Zhao Wuji was feeling utterly humiliated.
Ever since joining Shrek Academy, this was the first time he found himself desperately wishing for the incense stick to burn faster. If possible, he'd even consider blowing on it to speed things up.
I got careless. If I ever face another monstrous genius above rank 30, I'm never just standing there and taking three hits again.
Lu Feng's three soul skills landed one after another.
At first, Zhao Wuji could still force a smile.
But within moments, he realized something was very wrong.
His soul power and vitality were draining away. His body grew numb, weak his stats plummeting rapidly. He quickly summoned his martial soul, trying to break free from the thick vines coiled around him.
Yet, no matter how hard he struggled, the vines wouldn't snap.
He pushed harder, again and again, but their toughness defied his strength. It wasn't until he activated his Martial Soul True Body that he managed to break a few.
But as soon as he did, more emerald-gold vines surged forward, replacing them instantly.
Another pulse of green light flashed.
The drain on his soul power and life force doubled.
And the worst part? The energy Zhao Wuji lost was being absorbed by Lu Feng, replenishing his own soul power and amplifying the strength of his skills.
The longer this dragged on, the more the scales tipped in Lu Feng's favor.
Locked in this struggle, Zhao Wuji felt the poison spreading through his limbs, his body growing sluggish. He couldn't even counterattack anymore.
At this point, he knew he had lost.
There was no coming back.
Damn it all! He cursed inwardly, too prideful to admit defeat out loud. Just moments ago, he'd been thinking of toying with Lu Feng, and now…
Then—
Lu Feng retracted the vines, detoxified Zhao Wuji, and sent a pulse of white light to restore his stamina.
"Nngh~" A deeply embarrassing sound escaped the burly, muscular man's lips, and Flender, Li Yusong, and the others finally burst into laughter, unable to hold back.
"ugh—!" Lu Feng suddenly winced as a sharp pain pinched his waist.
Zhu Zhuqing's signature "Wife's Discipline" technique.
Her soft voice whispered in his ear, "So, you can remove poison anytime you want, huh? And yet you made me take that 'shot' in my butt?"
Busted.
Lu Feng could only offer an awkward chuckle. No use playing innocent now, he'd already gotten his way.
Zhao Wuji glared at Flender and the others. "What's so funny? Why don't you try standing there and taking three hits from Xiao Feng?"
Lu Feng, ever the diplomat, quickly stepped in. "To be fair, if Teacher Zhao hadn't held back at the start, I wouldn't have been able to land all three skills. If he had attacked first, I probably wouldn't have lasted the full incense stick."
Truthfully, with Dragon Shadow Step, he could've dodged Zhao Wuji's strikes. Emerald Light was guaranteed to hit, and Root Binding could block or delay attacks, surviving the incense time wouldn't have been an issue. But humility was just good diplomacy.
Hearing this, Zhao Wuji's expression softened. With a gruff laugh, he clapped Lu Feng on the shoulder. "Now this kid knows how to talk! Congrats you passed."
Zhu Zhuqing instinctively wrapped her arms around Lu Feng's, pride and gratitude swelling in her chest both for sharing in his victory and for letting her win so easily.
Lu Feng grinned at Flender. "Guess I'll have to start calling you 'Dean' now, huh?"
Flender chuckled warmly. "When there aren't other students around, just call me Old Flender it sounds more familiar. Mind if we discuss something? Since the focus here is on training, could you two maybe not live together for now? But if you're uncomfortable with that, forget I mentioned it."
He phrased it as gently as possible.
Lu Feng turned to Zhu Zhuqing. "Wife, you decide. If you mind, then I mind."
"Ah…" Zhu Zhuqing hadn't expected him to defer to her so openly. A sweet warmth bloomed in her chest, and though shy, she answered frankly, "Of course I don't mind. We're here to learn and train special treatment wouldn't do us any good."
Flender's eyes gleamed with approval. "Then it's settled. That said, Xiao Feng's martial soul talent and strength are far beyond an ordinary freshman's level. How about taking on a teaching assistant role?"
His sharp eyes had caught what others might've missed, Lu Feng hadn't just held his ground against Zhao Wuji. He'd won, outright.
Sure, Zhao Wuji had taken the first three hits voluntarily, but let's not forget: the man was a 76th-rank Soul Sage, with soul power several times greater than Lu Feng's.
In a pure contest of strength, he should've crushed him. Yet Lu Feng hadn't relied on tricks just his skills, executed flawlessly, without a trace of fear.
His soul skills were uniquely versatile—control, support, healing, poison, detox—all mastered.
With that kind of power? He was more than qualified to be an assistant instructor.
Later…
Lu Feng didn't linger long. After a few more words, he headed back to Rose Hotel.
Zhu Zhuqing's sister, Zhu Zhuyun, was returning to Star Luo City tomorrow, so he wanted to give the sisters as much time together as possible.
Night.
The hours slipped by quietly.
Lu Feng lay sprawled across the living room's plush sofa.
He could've asked for an extra bed, but at his level as a soul master, comfort was trivial. He could sleep just fine on a tree branch, unfazed by heat or cold.
Though part of him itched for more, the guilt of realizing he'd failed to properly cherish his "treasure girl" kept him from pushing tonight.
No need to rush. We'll have plenty of time together from now on.
True, they wouldn't be sharing a room at the academy, but Flender had offered a small compromise:
As a teaching assistant, Lu Feng would get private quarters, no crowded dorms.
And even if Flender hadn't made allowances?
A lakeside villa, the most scenic property near Shrek Academy, was already built and waiting.
With construction teams staffed by soul masters, efficiency outpaced his past life by a hundredfold.
On the windowsill…
Bathed in the silvery moonlight, the Blue Silver Emperor stretched out its jade-like tendrils, gently brushing against Lu Feng's body like the soft caress of delicate hands.
It was as if Ah Yin could sense the faint trace of loneliness in his heart, her maternal instincts flaring, offering what comfort she could.
Lu Feng was always careful not to lose the Blue Silver Emperor. Whenever he left the room, he made sure to take her with him, storing her safely within the eighth layer of his Creation Belt. Only when he was inside did he place her on the windowsill.
Tonight, he had even moved the sofa close to the window, keeping her company as he slept.
His fingers lightly traced the vine-like branches of the Blue Silver Emperor.
Well, if I can't pet the cat tonight, petting Ah Yin is at least a small consolation.
But then—
The door to the adjoining room slowly creaked open.
Zhu Zhuqing, draped in loose nightgown, glanced back at her sister sleeping soundly on the bed before stepping out with silent, practiced grace. She closed the door behind her without a sound.
Lu Feng blinked in surprise. Didn't we already say goodnight?
Just as Lu Feng was about to speak, Zhu Zhuqing raised a slender, pale finger to her glossy red lips, shushing him softly.
Then, with her perfectly proportioned, long legs, she sashayed toward him, her hips swaying gracefully.
Her loose nightgown did nothing to hide her stunning, curvaceous figure.
Her striking eyes sparkled with a mix of stubbornness and flirtatious charm, locked onto Lu Feng's gaze - a combination that made her utterly mesmerizing, enough to make any man lose himself in her gaze.
Lu Feng was no match for that look.
What caught him off guard was when Zhu Zhuqing suddenly tugged at her collar, slowly parting her nightgown.
Black fishnet stockings… lacy, open-knit… playful lingerie…
It was all laid bare before him.
Just seeing his little wife's lush curves hugged by the nightgown, paired with that flirty expression, was already too much. But now, revealing her jaw-dropping inner allure, wrapped in lingerie designed to drive men wild, all showcased on Zhu Zhuqing's flawless, fiery body…
Lu Feng felt his blood rush, his nose practically begging to bleed.
In the next moment, Zhu Zhuqing leaned in close, her hands bracing on the sofa. Her long, rounded legs, encased in fishnet stockings, straddled him, half-kneeling on either side of his body.