On the other side of the forest.
Tang San anxiously waited for Tang Hao to return.
The other Shrek companions stayed by his side as well.
It was just that each of them had different thoughts on their minds.
Zhu Zhuqing was pondering Lu Jiang's true identity, wondering whether someone with such talent might be the young master of some hidden major power.
If he came into conflict with Tang Hao, would something happen?
Dai Mubai, meanwhile, was worried about Tang San's injuries and Xiao Wu's safety.
Ma Hongjun only wanted to know what they would be having for dinner tonight.
Oscar was worried about Ning Rongrong, unsure whether she would encounter danger if she returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect now.
In short, everyone had their own concerns.
After waiting for a long time, a tall figure finally appeared at the end of the distant path.
The moment Tang San saw him, he hurriedly climbed up from the ground and ran toward him.
However, when he was nearly at Tang Hao's side, he sensed that something was wrong.
Tang Hao had returned alone. There was no sign of Xiao Wu.
Moreover, Tang Hao looked utterly dejected, and several bleeding wounds could faintly be seen on his body.
Tang San walked up to Tang Hao and asked in a trembling voice:
"Father, where is Xiao Wu? Why didn't Xiao Wu come back?"
At the very first moment father and son met, Tang San did not notice that Tang Hao was severely injured. Instead, he immediately asked about Xiao Wu's whereabouts.
Zhu Zhuqing, who had followed close behind, was the first to notice Tang Hao's injuries.
She then said with an incredulous expression:
"His Excellency Haotian, your injuries..."
"I'm asking you, where's my Xiao Wu?"
Before Zhu Zhuqing could finish, Tang San began shouting beside her.
He even grabbed Tang Hao's clothes.
"Xiao Wu, she..."
Tang Hao was just about to tell Tang San what had happened to Xiao Wu.
But when he saw the look in Tang San's eyes, which were on the verge of collapse...
He knew he could not provoke him any further at a time like this.
Otherwise, Tang San really would completely break down.
Thus, after hesitating for a while, Tang Hao said to Tang San:
"Little San, don't worry. Xiao Wu is fine. She was merely taken away by that person."
Tang San stared at Tang Hao in disbelief and resentfully said:
"Aren't you a Titled Douluo?"
"You were able to protect Mother from so many Titled Douluo in Spirit Hall back then, so why can't you save Xiao Wu now??"
Tang San crazily clutched Tang Hao's clothes and shouted.
Slap!
At that moment, a crisp slap rang out.
Tang Hao silently struck Tang San across the face.
That slap completely woke Tang San up, making him realize how badly he had lost control just now.
"I'm sorry, Father. I was too emotional just now."
Tang San lowered his head and said this while forcefully enduring the pain of losing Xiao Wu.
Tang Hao sighed, then looked at Tang San with a sorrowful expression.
"When I rescued your mother from Spirit Hall back then, I relied on my own strength."
"If you're a man, then stop bawling your eyes out here."
"Work hard to improve your strength and take Xiao Wu back with your own hands. That's what you should be doing."
Tang Hao's words ignited Tang San's fighting spirit. He clenched his fists tightly.
His fierce gaze fixed upon the ground.
"I will definitely bring Xiao Wu back!"
"No matter what it takes."
Tang San had already made up his mind. Even if he had to exhaust his future potential, he would forcefully raise his strength.
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing curiously asked Tang Hao:
"But, His Excellency Haotian, aren't you a Titled Douluo? And a disciple of the legendary number one sect in the world."
"What kind of person could injure you so badly and take Xiao Wu away right under your nose?"
"And what was their purpose in taking Xiao Wu?"
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing, the calmest among them, had already seen through the crux of the matter.
So she voiced her doubts to Tang Hao.
Tang Hao sighed, then lowered his head and said:
"One of them was incredibly powerful. Even I was no match for her."
"That ultimate sword intent forced me to sacrifice my martial soul to resist it."
When Tang Hao finished speaking, everyone stared at him in shock.
What kind of expert could force even a Titled Douluo from the number one sect in the world to sacrifice his martial soul just to survive?
One had to know that Titled Douluo were the world's foremost combat power.
Every Titled Douluo was a strategic resource to a nation.
On the battlefield, a single Titled Douluo could turn the tide of battle.
They could stand against an entire nation with their own strength.
Yet even such a powerhouse could be reduced to such a miserable state.
Who exactly was that person?
Zhu Zhuqing first thought of Firefly, but they had never seen Firefly use a weapon from the very beginning.
As for Sparkle, she did not seem like someone who used blades or swords either.
In fact, they had never even seen Sparkle make a move.
Could there be an existence behind Lu Jiang who was even stronger than a Titled Douluo?
Zhu Zhuqing became even more curious about Lu Jiang's background.
She still had no idea just how formidable Lu Jiang's backing truly was.
"Conservatively speaking, that person should possess the strength of a Limit Douluo."
Tang Hao suddenly said this.
"Limit... Douluo?"
Everyone from Shrek looked at Tang Hao in shock, repeating the term he had just spoken.
This was an entirely new realm that they had never heard of before.
Could there really be an existence in this world stronger than a Titled Douluo?
Lu Jiang slowly opened his eyes.
The moment he did, he saw the faces of Firefly, Acheron, and Sparkle.
The three of them had their heads pressed together, all staring wide-eyed at his face.
When Firefly saw Lu Jiang wake up, she immediately pounced on him and hugged him tightly.
"That's wonderful, Trailblazer. It's so wonderful that you're okay."
Acheron also let out a sigh of relief when she saw Lu Jiang wake up.
Sparkle, on the other hand, looked disappointed when she saw him awaken.
They had come to this world by attaching themselves to Lu Jiang's martial soul. She had originally wanted to see where they would go if Lu Jiang died.
It seemed she could only wait for next time.
Lu Jiang had just awakened from unconsciousness, and his body was still weak. On top of that, Firefly was truly quite strong.
She nearly squeezed the breath out of him again.
"Firefly... I can't... breathe."
Lu Jiang gently patted Firefly on the shoulder, telling her that he was fine.
Only then did Firefly wipe away her tears, move away from Lu Jiang, and kneel on the ground beside him.
Lu Jiang slowly sat up from the stone. Thinking back to what had just happened, he still felt lingering fear.
He had not expected that draining all of his Soul Power would only allow Acheron to unleash a single slash.
It seemed that he would have to be more careful in the future when facing enemies at the level of Titled Douluo.
If he could avoid fighting them head-on, then he would avoid it.
Otherwise, next time, he might really die.
"Right, where's Qian Renxue?"
Lu Jiang asked Firefly curiously.
Firefly looked to one side. Following her gaze, he saw Qian Renxue sitting on a nearby stone with her back to him.
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