Douluo Dalu 1: The Tang Family Rebel

After deciding to settle the matter outside, Ye Zhiqiu turned around and walked out. The large black tortoise shell on his back swayed humorously, but the soul power he released was incredibly dense.

The students from Canghui Academy followed Ye Zhiqiu out of the hotel as well. Dai Mubai whispered to Tang San, "That old guy is over level fifty, and his martial soul, the Black Tortoise, is a pretty formidable beast martial soul. Be careful later. I'll hold off his attacks in the front, but you need to be quick. I don't think I can last too long."

Tang San replied, "It's not certain that we'll lose. His soul power may be stronger than ours, but his martial soul has weaknesses."

At that moment, the others had already gathered around, just in time to hear Tang San's words.

Tang San continued, "His martial soul is the Black Tortoise. I can be sure that he is a defense-type Battle Soul Master. Most of his active and passive skills should be focused on defense. So, although his martial soul is much stronger than ours, the threat he poses in terms of attack is not significant. A high level of soul power without suitable offensive techniques—what danger can that really bring us? Therefore, I suggest two possible ways to deal with him."

Tang San's knowledge of martial souls was far greater than the others'. Just by observing Ye Zhiqiu's martial soul, he had already made many judgments.

"The first method is to use our speed to maneuver around him. Since he is a teacher and his soul power is much higher than ours, he won't place any restrictions on the number of people fighting against him. So, I suggest that Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and I take on this task, as we are the fastest among us."

"While maneuvering around him, we must push our speed to the limit and make sure not to get hit by his attacks. At the same time, we will look for opportunities to find his weak spots and launch attacks. However, the Black Tortoise has very strong defense, so we might not be able to break through. Due to the protective shell on his back, my Blue Silver Grass thorns and toxins might not have much effect on him. Therefore, I actually recommend the second method more."

"Just like the first method, the three of us will still be in charge of distraction. The Black Tortoise is an aquatic attribute, which happens to be countered by Fatty's Phoenix Fire. Water can restrain fire, but fire can also counter water. Fatty's fire is quite special. So, you will attack from the outside while being supported by Oscar's sausages, ensuring that your attacks don't stop. Our goal is to exhaust him. Xiao Wu, you will be in charge of support, rotating with the three of us in the front so that we can continue receiving Oscar's replenishments. Although our soul power is weaker than his, we have Xiao Ao and a numbers advantage. We'll simply take advantage of the fact that he doesn't have any powerful offensive techniques."

"As for Rongrong, your job is to find the right moments to enhance our status with your support abilities."

Ning Rongrong nodded, indicating that she understood.

The tactics were quickly finalized.

Everyone headed outside together. Seven against one—they were confident. Moreover, challenging stronger opponents was clearly beneficial for improving their own strength.

Soon, they arrived outside the town. Perhaps because Ye Zhiqiu's five soul rings were too conspicuous, their group attracted quite an audience from the town.

During the walk out of town, Ye Zhiqiu's mind calmed down somewhat. Seeing the seven youngsters standing before him, he said in a deep voice, "I'll give you one last chance. Admit your mistake now, and it's not too late."

Dai Mubai smirked wickedly. "Mistake? What's right, and what's wrong? The one with the bigger fist is right. Beat us first, then we'll talk."

At this point, Ye Zhiqiu had no choice but to fight. He let out a cold snort and said, "Come at me together, then. I'll teach you how to behave properly on behalf of your academy."

(A hidden Yun Chuan muttered to himself: "Fight! Go ahead and fight! Just don't touch the girls. As for the guys, beat them however you like. Even if you cripple them, I can still heal them easily.")

Fatty chuckled. "Remember this—we're not human, we're monsters."

At that moment, Dai Mubai had already moved. His second soul ring glowed brightly, and a powerful white light condensed into a sphere. A round energy blast shot out of his mouth—it was the second soul skill of the Evil Eye White Tiger, White Tiger Light Wave.

At the same time as Dai Mubai launched his attack, Zhu Zhuqing's body twisted in an arc and accelerated sharply, swiftly circling towards Ye Zhiqiu's flank. Tang San also moved at the same moment, rushing toward Ye Zhiqiu from another direction.

Fatty's Mohawk-like hair shook, and his first soul ring shone brilliantly. A stream of purple-red phoenix flames spewed out.

The four of them attacked almost simultaneously, showing no fear despite their opponent being a Soul King above level fifty.

Facing their coordinated attack, Ye Zhiqiu's entire body surged with dark energy. Letting out a low growl, his first and second soul rings lit up simultaneously. His body spun half a turn, revealing the tortoise shell on his back, while a black, water-like aura carrying a chilling frost spread outward.

From the very start, Ye Zhiqiu unleashed two of his soul ring skills: Black Tortoise Protection and Black Water Freezing. His goal was simple—to take down these youths in the shortest time possible, teach them a harsh lesson, vent his anger, and showcase Canghui Academy's strength.

Though the Shrek Academy students were talented, they were still young, and there was a significant gap in soul power between them and Ye Zhiqiu. He believed that his Black Water Freezing, released with his fifty-three levels of soul power, would instantly freeze them solid.

The White Tiger Light Wave struck Ye Zhiqiu's back with a loud explosion. Just as Tang San had predicted, the Black Tortoise's defensive capabilities were among the best for beast martial souls. With his much higher soul power, this attack had no effect—Ye Zhiqiu's body didn't even move.

By now, Tang San had already closed in. The moment he neared, he felt an intense chill engulf him, as if his blood was freezing. Alarmed, he immediately activated Mysterious Heaven Skill to resist the cold and stopped his forward charge. However, his Blue Silver Grass spread out rapidly, aiming to ensnare Ye Zhiqiu from all directions.

Water and fire are both ruthless forces, and whether cold or heat, they have a restraining effect on plant-type martial souls. Under the influence of Black Water Freezing, the speed of Blue Silver Grass was noticeably slower. Just then, Ma Hongjun's phoenix flames hit Ye Zhiqiu's back.

Although the flames were weakened by the freezing power, they also reduced the cold. The purple-red fire clung to the tortoise shell, refusing to be extinguished.

Ma Hongjun's mutated martial soul was no ordinary fire. Ye Zhiqiu felt a scorching heat on his back and was startled. In that brief moment of distraction, the Blue Silver Grass wrapped around him, and Zhu Zhuqing silently appeared in his blind spot, unleashing her first soul skill, Ghostly Stab, targeting his neck.

Suddenly, Ye Zhiqiu shrank his neck, and something bizarre happened—his entire head retracted into his torso, dodging Zhu Zhuqing's claws perfectly. His third soul ring lit up, and he spewed out a mist of water, extinguishing the phoenix flames.

The battle raged on fiercely, and while Tang San felt uncertain about his earlier judgments, Ye Zhiqiu was even more shocked. These four youths' teamwork was rough, but their skills complemented each other seamlessly.

He couldn't help but wonder—where on earth did this Shrek Academy come from?

(End of chapter)