Coveting Xiao Wu? Tang San's Dragon Whisker Needles Ready to Strike? Flender Smiled Bitterly: "You Two Seniors Must Be Joking!"

Flender and Zhao Wuji's alarm bells blared. Cold sweat nearly soaked their backs in an instant.

The two mysterious powerhouses before them had unfathomable strength.

Even though they hovered in midair, Flender and Zhao Wuji couldn't sense the slightest trace of Soul Power.

There could only be one explanation: their Soul Power Levels far surpassed their own.

Both of them were powerful Soul Saints.

This man and woman before them were undoubtedly Titled Douluo!

The silver-haired woman was especially terrifying. Just standing there, she made them feel no desire to resist.

The most likely reason they had appeared here was...

Their gazes swept, almost in unison, toward Xiao Wu, who stood behind Tang San with a pale face.

They're here for her! A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form!

Flender's heart tightened.

He had indeed once coveted a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and Soul Bone.

But on the one hand, the letter from Yu Xiaogang that Tang San had brought gave him pause; on the other, Flender had his own principles.

But now, facing two beings who seemed to be Titled Douluo, could he still hold to those principles?

Should he fight to stop them, even if it cost him his life, or watch helplessly as they took Xiao Wu away?

Either choice could spell disaster for Shrek Academy.

Zhao Wuji's muscles tensed. His seven Soul Rings shimmered. Though he knew he was outmatched, his ferocious nature had him ready to fight to the death.

Zhao Wuji clenched his teeth, his heart pounding like a drum. He stared fixedly at Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena in the sky, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. Then he said gravely:

"Your Excellencies, this is the site of Shrek Academy's entrance examination. If you have private business, please wait until afterward!"

Tang San was even more perceptive. He noticed the furtive glances from Flender and Zhao Wuji, as well as the tension and greed hanging in the air.

He realized at once that these two had most likely come for Xiao Wu!

Now that the Sky Screen had revealed everything, the real crisis had finally arrived!

Without hesitation, Tang San stepped forward and used his still-thin frame to shield Xiao Wu firmly behind him.

His left hand quietly drew ten Dragon Whisker Needles from Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.

The phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer flickered in his right hand. His gaze was resolute and unyielding.

Though Tang San's body trembled slightly under the other party's invisible pressure,

his resolve to protect Xiao Wu was unmistakable—

If they wanted to hurt Xiao Wu, they would have to step over his dead body!

Feeling Tang San move, Xiao Wu's delicate body trembled. She raised her head and looked at the not-so-broad but unshakably steadfast back before her. A complicated emotion flashed through her vacant eyes.

She, too, sensed the faint aura of kinship coming from the silver-haired woman.

But the black-haired youth with golden eyes gave her an even deeper, more terrifying sense of oppression. Her instincts as a Soul Beast were screaming warnings.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the clearing turned taut, like a bowstring about to snap.

Yet as everyone from Shrek Academy braced for the worst, Gu Yuan suddenly chuckled, breaking the frozen silence.

"Heh..."

Holding Gu Yuena's hand, Gu Yuan slowly descended from the sky, looking as relaxed as if he were strolling through his own backyard.

The terrifying pressure that had enveloped the entire area receded like a tide. Zhao Wuji and Flender breathed a sigh of relief, only to feel even more uncertain.

Gu Yuan studied the tense, guarded Tang San with interest, then glanced at the trembling Xiao Wu behind him. A glint of amusement crossed his golden eyes.

"Relax."

His tone was easy, tinged with a hint of teasing.

"We're not interested in a malnourished little rabbit that looks like it wouldn't have much meat on it."

Everyone was taken aback.

Xiao Wu snapped her head up, staring at Gu Yuan in disbelief.

He... wasn't interested in a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring and Soul Bone?

And what was with that contemptuous remark?

Malnourished?

Not much meat on it?

Gu Yuena furrowed her brow slightly and gave Gu Yuan's palm a gentle squeeze. She sent him a voice transmission:

"Xiao Yuan, stop scaring her."

Gu Yuan smiled back, then turned his attention to the grave-faced Flender and pointed at the battered wooden sign beside them, which listed Shrek Academy's admission requirements.

"We're just passing through. We heard this academy only accepted monsters, so..."

The corner of Gu Yuan's mouth curved upward, his expression brimming with the swagger and provocation of youth.

"We came to see for ourselves what level these so-called monsters are at."

Gu Yuan's gaze swept over Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others before settling on Zhao Wuji.

"So, does your academy still accept challengers?

Or..."

Gu Yuan raised his chin slightly, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Would your academy dare take the two of us in?"

At this, Flender and Zhao Wuji exchanged a look, both seeing doubt and confusion in the other's eyes.

The golden-eyed youth spoke with such casual ease that he didn't sound like he had come to cause trouble. He even seemed to have the playful curiosity of a young man.

But why would powerhouses like them take an interest in a little academy like Shrek?

Could it really be that they're just here for fun?

Flender's thoughts raced.

Or perhaps they aren't truly uninterested in Xiao Wu, but are wary of Tang Hao, who might be hiding nearby?

The thought of the Clear Sky Douluo—though disgraced, still terrifyingly powerful—possibly watching from somewhere nearby made Flender's scalp prickle.

Perhaps these two Titled Douluo-level powerhouses were holding back to avoid complications and a clash with Tang Hao, whose condition was unknown?

Whatever the truth, Flender didn't dare slight two unfathomably powerful experts, much less treat them like ordinary young people.

Flender forced a smile that looked more like a grimace and stepped forward, adopting a deeply deferential posture. His voice was earnest.

"You two seniors must be joking."

Flender pushed up his glasses and smiled bitterly.

"As you can see, our Shrek Academy is nothing but a run-down little place out in the countryside. Our teaching staff is weak, our resources scarce, and we don't even have a decent Mimicry Cultivation Environment.

We're simply... too small a temple with too shallow a pond to accommodate two dragons like you.

We're afraid we'd only hinder your cultivation.

We humbly ask you two seniors to show mercy and not make things difficult for us."

Flender's words were exceedingly deferential. He was practically saying outright, "We can't afford to offend you. Please let us go."

Seeing that Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena seemed to have no intention of attacking right away, Tang San felt the taut string inside him loosen a little.

Tang San took a deep breath and quietly put away the Dragon Whisker Needles. The phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer vanished as well, though he maintained a subtle guard.

Tang San stepped forward, bowed slightly to Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena, and spoke with neither arrogance nor humility, though with more respect than usual:

"This junior is Tang San.

Though I don't know why you two seniors have come to Shrek, you've made it clear that you bear Xiao Wu no ill will. That's a relief, and I thank you."