"Outnumbering me, huh? I love it!"
As soon as these words left Cheng Xiao's mouth, several dark shadows appeared beneath his feet.
In the next instant, before Xue Beng and his group could react, a series of pitch-black figures emerged from the ground. These figures didn't resemble humans but looked more like spirit beasts!
Immediately after, the group of arrogant nobles who had been clamoring to beat Cheng Xiao senseless were paralyzed with fear by the sudden appearance of these shadow soldiers. They were covered in black armor and exuded a fearsome aura of death that filled the onlookers with terror.
Some of the more timid among them even wet themselves, collapsing to the ground with their eyes rolling back, fainting on the spot.
This sudden and shocking scene stunned the noble students of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Xue Beng, their leader, was particularly pale. He never expected that Cheng Xiao would dare to make a move right at the academy's gate.
Except for a few quick-witted spirit masters who activated their Spirits, the others were either paralyzed with fear or had fainted outright. Even those who activated their Spirits fared no better, as the shadow soldiers, though not as powerful as Cheng Xiao, exerted an overwhelming pressure on these students, none of whom were even Spirit Elders.
Moreover, the shadow soldiers were far more imposing than ordinary spirit beasts. Their pitch-black appearance, combined with their hollow, black hole-like eyes, only added to the panic and chaos among the nobles.
"Heh, didn't you want to beat me up?" Cheng Xiao sneered as he opened his hand, and a short sword appeared, gleaming with a cold, eerie light in the setting sun.
Those around him instinctively gulped, their gazes filled with fear as they looked at Cheng Xiao.
At the same time, three spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple—rose from beneath his feet, spiraling around him. Although, from Cheng Xiao's perspective, they were all thousand-year rings, in the eyes of the Heaven Dou students, they appeared to be standard spirit rings.
Seeing the spirit rings glowing on Cheng Xiao's body, the noble students no longer dared to provoke him. Though they were following Xue Beng's orders, they weren't stupid. When it came to matters of life and death, they knew better than to rush forward.
As soon as Cheng Xiao released his spirit rings, the noble students, who already harbored thoughts of retreat, quickly backed away, hiding behind Xue Beng. Despite their haughty demeanor earlier, none of them were even Spirit Elders. Faced with such a disparity in strength, they could only step back. After all, their lives had been filled with nothing but indulgence, and they were used to relying on others for power.
With a resolve to end things swiftly, Cheng Xiao didn't waste any more time. A single thought from him, and the shadow soldiers understood their king's intentions.
Leading the charge, the fanged shadow soldiers pursued the noble students who had attempted to flee. After a brief but terrifying chase, those students, realizing their escape was futile, collapsed in fear, fainting one after another. The shadow soldiers hadn't physically harmed them; the sheer terror they invoked was enough to make them pass out. Their beastly forms were simply too terrifying.
"Now that these annoying pests are dealt with, it's time for a proper chat, wouldn't you say?" Cheng Xiao glanced at the nobles, now battered and subdued by his shadow soldiers, before turning his gaze to Xue Beng, dagger in hand, and walked toward him.
Seeing this, Xue Beng's face turned ashen. He knew that these black creatures were all under Cheng Xiao's control, and if he made any rash moves, the consequences would be dire.
Taking a deep breath, Xue Beng forced a smile. "My friend, this was all just a misunderstanding. I meant no harm."
"Oh, I know it was a misunderstanding, but I do have harmful intentions," Cheng Xiao replied with a slight smile. Before Xue Beng could process what he meant, Cheng Xiao's fist connected with his already pale face.
Bam!
A muffled sound echoed as Xue Beng flew through the air. He hadn't even seen Cheng Xiao's punch coming before he found himself crashing to the ground, rolling twice before coming to a stop.
"Ahh, that felt good!" Cheng Xiao shook his hand, a satisfied grin spreading across his face as he watched Xue Beng tumble across the ground.
Over the past few days in the Star Dou Forest, Cheng Xiao had felt suffocated, encountering only the continent's top-tier powerhouses. But now, facing these self-righteous nobles who were practically begging for a beating, he wasn't about to show any mercy. He went in with all his strength, unleashing a storm of punches.
Who cared about their status? Punch first, talk later.
After all, he had backing now. There was no need to be as cautious as before. Even though his own strength wasn't where he wanted it to be, the truth was these noble students weren't much better.
Didn't they know that in the path of cultivation, the three realms were: ants, equals, and seniors?
With his first punch landing, Cheng Xiao didn't stop. On the contrary, he continued to press forward. Though he didn't know Xue Beng's true character, he was certain that if he were weaker and had no backing, Xue Beng would never let him go.
Thus, there was no need for mercy.
In a flash, Cheng Xiao appeared in front of Xue Beng, grabbing him by the head with one hand while clenching his other fist. He drove his knuckles into Xue Beng's face once more.
This time, the punch was swift and fierce, the wind howling as his fist cut through the air.
Xue Beng's once-handsome face was rapidly swelling, turning into something akin to a pig's head.
At this point, even if Xue Beng's father, Emperor Xue Ye, showed up, he probably wouldn't recognize his son, considering the state of his face.
"You… how dare you strike a prince? You're practically slapping the empire in the face! Boy… if you've got guts, leave your name, and I'll make sure someone finishes you off!" Xue Beng covered his swollen face, stammering out a weak threat.
"Oh? If you put it that way, I guess I do have guts." Cheng Xiao snorted, and a name suddenly came to mind. He smiled faintly and said, "I am Tang San of Shrek Academy!"
"T-Tang San!" Xue Beng's pupils shrank in shock. He never expected Cheng Xiao to actually leave a name.
"What? Don't believe me?" Cheng Xiao's gaze turned cold as black mist shot from his fingers, piercing through a nearby tree. Before Xue Beng could comprehend what had happened, there was a loud crash, and the tree collapsed instantly.
Since he had given a fake name, he might as well see it through to the end, Cheng Xiao thought. What surprised him was how quickly Tang San's name had come to mind.
But honestly, it felt pretty good to do something bad and leave someone else's name behind. Besides, Tang San wasn't in Heaven Dou City yet. By the time he arrived, Xue Beng might have already forgotten… right?