allendalepharm Chapter 49 The Clash of Ideas
Chapter 49 The Clash of Ideas
As dawn broke, the dilapidated Shrek dormitory was awakened by birdsong. Yan Zu got up early and practiced the Nine Yin Manual at the edge of the playground. Xiao Yu perched on his shoulder, and auspicious energy slowly spread with his breathing, nourishing the surrounding weeds and giving the withered leaves a faint green hue.
Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong then left the dormitory. Ning Rongrong was still complaining about how hard the bed was, but Xiao Wu had already skipped and hopped over to Yan Zu: "Zu, will classes start today?"
"They should get to know their classmates first." Yan Zu stopped his movement and glanced at the other end of the playground—Tang San, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun were walking towards them, with Dai Mubai following at the back, his expression still gloomy.
"Hey, good morning, new classmate!" Oscar greeted first, his soul power surging in his hand, and a pink sausage instantly materialized. "Freshly baked recovery sausages, free samples, miss out and you'll have to wait another year!"
Ma Hongjun's gaze was fixed on Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing. He grinned and said, "You two beauties, I didn't have a chance to get to know you properly yesterday. My name is Ma Hongjun, and my martial soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix. If you need anything at the academy, feel free to look me up!" His words were tinged with a hint of frivolity, and his eyes made no attempt to hide his scrutiny of the two women.
Zhu Zhuqing frowned, her soul power trembled slightly, and the Netherworld Cat's killing intent faintly leaked out: "Show some respect."
"Oh, you've got quite a temper." Ma Hongjun didn't back down at all; instead, he stepped forward, his tone even more flippant. "I like the fiery kind. Want to have a little spar and show you what I'm capable of?"
"You're courting death!" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes turned cold, and the Netherworld Claw instantly shot out, with dark soul power swirling around her fingertips. Her figure approached like a ghost.
"Rongrong, increase!" Yan Zu said softly.
Ning Rongrong was prepared, and the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda appeared instantly: "Seven treasures turn out to reveal glazed tiles, firstly: speed! Secondly: power!" Two beams of colorful light landed precisely on Zhu Zhuqing, and her speed and attack power instantly surged.
Ma Hongjun hadn't expected his opponent to actually make a move. In his haste, he released his martial soul, and two yellow soul rings rose up. He hastily unleashed his first soul skill, "Phoenix Fire Line." However, Zhu Zhuqing was extremely fast. She dodged the flames to the side, and her Netherworld Claws, accompanied by a whooshing sound, grazed Ma Hongjun's shoulder, leaving three shallow bloodstains.
"Ouch—" Ma Hongjun winced in pain, no longer daring to be presumptuous, he took two steps back and glared angrily, "You dare to lay a hand on me?"
"If you continue to be so frivolous, next time it won't just be a superficial injury." Zhu Zhuqing retracted her claws, her eyes as cold as frost.
Oscar quickly smoothed things over: "Hongjun, don't be impulsive. It's a new student, it's a misunderstanding!" As he spoke, he handed a recovery sausage to Ma Hongjun, and then smiled at Zhu Zhuqing: "Beautiful lady, don't mind him, that's just his personality, he doesn't have any bad intentions."
Tang San stood to the side, his gaze fixed on Yan Zu, and suddenly spoke up: "Yan Zu, I challenge you."
The playground fell silent instantly.
Yan Zu raised his head and calmly looked at Tang San: "Reason?"
"To prove who is the strongest of this generation." Tang San's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. "It's also a test of whether you are qualified to stand beside Xiao Wu."
Yan Zu put down the dry rations in his hand, wiped his hands, and stood up. After these years of training, he was now half a head taller than Tang San: "Tang San, cultivation is not for fighting. If you want to fight, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future, but not now."
"Are you scared?" Tang San sneered.
"Think what you want." Yan Zu turned away, ignoring him completely.
Just then, Dai Mubai walked over from a distance, his face grim. He went straight to Zhu Zhuqing, took a deep breath, and said, "Zhuqing, let's talk."
"There's nothing to talk about," Zhu Zhuqing said coldly, her back to him.
"I know you're angry, but I had my reasons for leaving back then..." Dai Mubai reached out to pull Zhu Zhuqing back. "Give me a chance, let's start over and face the competition from our families together..."
Zhu Zhuqing whirled around and slapped his hand away: "Dai Mubai, what do you take me for? A burden when you're running for your life? Or a toy you can take and discard as you please?"
"You!" Dai Mubai's face flushed red, a flash of anger crossing his wicked eyes. "Don't push your luck! You think you can be arrogant in front of me with just your level 27?"
Three spirit rings rose beneath his feet, the White Tiger Martial Soul possessed him, and the pressure of his level 37 spirit power instantly enveloped Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing let out a muffled groan, her body swaying slightly, but her eyes remained stubborn and unyielding.
"Dai Mubai." Yan Zu stepped forward, blocking Zhu Zhuqing's path. His voice was calm yet carried an undeniable authority. "What do you want to do?"
Upon seeing Yan Zu, Dai Mubai's momentum faltered. Recalling the humiliation of being suppressed in one move at the Rose Hotel the day before, his expression shifted between anger and uncertainty.
He looked warily at Xiaoyu perched on Yan Zu's shoulder, and at those deep, dark eyes that seemed to see through everything, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "This is between us, it has nothing to do with you!"
"Zhu Qing is now my partner," Yan Zu said calmly. "If you want to harm her, you'll have to get past me first."
Their eyes met, and sparks seemed to fly in the air. Cold sweat beaded on Dai Mubai's forehead. He desperately wanted to make a move, but the feeling of being completely suppressed earlier left him with lingering fear.
Finally, he snorted coldly and withdrew his martial spirit: "Fine, very well! You just wait!"
After saying that, he turned and left.
Tang San gave Yan Zu a deep look, then turned and left. Oscar, supporting Ma Hongjun, nodded awkwardly to the others and hurried away.
"Thank you," Zhu Zhuqing said softly.
"Of course," Yan Zu smiled. "Let's go, it's time for class."
The morning classes were held on the playground. Flander adjusted his crystal glasses, his gaze sweeping over the eight students before finally settling on Yan Zu, a complex look flashing in his eyes.
"Today, I'm going to tell you Shrek's motto," Flander cleared his throat, raising his voice. "We at Shrek only accept monsters, not ordinary people! Do you know what a monster is? A monster is someone with extraordinary talent, someone far surpassing ordinary people, someone who dares to challenge everything! Our philosophy is—those who dare not cause trouble are mediocre! Only by daring to cause trouble, daring to challenge the strong, can you unleash your potential and become a true monster!"
"Dean, forgive my bluntness," Yan Zu suddenly spoke, his voice carrying clearly across the playground, "but I cannot agree."
Flanders frowned. "Oh?"
"The academy should teach all without discrimination." Yan Zu stepped forward, his expression calm. "If it only accepts monsters, it only shows a lack of confidence in its own teaching methods. Monsters are monsters wherever they are. Only by cultivating mediocre talents into monsters can the excellence of the teachers and the academy be proven. As for 'being afraid to cause trouble is a sign of mediocrity'..."
Flander's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table: "Kid, are you questioning my teaching philosophy?"
"I dare not question, I am merely exchanging views." Yan Zu said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "On the path of a Soul Master, talent is certainly important, but even more important is character and direction. The academy's responsibility is to guide, not to select; to help each student find their own potential, rather than just idolizing born monsters."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Tang San and Dai Mubai: "As for 'causing trouble,' if it refers to bullying the weak or provoking without cause, then this concept is nothing more than an excuse to cultivate bullies. A true strong person should protect the weak, not take pleasure in bullying others."
"Insolence!" Flander's face darkened. "Yan Zu, do you know what you're questioning? Shrek Academy has cultivated countless strong individuals over the past twenty years, relying on this 'daring to cause trouble' spirit!"
"Courage is not the same as brute force." Yan Zu said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Dean, if I bully others today because I am stronger than them, should I also bow down and accept my fate if someone even stronger bullies me tomorrow? True courage is daring to stand up against injustice and daring to uphold one's principles in the face of power, not bullying others by taking advantage of one's strength. If the academy teaches the latter, how is it any different from a bandit's den?"
The playground was completely silent.