He watched the five youngsters before him coordinating seamlessly, the mockery in his eyes completely vanishing, replaced by a trace of solemnity and... appreciation.
"You've got some skill, actually making me suffer so much." He cracked his neck, producing sharp "crack" sounds.
"But the game should end now!"
As he spoke, the Fourth Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up, and an aura several times stronger than before began to gather.
Clearly, he intended to get serious!
"Fourth Skill - Location Tracking!"
Zhao Wuji let out a low shout as the phantom of the Vajra Gorilla Bear behind him roared deafeningly, its claws slamming fiercely onto the ground.
Two massive palm prints appeared on the ground, and a peculiar Soul Power fluctuation spread out, enveloping the entire square.
Xue Na and the others immediately assumed defensive stances, concentrating vigilantly, but after waiting for a while, Zhao Wuji still hadn't launched an attack.
Just then, a faint, sweet honey fragrance quietly permeated the air. The few people instinctively sniffed, their faces showing some confusion.
"What is this?"
Xiao Wu frowned slightly and was about to ask when she saw a sly, wicked smile curl at the corner of Zhao Wuji's mouth.
His massive body suddenly moved, completely ignoring the Blue Silver Grass obstacles Tang San had set up, charging straight toward Tang San!
His speed wasn't particularly fast, but it was exceptionally precise, as if he could predict every evasive move Tang San made.
No matter how Tang San mobilized the Blue Silver Grass to block, Zhao Wuji could nimbly avoid it, always locking onto his position.
"Not good! That honey scent is problematic!" Xue Na instantly realized. "It's a tracking marker!"
No wonder Zhao Wuji had delayed his attack; this Fourth Skill marked the target through some medium.
Once marked, the target would be firmly locked on! That honey scent was likely the carrier of the marker!
"Rongrong, speed boost for Tang San!"
Xue Na urgently shouted while gathering a Lightning Ball in her palm, hurling it at Zhao Wuji in an attempt to disrupt his movements.
Ning Rongrong immediately activated the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and the blue light of the speed enhancement accurately fell upon Tang San.
With the boost, Tang San's speed surged, narrowly avoiding Zhao Wuji's pounce.
But as soon as he steadied himself, Zhao Wuji's figure closed in again, clinging to him like a persistent shadow, impossible to shake off.
"Xiao Wu, Zhuqing, distract him!" Xue Na commanded again.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing immediately understood, pouncing on Zhao Wuji from left and right, their fists, feet, and sharp claws striking simultaneously.
Zhao Wiji, however, paid them no mind, allowing their attacks to land on him with only a couple of grunts, his assault still fixed on Tang San. It was clear he was determined to take down Tang San first.
"Now!" Tang San suddenly shouted, pushing his Soul Power to the limit as dozens of Blue Silver Grass shoots instantly emerged from the ground.
These strands didn't entangle Zhao Wuji but wove into an impenetrable wall in front of him!
At the same moment, Xue Na's Lightning Ball arrived, exploding violently against the Blue Silver Grass wall!
"Boom!"
The impact of the Lightning Ball's explosion interacted with the resilience of the Blue Silver Grass wall, generating a powerful shockwave that instantly enveloped Zhao Wuji's line of sight.
Taking advantage of this brief cover, Tang San's figure flickered as he swiftly retreated, putting distance between himself and Zhao Wuji.
Zhao Wuji was forced back half a step by the shockwave, and by the time he could see clearly again, Tang San had already moved out of his attack range.
He looked down at the Blue Silver Grass fragments clinging to his clothes, sniffed the faint honey scent, and suddenly grinned:
"Interesting..."
However, Zhao Wuji's Location Tracking Spirit Ability didn't rely on visual targeting.
That honey fragrance had already left an invisible mark on Tang San.
Just as Tang San breathed a sigh of relief from the air blast obstruction, a thick palm shot through the swirling dust, ignoring the visual barrier, whistling through the air straight toward his face!
"Not good!"
Tang San's heart raced. With no time to think, he rapidly circulated his Mystic Heaven Skill Soul Power.
Bringing his palms together, a jade-like white glow instantly covered them—Mystic Jade Hand!
He swiftly crossed his arms before him, barely blocking the sudden attack.
"Boom!"
Their palms collided with a dull thud.
Tang San felt an overwhelming force surge from the opponent's palm, as if struck by a small mountain. The defense of his Mystic Jade Hand nearly shattered.
He grunted, sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut.
Tang San traced a perfect parabola through the air before crashing heavily to the ground several meters away, unable to suppress a mouthful of blood.
"Tang San!"
Xiao Wu cried out, rushing forward only to be blocked by Zhao Wuji's other hand.
"Teacher Zhao!" Xue Na and Ning Rongrong hurried over, their faces filled with anxiety.
Zhao Wuji withdrew his hand, frowning slightly at the flung Tang San before relaxing.
He had held back most of his strength—while it looked dangerous, no fundamental injuries were inflicted.
Glancing at the extinguished incense stick and the struggling Tang San, he snorted:
"Quick reflexes, kid."
Wiping the blood from his mouth with his sleeve, Tang San slowly rose, pale but determined:
"Teacher Zhao, the incense... has burned out."
Zhao Wuji fell silent for a moment, scanning the five battered but unyielding youngsters before grumbling:
"To coordinate so well in just one incense stick's time... you pass."
Hearing this, Xiao Wu ignored all restraint, broke free from Zhao Wuji's block, and rushed to Tang San's side, supporting him anxiously:
"Brother, are you okay?"
Tang San shook his head, giving her a reassuring smile before turning to Zhao Wuji and cupping his hands:
"Thank you for holding back, Teacher Zhao."
Just then, Li Yusong and Flender appeared at the edge of the square.
Both had witnessed the five working together against their opponent.
Though their coordination still showed some immaturity with occasional gaps in offense and defense, holding out against such a Soul Power disparity for one incense stick was remarkable.
Seeing them, Zhao Wuji slapped the soot-stained spot on his chest from the Thunderbolt and strode over, his voice booming:
"Flender! This time, our Shrek Academy has really recruited a bunch of little monsters! Every one of them is promising!"
Flender, wearing a faded, tattered robe, was slender but carried an air of vigor.
He patted Zhao Wuji's shoulder lightly, a smile playing on his lips:
"Old Zhao, you've worked hard."
After a brief exchange, Flender's gaze shifted past the group, settling on Su Yu standing in the corner.
He walked over slowly, looking Su Yu up and down. His shrewd little eyes gleamed with an appraising light, as if measuring the value of a piece of goods.
"You're the young man who wants to apply for a teaching position?"
Flender spoke, his voice sounding somewhat hoarse.