"Bro!"
Xiao Wu couldn't take it anymore either. As a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, how could she not know there was something wrong with Tang San's Blue Silver Grass Soul Ring?
She had reminded Tang San several times before, but he had stubbornly stuck to his guns, believing only that so-called Grandmaster. More than once, he had even nearly fallen out with her over it.
He kept spouting nonsense like, "A teacher for a day is a father for life."
On top of their earlier failed battle plan, Xiao Wu wanted to urge Tang San not to talk back. She could tell Xia Ran was speaking from a teacher's perspective and pointing out some unreasonable things.
"Xiao Wu, you don't believe me either?"
Tang San stared at Xiao Wu with astonishment and anger, as if he had suffered a terrible betrayal.
[ Xiao Wu's aversion to Tang San: 1% ]
[ Host receives 1,000 Gold Soul Coins ]
Hearing the system notification, Xia Ran's heart lifted. He hadn't expected that simply lecturing Tang San a little would complete a system task.
"Too bad the reward is so ordinary."
"System, are Gold Soul Coins the reward every time?"
[ System rewards are determined by task completion. They may even include a self-selected Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone. Please keep up the effort, host. ]
Putting those thoughts aside, Xia Ran addressed everyone in the middle of the field.
"You've passed this assessment!"
Xiao Wu was a little confused.
"Why?"
"Why does there have to be a reason?"
"Your teamwork is clumsy, and you're not skilled at using your Soul Skills. But your Soul Power Levels are high enough. The rest can be trained."
Although everyone was unhappy about Xia Ran's criticism, they were still relieved to have passed the assessment.
Tang San looked at the incense stick on the wooden stake, which hadn't even burned halfway. A wave of humiliation washed over him.
"You said we had to defeat you. Why did you pass us when we didn't even last half an incense stick?"
"Good question. I made the assessment rules. If I say you pass, then you pass."
"No! You have to give me a reasonable explanation. I don't need your charity."
In truth, Xia Ran had already received mental transmissions from several old-timers. He hadn't expected the protagonist group to be this weak. He'd acted too quickly just now, and now things had gotten awkward.
Ning Rongrong had only briefly lost consciousness. Having fallen to the ground, she had just come around and heard the exchange between them.
She was especially annoyed. Xia Ran had hit her so hard, while Tang San kept stubbornly arguing. The noise was getting on her nerves.
"Tang San, if you don't want to enroll, you can challenge Xia Ran on your own. Don't drag us into it."
Now that she had seen Xia Ran's strength, Ning Rongrong finally understood how mysterious Shrek Academy was. All she wanted now was to enroll as soon as possible. She didn't care about all the whys.
"You..."
"What about me? If you hadn't come up with that trash battle plan, I wouldn't have been knocked out right at the start!"
Tang San was left speechless. His face flushed red as he turned to look at Xia Ran.
"Fine. I challenge you one-on-one. Do you dare?"
"If I lose, Xiao Wu and I will leave."
Xiao Wu didn't like the sound of that at all. She, too, acknowledged Xia Ran's strength: a thousand-year second Soul Ring, breaking the conventions of Douluo Continent.
If she could receive his guidance, then she might have a chance to avenge her mother.
Xiao Wu hadn't forgotten why she had taken human form. She was full of hope for the future and wanted to improve her strength as much as possible.
"Bro~ Let it go."
"No. He dared to question our teacher's theory. I'll defend it to the death."
"Stop, stop, stop! You don't need to defend it to the death. Train your Blue Silver Grass however you want. I was just saying it offhand. You don't have to listen to me, so don't get worked up."
"Then apologize to my teacher!"
[ Xiao Wu's aversion to Tang San: 5% ]
[ Host receives a Storage Soul Tool Ring with unlimited storage space ]
Just as he was about to lose his temper, the system's reward arrived.
It was a Storage Soul Tool Ring. Although he wasn't short of money, he still didn't have enough assets to afford one. Now it filled a gap in his collection.
The black ring rested in his hand, and Xia Ran's face lit up with delight. Everyone watching found the sight a little strange.
"Tang San's acting so outrageously. What are you smiling about? Did you laugh because you're angry? Doesn't look like it."
But Tang San, who had been staring at Xia Ran the whole time, felt he was being provoked—and that Xia Ran was even mocking his teacher's theory.
"Xia Ran, you've gone too far!"
Lost in his joy, Xia Ran was a little bewildered. What was Little Scumbag's problem? What had he done to him?
Before he could figure out what was going on, a short iron arrow shot straight toward his forehead.
[ Third Soul Skill: Void ]
The iron arrow passed through Xia Ran's forehead without meeting any resistance and flew into the woods behind him.
If he hadn't reacted quickly, that hit could really have killed him on the spot.
"Bro! What are you doing?"
"Shut up! He dared to insult me and my teacher. He deserves to die!"
Xiao Wu tried to step forward and stop him, but Tang San shoved her to the ground.
"You're asking for death!"
Before Tang San could even load another Sleeve Arrow, Xia Ran turned into a shadow and flashed in front of him.
He seized Tang San by the throat and slammed him against the tree behind him.
"Xia Ran, Third Brother didn't mean it. Don't do this."
Golden light flared in Xia Ran's eyes. He met Xiao Wu's pink gaze, and she fainted on the spot.
"Tang San, give me one reason not to kill you."
Choked in Xia Ran's grip, Tang San hadn't expected his attack to miss. Since coming to this world, he had used Hidden Weapons to kill many people, including Soul Masters of a higher level than himself. He had thought he could kill the man who'd insulted his teacher and then escape. Now, though, he was the one being restrained.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were both frozen by Xia Ran's overwhelming killing intent. They still hadn't recovered and couldn't move.
The only sound in the field was Tang San's labored, struggling breaths.
The immense pressure made Tang San feel as if his neck could be crushed at any moment. Faced with death, he forgot all about his beloved teacher.
"S-sorry..."
"I'll... compensate you..."
After finally forcing a few words through his clenched teeth, Tang San had no strength left to say anything more.
"Compensate me?"
Seeing this, Xia Ran eased his grip a little. In a flash of anger, he had forgotten that Tang Hao might be lurking nearby.
He didn't want to deal with that big problem yet. Once he'd calmed down, he let go.
"Tell me what you'll give me!"
Finally able to breathe again, Tang San gulped down air and dropped to his knees, coughing violently.
With the killing intent gone, the other two girls could finally breathe again too. They panted, still shaken.
Zhu Zhuqing gazed at Xia Ran's back with her beautiful eyes, and an unfamiliar feeling stirred in her heart.
[ Zhu Zhuqing's aversion to Dai Mubai: 5% ]
[ Host gains 1 Soul Power level ]
"Hm? What's going on?"
Xia Ran turned around and met Zhu Zhuqing's gaze. The girl seemed like a startled kitten. Her face quickly turned scarlet, and she turned away, her eyes darting about.
Chapter 4: Tang San's Entire Fortune
Curious about what had just happened, Xia Ran saw Tang San suddenly grab his pant leg, seemingly trying to use him to pull himself up.
Xia Ran pulled his right leg away in disgust and stepped aside.
"If you've recovered, then speak. I'm not that patient."
His icy tone made Tang San even more wary. He hadn't expected Xia Ran to be so powerful. The Silent Sleeve Arrow excelled at stealth, but Xia Ran had still dodged it.
The feeling of coming so close to death just now was something Tang San had experienced only once before: when he'd jumped off a cliff in his previous life.
Sure enough, in the face of overwhelming strength, Hidden Weapons had limited use.
All he could do now was beg for mercy. He didn't want to die yet. He still had to help his teacher put his theories into practice, and he still had to protect Xiao Wu.
"Xiao Wu? How is Xiao Wu?"
Only now did Tang San remember his dear little sister, whom he had just pushed to the ground. She had tried to save him, only to be knocked unconscious by that bastard with a single glance.
He hurried to his feet and turned around. Behind him, he saw the girl lying on the ground.
Tang San looked frantic. He knelt down, lifted Xiao Wu into his arms, and glared at Xia Ran with hatred.
"What did you do to Xiao Wu?"
Xiao Wu was his younger sister. He had once sworn to protect her forever.
Seeing Little Scumbag about to fly into another rage, Xia Ran was getting fed up. Why did these people have to drag things out so much?
A cloud of black smoke formed in his palm and streamed toward the ground, gradually taking the shape of a black blade.
"That's the second thing you've said that's pointless. I hope the third will make me change my mind about killing you."
Before you continue