"My lord, good news! I've found traces of the Black-Eyed Man!" After reporting to Lake of Life, Daming immediately hurried over.
"Oh? What traces?"
The Azure Bull Python King was listening to news about the Black-Eyed Man. It raised its head, its enormous eyes gleaming with interest.
Daming immediately told the Azure Bull Python King what Old San had reported.
"Clear Sky Sect... Clear Sky Sect..."
The Azure Bull Python King thought for a moment, then asked, "Did he say anything about the whereabouts of that Ice Silkworm?"
Daming shook its head.
The Azure Bull Python King was somewhat disappointed. It had thought the Black-Eyed Man might have been searching for the Ice Silkworm. Even if they found him, however, there was no guarantee he could confirm whether the Ice Silkworm was nearby. It would be better to ask the Clear Sky Sect directly.
As for the Clear Sky Sect, it had some influence there, too.
The head of the Upper Three Sects!
The number-one sect under heaven!
Its reputation and strength could easily make the human clans submit, and it had no fear of conflict—but that didn't mean it could afford to provoke them without cause.
Still, the energy of that hundred-thousand-year-old Ice Silkworm was important.
The Azure Bull Python King pondered briefly. "In that case, I'll go there myself."
It ordered its subordinates to investigate the plants around the Clear Sky Sect and gather information. As long as it didn't reveal its identity, there wouldn't be much danger.
After giving Erming instructions to search the Star Dou Great Forest, the Azure Bull Python King took off. On the way, it transformed into a handsome young man with blue hair.
After seeing the Azure Bull Python King off, Daming and Erming could no longer hide their joy. It looked as though they wouldn't need to keep searching for the Ice Silkworm.
Before the Azure Bull Python King left, it gave Erming no further instructions.
First, it dove into the Lake of Life for a bath. Once it had washed and felt refreshed, it stretched out on the lakeshore and enjoyed a wonderful, leisurely moment.
The moment the Azure Bull Python King had left, Erming went off as well.
It was finally a day when Erming could do as it pleased...
A few days later, Luo Mo and the others finally made their way back to the academy.
"It feels good to be back after so long."
Luo Mo felt the same way. The Star Dou Great Forest had been beautiful, but after spending so many days there, he was starting to miss the academy.
As soon as they returned, the master teacher took Wang to the office for a quiet talk.
"Wang, Luo Mo, and the others have all reached the age when they should be graduating. I'm planning to recommend them to the academy. I wonder if the dean has any particular requirements?"
He asked sincerely, afraid that the dean might be displeased, so he had sought out Luo Mo to ask first.
Luo Mo patted him on the shoulder. "The dean won't mind you recommending them, but when you do, be sure to mention the dean's name. It'll bring the dean more prestige."
"Understood." The master teacher nodded hurriedly.
After speaking with the master teacher, Luo Mo caught up with Xiao Wu and the others, and they headed toward the dormitories together.
Just as the four of them reached the dormitory building, they saw a tall, older student approaching. When he noticed Luo Mo, he stopped and addressed him.
"Go to the back of the mountain, you little punk. That Old San is making trouble again!"
Tang San said nothing. He simply turned and walked away.
Though he and Wang hadn't known each other long, he knew Wang well enough. Besides, he was a laborer himself—he wouldn't just stand by and do nothing.
After apologizing to the old man, Tang San took off running toward the hill behind the academy.
Luo Mo and Xiao Wu were curious, too, and followed him.
The so-called hill behind the academy wasn't on the academy grounds. It was a small hill beyond the back gate.
The three of them crossed the hill and saw a small grove of trees, with a crowd of students gathered around it. In the middle, a group of students from the seventh dormitory were being beaten up by an older student.
A crowd had gathered nearby to watch.
"Stop!"
Tang San strode into the middle of the crowd and called out loudly.
The crowd parted. A young man in the academy uniform, with an arrogant and contemptuous look on his face, turned to Tang San.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Don't you know who I am? Even if I walk sideways through this whole city, no one would dare stop me! I don't need to hide out at this academy."
"My name is Tang San. I'm the leader of the seventh dormitory."
"Wang, you really are getting worse with age. You can't even beat a little kid anymore?" The older student picked up Wang, who was sprawled on the ground, and mocked him.
As the school bully, the older student was no pushover. Although Tang San looked young, he had beaten Wang and become the new leader of the seventh dormitory. He must have had a few tricks up his sleeve.
"So, you're Tang San. You've come out here to challenge me and avenge Wang?" The older student said it as though he were making fun of him.
Tang San shook his head. "Let him go. I'll fight you in his place. If I win, you'll wash my clothes for me. If I lose, promise that you won't come looking for trouble with the students here again."
"Oh?"
The older student was taken aback. Was this kid that confident?
"Do you mean to say that you want to fight me alone, with everyone watching, or that you want all of us to fight you together?"
Wang and the other laborer students listened, their mouths agape.
What kind of arrogant nonsense was this?
"I'm in a hurry. You can all come at me together." Tang San's bold words were astonishing. He was actually planning to take on the older student and all his followers by himself.
Luo Mo's mouth twitched.
Was Old San always this capable of provoking people?
Still, with me here, you can't possibly let the kid suffer, can you?
"Hah! Little beanpole, you've got guts. Fine, I'll do as you say."
The older student waved his hand. His underlings immediately understood, and they swarmed toward Tang San, quickly surrounding him. A few of them pressed down on his shoulders and arms, while the rest stood around the older student, watching the show.
"Third Brother, we'll help you!"
Wang, bruised and swollen, struggled up and rushed toward the older student, ready to call the rest of the laborer students over to help Tang San.
Tang San raised a hand to stop him.
"No need. I can handle them myself."
The older student stepped to the front, releasing his martial spirit and soul rings first.
"I'm Tang Yuwen. Sixth-grade soul master. My martial spirit is a lone wolf, with eleven soul power ranks."
He let out a long howl. A wolf's shadow appeared behind him, and yellow light burst from his body. His muscles swelled, his fingers grew into claws, and a circle of white soul power rose from beneath his feet.
The older student's underlings also released their martial spirits, transforming into soul masters.
"Tang San, first-grade soul master. My martial spirit is the Immortal Herb, with eleven soul power ranks."
"Hahahaha..."
When the older student and his underlings heard that Tang San's martial spirit was an Immortal Herb, they burst out laughing. The arrogance and scorn on their faces vanished.
The Immortal Herb was a useless martial spirit—one of the worst in the whole continent.
But as the laughter died down, the older student suddenly remembered the soul rings Tang San had just released. His expression changed.
"Did you just say you have eleven soul rings?"
Tang San said nothing. He released his Immortal Herb martial spirit, and at the same time, a pale-yellow soul ring rose from beneath him.
The color was faint, so it looked like a hundred-year soul ring.
The crowd laughed again at the sight of Tang San's pitiful martial spirit. But now, feeling the burning pain on his face, he wondered if he could even still be called a soul master.
"A hundred-year soul ring!" Tang Yuwen and the others gasped.
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