Up on the high VIP viewing platform, Fu Ye was relaxing with a completely carefree expression, thoroughly enjoying the peak of luxury. Behind him, the charming Princess Xue Ke was gently massaging his shoulders. Her delicate, soft hands moved with absolute devotion, and her large, beautiful eyes overflowed with sweet, innocent affection every time she looked at him. At his side, the little cat girl, Jiang Jing, was carefully feeding him. Her slightly wild yet profoundly tender feline eyes were entirely locked onto Fu Ye, her demeanor as obedient and attached as a purring kitten seeking her master's warmth.
Down below, the Clan Master of the Elephant Armored Clan, Huyan Zhen, watched the frozen battlefield, his eyes nearly tearing at the sockets from pure, unadulterated rage.
"A'Li!!!!"
His eyes were injected with a terrifying crimson glare as his massive body tensed, fully intending to leap directly down from the high platform to take immediate revenge for his son. But how could Fu Ye ever allow him to disrupt his peace or threaten his girls?
Before Huyan Zhen could even move, a colossal, invisible force suddenly materialized and clamped directly around his neck. Without warning, the massive, heavily armored Clan Master was hoisted straight up, dangling completely rigid in mid-air.
At this moment, all the spectators in the stadium noticed Huyan Zhen suspended in the void by some unknown, terrifying power. Their eyes widened in absolute horror.
One had to know that this man was a Level 89 Spirit Douluo! Who on earth possessed the capability to treat a Clan Master like this?!
"Huyan Zhen, this is the first time, and it will be the absolute last. I do not wish for anyone to harm my cute students. Do you understand?" Fu Ye's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable, suffocating authority.
Suspended in the air, Huyan Zhen stared back at Fu Ye, his eyes filled with sheer, unmitigated terror. He had never imagined that this seemingly frail and relaxed young man possessed such god-like strength!
Crack... crack...
Receiving no immediate verbal reply, Fu Ye casually and slowly tightened his invisible grip. As the dense bones in the Clan Master's neck began to emit crisp, agonizing popping sounds, Emperor Xue Ye frantically cast his gaze toward Ning Fengzhi.
However, Ning Fengzhi merely gave a microscopic nod, not saying a single word of protest.
What a joke! His own precious daughter was down on that exact team! If Fu Ye hadn't taken action, Ning Fengzhi would have personally ordered the Bone Douluo to butcher this Huyan Zhen!
"Don't... don't kill me... I... I was wrong..."
Barely a dozen seconds had passed, but Huyan Zhen's face, firmly choked by Fu Ye, had already cycled through a horrific palette of bruised blues and deep purples. Thick white foam had even begun bubbling from the corners of his mouth.
"Wouldn't it have been better if you just admitted your mistake earlier? It's not like I'm some cruel, bloodthirsty demon," Fu Ye chuckled softly.
With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the massive man onto the empty stone courtyard behind the VIP platform. Following the resounding THUD, everyone on the high platform—aside from Xue Ke, Jiang Jing, and Ning Fengzhi—simultaneously sucked in a breath of frigid air.
The Clan Master of the Elephant Armored Clan, a formidable Level 89 Spirit Douluo of his generation, had been effortlessly subdued like a helpless insect!
"Alright, hurry up and announce the results. I still need to take these little girls out for a shopping spree," Fu Ye said, standing up and lazily stretching his back.
As he led the two deeply devoted girls away, Emperor Xue Ye finally let out a long, ragged sigh of relief. He knew perfectly well in his heart that Fu Ye was currently a ticking time bomb! If handled poorly, his entire Heaven Dou Imperial family would be completely wiped out!
"I officially declare! Tianshui Academy is the victor!"
Because their match had concluded so quickly, the girls had an abundance of free time to go out and have fun.
"Heehee, today's battle was truly exhilarating," Shui Bing'er giggled, her eyes curving into beautiful, happy crescents as she walked closely beside Fu Ye, feeling incredibly safe in his presence.
"I didn't feel a single thing," Xue Wu scoffed playfully, flipping her hair. "I literally stood up, a one-shot kill landed, and that was it. What else is there to say?"
"I still think Brother Fu Ye looked much more handsome and imposing when he was beating up that giant uncle," Xue Ke chimed in, wrapping her arms affectionately around Fu Ye's arm, her heart completely melting for him.
"Oh? Little Sister Xue Ke, do tell us the details," Shui Yue'er leaned in, deeply curious and eager to hear about her beloved's heroic actions.
Fu Ye led the four young girls strolling through the vibrant streets, buying absolutely anything that caught their eyes. Right now, he was in a state where he lacked no money and did whatever he pleased without a care in the world.
However, he felt that the old hypocrite, Yu Xiaogang, could afford to suffer a little bit more. After all, he had been shouting the loudest in the arena today.
Consequently, Fu Ye directly activated his "real-time location" tracking.
Inside the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Yu Xiaogang was currently lecturing his two "core" team members, Tang Chuan and Tang San, on combat essentials.
Unfortunately for him, both Tang San and Tang Chuan now harbored a deep, hidden contempt for Yu Xiaogang. Even though they had performed the full bowing ceremonies, their disgust remained. This was especially true for the reincarnated Divine King, Tang Chuan. Interacting with the now highly effeminate Yu Xiaogang made him want to vomit. Whenever he remembered what had happened between him and the man in that room three years ago...
"Blegh—"
Right as Yu Xiaogang was passionately reciting theories he had just read in a book, Tang San suddenly couldn't hold back and began to dry heave.
"Little Chuan, what's wrong with you?" Seeing his most beloved disciple in such a state, Yu Xiaogang's heart ached with theatrical worry.
"It's nothing, Teacher. I might have just eaten something... blegh—"
At the exact same time, Fu Ye observed this exact scene through his surveillance perspective. Fortunately, his psychological endurance was quite robust. Immediately, he issued a command to the two mechanical puppets he had placed within Yu Xiaogang and Tang Chuan.
As a microscopic trace of pink dust was inhaled into the nasal cavities of the three individuals, Fu Ye promptly cut off the real-time feed.
Yu Xiaogang, don't blame me for being ruthless. The time to sever your tendons and completely cripple your pathetic Level 20-something cultivation is fast approaching. I hope you can withstand this little surprise, Fu Ye thought to himself. He silently mourned for the suffering his own talents had to endure, but crippling Yu Xiaogang and severing his limbs was something he had to do personally. Furthermore, he intended to complete this sacred revenge plan alongside his primary wife, Bibi Dong!
After taking Bing'er and the girls through the bustling snack streets and lively markets, they inexplicably wandered into a dimly lit, dark alleyway.
By the time Shui Bing'er and the others realized something was wrong with their surroundings, it was already too late. Fu Ye hadn't warned them; he wanted to see roughly how long it would take for Bing'er and the girls to snap awake when pulled into an illusion. Looking at it now, the situation wasn't bad—they had only just entered the alley.
"Hey, why are you still hiding? You're wasting my time."
With a casual wave of his hand, a "water pipe" deep within the illusion seemingly lost all gravity and hurtled rapidly toward Fu Ye.
Shui Bing'er and the girls' beautiful faces were filled with astonishment, but they would soon understand exactly what was happening.
Crack.
Right in front of Fu Ye, the "water pipe" gradually morphed into a wretched-looking middle-aged man with a face full of treacherous deceit.
"How is this possible?! How did you discover me?!"
The middle-aged man, now firmly restrained by Fu Ye, had eyes bulging with sheer, frenzied disbelief. It was obvious he couldn't comprehend how this had happened.
"How did I discover you? Because I am a Limit Douluo. Shi Nian, did you truly believe this pathetic little illusion of yours could blind my eyes?"
With a gentle squeeze from Fu Ye, Shi Nian's entire body was instantly pulverized into a sky full of fine dust, vanishing completely into the air. All that remained was a crystal-clear, radiant Illusion-type Head Spirit Bone floating peacefully in front of him.
Standing closely behind Fu Ye, the girls fell into a stunned silence after witnessing him effortlessly turn a full-fledged Spirit Saint into dust with a single squeeze.
Eventually, it was Yue'er who broke the silence first.
"I... I feel like Brother Fu Ye is actually quite gentle with me."
"Mm-hm, I definitely feel that way too right now," Shui Bing'er nodded quickly, leaning closer to Fu Ye's back, feeling an overwhelming sense of safety despite his terrifying display of power.
"Feeling +1."
"Feeling +2."
However, upon hearing the unified sentiments of these four little girls, Fu Ye's face immediately darkened comically.
"That's enough out of you four little troublemakers."
To the four girls, the incident with Shi Nian was nothing more than a minor interlude. It wasn't that they were cold-blooded; they knew perfectly well that in the brutal world of Spirit Masters, slaughter and death were incredibly common occurrences. They were acutely aware that if their beloved Fu Ye hadn't been with them today, the four of them absolutely would not have lived to see tomorrow. Their dependence and love for him only deepened.
By evening, all the girls had returned to their dormitories to rest and prepare for the next day.
"What a shame. We have to participate in the tournament tomorrow, so we can't play and have proper fun with Brother Fu Ye tonight," Xue Wu lamented softly, her tone carrying a hint of longing.
"It's okay, Sister Xue Wu! Xue Ke and little cat Jiang Jing will help take wonderful care of Brother Fu Ye for you!" Xue Ke playfully volunteered, her sweet smile hiding a mischievous, devoted glint.
"Ahhh! Little Xue Ke, you're totally playing foul!"