Hearing Yan Shaozhe change how he addressed Jingliu, Ma Xiaotao couldn't help but widen her eyes in shock, staring at her teacher in disbelief.
She really couldn't understand why her always-proud teacher suddenly changed his attitude so drastically.
But Yan Shaozhe had no time to care about Ma Xiaotao's look. He still bowed his head and kept his humble posture, his voice full of earnestness.
Lu Jingming, watching all this, couldn't help but curve the corners of his mouth.
All of this was calculated by him—he intentionally had Jingliu display her powerful strength.
After all, over the past two years, Jingliu's strength had only grown stronger.
In his eyes, the more powerful Jingliu appeared, the more leverage they would have in negotiating with Shrek Academy, and the more benefits they could extract.
"Negotiate the terms among yourselves. I'll act afterward."
Jingliu was not interested in haggling; her expression remained cold. After leaving this statement, she said nothing more.
Upon hearing this, Yan Shaozhe's previously tense face immediately showed some joy.
In his opinion, as long as the other party was willing to sit down and discuss terms, there was hope—everything was negotiable.
Yan Shaozhe slowly turned his gaze to Lu Jingming. Although the youth before him was still immature and young, as the city lord of Haiyuan City and based on Jingliu's attitude, he absolutely couldn't be treated as just an ordinary child.
Lu Jingming shrugged helplessly, then looked toward Chang Li, who was walking over.
"Dean Yan, let me discuss the details with you. This way, please."
Chang Li smiled gently, her steps light and her tone unhurried and relaxed.
Yan Shaozhe narrowed his eyes, then smiled, "I'd be honored!"
He was ready to pay dearly. Judging by Chang Li's aura, he knew this woman—like a phoenix—would not be easy to deal with.
But for Ma Xiaotao's sake, as long as it didn't endanger Shrek Academy, he could accept paying a price.
Without further hesitation, he followed Chang Li away, as if he'd forgotten all about his disciple.
Ma Xiaotao opened her mouth, speechless.
But soon, she realized this was her chance to regain face. She immediately looked provocatively at Lu Jingming, raised her chin, and said, "Just waiting here is boring. How about a soul duel?"
On the Douluo Continent, soul dueling was a very popular activity—in short, it was a battle between soul masters.
Many soul masters loved to go to the soul arena to duel, both to hone their skills and to improve their strength.
Compared to fighting fierce soul beasts, soul duels were much safer—most proper arenas had powerful soul masters maintaining order and strictly forbade killing.
Both sides usually agreed to stop at a certain point. Though accidents could happen, the fatality rate was low.
At this moment, Ma Xiaotao wanted to use the duel as a chance to teach Lu Jingming a lesson.
Lu Jingming rolled his eyes. He knew he was just a Soul Grandmaster, while Ma Xiaotao was a genuine Soul Ancestor. Dueling her would be asking for trouble. Even though he'd trained swordsmanship with Jingliu since childhood, actual combat was different from mere practice.
He'd been a homebody in his previous life, and even in this life, he'd rarely engaged in fierce battles. His combat experience wasn't zero, but it was hardly rich—plus, he was only eight years old.
"If it's a duel, I'll accompany you."
At this moment, Zhang Lexuan, holding the cute pink fox, gracefully stepped forward.
She looked calmly at Ma Xiaotao, her delicate face carrying a faint smile.
Ma Xiaotao glanced at Lu Jingming, then at Zhang Lexuan, and pondered, "Alright, let's spar."
She sized Zhang Lexuan up and down, guessing she couldn't be much older than herself, so her strength probably wasn't much either.
Besides, the way Zhang Lexuan had just protected Lu Jingming made her vaguely annoyed. Now she was eager to defeat her in a duel.
The beach was wide—perfect for a soul duel.
Zhang Lexuan gently set down the little fox, letting it joyfully run to a purple-haired girl nearby, then turned to face Ma Xiaotao.
The sea breeze gently blew, tossing their hair and raising the tension in the air.
"You are Lexuan's treasure! For you, she's even willing to bully someone younger!"
The speaker was the purple-haired girl, holding the pink fox. She looked about the same age as Zhang Lexuan, around seventeen or eighteen.
She wore a cat-head hair accessory, but on closer look, it was twin ponytails styled to look like cat ears—playful and lively.
She was dressed in a purple and white dress blending Eastern classical charm with modern fashion.
The purple and white complemented each other, the skirt swaying in the wind like a living painting.
The black stockings and high heels added a different kind of allure, and the seemingly contradictory yet harmonious style was eye-catching.
"Hm? Are you jealous, Keqing?" Lu Jingming blinked mischievously, teasing her.
"Jealous my foot! Such disrespect! Call me Sister Keqing." Keqing rolled her eyes, then pinched Lu Jingming's cheek affectionately.
She then placed the eager little fox on Lu Jingming's head—it lay there obediently, looking very cute.
Keqing, a character from the popular game Genshin Impact, is Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing in the game.
She had been brought into this world by Lu Jingming over the past two years, responsible for the entire planning and construction of Haiyuan City.
The stunning cliffside villa was her work—mainly her design. The earth-shaking changes in Haiyuan City over the past two years were largely thanks to her.