Flender stood on the rooftop across from the shop, watching the fight unfold.
The moment he heard Ma Hongjun's voice, he had already guessed why the latter had come.
It had been his own suggestion to send Ma Hongjun to certain places in order to suppress the evil fire within his Martial Spirit.
Ma Hongjun was currently only a Spirit Grandmaster and could receive only ten gold spirit coins per month from Spirit Hall.
Those kinds of places consumed money quickly. How could that small amount possibly be enough?
His purpose for coming here was obvious.
From their clothing alone, Flender could tell that Wu Qi and Chang Kong were wealthy. He certainly did not want to lose such high-quality customers.
When Ma Hongjun mistakenly accused them, Flender had been thinking about how to step in and clarify things to prevent losing business.
However, when Ma Hongjun released his Spirit Ring skill, the Spirit Power fluctuations emanating from the two youths caught his interest.
"They're young, yet one has the strength of a peak Spirit Grandmaster and the other a Spirit Elder. These are two geniuses."
At that thought, a sharp glint flashed in Flender's eyes.
Suotuo City did not have much reputation on the continent, nor were there any advanced Spirit Master academies nearby. If two geniuses had come here, they had most likely heard of Shrek Academy and intended to enroll, hoping to meet other talented Spirit Masters.
Although they appeared mature, their actual ages were probably no more than fourteen.
Even if they exceeded the academy's age limit slightly, their Spirit Power Levels would still qualify them for admission.
While he was thinking, the fight below intensified.
Wu Qi grabbed Ma Hongjun and rushed out of the shop, casually tossing him onto the street.
Though Ma Hongjun possessed an avian-type Spirit, he did not actually have the ability to fly. Being thrown to the ground left his backside aching.
During their earlier exchange, Ma Hongjun had already realized that Wu Qi was strong.
Knowing he could not win, he decided to rely on intimidation.
"You dare act so arrogantly as a thief? Do you even know who my teacher is?"
Comparing teachers?
Wu Qi let out an amused smile.
The Azure Luan Douluo was a Level 97 Super Douluo. Even if Flender's Spirit Power Level were reversed digit by digit, he still would not be a match.
However, within Suotuo City, Flender was unquestionably among the top-tier experts, possibly even the strongest.
It was no wonder Ma Hongjun felt so confident.
"Fatty, what nonsense are you talking about? We were just selecting goods. Which eye of yours saw us put anything into our pockets?" Chang Kong said angrily.
He was not short on money. Being accused of theft would only bring shame upon his family.
Wu Qi remained calm and said indifferently, "We are all Spirit Masters. Everything is settled by strength. To avoid saying we're bullying you, you may choose either one of us as your opponent."
"If you win, we will not hesitate to compensate you. How about it?"
Ma Hongjun's eyes rolled.
He had come here in the first place to ask Flender for money to spend elsewhere.
If they were offering compensation voluntarily, he could indulge himself for an entire day.
He might not be able to defeat Wu Qi, but could he not defeat Chang Kong?
After all, Chang Kong looked like a follower. How strong could he be?
Being singled out, Chang Kong felt both angry and pleased.
The anger needed no explanation, but the thought of personally teaching this fat boy a lesson eased much of his frustration.
His Coiling Dragon Staff Spirit appeared, and the battle was about to begin.
Wu Qi stepped back while signaling to the surrounding onlookers to disperse, preventing them from being caught in the crossfire.
The current Ma Hongjun did not have many offensive methods.
Following Flender's guidance, his cultivation had not improved much, but his indulgent habits certainly had.
"First Spirit Ring skill, Phoenix Fireline!"
"Perfect timing."
Chang Kong swung his Coiling Dragon Staff and activated his own first Spirit Ring skill at the same time.
The so-called Evil Fire Phoenix was merely a flawed Spirit, and the intensity of its flames was far from overwhelming. How could it possibly contend with the Coiling Dragon Staff?
The dark-tinged crimson evil fire landed on the staff but was easily swallowed by the flames coiling around it.
The scene Ma Hongjun had expected Chang Kong being burned black, never occurred. His eyes widened in shock.
He wanted to activate his second Spirit Ring skill to increase the power of his attack, but before he could, Chang Kong had already closed the distance.
Flender had never taught him close-combat techniques. And even if he had, with Ma Hongjun's careless attitude, he likely would have forgotten them long ago.
In Chang Kong's hands, the Coiling Dragon Staff flowed seamlessly from one strike to the next, each movement perfectly connected without leaving any openings.
Ma Hongjun could only endure the beating, completely unable to retaliate.
"Hit anywhere but the face!" Ma Hongjun wailed.
Had he known the opponent was this strong, he would never have provoked them.
Flender had not appeared. On his own, how could he possibly stop two supposed "thieves"?
Flender wanted to step in and rescue Ma Hongjun, but since it was a spar between youths of the same age, it was not appropriate for him to interfere.
Moreover, Chang Kong's control over the Coiling Dragon Staff was no weaker than that of his old friend Li Yusong.
"If they join the academy, Old Li will be fortunate."
Both used staff-type Martial Spirits, and with Chang Kong's talent, Li Yusong would certainly value him highly.
As for Wu Qi, since both possessed avian-type Martial Spirits, Flender naturally saw himself as the appropriate mentor.
The moment Wu Qi's Azure Luan Spirit appeared, the bloodline suppression it emitted made even Flender feel a trace of apprehension.
Such a high-quality Martial Spirit was exactly the kind of disciple he had been seeking.
Ma Hongjun was not bad, but compared to Wu Qi, he fell far short.
If Wu Qi acknowledged him as teacher, he would become the senior disciple. Ma Hongjun would have to settle for being the junior.
Seeing that Chang Kong was fighting to his heart's content, Wu Qi stepped to his side and grabbed his arm.
"That's enough. Stop here."
Wu Qi could guess that Flender was most likely watching everything from the shadows.
If they beat his student half to death, there would certainly be trouble.
Moreover, they were in the middle of the city. A fight between Spirit Masters in public was already a serious disturbance. If one side were gravely injured, it would likely draw the attention of the city lord's office.
Wu Qi had no intention of drawing attention over something meaningless, lest word reach the worship hall and leave a bad impression.
Chang Kong was slightly startled.
Once someone fell into his attack rhythm, even a Spirit Elder would find it difficult to break free.
Wu Qi had interrupted him so easily. In a real match between them, his staff techniques would hold no advantage.
"Fine."
He wanted to ask how it had been done, but with outsiders present, speaking openly might expose his weakness.
Seeing that the attacks had stopped, Ma Hongjun did not dare linger. He scrambled to his feet and ran more than a hundred meters without stopping.
"That fat guy can really take a beating. Looks like I went too easy on him!"
Wu Qi said irritably, "That's enough. A simple lesson won't provoke his elders. If you seriously injure him, do you think they'll just stand by?"
Chang Kong did not dwell on it and instead asked, "How exactly did you break my attack rhythm?"
For Wu Qi, the explanation was simple.
When the Coiling Dragon Staff was swung, it inevitably stirred the surrounding air. In Wu Qi's perception, the arm wielding the staff was like the center of an air vortex. By disrupting that vortex, immense resistance would arise, making it difficult to continue the swing.
Once Chang Kong's arm slowed, Wu Qi could easily seize it.
Furthermore, most Spirit Ring skills disturbed the flow of air when activated. By sensing and interfering with those disturbances, they could be neutralized with relative ease.
Chang Kong let out a breath of relief. This was a unique trait of Wu Qi's Martial Spirit, something others could not replicate.
"Good thing you're one of us. If outsiders discovered the weakness of the Coiling Dragon Staff technique, my grandfather and Seventh Grandfather probably wouldn't sleep well."
-----
If you like story please donate some power stones and leave a review
For additional chapters
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu