```
"How do you want to settle this?"
"By a duel of souls, of course." Zhou Yi pointed at Qin Xiao, "I'll duel him in a contest of souls. If he wins, I will apologize to him and swear never to harm him again. If he loses, he must obediently return to the academy to study..."
As she spoke, her eyes filled with provocation, she asked Qin Xiao, "How about it?"
Qin Xiao shook his head decisively, "Do I look like a fool to you? To duel souls with you? Are you the fool for suggesting a soul duel with me?"
He didn't hesitate to directly ridicule Zhou Yi, the old woman.
He had logic on his side, why fear?
Besides, if he didn't take some advantage from Zhou Yi, wouldn't that be letting her off easy?
There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
Whether it was the Douluo from before he crossed over, or the current Douluo, no one has ever provoked Qin Xiao without paying the price.
Zhou Yi was momentarily stunned, then she understood the hidden meaning in Qin Xiao's words, and immediately became enraged, "Are you calling me stupid?"
Qin Xiao suddenly laughed, "I just realized, you do have some virtues."
"What?" Zhou Yi was baffled again.
She couldn't understand why Qin Xiao was suddenly praising her?
She asked subconsciously, "What virtue have you found?"
Qin Xiao earnestly replied, "You have a great deal of self-awareness, which is truly valuable."
"Pfft."
As soon as the words fell, Meng Hongchen, who was beside Qin Xiao, couldn't help but laugh out loud.
He is still insulting me!
Zhou Yi trembled with rage.
On the side, Du Weilun couldn't bear to watch any longer, "Teacher Zhou..."
Zhou Yi waved her hand to stop Du Weilun from speaking further, "Director Du, don't you worry about this matter for now. This brat's insult has escalated to personal attacks. I can't stand it."
Although she was speaking to Du Weilun, she didn't look at him at all throughout the exchange but stared fixedly at Qin Xiao, "Brat, don't think I will bully you with my advantage as a Soul Emperor. I will suppress my cultivation level, just like you, and only use the strength of a Soul Ancestor, how about that?"
Qin Xiao continued to shake his head, "Not interesting."
"You still refuse to agree?" Zhou Yi, with a clenched fist, took out a soul bone from her Spatial Soul Guidance Device and said through gritted teeth, "If you can still beat me, then this soul bone is yours."
Heh heh heh, it seems this old woman really hates me to the bone... Qin Xiao thought with a cold laugh.
But he knew, this was Zhou Yi's limit.
Pressuring her more would yield nothing else but might just trigger the old woman into a rampage.
He answered firmly, "Fine, I accept. But I hope Director Du can serve as a witness."
He still wants Du Weilun to be a witness?
Zhou Yi, frustrated yet amused, "Kid, is it your confidence that makes you so sure you've got me all figured out?"
With that, she handed the soul bone she was holding to Director Du, "Director Du, then please be our witness."
"Ah, this..."
Director Du was stunned.
What's all this about?
His original purpose for arriving was to mediate, to keep Qin Xiao and Meng Hongchen at the academy, and now he's become a witness?
"Qin Xiao."
"Director Du, then please act as a referee," Qin Xiao said as he noticed Director Du still wanted to say something, and pre-empted him with a smile, "Director Du, please step back a bit."
Meng Hongchen asked with some nervousness, "Uncle Master, are you really going to fight this old woman?"
After all, Zhou Yi is a genuine Soul Emperor and a teacher from Shrek Academy, with likely a wealth of combat experience, not someone like the previous careless Soul Elder.
Qin Xiao smiled slightly, "Don't worry, I'm confident I can beat her within ten rounds."
"Oh." Meng Hongchen, seeing Qin Xiao so full of confidence, decided not to say anything more.
But upon hearing Qin Xiao's words, Zhou Yi's mouth curled into a mocking smile.
This kid really dares to boast.
Has his confidence inflated after defeating that useless Wang Dong?
But.
Has he considered whether he still has any advantage facing her?
Zhou Yi had reasons for her contempt.
That's because she's also a direct-attack class Soul Emperor.
With a physical strength that's astonishingly powerful.
In that case, the advantage Qin Xiao gained from doping his body would be completely nullified.
Next up is soul power.
She had a sly trick up her sleeve.
She promised not to use more power than a Soul Ancestor, but isn't her total amount of soul power far more than that of a Soul Ancestor like Qin Xiao?
She was convinced that if it came down to attrition, Qin Xiao would definitely lose. How could he compare to her?
```
Finally, and most confidently, came her abundant combat experience.
How old was Qin Xiao?
Thirteen.
She had lived several decades longer than Qin Xiao.
To put it more aptly, if one were to scrape the combat experience from her mind and weigh it on a scale, it would outweigh Qin Xiao's by at least two pounds.
"Zhou Yi, Martial Soul Fire Dragon."
Watching Meng Hongchen leaving Qin Xiao's side and the stage empty, Zhou Yi stood her ground and spoke in a deep voice.
It was a ritual among Soul Masters; even though she harbored deep hatred towards Qin Xiao, she still persisted.
"I don't suppose I need an introduction, do I?"
Qin Xiao smiled faintly, his eyes already shining with a golden light.
Underneath his feet, four Soul Rings, yellow and purple, emerged once more.
"No need."
"You're just a defeated foe, I don't want to listen to your nonsense."
Zhou Yi said, slightly crouching down. She took on a bow stance.
A layer of fine red scales rapidly appeared on her exposed skin.
The tips of her fingers, her nails growing wildly, also became exceptionally sharp, like blades.
With her breaths, flames flickered inside her nostrils and mouth.
At this moment, even though she tried to control the release of her Cultivation Level, everyone in the vicinity still felt a scorching sensation and pressure, causing many to involuntarily step back several paces.
"Teacher Zhou really lives up to her Soul Emperor level Cultivation," one person remarked, despite the distance, feeling the immense pressure.
"Soul Emperors are truly terrifying."
"Qin Xiao may have beaten Wang Dong, but I see a big gap between him and Teacher Zhou."
"I also don't believe that this exchange student from Imperial Sun Moon Soul Academy can defeat our Shrek Academy's teacher."
"Exactly, exactly. How could a student ever beat a teacher? Anyone who thinks otherwise must be living in a dream."
From within Class One, many retreated while echoing these sentiments.
Naturally, Zhou Yi heard every word.
'The respect I lost is coming back. Indeed, choosing to discipline this arrogant exchange student was a wise decision.'
Zhou Yi felt overjoyed listening to the crowd.
Now, only one step separated her from restoring the dignity she'd lost.
And that was to knock down Qin Xiao.
"Both sides ready!"
At this moment, Du Weilun's deep voice rang out.
Zhou Yi's nerves immediately tensed up.
She was excited.
"Qin Xiao, have you considered forfeiting this match?"
Without declaring the start, Du Weilun still asked Qin Xiao.
It was clear that, in his heart, he too did not favor Qin Xiao's chances against Zhou Yi.
That was only natural; he was well aware of the value of a teacher from Shrek Academy, not something a student could easily challenge.
Qin Xiao remained resolute, "Director Du, I have thought it through, please just declare the start."
Ah, well, no point in persuading. Once the match begins, he will understand what 'do not seek death and you shall not die' means.
With a silent sigh in his heart, Du Weilun loudly declared, "The match begins!"
"Kid, I'll show you what cruelty is!"
Zhou Yi spoke with a chilling expression, and the next moment, her legs violently propelled her forward.
Crack, crack.
As power surged, the stone flooring beneath her feet groaned under the stress. Accompanying the snapping sounds, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the slabs.
Zhou Yi, using that force, sprung forward, like an arrow shot from a bow, charging towards Qin Xiao.
In the blink of an eye, she was upon him.
It was at this moment that the spectating students gasped.
Hiss.
Is this Teacher Zhou's true strength?
As a premier teacher of Shrek Academy, her combat prowess is astonishing! She's leagues beyond that worthless Wang Dong.
At this moment, Zhou Yi's fist was already smashing towards Qin Xiao's face.
Her heart sneered even colder.
Frozen by fear, aren't you? Not even knowing how to dodge?
Now, I'll let you understand what cruelty is.
The next moment, Zhou Yi's fist hit Qin Xiao's face as she had hoped.
However, the cold smile on her lips instantly froze.
That was because her fist did not feel anything upon contact, and it was as if she was punching the reflection of a flower in a mirror or the moon in the water, her fist passed through Qin Xiao's head without any hindrance.
"It went through..."
Zhou Yi felt as if she had punched the air.
It was an extremely uncomfortable feeling for her.
"Ah! Murder! Teacher Zhou actually killed Qin Xiao!"
A female classmate exclaimed in panic.
"Can you shut up? Look carefully, what's the actual situation. If Teacher Zhou really smashed Qin Xiao's head, would there be no blood at all?"
Lan Susu glanced at the senseless girl and said coldly.
"Ah, this..."
The girl was stunned for a moment, her eyes wide.
She found that the situation was exactly as Lan Susu had described.
Qin Xiao was truly unharmed.
A hint of surprise flashed in Du Weilun's eyes as he thought to himself, "This kid does have some moves..." He also realized that Qin Xiao might not be as simple as he had imagined.
"That was close."
"It seems that Uncle-Master is not so easy to kill after all."
Meng Hongchen patted his chest with his hand, finally able to settle his heart back into his stomach.
"Kid, are you only capable of tricks and illusions? Have the guts to fight me fair and square."
Zhou Yi shouted loudly.
She didn't know what had happened, but one thing she was sure of was that this strange scene must be Qin Xiao playing tricks.
"Alright then, you better be careful."
Suddenly, Qin Xiao's voice rang out in front of her again.
Then, Zhou Yi saw one figure after another appear in front of her eyes.
"They're all Qin Xiao?"
She felt her vision blur and rubbed her eyes vigorously. Looking again, those figures were really there, none had disappeared.
"My God, what's happening? Am I seeing things?"
A student nearby also exclaimed in shock, reassuring Zhou Yi that she wasn't seeing things.
It must be... an illusion.
"There can only be one real Qin Xiao, the rest are fake."
Zhou Yi immediately realized what she was experiencing.
Indeed, that was the case.
At this moment, the scene everyone saw was nothing but a mental simulation created by Qin Xiao, none of it was real.
"His soul skill is so powerful?"
Even Du Weilun saw the true nature of the event and felt a shiver in his heart.
However.
Just then, Du Weilun saw several Qin Xiaos charge at Zhou Yi at once.
"Hahaha, you think I'd be afraid? They're all illusions, even if I stand here motionless, can you harm me?"
Zhou Yi, facing each figure, felt utterly unshaken and even burst into laughter.
Indeed, she did just that, making no move to defend herself.
In her mind, everything was false and could not harm her.
But, the next moment, her expression suddenly changed.
For her face truly received a solid punch. Under the tremendous force, her body couldn't maintain its standing posture and she crashed heavily to the ground.
Even her face made intimate contact with the ground first, resulting in an embarrassing faceplant.
"Hiss, did Teacher Zhou get knocked down by a punch?"
Everyone was taken aback and then voices of surprise followed.
Just a moment ago Zhou Yi was incredibly arrogant, acting as if she had seen through everything and was in complete control, only to end up in such a pitiful state; wasn't the change a bit too drastic?
"How is this possible? Your real body approached me, how did I not notice at all?"
After struggling to get up, Zhou Yi looked at Qin Xiao in shock.
Normally, the real person would have signs of life and soul power fluctuation.
Zhou Yi believed she would have noticed if anyone approached her.
Just now, she indeed did not detect Qin Xiao's life and soul power fluctuation among those several figures, which is why she daringly stood still and waited for the many Qin Xiaos to attack her.
Sadly, she was overly confident. She overestimated her own perceptual abilities, and a wrong judgment let the real Qin Xiao get close to her, thus leading to the tragedy that had just occurred.
"Teacher Zhou, shall we continue?"
Several Qin Xiaos rubbed their wrists and looked at Zhou Yi with a smiling face and asked.
His look and words pierced Zhou Yi's heart like a knife.
"Nonsense!"
Zhou Yi stood up, yelling furiously, "Do you think I would admit defeat just like that? Not even close! Far from it!"
"Third soul skill: Purgatory Flames!"
Suddenly, Zhou Yi erupted like a volcanic explosion, unleashing endless flames from her body, spreading madly in all directions centered on herself.
In just the span of a breath, the flames covered a hundred meters range.
The scorching air seemed to ignite the atmosphere itself.
Immediately, the figures of many Qin Xiaos were engulfed by the flames.
Strangely, the terrible flames passed through their bodies without causing any harm...
Seeing this, Zhou Yi's lips curled into a cold smile, "Let's see where your real body can hide this time."
The flames covered the entire area, giving her absolute perception within the range of the flames.
Shortly, she would be able to discern where the real Qin Xiao was.
"It's a solution, but even if you find me, so what?"
Since Zhou Yi had thought of a way to counter the mental simulation, Qin Xiao simply stopped hiding himself as well.
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