Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands behind his back and paced around the room, snorting.
"Meng Shu's talent had long since reached its limit. He should never have had any chance of becoming a Titled Douluo in this lifetime.
"In my view, he must have taken some kind of extremely potent forbidden drug to force his way through the bottleneck.
"Such a breakthrough would be strong on the outside but weak within. It was nothing to fear.
"As for Dugu Bo, he cultivated poison. It wouldn't be surprising if he came up with some poison that stimulated one's potential.
"These two had created this so-called 'Divine Radiant Sect' just to attract attention."
At his teacher's words, the furrow in Tang San's brow gradually eased, and a glimmer of understanding flashed in his eyes.
"Teacher is right."
Tang San spoke calmly, his voice carrying a composure far beyond his years.
"I once read in an ancient text that every medicine carried three parts poison.
"The more a drug could rapidly increase one's cultivation, the more terrifying its backlash would be.
"True powerhouses would never place their hopes in external aids.
"Our Mystic Heaven...
"Our foundation had to be built by our own hands, bit by bit."
Tang San paused, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
"Senior Poison Douluo was renowned for his mastery of poison. He might indeed have unique insights into poisons and medicinal properties.
"But using poison to forcibly raise one's cultivation was no different from drinking poison to quench one's thirst.
"The core disciples of the Divine Radiant Sect would probably all end up as drug slaves."
Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San approvingly and nodded.
"Little San, I'm pleased that you can see through this.
"No matter how fierce the storms outside get, they have nothing to do with us.
"Shrek's teaching philosophy is what truly cultivates monsters.
"As long as you train step by step, your future achievements will be beyond the reach of those mediocrities who relied on pills to force their way up."
"Grandmaster is right!"
Dai Mubai pumped his fist and chuckled.
"Who cares about the Divine Radiant Sect? Shrek is the strongest!"
Flender put away the notice and shook his head.
"Whatever the case, Bala City is right next door to us.
"If we run into anyone from the Divine Radiant Sect, avoid them if possible. Don't start a conflict.
"Two Titled Douluos aren't people we can afford to provoke."
"Don't worry, Dean."
A confident glint flashed in Tang San's eyes.
"As long as we're strong enough ourselves, no illusory force can threaten us."
That was what they said, but Shrek Academy had suffered heavy losses.
Ma Hongjun had "vanished from the face of the earth."
Earlier, in Star Dou Great Forest,
they had provoked Huang Yan.
Oscar's tongue had been scorched through.
Even after they found a healing-type Soul Master to treat him and barely managed to save his tongue, it had still lost much of its function.
Most noticeably, he sometimes stammered when he spoke.
And reciting his soul spell was affected, too.
Tang San had lost a finger.
His Hidden Weapons and Mystic Jade Hand cultivation technique had both been severely affected.
Zhao Wuji had lost an arm.
He could only barely muster a Soul Saint's strength by using his Martial Soul Avatar.
Dai Mubai's third leg had been roasted.
His manhood was gone for good.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong had even left Shrek Academy.
Only Xiao Wu, protected by Tang San, had escaped with relatively little harm.
As for Shrek Academy now,
it had only four students: Dai Mubai, Oscar, Xiao Wu, and Tang San!
They couldn't even put together a full team!
As Flender finished speaking, the atmosphere in the shabby meeting room sank once more into deathly silence.
Flender's gaze swept over the four students who remained.
As he looked at their maimed bodies, pain and exhaustion he could barely conceal flickered in his eyes.
"Easy for you to say, Xiaogang."
Flender gave a bitter laugh, his voice hoarse.
"The most pressing problem before us is that the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament requires teams of at least seven.
"But now... we only have four students.
"We can't even put together a complete team!"
"D-Dean..."
Oscar's face flushed red as he struggled to control his tongue and stammered out his words.
"Th-The talented kids out there are all... all going to the Divine Radiant Sect now.
"Wh-Where are we supposed to find new students?"
Dai Mubai sat in the corner, his face so gloomy it seemed water might drip from it.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his sharp nails pierced his palms. His voice carried a sinister, venomous softness that sent a chill down the spine.
"Find new students?
"Who'd come to a broken academy where even the teachers had lost their arms?
"Just look at the state we're in! One stutterer, one with a missing finger, and then... me!"
Dai Mubai slammed his fist on the table, madness and hatred filling his eyes.
"It's all because of that bastard in Star Dou Great Forest!
"I, Dai Mubai, swear that I'll tear him limb from limb one day!"
"Mubai, calm down."
Tang San raised his right hand, which had lost a finger. His gaze was cold and deep.
"Rage born of helplessness won't change a thing.
"That man's strength is unfathomable. Even Teacher Zhao...
"What we need to do now is endure.
"As long as we're alive, Shrek's flame hasn't gone out.
"My Hidden Weapons have been affected, but give me time to improve their mechanisms, and they'll only become stronger!"
Xiao Wu clutched Tang San's clothes, her eyes reddening.
"Brother, I'll listen to you."
Zhao Wuji touched his empty left sleeve and sighed.
"Little San is right, but Flender is right, too.
"We can't even gather enough people. How are we supposed to compete?
"We can't exactly send these four kids up there to die, can we?"
Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands behind his back, his eyes gleaming with wisdom, as though everything were under his control.
"I've already thought about the staffing problem.
"Flender, Suotuo City is no longer suitable for us.
"The rise of the Divine Radiant Sect is bound to squeeze every academy in the Balak Kingdom."
Flender stared at him.
"You mean... we're leaving? Where to?"
"Heaven Dou Imperial City."
Yu Xiaogang enunciated each word.
In recent days, Yu Xiaogang had also made up his mind.
Shrek had ended up in this sorry state.
The only thing left to do was find Liu Erlong.
"Go find Erlong.
"Her Blue Tyrant Academy has some renown in Heaven Dou Imperial City.
"We can bring Shrek's teaching staff in and merge the two academies.
"Not only would that solve our problems with tournament slots and team members,
"we could also make use of Blue Tyrant Academy's Mimicry Cultivation Environment to compensate as much as possible for the physical disadvantages Little San and the others face."
"Erlong..."
Complicated emotions flickered in Flender's eyes. He gritted his teeth.
"Fine! We'll do as you say!
"Move a tree and it will die; move a person and they'll thrive.
"I refuse to believe that the monsters trained by Shrek can't beat those good-for-nothings who were built up on pills!"
Tang San rose to his feet, his gaze fixed on Yu Xiaogang.
"Teacher, I agree with your plan.
"Heaven Dou Imperial City is rich in resources, and I'll be able to gather materials for crafting high-grade Hidden Weapons more easily.
"As for the Divine Radiant Sect... let them strut around for a while."
Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction and looked around at everyone.
"Then it's settled. Pack your things.
"Tomorrow morning, we'll set off for Heaven Dou Imperial City.
"Shrek's glory will never end here!"
Before you continue