The match was over.
On the way back.
"Hey, why are you guys standing so far away? I'm not going to eat you."
Tang Wu turned his head and saw Dai Mubai and the other two standing at least ten meters away.
All three looked terrified. Anyone who didn't know better would think Tang Wu had done something to them.
"No, no, no, Brother Wu, please don't!"
"I'd actually prefer it if you ate us. Compared to the alternative, that'd be better..."
Dai Mubai had started calling Tang Wu "Brother Wu," just like Ma Hongjun.
That was enough to show
just how terrified he was of Tang Wu at that moment.
Dai Mubai had heard Tang San talk about how much of a Demon Pill Tang Wu was, but as it turned out, the truth was far more outrageous than Tang San had let on.
"Exactly! Our little bodies couldn't take the kind of 'making' you'd put us through."
Oscar chimed in repeatedly, shaking his head so hard it left afterimages.
Tang Wu: "..."
All right.
When eyes met, you knew you'd found the right... ahem, sorry, let me start over.
In short,
Tang Wu's reputation as a Troublemaker King had been firmly stamped on him. There was no shaking it off now.
A bet was a bet.
As agreed, no matter how unwilling he was, Gangzi would have no say in the eight students' training.
With the Heaven Dou Royal Team's story coming to an end, it was time for Shrek to move as well.
Only...
This time, the one who suggested it was none other than Flender himself, the founder of Shrek.
Unlike in the original timeline, Tang San hadn't taken Gangzi as his master in this world, nor had he revealed that he possessed Twin Martial Souls.
Flender wasn't particularly invested in whether Tang Wu and the others would be able to enter the next Continental Elite Spirit Master Tournament.
Naturally, he didn't come up with the plan to borrow someone else's resources to build up their own team.
Of course,
Flender had his own little reasons for insisting they settle in Heaven Dou City.
A few days later, in Heaven Dou Imperial City.
Just as planned,
Flender and the others arrived at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. But after offending the third prince, Xue Beng, they were unceremoniously kicked out.
If Plan A wouldn't work, then they'd move on to Plan B...
When they reached the entrance to Blue Tyrant Academy, Gangzi suddenly realized he was about to run into Liu Erlong. Like a coward trying to flee, he instinctively wanted to escape, afraid to face it all.
And yet,
Liu Erlong, her heart ruled by love, thought:
Even if Xiao Gang had become like this, what else could she do? Of course she would forgive him.
Watching the two of them mend their broken relationship, Tang Wu didn't understand it, but he was deeply shocked.
Unbelievable.
Just fucking unbelievable!
May you two be locked together forever, for the rest of your lives. Whatever you do, don't go out and make trouble for anyone else.
And so, Tang Wu and the others officially settled in at Blue Tyrant Academy.
The moon was especially round tonight. The sky was cloudless, the night dark and windy—the perfect night for murder!
A ghostly green figure silently skimmed over Blue Tyrant Academy, without disturbing anyone below.
Whether it was fate's arrangement—or the author's—or simply a lack of perception,
the figure passed over Xiao Wu's dormitory without noticing anything amiss.
With a clear destination in mind, it headed straight for the home of the brothers, Tang Wu and Tang San.
Tang San's eyes snapped open in bed. He immediately sensed an intruder and went on high alert.
"Who's there?"
"Quite perceptive, aren't you? You're Tang San—the kid who went several rounds with my Yanyan without losing the upper hand?"
Dugu Bo eyed Tang San with interest, making no move to attack just yet.
He didn't mind playing with his prey a little before taking its life.
Seeing the mocking look in Dugu Bo's eyes, even a fool would have realized that the man hadn't come with good intentions.
Tang San glanced at Tang Wu, who was sleeping peacefully by the window, then gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay put.
He didn't know whether he could escape from beneath the gaze of a powerful stranger like Dugu Bo. And for his younger brother's safety alone, he had to grit his teeth and try talking to the man.
Tang San cupped his hands and spoke respectfully.
"May I ask your name, senior, and what brings you here?"
"Interesting. Even in a situation like this, you can keep your cool. You're quite the capable one..."
"I never change my name, nor hide my surname. I'm Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo."
Dugu Bo made no attempt to conceal his identity. He spoke bluntly, with an air of authority.
"I came here because you hurt Yanyan."
"Sure, people get hurt in the Spirit Fighting Arena. But she's my only granddaughter, and I treasure her more than anything. Who gave you the right to hurt her?"
Dugu Bo showed none of the restraint expected of a Titled Douluo. He didn't care that he was bullying the weak.
The moment he finished speaking, a crushing pressure bore down on Tang San.
Tang San felt as though a mountain had landed on his back. He summoned every ounce of strength he had just to keep from falling to his knees.
It wasn't that he hadn't considered fighting back. But against overwhelming strength, any resistance seemed laughable.
"Dugu Bo, I've brought you some hunchback noodles..."
"Xiao Wu, no—!!!"
Tang Wu stopped pretending to be asleep and finally realized something was wrong.
He grabbed a Blue Silver Seed and charged forward.
Then,
Tang Wu charged forward...
Tang Wu fell...
The invincible Zoffy had fallen once more.
He had run into a Titled Douluo and fought with all his might, but still couldn't win.
Faced with someone as overwhelmingly strong as Dugu Bo, Tang Wu didn't stand a chance of fighting back.
When Tang Wu woke again, he found himself in a cave. Tang San was lying beside him.
"So, we're here... the Ice and Fire Mandarin Duck Pot..."
Tang Wu knew exactly where they were, so he showed no sign of panic.
"Xiao Wu, are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Tang San had also woken from his unconsciousness.
The first thing he did after waking wasn't to check on himself. He was more concerned about Tang Wu.
He really... I'm crying!
Tang Wu shook his head.
"Brother, I'm fine. But it looks like we've been brought to a valley."
Tang San walked out of the cave, and the scene in the valley came into view.
His eyes widened. His mouth hung open in shock, and for a long while, he couldn't close it.
"This, this is..."
Tang Wu naturally understood why Tang San reacted that way.
The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was one of the three great treasure troves. Any single Immortal Herb growing there could transform someone from head to toe.
In fact,
taking one could even give someone the potential to become a god.
Though Tang Wu had been prepared, seeing the valley brimming with Immortal Herbs still made his heart skip a beat.
The valley formed an inverted triangle, with a spring at its center. One half was red and blazing hot, the other blue and icy cold.
At the same time, the air was thick with the unpleasant smell of sulfur.
After a long while,
Tang San finally recovered, his awareness returning.
Then he let out a startled cry.
"The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well! This is actually the legendary Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well! I thought it was just a legend, but it really exists..."