Shrek, Yu Xiaogang

Chen Yuan and Ning Rongrong returned quickly, but they did not go back to the academy. Instead, they wandered around Suotuo City, shopping and having fun.

Of course, that was not all. Chen Yuan also visited every Blacksmith Shop, buying a total of more than a thousand longswords. He then rented a countryside estate backed by mountains and facing water as a temporary place to stay.

This was not the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. If Chen Yuan wanted to cultivate in peace, he needed to set up a Mimetic Cultivation environment. Once all those thousand-odd longswords were arranged in place, cultivating within it would also increase his cultivation speed.

His Mimetic Cultivation environment was actually easy enough to resolve. Ning Rongrong's was the troublesome one. The environment most suitable for Ning Rongrong's cultivation was, in fact, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's treasury.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect possessed wealth rivaling that of a nation. Gold Soul Coins were piled into mountains, while Silver Soul Coins and Copper Soul Coins were not even qualified to be stored there. Precious crystals of every color were heaped in corners like ordinary stones. Only such an environment was best suited for the cultivation of the gemstone-type Martial Soul, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

Before they knew it, an entire day had passed. Zhao Wuji finally returned to Shrek Academy before nightfall with Tang San, Xiao Wu, and the others.

After returning, Zhao Wuji dismissed the team, while he himself went to find Flender and explain what had happened during this Spirit Beast hunt.

Zhao Wuji began from the moment they entered the forest and continued until they left it, recounting every major and minor event in meticulous detail.

Flender drew in a sharp breath. A routine Spirit Beast hunt had actually encountered so many twists and turns.

"Running into Snake Granny of the Peerless Dragon Snake couple would have been one thing, but you even encountered the Forest King, the Titan Giant Ape. I really don't know whether to call you lucky or unlucky. Still, it's good that you all returned safely."

"And our academy gained three Soul Elders in one go. Oscar is only fourteen, while Tang San and Xiao Wu are only twelve. It looks like our academy really struck gold. Hahaha..."

Just as he was laughing heartily, a cold voice came from the doorway.

"So, my disciple has also broken through thirty levels of Soul Power, absorbed a Spirit Ring, and become a Soul Elder."

At those words, both Flender and Zhao Wuji looked toward the door. A middle-aged man stood there, his face stiff, his figure thin and tall, and his expression gloomy. He gave off an air of dejection.

Zhao Wuji frowned. He could tell that this man's strength was not great, yet he showed no reverence whatsoever before two Spirit Saint powerhouses like himself and Flender. Instead, he was remarkably casual, making Zhao Wuji unable to help but speculate about his identity.

"Your disciple—is he Tang San? You're Yu Xiaogang, the one known as Grandmaster!"

Flender walked forward with a smile and patted Yu Xiaogang on the shoulder before introducing them to each other.

"That's right. This is Yu Xiaogang, an old friend of mine and Tang San's Teacher. Xiaogang, this fellow is Zhao Wuji. His nickname is the Immovable Bright King, and he is now also a Teacher at Shrek Academy."

Yu Xiaogang nodded and said to Zhao Wuji, "Thank you, Teacher Zhao, for looking after Tang San and Xiao Wu along the way. I'll go see my disciple now."

Out of respect for Flender, Zhao Wuji treated Yu Xiaogang as an equal and said, "They call me Teacher, so naturally I must keep them safe. I dismissed the team after we returned. They should all have gone back to rest."

Yu Xiaogang immediately turned and left. Only then did Flender say to Zhao Wuji, "You've worked hard on this Spirit Beast hunt. Take a few days off and get some proper rest."

Hearing that, Zhao Wuji bared his teeth unwillingly and said, "Boss Flender, I traded a punch with the Titan Giant Ape this time. Is a few days off enough for me to recover? Shouldn't you pay some medical expenses?"

The moment Flender heard this, he immediately returned to his penny-pinching ways. His gaze turned wary as he said solemnly, "That won't do. The academy isn't well-off either. Besides, with your physique, you'll be fine after resting for another couple of days."

Zhao Wuji's expression changed, and he could only leave while grumbling and cursing under his breath.

"Stingy, miserly, a real iron rooster. Not willing to part with a single coin."

After the team was dismissed, Tang San and Xiao Wu did not part ways immediately. They simply strolled through the academy together. Neither of them spoke; they were only taking a walk.

Not long afterward, Yu Xiaogang's voice carried over from afar.

"Xiao San, Xiao Wu, congratulations. You have both become Soul Elders."

Hearing that voice, Tang San's face filled with excitement. He ran over with Xiao Wu to Yu Xiaogang and said, "Teacher, when did you get here?"

A smile tugged at Yu Xiaogang's stiff face as he said, "After you left Nuoding Academy, I formally bid farewell to the dean as well. I packed my things and came to Shrek. By the time you went Spirit Beast hunting, I had just arrived here."

"Walk with me. Tell me about your Third Soul Skills. A thousand-year Third Soul Skill will surely be far more effective than a hundred-year soul skill."

Tang San glanced at Xiao Wu before speaking first about his own situation.

"Teacher, my Third Spirit Ring came from a sixteen-hundred-year Mandala Snake. It greatly enhanced my Blue Silver Grass. After I use my Third Soul Skill, Blue Silver Snake Entanglement, the Blue Silver Grass becomes thicker, and its appearance resembles a Mandala Snake."

"I've tested it. In that state, if I exert all my strength, the Blue Silver Grass can pull apart a tree as thick as a bowl, without suffering any breakage itself."

"As for its poison, since my Third Spirit Ring, like my First Spirit Ring, came from a Mandala Snake—and a sixteen-hundred-year Mandala Snake at that—the paralytic poison has been greatly enhanced. It can make an adult wild bull lose its ability to resist in an extremely short time."

"The Mandala Snake's toughness and venom are truly perfect for my Blue Silver Grass. I believe that among Soul Elders, very few people will be able to break free from my control."

After hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's eyes were filled with pride, as though he himself had grown stronger. He nodded and said, "Very good. Your Teacher's Ten Core Competitive Theories of Martial Souls cannot be wrong. Being able to cultivate the commonplace Blue Silver Grass to this extent is already an extraordinary achievement. Blue Silver Grass is weak by nature and will not reject any Spirit Ring. What it needs is a powerful Spirit Beast like the Mandala Snake to provide it with strength."

After saying that, he turned his gaze toward Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu had no intention of hiding anything. "My Third Spirit Ring came from a Thousand-Year Rabbit Soul Beast. The soul skill it produced allows me to Teleport freely within five meters."

Yu Xiaogang was inwardly shaken, but his expression remained calm. He then spoke with great certainty.

"It seems that the rabbit-type Spirit Beast you mentioned should have been a thousand-year Lightning Rabbit. Use this soul skill well. It can allow you to remain undefeated in battle."

Xiao Wu did not expose him. This Spirit Ring had been condensed by herself, not obtained from some Lightning Rabbit. Following Yu Xiaogang's words, she replied, "All right, Grandmaster. I will make good use of this soul skill."

Finally, Yu Xiaogang looked at them both and said, "All right, Xiao San. Do you have any questions you want to ask me?"

Tang San fell silent for a moment, his gaze deep. Then he asked solemnly, "Teacher, you once told me that the maximum age for a First Spirit Ring is four hundred and twenty-three years, the maximum age for a Second Spirit Ring is seven hundred and sixty-four years, and the maximum age for a Third Spirit Ring is one thousand seven hundred and sixty years. But is it truly impossible to absorb a Spirit Ring beyond those limits?"

Yu Xiaogang's expression stiffened. He took a deep breath, then said, "What you want to ask about is Chen Yuan's situation, isn't it? I've already heard about him from Flender. Even I cannot make sense of it..."