The body hit the ground with a dull thud.
Zhao Wuji had slammed Yu Xiaogang down hard enough that he nearly coughed up his breakfast.
Flender and Tang San hurried over to help Yu Xiaogang.
"Teacher! Teacher, are you all right?"
Tang San kept rubbing Yu Xiaogang's chest to ease the suffocating feeling Zhao Wuji had left him with.
Flender looked anxious as he sent a surge of Soul Power into Yu Xiaogang's body, checking his vital signs.
The scene descended into chaos.
Zhao Wuji had watched the whole thing unfold, but he couldn't be bothered to waste his breath on them. With his ruthless, no-nonsense temperament, he wasn't about to let Yu Xiaogang walk all over him.
He was only a Soul Grandmaster. Back when Zhao Wuji had roamed the world, he'd killed Soul Kings and Soul Emperors among others. Did Yu Xiaogang really think people called him the Immovable Wisdom King for no reason?
Zhao Wuji took a step forward and pointed at Yu Xiaogang's nose.
"You're Yu Xiaogang, right? My name is Zhao Wuji. If you want to stay at this academy, keep your head down whenever you see me."
"I don't care if you're the Grandmaster or whatever. Around here, there are only Titled Douluo and ants. Even if a Soul Douluo showed up, I'd still take him head-on."
"Keep shouting at me, and even Flender won't be able to stop me."
With that, Zhao Wuji spat at Yu Xiaogang. The spit landed right on Yu Xiaogang's leg. Then he left the office without another word.
Bang!
The door slammed shut with such force that it shook wood splinters loose from the frame.
Lin Yan pursed his lips at the sight and couldn't help thinking how great it was to have real strength!
After another two or three minutes, Yu Xiaogang finally got his breathing under control and could speak again.
As soon as he'd recovered a little, he turned to Flender and demanded furiously, "Flender, you'd better give me an explanation."
He'd heard that Flender was in charge of the entire academy. That was why he'd dared to speak so rudely to Zhao Wuji.
Yu Xiaogang had assumed that, given his relationship with Flender, he'd at least be the academy's second-in-command. He hadn't expected to get beaten just for cursing at Zhao Wuji...
And it had happened right in front of his beloved disciple, Tang San. He felt utterly humiliated.
Flender wore an awkward expression. For a moment, he didn't know how to explain things to Yu Xiaogang. Was he supposed to tell this Soul Grandmaster, whose self-esteem was sky-high but who had no strength to back it up, that this was Douluo Continent, where the weak couldn't challenge the strong?
Obviously not. Flender was still counting on Yu Xiaogang's theories to solve the problems with Lin Yan and Hongjun's Evil Fire. In the end, he could only turn to Ma Hongjun and Lin Yan, who had been watching the show.
"Hongjun, Lin Yan, what exactly happened to Tang San?"
The two exchanged a glance, then Ma Hongjun explained everything that had happened in the Star Dou Forest.
From Xiao Wu being taken by the Titan Giant Ape, to Tang San and Lin Yan chasing after her one after the other and leaving the group, to Tang San being brought back unconscious the next morning...
Apart from a few unimportant details, Ma Hongjun described the entire sequence carefully.
Tang San stayed silent the whole time, as though he didn't want to bring up a painful past.
"What about Xiao Wu? Tang San was so badly hurt saving her. Where is she?"
After hearing the whole story, Yu Xiaogang turned his accusations on Xiao Wu.
From his perspective, if Tang San hadn't gone after Xiao Wu, he wouldn't have left the group on his own and ended up attacked by other Soul Beasts.
Ma Hongjun pursed his lips. "Probably back in the dorm."
Yu Xiaogang was just about to flare up and say more when Tang San spoke first.
"Teacher, don't blame Xiao Wu!"
"It was my own—"
"Enough!"
Yu Xiaogang cut Tang San off, his eyes full of frustrated disappointment.
He'd spent six years painstakingly raising this disciple and pouring all his heart into him, yet Tang San had ruined himself over a woman! How could he accept that?
What if this affected Tang San's future cultivation? Who would put his theories into practice then?
What if Tang Hao blamed him? Would he even survive?
Then, as if struck by a thought, he hurriedly turned to Flender.
"Flender, go find the best healing Soul Master in Suotuo City for San right now. No matter what, my disciple can't be allowed to stop here."
Just then, Lin Yan spoke up.
"He's actually not in any serious danger."
"His wounds should heal completely in a few days. He's just missing a few things..."
"Shut up! You're not the one who got hurt. What gives you the right to say that so casually?"
"What's your name?"
Yu Xiaogang reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on! Hearing Lin Yan oppose sending for a healing Soul Master, he immediately went into a rage, his eyes bloodshot and his breathing heavy.
It was as if Lin Yan were the one trying to stop him from putting his theories to the test.
Fortunately, Tang San stepped forward to explain.
"Teacher, Lin Yan treated me the whole way here. My wounds really are almost healed..."
"Exactly! Do you think Tang San would still be alive if it weren't for Lin Yan? You don't have to thank him, but yelling at him like that is downright ungrateful."
Seeing Lin Yan get shouted at, Ma Hongjun also spoke up in his defense.
Yu Xiaogang ignored them both, focusing instead on the key information he'd picked up.
"Lin Yan? You're Lin Yan?"
"The one who cultivated Blue Silver Grass into a healing-type Martial Soul and has the Evil Fire Demon Snake as his other Martial Soul? A Soul Elder with Twin Martial Souls?"
Lin Yan furrowed his brow slightly. He had a feeling that if he stayed any longer, given Yu Xiaogang and Tang San's personalities, he'd end up in a conflict with them.
He wanted to avoid trouble for now so he could keep pursuing Xiao Wu in peace.
Lin Yan glanced at Yu Xiaogang and his disciple, then looked toward Flender.
"I'm tired. I'm going back to rest."
"You can talk among yourselves."
As he spoke, he turned and reached for the door.
But when Yu Xiaogang saw Lin Yan ignoring his question, he seized the chance to make a fuss.
"Stop! Is this how Flender usually teaches you? Where's the respect you owe your elders?"
Lin Yan's brow furrowed even more at those words. He hadn't wanted to get involved, but Yu Xiaogang had been acting superior toward him from the start.
After seeing Zhao Wuji rip into Yu Xiaogang, Lin Yan couldn't hold back his anger either.
He turned to face Yu Xiaogang.
"An elder?"
"Whose elder are you? Do I even know you?"
Before Yu Xiaogang could respond, Tang San stepped forward first.
"Lin Yan! The Grandmaster is my teacher. You shouldn't treat him like that."
"Even if you saved my life, I won't let you disrespect my teacher."
Before you continue