Ma Hongjun was thoroughly enraged by these words, the Evil Fire surging within him as his first Soul Ring suddenly lit up, emitting a buzzing tremor.
The fiery phoenix phantom behind him abruptly spread its wings, releasing a sharp and fierce cry.
Though lacking the majesty of a true phoenix, it still carried scorching heat waves.
"I said—don't—call—me—a—barnyard—chicken! First Spirit Ability—Phoenix Fire Line!"
Ma Hongjun's first Soul Ring shook violently, followed by his wicked fire phoenix Martial Soul emitting a fierce shriek.
Aiming at Ning Rongrong's direction, Ma Hongjun suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a thick column of flames. The crimson fire line, carrying intense heat that nearly ignited the air, shot straight toward her.
"Rongrong, watch out!"
Xue Na reacted swiftly, her Soul Power erupting at her feet as she positioned herself in front of Ning Rongrong.
Raising her hand, purple Thunderbolt gathered in her palm into a sharp electrical arc, unhesitatingly meeting the Phoenix Fire Line.
"Crack—Boom!"
Thunderbolt and flames violently collided mid-air, purple lightning and crimson fire instantly intertwining and annihilating each other.
A dull explosion followed, the shockwave spreading outward and rustling the leaves of nearby trees.
Ning Rongrong was pushed back two steps by the blast, quickly steadying herself against Su Yu beside her. Patting her chest, she stuck out her tongue:
"That was close! Well done, Nana!"
Ma Hongjun was forced half a step back by the explosion's aftermath. Seeing the lingering electrical sparks in Xue Na's palm, surprise flashed in his eyes before being replaced by anger:
"Bring it on!"
He channeled his Soul Power more urgently, clearly preparing to get serious.
Seeing Ma Hongjun still intent on fighting, Ning Rongrong quickly stepped forward, placing her hands on her hips:
"Hey, it was just a joke saying you look like a barnyard chicken. Do you have to be so angry? Is it really that serious?"
Ma Hongjun stiffened his neck, his face puffing up with anger as he retorted:
"Who told you to call me that! My Martial Soul is a genuine wicked fire phoenix, a top-tier beast spirit! What do you know!"
"But it really does look like a barnyard chicken—all round and plump, nothing like a phoenix's majestic bearing!"
Ning Rongrong pursed her lips, refusing to back down. "I'm not wrong—even with your Martial Soul activated, you can't hide that chubby body!"
This comment made Ma Hongjun even angrier, the flames around him nearly singeing his hair:
"You're still saying it! Try calling me a barnyard chicken one more time!"
He assumed a fighting stance, gathering Soul Power again, clearly struck where it hurt by the barnyard chicken remark.
Xue Na immediately stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Ning Rongrong as purple Thunderbolt flickered at her fingertips again. She coldly stared at Ma Hongjun:
"If you want to fight, then fight. Stop wasting words!"
"Hmph, fight it is! You think I'm afraid of you? Second Spirit Ability—Phoenix Rebirth!"
Ma Hongjun snorted coldly as he activated his second Spirit Ability, the wicked fire phoenix phantom behind him crying out once more.
A Fire Elemental Phoenix flapped its wings, wobbling unsteadily as it floated toward Xue Na.
The phoenix was entirely engulfed in flames, its body round and plump, indeed resembling a barnyard chicken on fire, with even its wings appearing short and stubby.
"Pfft—"
Ning Rongrong could no longer contain herself and burst out laughing.
"You still say it's not a barnyard chicken! This is clearly a little barnyard chicken that can spit fire!"
A sly grin spread across Ma Hongjun's face. "Hmph, you little girl, I'll show you what true power looks like!"
With a snap of his fingers, the small Fire Elemental Phoenix suddenly expanded, erupting in a blinding flash of fiery light.
"Watch out!"
Su Yu's eyes narrowed sharply, the crimson Mangekyō Sharingan instantly appearing within them.
Just as the explosion occurred, a red skeleton materialized around Xue Na's body, swiftly encasing her completely.
"Boom!"
The Fire Elemental Phoenix detonated, sending scorching shockwaves mixed with sparks in all directions. The blast struck the red skeleton with a dull thud.
The Susanoo's skeleton trembled slightly but steadfastly blocked the full force of the explosion.
Inside the skeletal protection, Xue Na remained unharmed, though she blinked in surprise at the sudden turn of events.
Ma Hongjun's smile froze instantly upon seeing this. Staring at the hovering red skeleton and the strange Mangekyō Sharingan in Su Yu's eyes, his pupils contracted slightly.
"What kind of Martial Soul is this?"
Ignoring him, Su Yu retracted the Susanoo skeleton and pulled Xue Na to his side, his gaze turning cold as he stared at Ma Hongjun.
"This was supposed to be a spar. Was it necessary to use a lethal move?"
Ning Rongrong also lost her cheerful expression, rushing to Xue Na's side to check her over.
"Nana, are you alright?!"
Xue Na shook her head, about to say she was fine, but Ning Rongrong had already turned to glare at Ma Hongjun, her cheeks puffed with anger.
"I admit calling you a country chicken was too much, and I can apologize for that!"
"But we're all from Shrek Academy! We'll be seeing each other constantly. Was it really necessary to use such a heavy-handed technique?"
"If that explosion had actually hit Nana, the consequences would have been unthinkable!"
Ning Rongrong's chest heaved slightly, clearly genuinely upset.
"It's just a spar! Did you have to play so dirty? And you call yourself a man? You have no dignity at all!"
Ma Hongjun was rendered speechless by her torrent of words, his face alternating between red and pale, all traces of his earlier smugness gone.
His Spirit Ability was indeed powerful, and that girl had been completely unprepared.
If not for that skeleton, she could have been seriously injured, perhaps even disfigured!
He had let his anger get the better of him. This was Shrek Academy, and they were likely new students. He really shouldn't have used such a lethal move!
Scratching his head, Ma Hongjun lowered his voice.
"I... I didn't actually mean to hurt her. I just wanted to scare you all..."
Just then, Dai Mubai approached from nearby. Seeing the situation, he hurried over.
"Teacher Su Yu, hello!"
"Hm."
After Su Yu's brief acknowledgment, Dai Mubai, sensing the tense atmosphere, asked:
"Um, may I ask what happened here?"
Ning Rongrong snapped irritably, "It's him! If Brother Husband hadn't protected Xue Na, she would have been hit by his Phoenix Rebirth!"
Before Dai Mubai could respond, Ning Rongrong continued while supporting Xue Na:
"First, I apologize. I shouldn't have mocked your Martial Soul earlier! That was my fault!"
"But if you hadn't bullied that girl, I wouldn't have argued with you in the first place!"
Dai Mubai listened as Ning Rongrong angrily recounted the whole story, then glanced at Ma Hongjun's expression of both frustration and defiance, unable to resist rubbing his temples.
"Ning Rongrong, actually... this 'fatty' is also a student of our Shrek Academy—Ma Hongjun."
"The girl you mentioned is likely his girlfriend. They know each other, so what you described earlier doesn't really count as bullying."
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