The newcomer was Flender, the dean of Shrek Academy.
Flender's Martial Soul was the Four-Eyed Owl, and he was highly sensitive to danger.
The man in black hadn't made any effort to conceal his presence. Since Zhao Wuji had been able to follow his aura to find him, Flender could do the same.
At first, Flender had assumed that one of Zhao Wuji's enemies had come calling. He figured Zhao Wuji's personal grudges weren't his business, so he hadn't stepped in right away.
But when the man in black revealed his Martial Soul and nine Soul Rings, Flender knew he couldn't hide himself from a Titled Douluo.
So he walked out openly to face him alongside Zhao Wuji.
Hearing Flender ask him a question, the man in black replied with contempt.
"Do you want to stop me too?"
At the man's challenge, Flender quickly shook his head, afraid of being dragged into Zhao Wuji's feud.
"No... Your Excellency, that's not what I meant. I just want to know what Zhao Wuji did to offend you. He's only a Soul Saint. Surely even a hundred of him wouldn't dare provoke a Titled Douluo like you!"
Flender replied warily, afraid that even the slightest slip of the tongue would displease the Titled Douluo before him.
At the same time, he frantically racked his brain for the names of the well-known Titled Douluos.
There weren't many active Titled Douluos. Their status was extraordinarily lofty, and most rarely showed themselves in public.
The only Titled Douluos who were often out and about were the Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Flender was a Soul Saint who had spent years living in seclusion and running a school in Suotuo City.
Naturally, he had never seen Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo fight, so he didn't know their Soul Ring Configurations.
Thinking of the new student from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect who had enrolled this year, Flender assumed that either the Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo had come looking for them.
"Could Old Zhao have done something to upset that little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
Flender had already received Ning Fengzhi's letter, so he knew that the student coming to Shrek Academy was Ning Rongrong, the beloved daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's leader.
Flender cautiously asked, "Your Excellency, are you the Sword Douluo or the Bone Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
Hearing Flender guess that he was either Sword Douluo Chen Xin or Bone Douluo Gu Rong, the man in black gave a cold snort.
Then he raised his right hand, and a massive Clear Sky Hammer appeared in it.
The man in black was none other than Tang Hao.
As it happened, Tang Hao hadn't known that Li Luo had left Notting Academy with Tang San and Xiao Wu after they graduated, then gone to Gengxin City and traveled around afterward. He'd been off somewhere by himself, drinking his sorrows away.
So, in theory, Tang Hao shouldn't have known that Li Luo and the others had come to Shrek Academy.
The reason Tang Hao had found Li Luo and Tang San was that he'd learned that someone named Yu Xiaogang at Notting Academy had been pestering them every day.
He'd secretly intimidated Yu Xiaogang, and from him learned that he had once urged Li Luo and Tang San to attend Shrek Academy.
So Tang Hao had come on a hunch—and, sure enough, found Li Luo and Tang San at Shrek Academy.
He'd also witnessed Zhao Wuji testing Tang San during the entrance examination, despite being a Soul Saint.
Tang Hao was delighted to see Tang San's Soul Power Level advance so much with Li Luo's help. He was especially thrilled to learn that Tang San's Second Soul Ring was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.
"That kid Luo is pretty capable. When San returns to the Clear Sky Sect, I might even give him the status of an honorary elder."
What Li Luo didn't know was that, in Tang Hao's eyes, he'd already risen from a mere servant like "Tai Tan" to an "honorary elder of the Clear Sky Sect."
Tang Hao had complete faith in Tang San. He believed Tang San would one day avenge himself on Spirit Hall, return to the Clear Sky Sect, and even ascend to the position of sect leader.
Tang Hao looked at Zhao Wuji and Flender without saying a word, pressing down on them with the might of a Titled Douluo.
Flender shuddered violently and gave a cold tremor before speaking in a shaky voice, full of wariness and respect.
"So you are the legendary Clear Sky Douluo."
Flender had naturally heard of the fearsome reputation of Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo. And with the Clear Sky Sect in seclusion, the only one who could be out in the world was the Clear Sky Douluo who'd been cast out.
"May I ask what brings Your Excellency to my humble Shrek Academy?"
Tang Hao gave a cold snort.
"Tang San is my son. Got it?"
Flender and Zhao Wuji were stunned. They hadn't expected Tang San to be Tang Hao's son.
But Tang San's Martial Soul was clearly Blue Silver Grass!
Flender now understood why Tang Hao had come after Zhao Wuji.
He knew about what had happened during the fourth entrance test that day. Zhao Wuji had bullied a younger student and even used his Martial Soul Avatar.
Tang Hao had obviously come to demand an explanation from Zhao Wuji.
Once Flender realized Zhao Wuji wasn't in mortal danger, he took several steps back to clear the way.
"Old Zhao, take care."
Flender moved away, but he didn't leave. He was still waiting to carry Zhao Wuji off once he'd been badly injured.
Seeing how sensible Flender was, Tang Hao didn't give him any trouble.
Tang Hao put away his Clear Sky Hammer and walked toward Zhao Wuji, each step heavy with menace.
"I won't use my Martial Soul tonight either. If you can hold out for the time it takes one incense stick to burn, I'll let you off this once."
With that, Tang Hao appeared in front of Zhao Wuji. Before Zhao Wuji could react, Tang Hao punched him into the air.
"Ah! Ow! Aah! Ugh!"
The screams rang out without pause for the full length of an incense stick.
The boys' dormitory wasn't far from there, so Li Luo and Tang San, both sharp-eared, naturally heard Zhao Wuji's muffled cries.
"Brother Luo, what's that sound? Is someone screaming?"
Li Luo recognized Zhao Wuji's screams and felt puzzled. He guessed that Tang Hao had probably decided to teach Zhao Wuji a lesson, but he couldn't understand how Tang Hao had managed to find them so precisely after they'd spent so long traveling around.
Li Luo's concern wasn't unfounded. Although he sometimes needed Tang Hao to protect him, more often than not, he needed to get away from him.
Tang San's Soul Power Level was already thirty-five. It wouldn't be long before he broke through to level forty.
Li Luo wanted Tang San to awaken his Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline as soon as possible and obtain the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone.
Tang San's strength was tied to his own. The stronger Tang San became, the stronger Li Luo became as well.
Had Li Luo ever coveted the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone?
Of course he had. After all, it was a hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone.
But after thinking it over, Li Luo still felt it was the most suitable Soul Bone for Tang San.
There were plenty of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in this world. Li Luo could always hunt others.
But the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone was the Soul Bone best suited to Tang San, so Li Luo had no intention of taking what was meant for him. Even if Li Luo asked Tang San for it, Tang San certainly wouldn't refuse.