded the golden-haired girl as their leader and treated her with deep respect.
Among them was an elderly woman with snowy white hair. Though her face was kindly, an immensely powerful soul force radiated from her.
Just moments ago, it had been she who quietly shielded the golden-haired girl from the intense clash of aura between Jingliu and Yan Shaozhe, protecting her from harm.
"Senior Jingliu, Dean Yan, it's just a thousand-year soul beast—there's really no need for such a commotion. If there are any issues, we can calmly sit down and discuss them," the golden-haired girl said with a gentle smile on her face, her soft, melodious voice slowly easing the tense atmosphere.
Lu Jingming couldn't help but be very surprised by her words, stealing a few more glances at the golden-haired girl.
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