"Since that's the case, just watch from here." Dai Mubai sneered arrogantly.
Tianlin remained silent. He didn't want to stir up trouble, but he had no issue being a spectator. Besides, there was a whole table of delicious food in front of him, and being an onlooker seemed like the perfect role for now.
"Boss, are we not going to make a move?" Ma Hongjun asked.
"Try not to get involved unless necessary. If it comes to that, use the name of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan," Tianlin replied with his eyes closed, recalling something from his past.
"When I was younger, I made a mistake. Back when I first entered the Royal Academy, I wanted to avoid relying on my clan's influence. I hid my identity and ended up clashing with the nobles there. That incident was exploited by others, leading to a situation where our clan and the Balak Kingdom are now like fire and water."
"Since then, I changed my mindset. If you have power, use it. Protecting yourself with your influence isn't wrong—just don't use it to bully others."
Tianlin shared his experience with Ma Hongjun, hoping he wouldn't repeat the same mistakes.
At that moment, a waiter brought a dish to their table. However, a young student from Blue Sunshine Academy, still upset by Dai Mubai's earlier taunts, deliberately tripped the waiter.
The waiter stumbled, falling toward Dai Mubai with the dish spilling everywhere. If Dai Mubai didn't dodge, he would have been covered in soup.
Right then, Tang San used his Tang Sect skill, Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon, to catch the plate mid-air, ensuring none of the soup spilled. "Don't waste food!" Tang San said.
Dai Mubai, on the other hand, acted decisively. With a soul-powered slap, he struck the young student in the chest, sending him flying backward with a bowed posture. Dai Mubai's aim was precise—the student landed right on Blue Sunshine Academy's dining table.
A middle-aged man from Blue Sunshine Academy caught the student effortlessly with one hand. Judging by his composure, his strength was at least that of a Soul King. This must be the infamous Turtle Teacher of Blue Sunshine Academy.
"What an arrogant group of brats! All of you, attack and teach them a lesson!" the teacher commanded.
The students of Blue Sunshine Academy, already restless, rushed forward without hesitation. Unfortunately for them, despite being 17 or 18 years old, their soul power was barely in level 20. Before they could even summon their martial souls, Xiao Wu jumped out and beat them all into a mess.
As a soul beast in human form, Xiao Wu shared Dai Mubai's wild temperament and had no fear of trouble.
"You idiots! Summon your martial souls before charging in!" the teacher yelled.
Hearing this, the Blue Sunshine Academy students quickly released their martial souls. Deer, sheep, horses, forks, and spears—most were ordinary martial souls. Their soul rings were also unimpressive, with a standard configuration of one white and one yellow. Their overall strength left much to be desired.
However, they were undeniably petty. Mistaking Tianlin as one of Dai Mubai's allies, a spear-wielding soul master used his first soul skill to thrust straight at him.
"I am from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. Don't bring trouble upon yourself," Tianlin warned, glaring at the attacker.
"Hmph! Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan? Who would believe that? You're just pretending to scare us because you're afraid. Too late!" The soul master sneered, continuing his attack.
"Foolish!" Tianlin grabbed the spear effortlessly, not moving an inch. Ma Hongjun hesitated, wanting to intervene but worried about being reprimanded by Tianlin.
Seeing this, Tianlin said calmly, "Hongjun, you can attack now. Remember: the saying doesn't stop at 'If others don't offend me, I won't offend them.' The rest of it is, 'If others offend me, I will destroy their entire clan!'"
Since the Blue Sunshine Academy students dared to attack even after he revealed his identity, it was only fair to fight back. Otherwise, others might see the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan as easy to bully.
"Got it! Watch me!" Ma Hongjun exclaimed excitedly. He had been holding back for a while and finally unleashed a punch, sending the spear-wielding soul master flying.
At first, Ma Hongjun thought Tianlin was someone who would endure endlessly. To his surprise, Tianlin was so vengeful—it was perfectly in line with how Ma Hongjun liked to handle things.
Worried about Xiao Wu getting hurt, Tang San called her back and joined the fight himself. With Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun working together, their overwhelming strength made short work of the Blue Sunshine Academy students. In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, all the students were lying on the ground.
The teacher from Blue Sunshine Academy, stunned by the strength of these young teens, began to suspect they came from a powerful family.
"I am Ye Zhiqiu, a Teacher at Blue Sunshine Academy. May I ask which clan or sect you belong to?" Ye Zhiqiu asked politely, realizing that some people are not to be provoked lightly.
"We're from Shrek Academy," Tang San replied.
"I'm from Shrek Academy now, but in the future, I'll belong to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. Didn't the boss already say that? What, you still don't believe me?" Ma Hongjun added.
Tianlin nodded approvingly. Although Ma Hongjun could be lazy, one of his strengths was his loyalty. Once he committed to something, he stuck with it. This quality, along with his contributions in the original story, was why Tianlin decided to recruit him into the clan.
"Could they be from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan?" Ye Zhiqiu thought to himself. The clan, now boasting four Titled Douluos, was a force to be reckoned with. If these teenagers were indeed from the clan, offending them would be disastrous.
"Ah, so you are the prodigies trained by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. It seems we were in the wrong this time. Let's call it even," Ye Zhiqiu suggested, hoping to de-escalate the situation.
"Hold on! So, you acknowledge the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan but refuse to respect Shrek Academy?" Dai Mubai retorted.
"Shrek Academy? I've never heard of it. Is it some secret branch of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan?" Ye Zhiqiu asked, confused.
Dai Mubai sneered. "Shrek Academy has no connection to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. If you've never heard of it, it just proves how ignorant you are!"
Ye Zhiqiu's expression darkened. He had already backed down, but the other side refused to let it go. Angered, he said, "Hmph! Haven't your teachers taught you to respect your elders? If not, let me teach you a lesson!"
"Black Tortoise!"
Ye Zhiqiu's martial soul activated. His limbs shortened slightly, his back sprouted a green shell, and his entire body glowed with green light. Five soul rings—one white, two yellow, and two purple—spun around him.
Indeed, he was a Soul King. The onlookers in the restaurant gasped in awe. To commoners, a Soul King was a rare and respected figure.
"Teach us on behalf of our teachers? Hah! You, an old turtle, aren't qualified!" Ma Hongjun snapped. He held his teacher Flender in the highest regard and wasn't about to let anyone insult him.
Ning Rongrong stepped forward to assist. Although she was the cherished princess of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, she was also a student of Shrek Academy. She felt obligated to fight alongside her classmates.
Seeing Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, Ye Zhiqiu hesitated. He initially thought these teens were merely disciples of subsidiary families, but Ning Rongrong's presence indicated a direct lineage. Hurting her could lead to serious consequences.
Tianlin, unwilling to see Ning Rongrong get hurt, stepped forward. "Ye Zhiqiu, while it's true that Dai Mubai provoked you first, your students attacking me is also a fact. How about this: you and I will settle this one-on-one. Whoever loses must kneel and apologize to the other."
Since Blue Sunshine Academy had attacked him, Tianlin saw no issue in responding in kind. After all, this was simply returning the favor.