Shrek Academy had long since exploded into chaos over Tang San's disappearance.
Xiao Wu had practically gone mad!
Her eyes were bloodshot. Like a wounded lioness, she frantically searched every corner of Suotuo City, inside and out, determined to turn the ground upside down.
The blacksmith shop, a place Tang San often visited, had already been searched by her six times!
Just as anxiety burned in her heart and she prepared to rush into the blacksmith shop for the seventh time to demand answers—
Thud!
A dull, strange sound pierced her ears, and pierced straight through her heart!
"Third Brother!"
A blood-connected tremor made her scream. Her figure became a pink blur as she pounced madly toward the back alley.
Tears instantly blurred her vision. She rushed to the struggling figure, her hands trembling violently in midair, too afraid to touch him.
"Third Brother! Third Brother! How are you? Who? Who did this?!" Her voice carried tears and overwhelming hatred.
Hearing that familiar voice, Tang San's tightly wound nerves relaxed slightly. He struggled to raise his head and forced out a smile uglier than crying.
"Xiao... Xiao Wu... don't be afraid... take me... back... find... Teacher..."
Before he could finish, his head tilted to one side, and he fell completely into darkness.
"Third Brother!" Xiao Wu no longer cared about anything else. She scooped up Tang San's cold, heavy body and sprinted toward Shrek Academy with all her strength.
Heaven Dou City, Duanmu Ci Residence, training grounds.
Duanmu Ci's gaze fell upon the silent girl before him.
The light had vanished from Dugu Yan's emerald eyes. Her delicate face was filled with resistance, and the corners of her tightly pressed lips revealed a trace of grievance.
"Since your grandfather handed you over to me," Duanmu Ci said with a hint of amusement, breaking the oppressive silence,
"that means the past must be wiped clean. Don't waste his painstaking efforts." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the girl's stubborn profile. "Come with me."
He turned and headed directly toward the training grounds behind the residence.
Dugu Yan bit her lower lip. After several seconds of silence, she ultimately lifted her foot and followed.
At the edge of the training grounds stood towering ancient trees, their branches and leaves forming a canopy. Beside them lay an artificial lake, its waters shimmering.
Ignoring Dugu Yan's puzzled gaze, Duanmu Ci walked straight toward a massive tree that would require several people to encircle it.
He raised his foot.
He stepped steadily onto the nearly vertical trunk.
One step, two steps, three steps...
As if walking on level ground, his body parallel to the earth, he ignored the pull of gravity and walked directly up to the treetop several zhang high.
"!!!" Dugu Yan's pupils abruptly shrank to pinpoints, her mouth slightly open.
This... how was this possible?
Duanmu Ci's figure drifted lightly back to the ground.
He walked to the lakeside and, under Dugu Yan's utterly horrified gaze, raised his foot and stepped onto the still surface.
Ripples spread outward from the tip of his foot, and he stood steadily atop the water.
"Look carefully," Duanmu Ci's voice came, utterly calm. "Tree Climbing and Water Walking. These are your introductory lessons."
"Introductory? H-how is that possible?" Dugu Yan's voice was dry, as though her entire worldview were collapsing.
Duanmu Ci raised a hand.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough! A fierce blast of wind pressure howled forth.
Wind Release: Thousand Blade Wind! Countless tiny wind blades sliced through the air with piercing shrieks.
Wind Release: Rasenshuriken! A rapidly spinning sphere of Chakra, carrying an aura of destruction, condensed in his palm with an ear-piercing whine.
"W-what?" Dugu Yan was completely speechless. Her mind went blank, and all the resistance and grievance on her face were instantly replaced by extreme shock and disbelief.
What kind of power was this?
Where exactly was she?
Was this... what Grandpa had sent her here to learn?
"This comes later," Duanmu Ci said with a light laugh. "What you'll learn goes far beyond this."
"I... I..."
"Enough. I'll take you to meet the other three. You'll learn from them in the beginning." Duanmu Ci said no more and turned to leave.
"I... I..." Dugu Yan widened her eyes, wanting to say something else, only to realize that he had already walked away. She could only hurry after him.
Quiet room.
After handing Dugu Yan over to Shana and the others, he returned to the cultivation room and sat cross-legged.
Women and pleasure were both less important than strength.
Strength would always come first.
He began quietly taking stock of the opportunities he had obtained and what he still lacked.
At present, he already had the Blue Silver Emperor's Right Leg Bone, Immortal Herbs, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm...
As for Blue Silver Valley, there was Qian Renxue's lead. It was presumably only a matter of time. If that failed, he could simply follow Tang Hao and naturally find out.
The Ice and Snow Two Emperors of the Far North were even more like prizes already in his pocket.
That left the Heaven Dou Empire's supreme treasure, the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, and the critically important Asura Sacred Sword in the City of Slaughter.
These two items were essential to becoming a god, making them his most urgent priorities.
The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud should be in Xue Ye's hands, either carried on his person or hidden somewhere secret.
Where exactly? The details from the original work had already grown vague in his memory.
But to him, this was nothing more than a trivial matter.
On the other side, Dugu Yan's gaze swept over the three people before her, carrying a trace of barely perceptible wariness.
Having lost her parents at a young age, and with her grandfather often absent, she had grown accustomed to living alone. Only after joining the Imperial Dou Team had her personality improved somewhat.
Now that Duanmu Ci had directly left her behind with three strangers, she inevitably revealed her habitual protective mask.
Across from her, Zhu Zhuqing was naturally aloof. At this moment, she merely stared steadily at Dugu Yan.
Xiluo, standing beside Zhu Zhuqing, seemed somewhat at a loss.
His gaze drifted between Dugu Yan and Shana, his face clearly saying, What am I supposed to do?
He could cultivate and fight just fine, but asking him to take the initiative and greet a wary girl was truly beyond him.
Only Shana, the team's "little sun," keenly sensed the subtle atmosphere.
She turned and saw Xiluo's troubled expression. Unable to hold back, she let out a soft snicker, quickly covering her mouth with her hand as her shoulders trembled twice.
Shana took the initiative to step forward. A warm, approachable smile bloomed across her face as she looked at Dugu Yan.
"Hello, I'm Shana. Welcome to our group!"
Then she naturally turned slightly and introduced the others to Dugu Yan.
"This is Zhu Zhuqing. She's rather quiet, but she's an especially good person, and she's incredibly strong.
"The one beside her who's still spacing out is Xiluo. Don't be fooled by how silly he looks right now. When it comes to fighting, he's absolutely reliable. He's our solid support."
Dugu Yan's cold exterior seemed to have been pried open by a tiny crack in the face of Shana's pure enthusiasm.
She might previously have felt wronged and angry, but faced with such overwhelming kindness, the tension and vigilance she felt as a newcomer involuntarily loosened somewhat.
She tried her best to maintain a calm expression, but the tense line of her shoulders visibly softened.
She took a light breath, nodded to the three of them, and said in a voice that still carried a trace of coolness, "Hello. I'm Dugu Yan."
Shana's smile became even brighter. "Don't be so distant. From now on, we'll be good companions cultivating under the same roof!
"Since Brother Mu entrusted you to us, we'll definitely teach you well.
"Come on, follow me first and get familiar with the basics. I guarantee you'll learn them quickly."
Seeing the sincere smile in Shana's eyes, the last trace of discomfort Dugu Yan felt from being in an unfamiliar environment quietly melted away like ice and snow beneath the warm sun.
She looked at Shana and nodded seriously. Her voice was soft, but it clearly conveyed the relief and gratitude of being accepted.
"Thank you!"
Before you continue