Flender Arrives, Tang Hao Makes His Move

Lin Xuan rode his swift horse, its hooves flying and dust billowing, galloping rapidly towards Nuoding City, his heart filled with longing for home.

Horses on the Douluo Continent are inherently more enduranced than ordinary horses, and now that Lin Xuan has mastered the method of nourishing horses' bodies with Soul Power, they can travel day and night.

He harbored a pent-up resentment that had been building up for six years, and now he only hoped to arrive in Nuoding City as soon as possible to settle his grudges with Tang Hao, Yu Xiaogang, and Flender.

While Lin Xuan was traveling at full speed, inside the Shrek Academy in Suotuo City, Flender was holding a letter from Yu Xiaogang, his face solemn and anxious.

The letter contained only a few words, yet they were enough to shake him to his core— Yu Xiaogang had found a way to Martial Soul Evolution and needed his immediate assistance in Nuoding City.

Without the slightest hesitation, Flender immediately activated his Martial Soul Avatar. The enormous figure of the Four-Eyed Cat Owl soared into the sky, its wings flapping as it cut through the air and sped towards Nuoding City.

It would normally take Soul Saint at least three days to travel from Suotuo City to Nuoding City, but because he was eager to help Yu Xiaogang complete his Martial Soul Evolution, he maintained his Martial Soul Avatar throughout the journey and appeared above Nuoding Academy in just one day.

Tang Hao, hidden in the shadows of the Nuoding Academy, merely glanced at Flender after sensing his presence.

Once he realized that the other party only had the cultivation level of Soul Saint, he stopped paying too much attention to them.

Unless they are experts at the Soul Douluo level or higher, they are not enough to threaten Xiao Wu's safety, let alone take her away from under their noses.

In the courtyard of the Nuoding Academy, Yu Xiaogang was already waiting. Flender put away his Martial Soul and landed in front of him. Looking at the wrinkles at the corners of his old friend's eyes, he sighed with emotion, "Xiao Gang, time waits for no one. So many years have passed in the blink of an eye, and we've both grown old."

Yu Xiaogang sighed, his expression complicated. "Yes, I never thought I'd have the chance to trouble you again."

"Let's skip the pleasantries!"

Flender, unable to contain his eagerness, quickly pressed for more information.

"You really found the method for Martial Soul Evolution, as you mentioned in your letter?"

Yu Xiaogang nodded, then shook his head, his face full of undisguised regret.

"We did find him, but... he got away."

"They ran away?"

Flender frowned, his face full of doubt.

"What kind of thing can run? Could it be a rare Soul Beast of extremely high age?"

In his understanding, the only thing that can help Martial Soul Evolution and can be described as "running" is a powerful Soul Beast.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Yu Xiaogang's face as he hesitated before explaining:

"It's not Soul Beast, it's a boy named Lin Xuan."

He possesses extremely pure Dragon Race Bloodline within him. I originally intended to... take his blood and let Luo Sanpao drink it, perhaps it could help him complete his Martial Soul Evolution."

Flender was completely stunned, and it took him a long time to come to his senses.

"A child? Does he have some illustrious background? Otherwise, with your abilities, would you need to specifically call me here?"

In his view, Yu Xiaogang, though a somewhat useless Soul Grandmaster, could easily take down a mere brat.

There's no background information.

Yu Xiaogang's embarrassment deepened.

"But this kid, relying on his body tempered by the Dragon Race Bloodline, has astonishing strength. He managed to suppress both Tang San and me with his physical strength alone. We couldn't stop him at all."

Upon hearing this, Flender was utterly speechless.

Two Soul Grandmaster were actually "outmatched" by a child?

This sounds like a complete fantasy.

But Yu Xiaogang never lies, which makes him value Lin Xuan even more.

The fact that this kid can suppress two Soul Grandmaster with his physical strength suggests that the purity of the Dragon Blood within him is far beyond imagination.

No wonder Yu Xiaogang was so certain that his blood could help Luo Sanpao evolve.

As for drinking human blood, Flender didn't care at all. He was never one to follow the rules; the fact that he accepted a disciple like Ma Hongjun and uttered the saying "I only accept monsters" was enough to explain his style.

As long as it helps Yu Xiaogang complete his Martial Soul Evolution, this "trivial matter" is not worth mentioning at all.

"There's no time to lose, I'll go find it now!"

Flender took Lin Xuan's portrait from Yu Xiaogang, activated his Soul Power once more, and instantly unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar.

With a flap of its wings, the enormous Four-Eyed Cat Owl soared into the sky, its sharp cry echoing throughout the Nuoding Academy. Startled, the students screamed and ran out of their dormitories, looking up at the rare true form of this Soul Beast.

It had been almost a month since Lin Xuan fled, Flender knew that if he waited any longer, he might really lose all trace of him.

Even if the hope is slim, he wants to try one more time.

Dorm Seven, Xiao Wu was meditating cross-legged when she heard the eagle's cry. She suddenly opened her eyes, and a fierce hatred instantly ignited in them.

They arrived as expected! And a few days earlier than she anticipated. If Lin Xuan hadn't run fast, he would probably have already been captured by Yu Xiaogang and Flender to have his blood and marrow extracted.

The thought of Lin Xuan being forced to leave his hometown reignited Xiao Wu's burning desire for power. She immediately closed her eyes, focused all her Soul Power on cultivation, and immersed herself in training.

Flender maintained his Martial Soul Avatar, circling and searching above Nuoding City. The Four-Eyed Cat Owl's eyesight was top-notch, able to clearly detect any movement within dozens of miles.

He flew in circles, turning the forty-mile radius around Nuoding City upside down, but he couldn't find even the slightest trace of Lin Xuan.

After all, a month has passed, and even the most obvious traces have long been washed away by the wind and rain.

Only after his Soul Power was exhausted did Flender awkwardly retract his Martial Soul and stumble back to the Nuoding Academy.

Yu Xiaogang hurriedly stepped forward, and although he had already prepared for the worst, he couldn't help but ask with a glimmer of hope:

"So, Flender? Any leads?"

Flender shook his head, his tone grave:

"Didn't find him. That kid escaped too easily, and I received the letter too late; I didn't find a single trace. Now we can only try expanding the search area, but it's best not to get our hopes up too high."

Yu Xiaogang looked dejected and could only tell Flender to go back to his room to rest and continue the search the next day.

For the next three days, Flender lived like a "cow" – as soon as his Soul Power recovered, he would immediately soar into the sky and expand the search area.

Having exhausted his Soul Power, he returned to the academy to rest.

His search area expanded from the initial forty li to more than two hundred li, and he even flew over several surrounding cities, but still found nothing.

Every time Flender took off, Xiao Wu was terrified, fearing that any clues left by Lin Xuan would be discovered.

Three days passed, and Flender had lost weight, looked exhausted, and was covered in dust, yet he still hadn't made any progress.

This actually relaxed Xiao Wu, proving that Lin Xuan had run far enough and there was no need to worry about being caught by Flender.

Yu Xiaogang's feelings went from initial excitement to anticipation, and then to utter despair.

He believed that Flender wouldn't lie to him, so the only possibility was that Lin Xuan had really left Nuoding City completely, and had gone very, very far away.

Without a clear direction, finding someone is harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

Once Lin Xuan enters any major city, they will be unable to find him again.

"Bang!"

Yu Xiaogang slammed his fist on the table, his face extremely grim.

The feeling of gaining hope only to lose it instantly is the most agonizing.

He gritted his teeth inwardly, hoping the man wouldn't find out who had secretly leaked the plan, or he would tear that person to pieces!

Flender sighed, saying helplessly.

"I've done my best. In a month, if he tries to escape at all costs, he might even make it beyond the borders of the Heaven Dou Empire. Finding him now is extremely difficult."

Now that things have come to this, they have no choice but to accept this reality.

Seeing the atmosphere growing increasingly somber, Flender quickly changed the subject and looked at Yu Xiaogang.

"Xiao Gang, come back to Shrek with me!"

Although the faculty there can't compare to those of the established academies, they can definitely provide Tang San with a better environment for growth.

Yu Xiaogang shook his head and refused:

"No, Xiao San hasn't fully matured yet. I plan to let him go to Shrek when he's twelve."

Besides... I want to wait a little longer, in case Lin Xuan comes back."

He had heard in the past few days that Flender had taken in a disciple named Ma Hongjun, Soul Power Level was actually comparable to Tang San's.

This left him feeling very uneasy.

How could he, a disciple of Master Yu Xiaogang, be inferior to Flender's disciple?

Therefore, he planned to let Tang San settle down for a while, at least to create a two-level gap between him and Ma Hongjun, which would be in line with his status.

Of course, he had another plan in mind.

He remembered that Xiao Wu and Lin Xuan had a very good relationship, and if Lin Xuan were to return in the future, it would most likely be for Xiao Wu's sake.

Then, we can use Xiao Wu as leverage to force Lin Xuan to comply.

Thinking of this, Yu Xiaogang looked at Flender and added:

"By the way, there's a girl named Xiao Wu in dormitory number seven for Work-Study Student at the Nuoding Academy. You could keep an eye on her."

Like the Xiao San, she was nine years old and also Soul Grandmaster, possessing unparalleled talent.

If you're interested, you can bring her back to Shrek with you."

His tone was nonchalant, as if Xiao Wu were merely a commodity to be used at will.

Flender's eyes lit up.

A nine-year-old Soul Grandmaster?

This is an absolute monster, it deserves to be in Shrek!

Such a promising talent is a complete waste to keep at the Nuoding Academy.

He immediately disregarded his exhaustion and headed straight for Dorm Seven, intending to bring Xiao Wu back to Shrek.

But just as he reached the entrance of Dorm Seven, a tall figure appeared silently behind him, and a powerful sense of oppression instantly enveloped his entire body.

"Who goes there!"

Flender's heart tightened. He was about to turn around and retaliate when the other man grabbed his collar and vanished from the spot in an instant.

In the dense forest Nuoding City, Tang Hao pinned Flender to the ground, his fists raining down on him.

Without using Soul Power, relying solely on physical strength, he shattered Flender's bones, causing him to bleed profusely and spit out mouthfuls of blood continuously.

"Get lost! Don't meddle in things you shouldn't be coveting!"

Tang Hao cursed angrily and threw Flender, who was like a tattered sack, out.

He didn't have much affection for Tang San and Xiao Wu, but he would never allow anyone to take them out of his sight, and he wouldn't allow outsiders to covet them.

If it weren't for the fact that Flender might become Tang San's future dean, he wouldn't have held back at all; Flender wouldn't even have been able to leave Nuoding City.

This is also why Lin Xuan dared to leave Xiao Wu alone in Nuoding City.

As long as Tang Hao doesn't make up his mind to attack Xiao Wu, her safety is absolute.

Even if the entire Shrek Academy were to mobilize, let alone Flender, it would be futile.

Flender was beaten black and blue, covered in injuries, and was filled with regret, inwardly cursing Yu Xiaogang for being unreliable.

They didn't even mention that the little girl had such a powerful protector behind her!

It only now came to his senses that such a gifted child was left undisturbed in a small place like Nuoding City, which was itself full of suspicious points.

It's all his fault for being blinded by the word "monster" and forgetting his limits.

He dared not utter a single complaint, struggled to his feet, and scrambled towards the city gates without looking back.

Before leaving, he hoarsely cried out, "Thank you for sparing my Senior, senior!"

This is the survival rule of the Douluo Continent —the strong prey on the weak. He came all this way with great enthusiasm, but not only did he fail to find Lin Xuan, and fail to take Xiao Wu and Yu Xiaogang away, he also got a severe beating. It was a complete loss.

In the end, he didn't even know who had hit him.