A Show of Force for Grandmaster

The group searched the forest for suitable spirit beasts.

Xiao Wu leaned close to Mu Yuan, chatting with him.

Meng Yiran was also deeply interested in Mu Yuan.

After what had happened yesterday, Ning Rongrong had originally planned to talk to Mu Yuan if he came to her first today. But now, it seemed that—hmph—this guy really was the most annoying.

That was fine too.

Once they returned, she would tell her father that Mu Yuan spent all day hanging around other women. Then she could use that as an excuse to refuse the engagement and make Mu Yuan regret it beyond redemption!

Thinking that, Ning Rongrong's mood improved somewhat.

She had already made up her mind.

She would use that reason when the time came.

Even if Mu Yuan begged her, it would be useless.

Just then, there was a disturbance up ahead.

Dai Mubai activated Martial Soul Possession and watched a plant in the distance warily.

It was a purplish-red flower with petals nearly five feet across. Waves of strange scent wafted from it. At first whiff, it smelled somewhat foul, but upon closer inspection, it carried a faint fragrance.

"This is a Man-eating Sunflower. Its petals secrete alluring substances. If one's cultivation is insufficient, they will be bewitched and then swallowed whole!"

Tang San quickly identified the spirit beast before them.

He then carefully examined the Man-eating Sunflower's features before concluding, "It should be around fifteen hundred years old. Boss Dai, let's take this one as my third spirit ring."

Dai Mubai nodded. "All right, let's do it!"

The moment he spoke, Ma Hongjun launched a Phoenix Fireline, igniting the Man-eating Sunflower's massive petals.

The burning petals writhed violently, spraying out large amounts of mucus.

Dai Mubai was the closest and nearly got the mucus on his clothes.

"Fatty, watch your aim! That's disgusting!"

Though it was a fifteen-hundred-year spirit beast, the Man-eating Sunflower could not move, and its mucus could only spray a little over thirty feet. Before long, the group had beaten it to the point of death.

Tang San stepped forward at last and ended the spirit beast's life.

A purple spirit ring emerged above the Man-eating Sunflower's corpse.

Tang San sat cross-legged and began absorbing the spirit ring.

After a long while, Tang San finished absorbing it.

"How was it, Little San? What spirit skill did you gain?" Dai Mubai and the others asked impatiently.

Tang San smiled faintly.

"Third spirit skill: Blue Silver Devour!"

As soon as he spoke, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass rapidly grew five vines broader than ordinary Blue Silver Grass. The five vines tightly wrapped around a waist-high stone some distance away, then secreted large amounts of yellowish-brown mucus.

Not long afterward, Tang San withdrew his spirit skill.

The stone's surface had become riddled with pits, its outer layer directly corroded away.

Ma Hongjun walked over in surprise and looked at the corroded stone.

"That power isn't bad. If this were used on a person... tsk, tsk."

Dai Mubai commented, "The power really is decent. It's just a little too disgusting!"

Looking at the yellowish-brown mucus, Xiao Wu said, "Third Brother, don't ever use Blue Silver Grass to perform Meteor Human Hammer with me again!"

Tang San felt like crying without tears.

After resting for the night, the group began searching for a spirit beast for Meng Yiran.

They searched for two or three days without finding anything.

One day, they encountered a pair of siblings.

It was clear that they were commoner siblings. Their appearances were ordinary, and their cultivation was equally unremarkable.

The younger sister, Bei Ya, had cultivated to Level 10, and her Martial Soul was a sparrow. Her older brother, Bei Li, was only Level 9 and possessed the same Martial Soul as his sister. Since they had no money to hire mercenaries to hunt spirit beasts, they had chosen to do it themselves.

They had chosen a ten-year Gale Wolf and planned to set a trap to kill one for its spirit ring.

However, they did not know that Gale Wolves were pack-dwelling spirit beasts. The two could not stand against the wolf pack and were chased deep into the Star Dou Great Forest. They had become lost and, after wandering for days, still could not find a way out.

The siblings begged the Shrek Academy group to lead them out. After learning of Mu Yuan's group's need to hunt spirit beasts, the siblings provided a clue.

Two days earlier, to the northwest, they had seen a serpentine spirit beast with two tails fighting a large bird. They did not know the outcome, because they had not dared approach the area where the two spirit beasts were fighting.

The group then took the siblings toward the location they had described.

In the end, they found an injured Thousand Year Two-tailed Black Snake. After killing it, Meng Yiran absorbed it as her spirit ring.

Afterward, the group began their return journey.

Along the way, Mu Yuan casually hunted a hundred-year spirit beast for the siblings, a small act of kindness performed on a whim.

"Benefactor, we will definitely repay you someday!"

The siblings made their solemn promise.

Mu Yuan merely smiled and paid it no mind.

The circumstances of commoner spirit masters in this world were indeed extremely difficult. Had Mu Yuan and the others not been there this time, the siblings would most likely have died in the forest.

Spirit Hall's various policies were actually quite friendly toward commoner spirit masters.

Unfortunately, Pope Bibi Dong was a love-crazed madwoman.

In the end, she had led Spirit Hall straight into the abyss.

A thought crossed Mu Yuan's mind.

Could he establish a faction of his own?

Could he bring some change to this world?

However, he had no experience in founding a faction. It was only a passing thought, and it was still too early to speak of such things.

After returning to Shrek Academy, the several-day spirit beast hunt had left everyone rather exhausted, so they each returned to their dormitories to rest.

The next day, Shrek Academy welcomed a new teacher.

Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang.

He was Tang San's teacher and was well versed in all kinds of Martial Soul knowledge. At Flender's invitation, he had come to Shrek Academy to guide Mu Yuan and the others in their cultivation.

The first change after Grandmaster arrived at the academy was that the cafeteria food improved.

The meals now included meat soup, fulfilling the most basic nutritional requirements instead of being as bland as before.

Of course, that was the extent of it.

There was no possibility of dishes prepared with all manner of Precious Spirit Beast ingredients, which could increase cultivation speed after being consumed.

Given Shrek's circumstances, Grandmaster had done well enough to achieve this much.

After breakfast, everyone arrived at the training grounds.

Grandmaster stood on the training grounds with a stern expression while Flender announced from beside him, "From today onward, Shrek Academy's training plans will be entirely under Grandmaster's authority. All teachers will cooperate unconditionally with Grandmaster's arrangements!"

Everyone was immediately astonished.

They could not help looking toward Grandmaster.

This was their first time meeting Grandmaster. They had heard that he was Tang San's teacher, so his teaching ability was surely not lacking. Still, they had not expected him to take complete control of all training plans the moment he arrived.

Grandmaster's gaze swept over the group. Some were surprised, some respectful, but only Mu Yuan remained calm, as though Grandmaster becoming their training instructor had no effect on him whatsoever.

Before coming here, Grandmaster had heard about Mu Yuan from Flender. He knew that Mu Yuan was the strongest genius among them, and perhaps that was why he had dismissed him so readily.

But in Grandmaster's eyes, Mu Yuan's title as the strongest genius was completely undeserved.

So what if Mu Yuan cultivated quickly? The upper limit of a single Martial Soul could never compare to Twin Martial Souls.

Once Tang San reached Level 90 in the future, his second Martial Soul could be fitted with nine Ten Thousand Year Spirit Rings, or even Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Rings. How could Mu Yuan compare?

Grandmaster secretly decided to put Mu Yuan in his place and let him know the worth of a Martial Soul Grandmaster.

"Mu Yuan, step forward!" Grandmaster ordered.

Mu Yuan glanced at Grandmaster and took a step forward.

Grandmaster said, "I have already learned the characteristics of each of your Martial Souls. Starting today, I will put you through intensive training! Mu Yuan, I know your Soul Power is the highest among them. Do you think that makes you the strongest, and that you no longer need training?"

Sensing the hostility in Grandmaster's words, Mu Yuan frowned slightly.

"Grandmaster, if you have something to say, just say it."

Grandmaster snorted coldly.

"You do not even possess the most basic respect for a teacher. Don't you think you're strong? I heard that you could even contend with Teacher Zhao Wuji, a Soul Sage. Next, I will devise tactics for the others. If you can defeat all of them working together, I can agree not to train you."

Mu Yuan laughed at that.

"Fine, I can agree to that. But I would like to say something first."

Grandmaster asked, "What do you want to say?"

Mu Yuan looked calmly at Grandmaster. Then, the Soul Power around him erupted instantly.

An incomparably immense pressure swept across the entire field.

Flender's expression changed, and he hurriedly looked toward Grandmaster, but it was already too late.

Grandmaster was directly forced flat onto the ground.

Mu Yuan said blandly, "I want to say that you are merely a Soul Grandmaster, while I am a Soul King. According to the rules of the spirit master world, you should take the initiative to salute me. You do not even possess the most basic respect for the strong!"

Pinned to the ground, Grandmaster heard Mu Yuan's words and gritted his teeth as he tried to rise.

Unfortunately, he was completely powerless to do so.

Humiliation. Utter humiliation. He was the publicly recognized Martial Soul Grandmaster of the spirit master world. How dared he...

"Mu Yuan, you've gone too far!" Flender roared as he hurriedly helped Grandmaster up.

Tang San also glared furiously at Mu Yuan.

A teacher for a day was a father for life. Mu Yuan had humiliated his teacher like this; one day, he would surely avenge today's disgrace.

As for how Mu Yuan had previously saved his life, and then saved Xiao Wu's life as well, Tang San had already forgotten all of it.

Forgetting great kindness over minor grievances was simply part of Tang San's nature.

Mu Yuan withdrew the Soul Power suppression, then turned and left.

"Come notify me once you've arranged your tactics."