Repel Tang Hao, Imperial Fighting Team Invites Battle

He pulled away simply because he sensed an undisguised aura. At this time, in this place, it was an aura stronger than that of the Dragon Duke and Snake Granny.

Who else could it be but that gloomy rat-man who was also a disgrace of a father?

It was obvious he was angry because he saw Tang San's Dao heart shattered, feeling that there was no hope for him to bring honor back to the sect.

"Does Your Excellency still wish to flee?"

Chen An forced him out of the vicinity of Suotuo City, landing on an empty mountain where only the two of them remained.

"Tsk."

Tang Hao did not care how the people of Suotuo City might be affected by their battle; his only fear was revealing his whereabouts and being discovered by the people of Martial Soul Hall.

Chen An, however, preferred to avoid trouble whenever possible, especially since his students were all in Suotuo City.

"You fellow, you really are a nuisance."

His strikes had been a bit too ruthless, and he hadn't been able to help himself, inadvertently drawing aggro. What could he say to that? He couldn't exactly start a full-blown head-on conflict. At the very least, he needed to make him calm down; if drawing aggro was the price, so be it. It wasn't like a little more mattered.

"Clear Sky Douluo, why such a fiery temper?" Chen An said with a smile.

Looking at this so-called peerless expert acting like a rat scurrying through the streets, he couldn't help but laugh.

Whether it was his attire or his current state, he looked the part.

"You... Hmph, is the Phantom Star Academy dean just this sharp-tongued, wet-behind-the-ears kid?"

Tang Hao raised an eyebrow as he spoke, yet his face betrayed an uncontrollable sense of unease.

He likely felt he couldn't get a read on Chen An. His earlier irritation stemmed from hearing Flender say Chen An was only a Spirit Douluo with slightly stronger spirit rings, but now that he had seen him with his own eyes, he realized he couldn't handle him. He himself was now a broken shell of a man, hardly capable of much.

"Heh."

Tang Hao was restless. He couldn't ignore Tang San's situation; he had intended to protect him from the shadows without making contact, but Chen An had tossed him about and ruined his plans.

"Hmph, repeatedly targeting him and ruining my son's Dao heart—you are courting death."

Gritting his teeth, he charged forward anyway. This was merely a probe; he didn't even summon his spirit rings, simply pulling out the Clear Sky Hammer.

"Fighting and killing day in and day out—it's annoying, you know."

He dodged these probes with the grace of Kami-e, light as a dancing dragon, handling the heavy as if it were light. His disciples had made progress these past few days, and he had grown stronger as well.

He struck back with a counter, forcing him to retreat a step—that was enough.

Why fight? In the eyes of top-tier powerhouses, Chen An was now considered an equal. If they truly fought, it would be a life-or-death struggle, not some petty sparring match.

If you can deter, deter; if you can crush, then fight. But if peers truly clash, it is usually a matter of deciding victory and deciding life or death.

"Ha..."

Tang Hao exhaled, not daring to say more. This exchange had confirmed it: he would have to pay with his life to win.

The night wind was cold, and the leaves rustled with a creaking sound. For a brief moment, there was no communication between the two. Then, Tang Hao let out a deep sigh and withdrew his stance.

"My skills are inferior to yours; I concede."

Had this been before his grievous injury, he would have fought to the bitter end, but hiding in a small village for over a decade, drowning his sorrows, had long since sapped away most of his spirit.

Chen An gave him the same feeling that Qian Daoliu did. Unless absolutely necessary, he really didn't want to make a move. Call him a coward or spineless, that was just how it was.

"Just leaving like that? What a strange fellow."

Chen An scratched his head, watching the man leave without even throwing out a parting threat. To be able to suppress his anger like that—was this really the Clear Sky Douluo described in rumors?

When it came down to it, his actions weren't wrong. He was targeting Shrek, and since Tang San was a Shrek student, he wasn't just targeting him alone.

Furthermore, this was fair competition. If you get used as a whetstone, it just means you're weak.

"Better head back, lest that guy decides to double back."

One must always prepare for the worst. He didn't have a good impression of Tang Hao, and he preferred not to take any chances.

His students were what mattered.

The return journey was much faster. Upon arriving, he took a headcount; no one was missing, and everything was normal, so he finally felt at ease.

"Can I really make those guys wary now that I'm at level 94?"

He didn't plan on sleeping tonight; missing a night or two of rest didn't matter.

He let his thoughts wander while keeping watch.

Previously, at level 93, he could face the Elders of Martial Soul Hall head-on. Now, at level 94, he could force Tang Hao to back down. He was quite satisfied with his own strength.

"Master, do we still need to go to the arena today?"

The next morning, Zhu Zhuqing came over with Ning Rongrong to ask.

He had arranged for Fugui to return last night, which could be called quite a spectacle.

The people at the hotel looked at him as if they had seen a ghost. They had originally wanted to mock him a bit, but the one leading the group was Zhu Zhuqing, Chen An's eldest disciple.

How could they not shut their mouths? Their faces turned as sour as if they had eaten something foul.

They didn't know exactly how noble Chen An was, but they knew that even their highest leader acted like a grandson in front of him. Seeing Zhu Zhuqing, they had to be respectful; how could anyone be so blind as to lack that much sense?

"No need. You all should rest for the next few days."

Chen An rubbed his temples, easing the discomfort brought on by staying up all night.

The plan had been set long ago; Di Ao had calculated the match counts, and everyone had already qualified. Now, they were just waiting for the Imperial Fighting Team to show up, finish the match, and settle the accounts.

"Oh, Master, you don't seem to be in the best state. Why don't you get some rest while I keep an eye on the juniors?"

Over this period, Zhu Zhuqing had increasingly taken on the air of a senior disciple.

Since she had taken the initiative to shoulder the responsibility, and seeing how attentive she was, he couldn't very well refuse her, so he nodded.

"That works. Keep a close watch on them today. Also, don't go out alone; there might be some risks lately."

He had to emphasize this; while he could keep his mind on the students while resting, he couldn't be as precise if they were wandering off on their own.

In that situation, he would have to keep his spiritual sense covering the entirety of Suotuo City at all times.

"Master, did you call for me?"

After Zhu Zhuqing had volunteered, he had sent word for Fugui to come over.

He had already thought through the matters regarding cultivation techniques and future training.

"Yes, go back with Snake Granny first. I still need to stay here for a while; I've already explained the situation to her."

Chen An intended to hand over the cultivation technique only after they returned. For now, he wanted the kid to spend some time running the kitchen, so he stuffed a book into his hands.

"Take this cookbook and study the recipes."

It was just a collection of Sichuan cuisine methods. Once the kid got to the academy, he could learn while cooking, starting by taking charge of the cafeteria.

"As you command."

Fugui accepted the item very respectfully, surprised that the recipes were given to him so quickly; it was unheard of.

Most masters on the continent expected their apprentices and disciples to spend a decade or more as assistants, exploiting them before teaching them any real skills, all while keeping their secrets hidden.

Chen An scoffed at this. It was just a single culinary style, after all. Not to mention the Eight Great Cuisines, there were countless other specialty cuisines he hadn't even touched upon yet—this was barely the beginning.

Furthermore, he was eager for Fugui to master a few cuisines quickly so he could transition into cooking for his direct disciples, sparing him from being pestered every day as if he were clocking in for a job.

As for whether Fugui might run off with the cookbook? Not a chance. If he were the type to run off at this point, he wouldn't even be human.

"An invitation for a duel from the Imperial Fighting Team in two days? A proactive invitation?"

A carrier pigeon had arrived with an inquiry from Di Ao. After glancing at it twice, he understood the gist of it.

He hadn't expected that even with their reputation in Suotuo City, the team would dare to send such an invitation. It was interesting; he didn't know whether to call them newborn calves unafraid of tigers, young and arrogant, or if they truly had some trick up their sleeves.