Douluo Continent: I possess astonishing wisdom as I control energy!

He only realized something was wrong with Zhang Lexuan after she had almost lost control of herself during her "attack."

It was just a kiss, yet she acted like this. This was completely different from Zhang Lexuan, who could talk to him from midnight to dawn.

Clearly, her condition was far worse than she appeared to be.

Only after he pressed her for details did she reluctantly reveal that he had been working non-stop for the past three months.

Zhang Lexuan raised her eyes, a dark current seeming to surge in the depths of her gaze. She stared at Kong Ming'an, her tone carrying a hint of accusation: "Essentially, this is your fault, after all, you breached the contract."

Kong Ming'an was speechless; he was indeed in the wrong and could not refute it.

He sighed, his gaze falling on her undeniably haggard face. His tone softened, carrying a serious admonition: "Even so, you don't need to work for three months in such a self-destructive way."

“Before, you would only rest once when I came. This time, I won’t come for three months, so you won’t rest for three months. What if I have something to do next time and don’t come for a year?”

"Are you going to go a whole year without taking a break? Your health will break down."

Zhang Lexuan blinked, and a somewhat eerie, morbidly satisfied smile suddenly bloomed on her pale face: "You're concerned about me?"

Kong Ming'an said helplessly, "I'm serious."

Zhang Lexuan chuckled softly, no longer fixated on snatching the chains. Instead, as if all her strength had been drained, she leaned forward, resting her forehead on Kong Ming'an's shoulder and wrapping her arms around him.

She took a deep breath, as if trying to draw some kind of calming aura from him.

After a long while, she finally raised her head. The madness in her eyes subsided slightly, but the stubbornness deep within them was still clearly visible.

“I don’t want to stop,” she said softly, her tone calm but strangely tinged with a deathly stillness. “As long as I don’t stop, I won’t have wild thoughts or want to kill anyone.”

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze seemingly piercing through the wall, seeing the people and things that disgusted and loathed her:

“You know what? When Orange put that evidence in front of me, I only had one thought in my mind—to go straight there and kill all those parasites and scum.”

Her voice remained calm, but Kong Ming'an could clearly see the fleeting murderous intent and madness in her eyes.

“These insects have no value whatsoever; their existence is a waste. As for those who condone them, ignore them, or are involved with them, kill them all, leave no one alive. It will be a clean end.”

Her words were morbid and obsessive, so much so that Kong Ming'an unconsciously glanced at the Asura God Ring within his body to make sure the other party wasn't affected before refocusing his attention on her.

But the next moment, Zhang Lexuan's tone suddenly became calm:

"But I know I can't do that. Among those people, there might be innocent victims caught in the crossfire, or those whose crimes don't warrant death."

"Most importantly, while direct killing is efficient, it is the least efficient and most foolish way to rebuild Shrek Academy."

"If I want to completely control Shrek Academy, I must truly win over people's hearts and integrate their strength. Simply slaughtering them will not work."

She refocused her gaze on Kong Ming'an's face, staring at him intently, and answered his question again:

"So I can't be idle. When I'm idle, I think about killing people, even when I'm sleeping. Only when you're here can I be a little quiet."

Kong Ming'an paused slightly, having already reached a general conclusion in his mind.

For Zhang Lexuan, he had become an anchor point that kept her rationality, and probably the only one that could not be changed.

He remained silent, then raised his hand and gently brushed away the strands of hair stuck to her cheek with sweat, his voice calm: "What you need most right now is real rest, not another kind of indulgence."

Zhang Lexuan tilted her head, staring intently at him: "Is this an order?"

Kong Ming'an paused slightly and nodded:

"Yes."

"Then," Zhang Lexuan's pale lips curved into a bewitching smile, "you will stay with me?"

"meeting."

This time, his answer came without the slightest pause.

Chapter 138 Huo Yuhao's Revenge

This answer seemed to please her; her smile deepened, tinged with anticipation, and she spoke softly:

“Okay, let’s continue after I wake up. Also,” she paused, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes, “after we’re done, I’ll take you to see a ‘play’.”

Kong Ming'an's lips twitched slightly. Even in this state, why was he still so eager to continue? But he ultimately didn't speak; after all, he was in the wrong for breaching the contract first.

Just as he was about to ask Zhang Lexuan what this so-called "drama" was, he found that Zhang Lexuan was already leaning against him, her eyes closed, her breathing becoming even and long.

Are they already asleep?

Kong Ming'an was slightly surprised, but he had no intention of asking any further questions.

After tidying up the scene a little, Kong Ming'an gently picked her up in his arms.

He walked over to the sofa and sat down, gently adjusting her position so she could comfortably rest her head in his lap.

Then, he picked up his coat, which he had taken off, and gently covered her with it.

After finishing all this, Kong Ming'an lowered his head and quietly gazed at the peaceful sleeping face of the person in his arms.

Zhang Lexuan no longer possessed the sickly and obsessive demeanor she had just displayed. Her features were cool and refined, yet carried a fragile vulnerability that drew one's gaze.

Kong Ming'an's gaze paused.

Just a moment ago they were brimming with murderous intent, ready to kill everyone, but now they're all quiet and still. Thinking back to how they used to interact...

Kong Ming'an gently brushed her hair with his fingertips, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Is this some kind of contrast?

……

……

Time flowed slowly by, while on the other side, at Shrek Academy of Foreign Languages, the freshman assessment had progressed to the semi-finals, where four students were narrowed down to two.

Compared to previous years, which were merely internal assessments for new students at Shrek Academy, this year's assessments were quite different.

Under the banner of "showcasing the spirit of new students and demonstrating the academy's heritage," Zhang Lexuan, the head of the Poseidon Pavilion, has chosen to open this year's freshman assessment to the public.

Furthermore, it wasn't just a simple opening to the outside world; under Zhang Lexuan's leadership, Shrek Academy and Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce began a collaboration.

Shrek Academy was responsible for expanding the competition venue, while the Chamber of Commerce utilized its "Mingmeng Daily," which spanned the Douluo Three Kingdoms, and its vast media network to promote the new student assessment.

This move proved to be successful.

After the initial elimination rounds concluded, the Chamber of Commerce meticulously edited and highlighted the exciting battle footage, emphasizing individual skill and teamwork. This footage was disseminated through newspapers and nascent Soul Guidance Videos, seemingly rekindling the tarnished reputation of "Shrek Academy."

Seeing this, some elders and members of other family factions who initially had reservations about Zhang Lexuan's radical methods softened their stance and came to curry favor, attempting to use their usual tactics to bring Zhang Lexuan to their side.

For them, self-interest comes first.

Zhang Lexuan accepted all offers without hesitation, simply noting down their names silently.

At this moment, inside a giant venue specially built for this grand event, the atmosphere is bustling with activity and excitement.

The semi-finals, where four teams will advance to the next two, are currently underway.

On one side is Dai Huabin, who hails from the White Tiger Duke's Mansion of the Star Luo Empire, possesses a pure White Tiger Martial Soul, and has already reached the Soul Venerable realm.

His two teammates were also Great Soul Masters, one of whom possessed the Netherworld Cat Martial Soul, enabling him to unleash the incredibly powerful Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Netherworld White Tiger, with Dai Huabin.

He is widely recognized as the biggest favorite to win this year's freshman assessment.

On the other side was Huo Yuhao, a disciple of the Body Sect, personally taken in by the sect leader, Poison Immortal.

He possesses the Spirit Eye, a spirit soul, and is said to have only level one innate spirit power. However, through astonishing perseverance and the resources of his sect, he has accumulated strength and is now a two-ring Great Spirit Master. Furthermore, he possesses a spirit ring configuration that transcends the norm, with one yellow and one purple ring.

The other two team members he led were also Great Soul Masters.

Both teams have dominated the competition with undefeated records since the start of the season.

Dai Huabin's team won because of their absolute strength and the Netherworld White Tiger, which always had the final say. Every time the fusion skill was used, it meant the end of the game.

Huo Yuhao's team, on the other hand, excels in its unpredictability.

Since the start of the competition, Huo Yuhao has been the one making the moves, but often his eyes only need to light up before his opponents inexplicably collapse and lose consciousness. His methods are peculiar and difficult to understand.

To outsiders, the two teams appear to be evenly matched, promising a back-and-forth battle.

However, things took an unexpected turn than anyone had imagined.

At this moment, Dai Huabin was already kneeling on one knee, his hands gripping the ground tightly to prevent him from collapsing completely.

His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead, but his face was filled with confusion and bewilderment.

In the end what happened?

Dai Huabin felt a deafening roar in his mind. In a fleeting, dazed moment, he seemed to "see" his teammates Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie fall silently to the ground.

Then it was him.

Inside the arena, there were them and their opponents; below, the noisy faces of the audience; and the dust particles floating in the air.

Countless pieces of information flooded into his mind like an out-of-control torrent; everything appeared in his mind and then expanded rapidly.

Finally, at a certain moment, everything exploded! His consciousness was rendered useless in the face of this massive amount of information, as if crushed and shattered by a giant wheel; everything went blank in an instant.

Dai Huabin instinctively tried to regain his senses, struggling to sit up with one hand. At that moment, he saw a figure slowly walk towards him.

At the same time, a cold voice entered his ears from the figure in front of him:

"It's been a long time, brother."

Dai Huabin paused, subconsciously raising his head, and saw Huo Yuhao's calm and expressionless face.

In an instant, this face overlapped with a blurry shadow in his memory. His consciousness snapped out of its daze, and he suddenly became clear-headed. His pupils contracted, and he uttered a hoarse voice:

"It's you?!"

Huo Yuhao's lips curled into a cold smile: "It's me."

Dai Huabin's eyes instantly filled with rage. He didn't care why Huo Yuhao was there, or why he had to encounter him in the competition.

At this moment, he felt only a deep sense of shame.

He couldn't even withstand a single blow from this piece of trash he once looked down on? He absolutely wouldn't allow that to happen!

Dai Huabin was about to get up when, in the next moment, a flood of information rushed into his mind again. Then, a fierce side kick struck, aimed directly at Dai Huabin's head.

"boom--!"

In an instant, intense pain and unpleasant tinnitus struck, forcibly clearing his mind, which had been confused by the influx of massive amounts of information.

Dai Huabin collapsed to the ground, his head throbbing with pain.

He struggled to get up, but Huo Yuhao followed closely and kicked him hard in the chest again!

This is revenge, pure revenge, without any other motives!

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; blood for blood.

This is one of the principles Huo Yuhao learned at the Body Sect.

Chapter 139 Tang San Cheating

Huo Yuhao's kick was powerful; Dai Huabin slid backward several meters uncontrollably, his eyes filled with a ferocious bloodshot.

"puff--"

A mouthful of blood spurted out, and Dai Huabin clutched his chest, feeling as if his internal organs were churning.

He tried to prop himself up with his arms, but the next moment, a foot mercilessly stepped on his hand.

Without any reduction in force, the bones of the hand beneath the flesh creaked and groaned as they were mercilessly crushed, bit by bit.

"When I was six years old, I brought home some wild vegetables that I had painstakingly gathered, and you all blocked me in the alley."

"You stepped on my hand like that back then."

Huo Yuhao's voice was calm, as if he were stating a statement.

"Roar!" Dai Huabin roared like a wild beast, his White Tiger Martial Soul instantly activating, his violent soul power attempting to unleash and blast Huo Yuhao away.

However, he was met with an even heavier straight kick.

"boom--"

Dai Huabin was kicked away, landing on his side and struggling, but the next moment, Huo Yuhao's foot stepped on his head, grinding it without any restraint.

“When I was eight years old, on my way home, you and your men stepped on my head like this.”

The killing intent in Dai Huabin's eyes was almost tangible. As the son of the White Tiger Duke, how could he have ever suffered such a humiliation? Especially not from this bastard he once looked down upon!