Outside Heaven Dou City, at the foot of the mountain where Heaven Dou Royal Academy stood.
A ragged, dust-covered group stood before the academy's magnificent gate. They were the people from Shrek Academy, who had "fled" all the way from Suotuo City.
After half a month on the road, staying in cheap inns and living on dry rations to save money, the once-spirited "Monster Academy" now looked like a band of vagrants.
Flender looked up at the ten-meter-tall white marble archway and the white marble steps that wound toward the clouds. His eyes filled with envy and awe.
"So this is Heaven Dou Royal Academy... They're really loaded," Flender said sourly.
"Hmph. All show on the outside, rotten within."
Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang stood with his hands behind his back. His face was sallow, but he still tried to maintain an air of superiority. "This kind of aristocratic academy only knows how to compete in luxury. They have no idea what real cultivation is. If I weren't here to borrow their Mimicry Cultivation Environment, I wouldn't have bothered bringing Xiao San here."
"Teacher is right."
Tang San followed behind him, his face pale from injuries that had yet to heal. His eyes held a trace of gloom. "Once we defeat them in the Continental Elite Tournament, they'll realize that resources can only produce trash. True talent can never be hidden."
Having lost the Eight Spider Lances, which had been broken and had yet to regrow, and the Immortal Herbs, which had been dug up without his knowledge, Tang San had become extremely sensitive and hostile.
"Let's go."
Flender adjusted his slightly moldy robe. "Qin Ming is waiting for us up there. As long as we meet the three education committee members, with Wuji's and my strength, and Xiao Gang's reputation as a theorist, getting them to take us in shouldn't be a problem."
The group was just about to step onto the stairs.
Suddenly.
"Stop."
A cold, mocking voice rang out from above.
"Heaven Dou Royal Academy is a restricted area. Those who are improperly dressed—and dogs—are not allowed in."
The members of Shrek Academy jerked their heads up.
A group of people had appeared on the platform above the steps.
At their head stood a young man in an extravagant black outfit patterned with gold. A black cloak draped over his shoulders, and he had his hands in his pockets. He looked down at them as if they were garbage.
It was Yu Tianyu.
Behind him stood Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, one on either side. Both had long since transformed into new people.
Ning Rongrong wore Heaven Dou Royal Academy's pale yellow uniform skirt, her fair legs exposed and her demeanor as noble as a princess's.
Zhu Zhuqing wore a modified, tight-fitting black uniform that accentuated her alluring figure. Her expression was cool and distant.
Seeing these two former "teammates" now standing across from them, radiant and well-dressed, the boys from Shrek instantly lost it.
"Rongrong! Zhuqing!"
Oscar waved excitedly. "What are you doing up there? Come down! We're going to rebuild Shrek together!"
When Dai Mubai saw Zhu Zhuqing's even more captivating figure, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. A surge of jealousy rose in his heart. "Zhuqing! How much longer are you going to keep acting out? Get over here! I'm your fiancé!"
But in response to their calls,
Ning Rongrong only frowned and covered her nose and mouth, as if she couldn't stand the smell coming from them.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't even glance at Dai Mubai. She simply stood quietly behind Yu Tianyu, like a dutiful maid.
"Didn't you hear what I said?"
Yu Tianyu looked down at them and descended the steps one by one. With each step, the dragon's might around him grew stronger.
"This is the Imperial Academy, not a shelter."
"Take your junk and get lost."
"Yu Tianyu! Don't get too cocky!"
Dai Mubai roared as the Evil-Eyed White Tiger possessed him. "Don't think I'm afraid of you just because this is your territory! Dean Flender and Grandmaster are here to exchange ideas!"
"Exchange ideas?"
Yu Tianyu stopped five meters away from them and gave a scornful smile.
"What makes you think you're qualified?"
"Because you're a spineless weakling who only knows how to chase women?"
"Because you're a food-type Spirit Master who can't even grill a decent sausage?"
"Or because..."
Yu Tianyu's gaze finally settled on Grandmaster, turning instantly cold as ice.
"Because this useless piece of trash is only level twenty-nine and has nothing to offer except plagiarized theories and misleading students?"
"You... What did you say?!"
Grandmaster trembled with rage and pointed at Yu Tianyu. "You insolent brat! My 'Ten Core Competencies' are a treasure of the Soul Master World! Even the Pope of Spirit Hall treats me with respect!"
"A treasure? More like a pile of trash."
Yu Tianyu sneered, ripping away the last of Grandmaster's pretenses.
"You claim that there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Spirit Masters. Then why, after cultivating for decades, are you still only a Soul Grandmaster? Does that make you the useless Spirit Master?"
"You say that the Control System is the best path for Blue Silver Grass. That's only because you don't know the Blue Silver Emperor exists! You've been raising a dragon as if it were a worm!"
"You had Tang San absorb a Man Faced Demon Spider's incredibly evil Spirit Ring, damaging his foundation and leaving him riddled with hostility. Is this the result of your teaching?"
Every sentence landed like a hammer, pounding into Grandmaster's heart.
"Shut up! I won't let you insult my teacher!"
Tang San's eyes turned bloodshot. He circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill and tried to charge forward and fight to the death.
"Get lost!"
Yu Tianyu gave him nothing more than a glance.
Dragon King's Might!
Boom!
An invisible, terrifying wave of pressure burst out in an instant.
"Pfft!"
Still gravely injured, Tang San was struck by the force and spat out a mouthful of blood. His body flew backward and crashed heavily at Flender's feet.
"Xiao San!" Grandmaster cried out.
"What? Want to fight?"
Yu Tianyu snapped his fingers.
"Hiss—"
A snake's hiss, enough to make one's scalp crawl, rang out.
Green poisonous fog instantly sealed off the entire academy gate.
Poison Douluo Dugu Bo appeared beside Yu Tianyu like a ghost. Nine Spirit Rings revolved beneath his feet, and he unleashed the full might of a Titled Douluo without restraint.
"Who dares cause trouble at Heaven Dou Royal Academy?!"
Dugu Bo roared.
Under his pressure, Flender and Zhao Wuji, both Spirit Saints, buckled at the knees and nearly fell to the ground.
"P-Poison Douluo..." Flender's face turned deathly pale, and sweat poured down him.
He knew it was over.
With that old poison master holding the fort, getting into the academy was out of the question. They might not even make it out of here alive.
"Get lost."
Yu Tianyu waved his hand like he was shooing away flies.
"Heaven Dou Royal Academy doesn't take in trash."
"Go back where you came from. A pigsty in Suotuo City would suit you better."
In full view of the crowd, amid the jeers of countless onlooking students,
Flender gritted his teeth but didn't dare lash out. He could only help the bleeding Tang San to his feet, drag the dazed Grandmaster along, and lead the pack of stray dogs away in disgrace.
After being driven out of Heaven Dou Royal Academy,
the members of Shrek wandered the streets of Heaven Dou City like the living dead.
"Dean, where... where are we going?" Ma Hongjun clutched his stomach and looked ready to cry.
Flender gazed at the bustling streets, his heart filled with sorrow. Was Shrek really going to disband for good?
Just then,
he spotted a recruitment notice on a bulletin board by the roadside.
[Blue Tyrant Advanced Soul Master Academy is hiring teachers. Requirements: Commoners only, no nobles. Dean: Liu Erlong.]
Boom!
At the sight of the name "Liu Erlong," Grandmaster, who had been utterly despondent, shuddered. His eyes blazed with a light he'd never shown before.
"Erlong... It's Erlong!"
Grandmaster excitedly seized Flender's hand. "Flender! It's her! She started an academy here!"
Flender was stunned, then overjoyed. "Erlong? That's wonderful! There's always a way out!"
"Let's go! To Blue Tyrant Academy!"
Grandmaster clung to this last lifeline. "As long as we find Erlong, we still have hope! Her academy is my academy! I'll make that little brat Yu Tianyu regret this!"
He thought of the woman who loved him deeply and always obeyed him. As long as she was there, he could have a stage of his own. He could even use Blue Tyrant Academy's resources to train Tang San and take his revenge.
However,
he had no idea that atop the bell tower in Heaven Dou City,
Yu Tianyu was watching them rush toward Blue Tyrant Academy, a cruel smile curling his lips.
"Going to your old flame for protection?"
"Too bad, Grandmaster. I've rewritten your script."
"That fierce lioness, Liu Erlong, is my prey too."
Blue Tyrant Academy stood deep in the forest within Heaven Dou City, surrounded by peaceful scenery.
Relying on their high Soul Power Levels, the members of Shrek fought their way through every obstacle and charged straight into the academy's forbidden back mountain.
There stood an elegant wooden cabin, surrounded by flowers.
A beautiful woman in her thirties, dressed in a teal cloth skirt that did little to conceal her voluptuous figure, was watering them. Though she looked to be past thirty, she still retained her charm, and her brows carried a hint of heroic wildness.
It was Liu Erlong.
"Erlong!"
Flender called out excitedly.
Liu Erlong stiffened, and the watering can slipped from her hand. She whipped around. When she saw that weary figure she had dreamed of for twenty years, tears spilled from her eyes.
"Xiao Gang... Big Brother..."
"Is it really you?"
Liu Erlong rushed forward without hesitation, wanting to throw herself into Grandmaster's arms.
Grandmaster opened his arms too, tears in his eyes, ready to welcome this heart-stirring reunion. At that moment, he felt that every grievance he'd suffered would finally be healed.
Just as their fingertips were about to touch,
"Boom—!!!"
A terrifying golden bolt of lightning came crashing down from the sky!
It struck the ground directly between them!
The earth shook, and dirt flew everywhere. A deep trench several meters wide split the ill-fated couple apart.
"Who?!"
Liu Erlong roared furiously. The violent Corner of Slaughter had returned in an instant.
She spun around and looked up at the sky.
A dark figure with dragon wings spread wide hovered in midair, blocking out the sunlight.
Yu Tianyu beat his wings and slowly descended.
He didn't look at Liu Erlong. Instead, he stared at the frightened Grandmaster, who was backing away, and mocked him:
"What a touching scene."
"A coward who abandoned his bride on their wedding night to escape the judgment of the world."
"And now he has the nerve to come crawling back to the woman he hurt, seeking her protection?"
"Yu Xiaogang, is your face made of city walls?"
"Who are you? How dare you meddle in my business!"
Flames surged around Liu Erlong, and a red Fire Dragon Martial Soul possessed her. Her seven Spirit Rings gleamed, and the aura of a Spirit Saint burst forth.
She was furious that this stranger had interrupted their reunion. But hearing him insult Xiao Gang made her even angrier.
"Who I am doesn't matter."
Yu Tianyu landed, ignoring Liu Erlong's flames, and walked step by step toward Grandmaster.
"What matters is that I'm going to make you see exactly what kind of man the one you've been pining for really is."
"Y-You, don't come any closer!" When Grandmaster saw Yu Tianyu, he reacted like a mouse seeing a cat and fled in terror behind Flender.
"Erlong! He's the Yu Tianyu who humiliated me! Quick! Kill him!" Grandmaster shrieked.
Seeing this,
Yu Tianyu laughed, a loud, uproarious laugh.
"Liu Erlong, do you see?"
Yu Tianyu pointed at Grandmaster, who was trembling behind someone else.
"This is the man you've loved for twenty years?"
"When danger comes, his first instinct isn't to stand up and protect you. He hides behind you and expects you, a woman, to risk your life for him?"
"He ran from his wedding back then because he was a coward, afraid to face the world's judgment."
"He's come back now because he's desperate, hoping to live off you and use your academy to satisfy his vanity."
"You think a man with no backbone is some kind of treasure?"
Liu Erlong froze.
She looked at Xiao Gang, hiding behind Flender with a frightened expression and darting eyes.
That image from his memories—the man who, though not particularly strong, had been full of wisdom and pride—was crumbling bit by bit.
"Xiao Gang... Is what he said true?" Liu Erlong asked, her voice trembling.
"No! That's not true, Erlong!" Grandmaster hurriedly explained. "I did it for the greater good! I did it to help cultivate the little monster! I..."
"For the greater good?"
Yu Tianyu cut him off. "Does the greater good mean you can treat a woman like a tool? Does it mean you can run away on your wedding night?"
"Admit it, Yu Xiaogang. You're nothing but a complete and utter failure."
"Enough!!"
Liu Erlong shouted, clutching her head in both hands. She looked utterly distraught. She didn't want to hear it, and she couldn't bring herself to believe it.
She jerked her head up and glared at Yu Tianyu, fire blazing in her eyes.
"No matter what Xiao Gang is like, that's my business!"
"You ruined my reunion and insulted my lover... I'll tear you apart!!"
Boom!
Liu Erlong flew into a complete rage.
Seventh Soul Skill: Red Dragon True Body!
She transformed into a gigantic crimson fire dragon, surging toward Yu Tianyu with heat intense enough to scorch the heavens and boil the seas.
"Just what I wanted."
A glint of excitement flashed in Yu Tianyu's eyes.
There was no point reasoning with a woman this violent. The only way to make her look at you with respect was to beat her into submission, until her very soul trembled.
"Let me show you what a real dragon looks like!"
Yu Tianyu didn't use a Spirit Skill.
He drew a deep breath, and the power of his Dragon Slayer Mage burst forth in full.
The Dragon God physique he had forged at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well activated in an instant.
"Roar——!!!"
A world-shaking Dragon Roar erupted from Yu Tianyu's mouth.
This was no ordinary Dragon Roar. It carried the absolute bloodline suppression of a superior dragon over a lower Sub-Dragon!
The fearsome Red Dragon True Body in the sky actually froze in place under the force of that roar!
Deep fear filled its once-frenzied eyes.
It was submission—a shudder that came from the depths of its soul!
"Get... down!!"
Yu Tianyu flashed forward, appearing above the enormous red dragon's head in an instant.
He didn't use any flashy moves. He simply raised his right foot, wrapped it in thunderous, overwhelming force, and stomped hard on the dragon's head!
Rumble!!
A deafening crash rang out.
The red dragon Liu Erlong had become was driven into the ground by that single stomp!
The earth caved in, and dust billowed everywhere.
The Red Dragon True Body shattered, and Liu Erlong returned to human form. She spat blood and lay battered at the bottom of the crater.
Yu Tianyu stood with one foot on her voluptuous back, like a hero who had subdued a wicked dragon.
He bent down, grabbed Liu Erlong by the hair, and forced her to raise her head.
"Have you come to your senses now?"
Yu Tianyu looked at her lovely face, still full of anger and resentment, and gave her a wicked smile.
"Instead of clinging to that useless coward who only knows how to run away..."
"Why not... be my she-dragon?"
"I'm ten thousand times stronger than he is, and I know much better than he does... how to handle you."
In the distance.
Seeing Liu Erlong pinned beneath Yu Tianyu's foot, Grandmaster's legs gave way. He collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.
He knew.
Not only was Blue Tyrant Academy finished...
Even Liu Erlong, his last fallback, was about to be stolen from him.
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