Zhao Wuji smiled wryly. As expected, they had still asked about it.
"It really happened suddenly. We'd already killed the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent ahead of time. Otherwise, why would we have fought your granddaughter for its Spirit Ring?"
"The Man Faced Demon Spider you mentioned just now must be the Soul Beast you'd already found."
"The Man Faced Demon Spider is definitely more powerful than the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent. It would be an improvement for your granddaughter."
"How about we help you look for it?"
For Zhao Wuji, this was about as humble as it got. When had the Immovable Bright King ever bowed and scraped like this?
Meng Shu gave a slight nod, accepting his offer.
"Then go look. Once you find it, make some noise, and I'll find you."
Zhao Wuji cupped his fists in salute. "Then we'll go look for that Man Faced Demon Spider now. As soon as we find it, we'll make some noise to let you know."
Then Zhao Wuji chose a direction and quickly led the others away.
"Teacher Zhao, where should we look for that Man Faced Demon Spider?"
Ma Hongjun walked along, looking around. "I don't see any sign of one around here."
"You idiot." Zhao Wuji smacked him on the back of the head.
"Look for the Man Faced Demon Spider? Yeah, right. We finally got a chance to escape. Why wouldn't we take it? Were we supposed to stick around and get beaten up?"
"I was just saving face for him."
Though Zhao Wuji knew perfectly well what was going on, he still hurried toward the outskirts of the forest.
Meanwhile, Meng Yiran watched the direction Zhao Wuji and the others had gone. "Grandpa, do you think they can really find a Man Faced Demon Spider?"
"Maybe."
Meng Shu patted Meng Yiran's head. He knew perfectly well that they wouldn't look for one.
Everything they'd just said had been mere appearances. They'd only been trying to save face.
The fact that their Soul Beast had been taken was undeniable, and their opponent was a Soul Saint. It was better to make an ally than an enemy.
The group didn't stop, hurrying toward the edge of Star Dou Forest as fast as they could.
Whenever they got tired, they ate Oscar's Recovery Sausages to replenish their strength. Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun also supported him as they walked, while Ye Lin and Xiao Wu helped Ning Rongrong a little, so the two of them could keep up with the group.
Finally, the next day, they left Star Dou Forest and reached a small town on its outskirts.
Zhao Wuji let out a long breath, feeling a wave of relief.
At least there were plenty of people here. It was much safer.
Looking back, they'd gained quite a lot from this trip into Star Dou Forest. Oscar and Xiao Wu had both obtained their third Spirit Rings, while Ye Lin had obtained her second.
The group had also become much more coordinated, and many of their disagreements had been resolved.
Except for Tang San.
After resting for about a day in the town, they set off again for Shrek Academy.
"We're finally back!"
Oscar sighed. There was nothing like the relief of returning home.
"All right, everyone, go get some rest,"
Zhao Wuji said, waving a hand. "I'm going to report to the dean about our trip."
He quickly went to the dean's office and told Flender about what had happened. Flender's expression changed several times, and only after hearing that everyone had returned safely did he finally let out a long breath.
"We were a little careless this time."
"Next time, we should all go together and bring every teacher at the academy. We need to be fully prepared."
Zhao Wuji smiled wryly. "Who could've known a Titan Giant Ape would show up on the outskirts of Star Dou Forest, and that there'd be a Soul Douluo there too?"
Flender thought it over. "Based on what you've told me, those two must be the Dragon and Snake Duo. It's a good thing we didn't fight them. They have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and only a Titled Douluo could withstand it."
"If anything had happened, we wouldn't have been able to answer to that person—or to these children's families."
Meanwhile, a one-armed man slowly walked through the gates of Shrek Academy.
"I wonder what Tang San's accomplished at the academy. With his talent, he must have come out on top."
The one-armed man was Yu Xiaogang.
He'd been delayed by something and hadn't accompanied Tang San to Shrek Academy, but he hadn't been worried.
With Tang San's talent, getting into Shrek Academy would have been a breeze.
He'd also given Tang San a letter to deliver to Flender once he arrived at the academy.
The letter explained that Tang San was his adopted son and the disciple who would carry on his legacy.
Though he hadn't explicitly asked Flender to look after Tang San, Flender would surely give him some consideration.
After asking around the academy, Yu Xiaogang quickly found the dean's office.
Yu Xiaogang was about to knock when he heard a voice inside.
"About Tang San..."
Yu Xiaogang interrupted from outside the room.
"What happened to Tang San?"
Zhao Wuji and Flender were immediately startled.
"Who's that? That voice doesn't sound like anyone from the academy."
Flender opened the door with a smile. "An old friend has arrived."
"Xiaogang, long time no see."
He looked Yu Xiaogang over, then noticed that his right arm was gone.
"Xiaogang, your right arm..."
Yu Xiaogang shook his head, unwilling to bring up that painful past.
"Let's not talk about that."
"I heard you mention Tang San just now."
"What happened to him?"
"Was his talent so outstanding that it shocked you?"
As he said this, Yu Xiaogang's head lifted slightly, his pride unmistakable. Tang San was his disciple, after all.
Flender and Zhao Wuji were stunned. How could he say something like that?
Blue Silver Grass, and outstanding talent?
Flender slowly stepped forward. "Xiaogang, you might be overestimating things."
"Tang San's talent might be rare elsewhere, but here, he's at the bottom of the class."
Yu Xiaogang exclaimed, "What?"
"Impossible!"
"Absolutely impossible!"
He gestured with his only remaining left hand. "I know some people are more talented than Tang San, but he absolutely can't be at the bottom."
Two people came to mind.
The first was Ye Lin. The other was Xiao Wu.
They were both potential disciples of his.
He admitted that they were stronger than Tang San. After all, they both had Innate Full Soul Power, and their Martial Souls were powerful.
But that was only temporary. Once Tang San reached level fifty and began adding Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings to the Clear Sky Hammer,
Tang San would become the strongest person in the world.
That was the advantage of Twin Martial Souls—an unrivaled advantage.
"You don't believe me?"
Flender helplessly picked up a freshly written sheet from the table and handed it to Yu Xiaogang.
It listed the strengths of the eight students, which he'd compiled after Zhao Wuji's report.
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