Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

Ma Hongjun's body, after activating his martial soul, only became even bulkier. His exposed arms extended with long feathers, and his hands turned into claw-like shapes. A bright red mohawk stood stiffly upright as if waxed, while two small, messy mustaches twitched on his face. A flame that didn't look particularly impressive wrapped around his body.

No matter how one looked at him, Ma Hongjun's current appearance didn't resemble a phoenix at all but more like a plump chicken that had accidentally caught on fire.

Two yellow soul rings rose around the chubby man, signifying his Soul Grandmaster level of soul power.

Before Ma Hongjun could put on an act, Chen Ming had already dashed forward. His palm, infused with soul power, lightly pressed against Ma Hongjun's stomach.

Ma Hongjun, who had only just reached Rank 20, was weaker even than Chen Ming had been when he first entered school. Although Chen Ming didn't infuse his strike with poison, he used a soft yet penetrating force. Most of the power bypassed Ma Hongjun's thick belly and directly struck his internal organs.

With the impact, Ma Hongjun rolled across the ground like a ball for several meters before spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Although the drunkenness had been completely knocked out of him, his gaze toward Chen Ming now carried disbelief mixed with hatred.

"How dare you!" At this moment, Dai Mubai, who had been pushed back several steps by a blow from Dugu Yan, finally came to his senses. Fueled by alcohol, he immediately sank into a state of rage.

"White Tiger Possession!"

With a low growl, Dai Mubai's body swelled, and tiger-like features unique to tiger spirit masters appeared on him. A "King" character emerged on his forehead, and the optimal combination of two yellow and one purple soul rings floated around him, emanating a chilling aura.

After activating his martial soul, Dai Mubai let out a roar and lunged at Chen Ming. His tiger claws slashed fiercely, determined to teach Chen Ming a harsh lesson.

Even if he didn't kill Chen Ming, Dai Mubai had resolved to leave him bedridden for several months.

As for whether his actions were motivated by loyalty to his companions or a desire to impress Dugu Yan, only he knew.

"Overestimating yourself." Chen Ming glanced at the claw-swinging Dai Mubai. Without summoning his martial soul, he relied purely on his physical prowess and reflexes. In an instant, he sidestepped to Dai Mubai's side and lightly tripped him with his foot.

Throwing himself forward with all his momentum, Dai Mubai lost his balance completely, rolling across the ground several times. His once-luxurious outfit became covered in dirt, and his long golden hair, which had originally hung elegantly down to his waist, now looked like a messy bird's nest.

Gone was the regal aura of a noble; Dai Mubai now looked more like a beggar who had scavenged clothes from a trash heap.

"I'll kill you!" Dai Mubai leaped to his feet, entirely oblivious to the strength Chen Ming had just displayed. Like a madman, he lunged at Chen Ming once again.

"White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"

The White Tiger Vajra Transformation was the most powerful of the three signature techniques of the Star Luo Empire's Dai family. After activating it, strength, attack power, defense, and resistance to abnormal conditions were all increased by 100%.

This massive boost made it one of the strongest enhancements among thousand-year spirit abilities, even surpassing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's third spirit skill, Thunder Fury, in some respects.

With his third spirit skill activated, Dai Mubai's body underwent significant reinforcement, and his attacks became far more powerful. The difference from earlier was like night and day.

Facing this move, Chen Ming had no intention of dodging. His soul power surged slightly, and his Emerald Scorpion Emperor martial soul instantly possessed him.

Chen Ming raised one hand, catching Dai Mubai's arm. With a sharp tug downward, he simultaneously stepped forward, bending his arm and aiming his elbow directly at Dai Mubai's chest. With a swift motion, he delivered a brutal strike.

Chen Ming's elbow strike left Dai Mubai doubled over like a cooked shrimp.

His eyes bulged, his neck turned red, and his mouth gaped open as if he were about to vomit.

To avoid dirtying his clothes, Chen Ming swung his arm with force, throwing Dai Mubai directly onto Ma Hongjun, who had been preparing to sneak attack. The two crashed into the corner of the alley like bowling pins.

Seeing his boss Dai Mubai utterly defeated in just a few moves, Ma Hongjun, curled up in the corner, couldn't help but feel a wave of panic. Forgetting that they had started the trouble, he turned his head and shouted into the alley.

"Dean, save me! Someone's trying to kill your beloved student!"

"What kind of person dares behave so outrageously?!"

Hearing Ma Hongjun's cry of despair, Flender, who had been napping in the shop, immediately sprang from his recliner. Soul power surged through his body, and within a moment, he had activated his martial soul.

Wind-attribute soul power roared around him as he burst through the shop's door. Flapping his wings, he quickly flew to the two battered figures of Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai, shielding them with his wings.

Looking at the two, bloodied and still coughing, Flender's gaze flickered with anger as he locked eyes with Chen Ming, who stood at the other end of the street with his martial soul already summoned.

Even though Flender felt a sinking feeling upon noticing Chen Ming's soul rings—one yellow and two purple, an extraordinary configuration—he stood firm as the dean of Shrek Academy. His role was to protect his students, right or wrong.

Even if his students were at fault, he reasoned, surely the other party wasn't entirely blameless?

"Young man, how dare you harm my students? I was considering inviting you to join my Shrek Academy, but now I see you're completely lawless!"

Although Flender wasn't clear on what had happened, he immediately took the moral high ground and threw a heavy accusation at Chen Ming.

Looking at Flender, whose seven soul rings swayed faintly around him, Chen Ming showed no fear. Instead, he stepped forward, locking eyes with Flender.

"Your students started it. My girlfriend and I were shopping, and just after we bought some jewelry, your star pupils came over to cause trouble and tried to harass her. Do you think I shouldn't have hit them?"

"Two wrongs don't make a right! But why did you have to hit them so hard?"

As a qualified teacher, Flender firmly believed in one principle: His students were always right.

Sure, his students had problems, and maybe they tried to harass someone. But couldn't Chen Ming have just let them? It was only a few words; no harm done, right? Was it necessary to escalate things so aggressively?