Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing absorbed the Soul Power Oscar couldn't absorb and broke through to level 30 as well.
It really was a double blessing.
Lan Minghua didn't want to go Soul Hunting for every single disciple. It was a massive hassle.
"Master, I did it!"
Oscar had nearly been overwhelmed by the Soul Ring's power several times, but he'd held on through sheer determination and Lan Minghua's help.
Lan Minghua asked curiously, "Oscar, what's your third Soul Skill?"
Oscar wasn't embarrassed in the slightest. He cheerfully recited the incantation: "I've got a Swift Intestine!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a sausage bearing the image of a Sharp-Tailed Swift appeared in his palm.
"Teacher, my third Soul Skill is incredible. Anyone who eats this sausage can fly as fast as a thousand-year Sharp-Tailed Swift for ten minutes."
Ten minutes of flight—and at the speed of a Sharp-Tailed Swift, no less.
That speed was probably already faster than a level-60 Agility Attack Type Soul Emperor.
The head of the Speed Clan, Bai He, had a Sharp-Tailed Swift as his Martial Soul.
And Bai He was hailed as the fastest person on the Douluo Continent.
That showed just how absurdly fast a Sharp-Tailed Swift could fly.
Lan Minghua was very pleased with Oscar's third Soul Skill. At the very least, he had another way to save his own skin now.
"Okay. I'd planned to give you both something after you absorbed your third Soul Rings. But Zhuqing's reached level 30 too, so let's get her a Soul Ring first."
Lan Minghua led Oscar and the others back. They'd already been out for nearly half a day.
As soon as they returned to where Zhao Wuji and the others were, they heard Tang San exclaim.
"Xiao Wu, thank goodness you're okay!"
At that, Lan Minghua's lips curled with amusement.
"How interesting. I wonder what she'll look like when she finds out Tang San urged me to kill the Titan Giant Ape!"
"Xiao Wu, thank goodness you're okay!"
Dai Mubai and the others hurried over to look Xiao Wu over, afraid she might be injured.
Seeing her safe and sound, Zhao Wuji finally let out a breath of relief.
"So Huazi really wasn't lying to me. Xiao Wu really did make it back alive from the Titan Giant Ape."
Tang San rushed forward, ignoring any distinction between men and women, and hugged Xiao Wu.
"Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu, I'm so glad you're okay!"
Xiao Wu didn't reject him either. Her feelings for Tang San weren't merely those of a brother and sister.
Then she remembered: why had everyone from Shrek guessed she'd return safely?
"Everyone, how did you know I'd make it back safely?"
Xiao Wu was confused. Lots of people knew how powerful the Titan Giant Ape was, so she couldn't understand why they'd expected her to return safely.
Tang San looked embarrassed. He'd thought Lan Minghua was lying to him.
Nobody answered, which only made Xiao Wu more confused.
Zhao Wuji stepped forward and explained, "Huazi said you'd be fine while we were in the Star Dou Great Forest."
"So you all just took his word for it?"
Xiao Wu was stunned. She hadn't expected her survival to rest entirely on Lan Minghua's say-so.
Lan Minghua wasn't there, and Tang San's face took on a smug look.
"How could that be? It was because I used reverse psychology and provoked him into killing the Titan Giant Ape. Otherwise, I wouldn't have believed a word he said. Besides, I would've gone looking for you, no matter how dangerous it was."
Tang San hadn't actually forgotten to go look for Xiao Wu. His legs had simply gone weak, and he couldn't move.
Lan Minghua's strength had shocked him so badly that he'd completely forgotten Xiao Wu was still in danger.
And he wasn't stupid. Going into the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest alone to look for Xiao Wu would have been no different from throwing his life away.
Since Lan Minghua said Xiao Wu was safe, Tang San had no choice but to go along with it.
Now that Xiao Wu had returned safe and sound, he naturally needed an excuse for not having gone to look for her.
Xiao Wu froze, her eyes vacant, as if she'd heard something unbelievable.
"T-The Titan Giant Ape... is dead?"
"Yeah, it's dead." Tang San eagerly pointed at the heap of bloody pulp nearby. "That's its corpse. I played a big part in its death."
Xiao Wu followed his finger. A mangled heap of flesh lay on the ground, about as pulverized as it could get.
She'd wondered why the smell here seemed familiar the moment she returned. She hadn't expected the source of that familiar smell to be the Titan Giant Ape's corpse.
"S-Second Brother?!"
"Second Brother? Who's that?" Tang San noticed the fear on Xiao Wu's face and tried to reassure her. "Don't be scared, Xiao Wu. The culprit who took you away is already dead."
Tang San sounded so certain that anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was the one who'd killed the Titan Giant Ape.
But Xiao Wu hadn't heard a word he said. Her eyes were fixed on the heap of flesh.
S-Second Brother was dead?!
Xiao San had someone... kill Second Brother?!
No. That couldn't be possible.
Right, Second Brother's death had nothing to do with Xiao San. This was all Lan Minghua's fault.
He must have killed Second Brother on purpose!
Hatred surged in the depths of Xiao Wu's eyes. She placed all the blame for the Titan Giant Ape's death on Lan Minghua.
Because, in her mind, even if you set the facts aside, Lan Minghua was the real culprit.
Just then, Lan Minghua returned with Oscar and the others, and happened to hear what Tang San had just said.
As he watched Xiao Wu's expression, Lan Minghua greeted Zhao Wuji.
"Old Zhao, see? I wasn't lying to you. You didn't believe me, so you owe me a drink when we get back!"
"Definitely, definitely. We'll drink till we drop!" Zhao Wuji hadn't expected he'd been judging a gentleman by his own mean standards.
How could a dignified Titled Douluo possibly harm a twelve-year-old girl?
Lan Minghua nodded. Getting a free drink was pretty nice, after all.
What he hadn't expected was that Xiao Wu would come to hate him.
That was right—hate.
But Lan Minghua had seen it coming.
"She can forgive Tang San for that, but holds a grudge against me instead. She really is a hopeless romantic."
Lan Minghua gave a wry smile. He'd never underestimated the lovestruck nature of the heroines written by Huang Family's Third Young Master.
So he wasn't surprised.
"Go ahead and hate me. If you dare lay a hand on me or Oscar and the others, I'll claim your Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, whether you succeed or not."
Lan Minghua merely glanced at Xiao Wu and paid her no further attention.
He continued, "Old Zhao, take them back first. I'll take Oscar and the others to get Zhuqing her third Soul Ring."
"Sure. Xiao Ao and the others will be perfectly safe with you."
Zhao Wuji answered and led Tang San and the others out of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Before leaving, Dai Mubai gave Zhu Zhuqing a reluctant look.
He hadn't expected that in the few short days since she'd joined Shrek Academy, Zhu Zhuqing's Soul Power would shoot from level 27 to level 30 like a rocket.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before her Soul Power surpassed his.
Thinking of this, Dai Mubai clenched his fists in frustration.
He'd originally thought Zhu Zhuqing would need his help to change her fate.
But after seeing Lan Minghua's true strength, he realized how laughable that idea had been.
With a master that powerful, did she really need to join forces with him to stand against the Star Luo Empire?
However, Zhu Zhuqing didn't even look at Dai Mubai.
She'd already given up all hope in the fallen Dai Mubai.
She would face her fate alone.
Xiao Wu longed to kill Lan Minghua at once, but knew it was impossible.
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