"They even said the Mandala Snake was a perfect match for Blue Silver Grass. That's a four-hundred-year-old Soul Beast."
"Brothers who've read Douluo Continent all know that there's no specific age limit for absorbing a Soul Ring."
"It all depends on each person's physical fitness and mental strength. The stronger your body and the higher your mental strength, the older the Soul Ring you can absorb."
"If Tang San hadn't started cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill as a child and tempering his body..."
"Anyone else, even if they'd somehow managed to kill this Mandala Snake while dragging Yu Xiaogang along, would've been killed by the strain of absorbing its Soul Ring."
"Believe it or not, if the Soul Beast that died had been a pig, Yu Xiaogang could've explained how it was a perfect match for Tang San's Blue Silver Grass."
"One is a dutiful disciple planning to kill his teacher after a hundred days; the other is a teacher with a belly full of schemes, letting his disciple absorb any Soul Ring he wants."
"My advice is, those two should stay together forever."
Shrek Academy.
At that moment, the teachers and students of Shrek Academy looked at Yu Xiaogang and Tang San with a hint of wariness.
Except for Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun, everyone else had just arrived at Shrek Academy.
The seven of them didn't know one another well, and naturally, they didn't have much trust in each other.
With the Heavenly Curtain's revelations, they'd seen just how ruthless Tang San was, and Yu Xiaogang's...
Even Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, master and disciple, had begun looking at each other differently.
The atmosphere grew somewhat tense.
Clearly, what the Heavenly Curtain had shown had driven a wedge between Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, who had once been close as master and disciple.
After a long silence, Yu Xiaogang laughed heartily and walked up to Tang San, placing a hand on his shoulder to reassure him.
"Xiao... Xiao San, you can't take everything the Heavenly Curtain shows as fact. I've been your teacher for so long."
"Don't you think I know what kind of person you are?"
To avoid betraying his family and to raise a god, Yu Xiaogang could only swallow his hurt over Tang San's past attempt to kill him and silence him, then make peace first.
"That's right, Teacher. Some of what the Heavenly Curtain says can't be taken as fact."
Seeing Yu Xiaogang approach first, Tang San didn't hesitate. Putting on the appearance of a respectful disciple, he said indignantly:
"Whoever's behind the Heavenly Curtain must have an ulterior motive. They're deliberately trying to drive a wedge between us."
Tang San did this for the same reason as his teacher, Yu Xiaogang.
The Heavenly Curtain had said that if everything followed the original timeline, he would become a god in the future.
He guessed that Yu Xiaogang's guidance would be what made him a god.
If he fell out with Yu Xiaogang now and caused a chain of butterfly effects, one mistake along the way could ruin everything. Wouldn't that be a terrible loss?
As the saying goes, a little patience prevents great trouble.
A person had to learn to endure!
"Exactly, Xiao San. The Heavenly Curtain's predictions are all wrong. The only truth is that I'll raise you to become a god."
Yu Xiaogang took his hand off Tang San's shoulder, clasped both hands behind his back again, and gazed up at the Heavenly Curtain at a forty-five-degree angle.
"From now on, I'll devote all my energy to you, Xiao San. You'll definitely still become a god!"
"Teacher, I'll become your proudest disciple!"
To the people of Shrek, the scene between Tang San and Yu Xiaogang should have been a touching display of deep affection between master and disciple.
Yet every one of them felt something deeply unsettling about it.
A disciple who wanted to kill his teacher, and a teacher who treated his disciple like a test subject.
When they didn't know each other's true nature, the two could get along just fine. But now they'd seen the darkest side of each other's hearts.
Could they really go back to how things were?
A shattered mirror could never be made whole again. Even if it was pieced back together, cracks would cover its surface.
Yu Xiaogang understood this, and Tang San understood it even better.
They both knew the truth, but Tang San needed to become a god, and Yu Xiaogang needed to prove himself to the people of Douluo Continent.
They had no choice but to put on this act.
Suddenly, Yu Xiaogang shifted his gaze from the Heavenly Curtain to Dai Mubai, Ning Rongrong, and the others.
In his resonant voice, he said:
"All right, all right. You all know I'll raise Xiao San to become a god in the future, so surely none of you should doubt my theories now."
"There's no need to keep watching the Heavenly Curtain. Listen to your teacher and train hard. Maybe you can become gods just like Xiao San!"
Afraid the Heavenly Curtain might reveal something else shocking, Yu Xiaogang hurriedly called on Dai Mubai, Ning Rongrong, and the others to resume their training.
"That's right. Everyone, hurry up and put on your stone packs. Let's run as the teacher instructed."
Tang San thought the same thing.
After hearing Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, Dai Mubai, Oscar, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Ma Hongjun exchanged glances.
After weighing their options for a long while, they made their choice.
"All right. Let's train."
Unlike in the original story, where the people of Shrek willingly agreed to Yu Xiaogang's training, this time they were reluctant, and their choice was driven by self-interest.
Under the Heavenly Curtain's influence, the Shrek Seven Monsters could never again become the Shrek Seven Monsters from the original story.
"Xiaogang, there's something strange about Tang San."
As Tang San and the others left for the training grounds, the two teachers, Flender and Zhao Wuji, walked up to Yu Xiaogang with heavy steps.
Flender watched Tang San's retreating figure with a grave expression, his tone serious.
"Sure, Tang San's father is that man, but his Hidden Weapon technique doesn't look like a secret art of the Clear Sky Sect at all."
"And a six-year-old child killing a Mandala Snake that's over four hundred years old? That's bizarre."
"On top of that, Tang San even pointed his Hidden Weapons at you. This..."
Hearing Flender's words, Yu Xiaogang suddenly flew into a rage. He sharply cut Flender off before he could continue.
"Enough! Flender, don't say another word."
"I know Xiao San better than anyone. Don't interfere!"
"Xiaogang, I'm saying this for your own good. If you keep refusing to see the truth, you'll regret it sooner or later!"
Flender tried to reason with him earnestly.
But Yu Xiaogang refused to give up until he hit a dead end. He sneered.
"I'm Xiao San's teacher. I'm the one who raised a god!"
"Once Xiao San becomes a god, I'll be a god's teacher. I'll go to the Divine Realm with him!"
Just as Yu Xiaogang and Flender were arguing,
the Heavenly Curtain spoke again.
"That concludes this episode on Yu Xiaogang and Tang San's first meeting. If you enjoyed it, like, comment, and share."
"Next, let's take a look at the outrageous antics of a teacher from the Peerless Tang Sect, ten thousand years later."
"Friendly reminder: this person is a teacher at Shrek Academy. We'll pause for three seconds. Type your guesses in the chat!"
Before you continue