Ma Hongjun was so exhausted that he felt numb.
No matter how much he had planned, he never expected that after hearing the noise, Ning Rongrong and the other two would not run away or hide, but instead choose the most foolish and dangerous option.
She appeared openly in front of the assailants and revealed her martial spirit—the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda!
Just let me ask—how bold do you have to be to reveal you're from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and still expect to walk away unharmed?
At this moment, he really wanted to activate Phoenix Rising and fly away, never to care about these three again.
But that was just a thought.
Ning Rongrong and the other two would definitely become major sources of his evolution points in the future. If he really ran away now, it would mean the end of his time at Shrek.
He still had to think of a solution.
The boy narrowed his eyes and thought silently.
Sure enough, the moment he saw the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, E Kao's steps—originally retreating—suddenly froze. Then his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect..."
He murmured, his expression twisted between tears and laughter, the muscles on his face twitching.
It was a kind of despair—like being face-to-face with death.
For a soul master like E Kao, who lacked talent and unique skills, even the second- and third-tier academies were out of reach.
As for the Seven Great Sects, they were merely things to boast about, talk about over drinks, or laugh about in jest.
The top three sects were nearly mythical.
And now, their intended target turned out to be someone from one of those top three sects—the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect!
"O-old goose, what do we do, what do we do, what do we do!!!"
Bu Le's legs trembled, a wet stain spreading at his crotch, and the sharp stench of urine filled the air.
He looked helplessly at E Kao—their group's backbone—and couldn't even speak a full sentence.
"I knew I'd get killed by you one day! Damn it!"
E Kao's face flushed red with rage as he grabbed Bu Le by the neck. Veins bulged from his forehead like tiny snakes, but he quickly suppressed his emotions.
His once hopeless eyes now burned with terrifying murderous intent.
The boy's prediction was spot on.
Even if they were allowed to leave now—even if they knelt, kowtowed, and castrated themselves—the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would never let them live.
Might as well make it count.
"Bu Le. Tian Ya."
He stood up, his martial spirit instantly possessed his body, and four spirit rings appeared. A violent surge of soul power spread through the area.
"Kill them. Otherwise, none of us are getting out alive."
Bu Le and Tian Ya nodded with trembling determination.
They gritted their teeth, summoned their martial spirits, and four more spirit rings appeared.
They moved to flank, blocking both exits!
I knew it would come to this...
The young man sighed. Without even turning back, he waved at the three girls who looked dazed and uncertain.
"Leave now. I'll hold them off for a while."
Only then did Ma Hongjun realize something he had overlooked.
Right now, Ning Rongrong was just a young girl who had run away from home.
Xiao Wu still lacked experience in the ways of the world.
And Zhu Zhuqing? Perhaps slightly more mature than Ning Rongrong, but not by much.
They were still far from the self-reliant little monsters they'd become in a few years.
Right now, they were just a bunch of kids who hadn't grown up.
Expecting them to handle things with the rationality of adults was completely unrealistic.
"I-I'm sorry, Hongjun, I-I didn't mean to…"
Ning Rongrong's pale face quivered as she bit down on her lip. The martial spirit in her hand quietly faded.
Looking at the three Four-Ring Soul Ancestor blocking her path, she instantly realized how foolish her earlier decision had been.
"But we can't leave you behind, we—"
"Scram."
"What?" Ning Rongrong was stunned, as if she couldn't believe her ears.
"I said get lost. Don't you understand what I'm saying?"
Ma Hongjun's patience had worn thin.
He stared coldly at the trembling, delicate girl before him.
"Either you leave right now and go call the people who are supposed to be protecting you…
Or, you can stay and sacrifice yourself to buy us time."
Ning Rongrong's beautiful eyes were full of disbelief. Her long lashes quivered, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She looked utterly pitiful.
But the boy's voice remained harsh.
"What about you two?"
He turned to Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, both pale-faced.
"She's not thinking straight, but can't you see what's going on?"
"…Sorry."
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing lowered their heads in shame.
"But—"
The girl with the scorpion braid took a deep breath and shook her head. "I can fight. I can help you. Just let Rongrong go out alone."
"Qingqing, take Rongrong and go for help. I'll stay here and fight with Hongjun."
Zhu Zhuqing opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she simply nodded, grabbed Ning Rongrong, and said nothing more.
As her soul power surged, cat ears sprouted on her head, and a slim tail extended behind her. She had entered Nether Cat Possession, turning into a black streak of light that shot forward.
But moments later, the cold and elegant girl returned, her face darkened as she shook her head grimly.
"Is this the only way…?"
Ma Hongjun glanced at Ning Rongrong, who was now silently weeping, and couldn't help grumbling.
"Your hotel doesn't even have a proper emergency exit!"
A question mark almost popped up over the sad girl's head.
What emergency exit?
Who dares blockade our hotel?
"I advise you not to waste your strength. If you don't resist, your death will be less painful."
E Kao's deep voice echoed as he stepped forward, holding a feather-shaped blade. He was now less than twenty meters from them.
Tian Ya and Bu Le blocked the flanks, one with a kitchen knife and the other with dual shields.
Their eyes were filled with the desperation and madness of cornered beasts.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing's bodies trembled slightly, but they gritted their teeth and pushed their soul power to the limit.
For them, still just Great Soul Masters, the pressure of three Soul Ancestor-level enemies was overwhelming.
"Where are your guards?"
Ma Hongjun frowned and looked at Ning Rongrong.
"Why haven't they shown up? Isn't this test enough?"
These words weren't just for Ning Rongrong—but also aimed at the guards possibly hidden in the shadows.
"I... I don't know. I ran away secretly, I..."
She shook her head helplessly.
Ning Rongrong wasn't surprised that her father would assign guards to her.
She had even tried calling for help using a secret family code, but no one responded.
What she couldn't understand was—where was the hotel's security?
With such a huge commotion, why had neither the guests nor the guards made a sound?
"…Fine. Doesn't matter."
Ma Hongjun nodded, then turned back toward the enemies, red flames igniting from his body.
Even if this stalemate could provoke the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's guards into action…
He wasn't about to bet his life on that slim hope.
Still, under these circumstances, their chances of holding out were minimal unless something changed…
Suddenly, the boy remembered something.
Didn't the system just give him some evolution points?