I Set the Stage, They Put on the Show, I Watch

"Bang, bang, boom, boom, ah..."

Muffled groans, screams, and the sound of fists striking flesh echoed through the small woods outside Shrek Academy.

They woke Liu Yanyang, who had been resting against a large tree not far away.

"The old one came to avenge them!" Liu Yanyang muttered to himself.

But this was good news to him—Tang Hao was leaving.

As for whether he was going back to accompany "Grass" or smash up the Martial Soul Branch Hall, that was impossible to know.

The corners of his lips curled up slightly. Without Tang Hao following him, he could properly deal with Tang San.

The dawn light was faint.

Watching Ning Rongrong and Oscar running laps, Liu Yanyang yawned.

He headed toward Suotuo City for breakfast. He truly had no interest in buns and porridge. It was not as if he lacked money!

After eating his fill, he returned to his hotel room and fell straight asleep.

When he woke up, dusk was already approaching. After casually grabbing a bite downstairs at the hotel, he headed toward Shrek Academy.

Ning Rongrong sat atop a stone by the gates of Shrek Academy, swinging her fair, tender legs as she wore a thoughtful expression.

Beside her, Oscar occasionally stole glances at Ning Rongrong, his eyes revealing traces of lecherous desire and unwillingness.

Liu Yanyang returned to his familiar tree, leaning against a branch as he watched their expressions and movements.

He was quite curious—if Ning Rongrong and Oscar ended up together, what choice would Ning Fengzhi make? After all, the Immortal Herb was already gone.

The corners of his lips lifted slightly as he shook his head. Time would judge everything.

Night had fallen when Tang San and the others entered his sight.

Seeing Dai Mubai's displeased expression and defeated look, Ning Rongrong's eyes immediately shifted, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curled upward.

"What's with that expression? Don't tell me Zhu Qing shot you down? You call yourself a master of romance, claim you can pass through a sea of flowers without a single petal touching you, yet you can't even handle one little girl!"

Her tone was mocking and her gaze disdainful, displaying the little devil's true nature to the fullest.

"Ning Rongrong, this is Shrek Academy, not your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Don't provoke me. Be careful, or I'll rape you first, then kill you—then rape and kill you again!"

A chill burst from Dai Mubai's eyes, his tone icy.

Ning Rongrong laughed without the slightest fear, even deliberately thrusting out her small chest.

"I'm so scared! Come on! Let me see what you can do to me!"

Dai Mubai's Soul Power then erupted. If Tang San and the others had not stopped him, no one knew whether Dai Mubai would have done something impulsive.

He was quite curious. If it really happened, what would the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Star Luo Empire, two major powers, do?

Feeling somewhat bored, Liu Yanyang left Shrek early and headed toward the Star Dou Great Forest. He had to quickly set up the "stage," or Tang San and the others would have nowhere to "perform."

Three hours later.

At the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, Liu Yanyang descended from the sky. After putting away his Golden Scale Wings, he plunged straight into the Star Dou Great Forest.

The next day, early morning.

After learning that Oscar had broken through to Rank 30, Flender immediately announced that they would head to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a Soul Ring for Oscar.

After seeing Tang San and the others leave to pack their luggage, Flender anxiously looked toward the small path outside the village.

It had already been three days. Could Liu Yanyang have stood him up again? He comforted himself inwardly.

"No, no. Maybe something delayed him!"

At that moment, the Liu Yanyang he had been thinking about was battling a Raging Barbarian Bull that had just entered the ten-thousand-year level.

He slammed his spear directly into the Raging Barbarian Bull's head, knocking it unconscious.

Liu Yanyang grabbed its horns and flew straight toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Night had fallen.

After running all day, the Shrek group finally arrived at Soul Hunting Town.

After choosing a hotel, Tang San and the others booked their rooms and hurried down to the first-floor hall for a meal.

While they waited for their dishes, Liu Yanyang, who had emerged from the Star Dou Great Forest, happened to choose the same hotel as his temporary lodging.

As Liu Yanyang entered wearing a black robe and a white mask, everyone turned their eyes toward him.

Though people came and went through the Star Dou Great Forest, someone dressed so strangely was indeed rare. Only Dai Mubai felt a strange sense of familiarity upon seeing Liu Yanyang.

Liu Yanyang merely glanced at the Shrek group. "You'll have plenty to suffer tomorrow!"

He then walked to an empty table, ordered some dishes, and closed his eyes to rest.

Before long, a middle-aged man led seven youths into the hotel.

"That chick is pretty cute! Boss Dai, they look like they're from Canghui Academy." Ma Hongjun stared at the only girl in the group with his lecherous little eyes, speaking in a sleazy tone.

"They're just some lousy Canghui Academy. What the hell are they acting so smug for?" Dai Mubai said arrogantly.

"There's a good show coming!"

"What good show?"

"Dean Flender once said that a Soul Master who doesn't dare cause trouble isn't a good Soul Master. As the saying goes, those who don't cause trouble are mediocrities!" Oscar said with his head lowered and a grin on his face.

Liu Yanyang, who had finished eating, could not help shaking his head when he heard that.

"When you get slapped to death one day, you'll know just how stupid that saying is."

He then went upstairs to his room to rest.

Not long afterward, the sounds of fighting rang out outside the hotel. Liu Yanyang merely turned over and continued sleeping.

The next day, early morning.

After getting up, Liu Yanyang directly followed behind Tang San and the others into the Star Dou Great Forest.

After advancing for another two hours or so, Liu Yanyang spotted an eight-meter-long snake with a fleshy crest on its head that looked even larger than its head, bright red like blood, and a distinctive fan-shaped tail.

"Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent!"

Now he could confirm the Shrek group's campsite for the night. It would not be too far from here.

He then retreated, summoned his Golden Scale Wings, and flew off in another direction.

After Liu Yanyang left, Tang San and the others encountered Snake Grandma Chao Tianxiang and Meng Yiran after subduing the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.

Night was approaching.

Liu Yanyang dragged the unconscious ten-thousand-year Raging Barbarian Bull and two fifteen-hundred-year Man Faced Demon Spiders to the vicinity of the Shrek group's campsite.

After using branches to lightly conceal their bodies, Liu Yanyang leaped onto a large tree and looked toward Tang San and the others.

Watching them become noticeably closer after hunting the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, chatting and laughing together,

the corners of Liu Yanyang's lips curled up. "Laugh! Keep laughing! Let's see if you can still laugh in a while!"

An hour later, the ground began to tremble faintly. A giant ape as massive as a mountain, its entire body covered in jet-black fur, appeared in Liu Yanyang's sight as towering trees were crushed beneath it.

It was finally here—the Titan Giant Ape!

It appeared before the Shrek group, its star-like eyes looking toward Xiao Wu.

With a roar that shook the heavens, its black fist smashed into the ground, sending the Shrek group flying backward.

The Titan Giant Ape grabbed Xiao Wu and ran straight toward the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"No! Xiao Wu!"

Tang San's eyes turned bloodshot as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He then looked toward Oscar. After obtaining a Flying Mushroom Sausage, he swallowed it and flew toward the direction where the Titan Giant Ape had disappeared.

Watching Tang San vanish into the forest, Liu Yanyang's lips curled up slightly. "The show begins!"