Meng Shu's startled cry

The Man Faced Demon Spider did not eat Tang San. Instead, it quickly spun a massive web and firmly suspended Tang San from it, seemingly planning to eat him later.

Li Bai said calmly, "Master, it seems Tang San has lost. Are we really not going to intervene?"

Lin Xiao still shook his head. If it had been any of the other Shrek Seven Devils, he might have stepped in to save them. But Tang San alone was the exception.

When Lin Xiao had read the original novel, he had sworn that if he ever transmigrated into Douluo Continent, he would definitely beat Tang San senseless and let him experience a fate worse than death.

A few more minutes passed before Tang San suddenly woke up on the web. After breaking free from his restraints, he once again began battling the thousand-year soul beast.

This time, however, Tang San won. Li Bai stared in slight amazement. He had won despite the absolute gap in levels. His master had indeed been right.

Lin Xiao stood up and rolled his shoulders. "Li Bai, go."

"Yes, Master." Li Bai nodded respectfully, then transformed into a ball of white light and vanished from Lin Xiao's side.

Lin Xiao continued waiting until three soul masters arrived, then descended to the ground.

Tang San recognized two of the three soul masters. One was Snake Dowager Chao Tianxiang, and the other was her granddaughter, Meng Yiran.

Watching the three approach, Tang San's expression changed slightly. He hid his right hand behind his back and quietly took a Godly Zhuge Crossbow from Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.

Chao Tianxiang frowned when she saw Tang San. Turning her head, she said softly, "Old man, he's the student from that academy I told you about."

The elderly man beside her appeared to be around sixty years old and stood roughly 1.8 meters tall. His right hand tightly gripped a two-meter-long staff, around which a silver-white dragon coiled.

He was Dragon Duke Meng Shu, a formidable Soul Douluo who possessed the Dragon Staff!

Meng Shu raised his head and stared at Tang San, then glanced around. When he saw no one else from Shrek, he let out a cold snort.

"Boy, do you know what you've done?"

Tang San answered calmly, "What did I do? I was merely defending myself. Was I supposed to let this soul beast eat me instead of killing it?"

Meng Shu chuckled, his eyes brimming with disdain.

"A mere Soul Grandmaster actually killed a three-thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider. Interesting. I'm rather curious now—what kind of academy is Shrek? Not only does it have Immovable Ming King Zhao Wuji, it even has a top-tier expert like a Title Douluo."

Tang San sneered. "Since Senior knows that, why are you stopping me from absorbing the Man Faced Demon Spider's soul ring?"

Meng Shu's eyes shifted. "It isn't impossible for you to absorb the soul ring, but you must agree to one condition. If you agree, forget this soul ring—even the soul beast that captured your friend, I will help you find it."

Tang San took a deep breath. "As long as Senior can help me capture that soul beast, I... Tang San will agree to anything."

Meng Shu burst into laughter upon hearing this. That was exactly what he had been waiting for. If Tang San could join their family, they might even be able to forge a connection with a top-tier expert like a Title Douluo.

Especially that young man Snake Dowager had mentioned.

"Boy, isn't your teacher a Title Douluo? Could even he not withstand that soul beast?"

Tang San shook his head. "That wasn't it. After Teacher Lin Xiao crippled the soul beast's left arm, it flew into a rage, grabbed Xiao Wu, and fled in panic. Teacher couldn't catch up."

Dragon Duke's expression shifted slightly when he heard that. How could a soul beast that had escaped from a Title Douluo appear in the outskirts of the forest?

"Boy, what kind of soul beast was it?"

"It was a Titan Giant Ape, with cultivation of roughly a hundred thousand years."

Meng Shu's expression changed drastically, his brows knitting tightly.

Snake Dowager was also thoroughly frightened. A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, the Titan Giant Ape, had actually appeared on the outskirts of the forest. It was truly unbelievable.

"What did you say? A Titan Giant Ape?" Dragon Duke sucked in a breath of cold air before finally shaking his head. "We can't help you."

Tang San hurriedly asked, "Not even the two Seniors can kill that soul beast?"

Dragon Duke snorted coldly. "What do you know? A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. You little brats have no idea how powerful the Titan Giant Ape is. It is a hundred-thousand-year-level powerhouse, and it has an even more terrifying elder brother. Forget us—even if all the Title Douluo from the two great empires gathered here, who would dare claim they could hunt them?"

Snake Dowager drew a deep breath and said gravely, "Old man, the Titan Giant Ape appearing on the outskirts of the forest is not a good sign. Fortunately, that Title Douluo was present. Otherwise, little Tang San could never have survived. We need to leave this place quickly, in case that soul beast returns."

Dragon Duke was somewhat unwilling. He glared angrily at Tang San and viciously smashed his Dragon Staff into the ground, making the earth creak.

"Tang San, I don't care whether you truly encountered the Titan Giant Ape. I'll only ask you one thing: will you join my family or not?"

"Heh. Since the two Seniors cannot fulfill my wish, there is no way I will join Senior's family. If Senior truly intends to force me, then this junior will not be polite!"

Dragon Duke laughed loudly. His body shook, and an incomparably violent aura slammed Tang San hard against the roots of a tree. His body felt as though it were bound, leaving him unable to break free.

"Boy, since you refuse, don't blame us for being impolite. The Title Douluo isn't here. Let's see who can stop me."

Chao Tianxiang stopped Dragon Duke. "Old man, what are you doing? He's still a child. What will we do if that lord investigates?"

Meng Shu clenched his fists. Looking at Tang San's arrogant and overbearing manner, his fury rose several more notches.

"Nothing anyone says today will matter!"

"Oh? Is that so? As expected of Dragon Duke. You don't even place me in your eyes anymore?"

Just as Dragon Duke was about to kill Tang San, a cold voice rang out behind them.

Someone had entered Dragon Duke's detection range without anyone noticing. The expressions of all three changed at once.

Dragon Duke turned around and looked toward a young man steadily approaching them.

The young man wore a mask, making it impossible to see his exact appearance. However, his clothes, build, and even his mouth looked no different from that young man's.

Snake Dowager Chao Tianxiang's expression changed drastically. "Old man, he's that Title Douluo!"

Meng Shu was so shocked that his jaw nearly dropped. At the same time, he assumed a combat stance, and all eight soul rings on his body lit up.

"Level 82, assault-type. Together with Snake Dowager, he can use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, making his strength comparable to a Title Douluo. However, Snake Dowager is a Spirit Emperor. If she were a Soul Douluo, perhaps they could contend with a Level 95 Title Douluo."