The next day, when the sky was just beginning to lighten, morning rays streamed through the crack in the window.
Zhu Zhuqing groggily opened her eyes, got out of bed, and slipped into her black leather outfit. She planned to cultivate for a while before the day's classes began.
As her hand rested on the door, she caught sight of Xiao Wu's empty bed from the corner of her eye.
Why had Xiao Wu gotten up so early today?
Zhu Zhuqing was somewhat puzzled, but she did not dwell on it. Shaking her head, she gently pushed open the door and walked out.
Shrek Academy, in the dense forest behind the school.
"Tang San, I heard you gained a great deal during this trip to the Star Dou Forest." Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San. "Let me see it."
"Yes, Teacher."
At this moment, Tang San had no idea that his Xiao Wu had already been taken away. He obediently nodded in response.
"My Blue Silver Grass changed when it absorbed its third Soul Ring." As Tang San spoke, he raised a hand and summoned his Blue Silver Grass.
Blue Silver Grass as thick as Lone Bamboo extended before Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang picked up a strand of Blue Silver Grass and carefully studied the golden patterns on it. Then he brought it to his nose and inhaled its fragrance.
"Tang San, your Blue Silver Grass has indeed evolved. It should now be called the Blue Silver Emperor." Yu Xiaogang set down the Blue Silver Grass in his hand.
"Blue Silver Emperor?" Tang San asked in confusion. "What is that?"
Yu Xiaogang adjusted his collar. It was time for him to display his theoretical expertise again. He raised a hand to his mouth and coughed twice.
"The Blue Silver Emperor is the sovereign among Blue Silver Grass. Generally speaking, once a Blue Silver Grass Soul Beast cultivates for a hundred thousand years, it can become a Blue Silver Emperor. The most obvious feature is these golden patterns on its body."
"I see." Tang San nodded, then thought of Xiao Wu's Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul. "Then, Teacher, can Xiao Wu's Soft Bone Rabbit evolve into a Soft Bone Rabbit Emperor too?"
Yu Xiaogang fell silent.
He had only learned about the Blue Silver Emperor from the secret tale of Tang Hao and Ah Yin back then. How could he know anything about a Soft Bone Rabbit Emperor?
He really wanted to ask Tang San, why not ask whether there was a Luo Sanpao Emperor?
At least he could answer that one with a no.
In the end, faced with his disciple's eager, thirsting gaze for knowledge,
he gave an ambiguous answer. "Opportunities for Martial Soul Evolution are things one can encounter but not seek. Your Blue Silver Grass evolving into a Blue Silver Emperor is already an immense stroke of fortune."
"Let me see your third Soul Skill."
Yu Xiaogang hurriedly changed the subject, afraid Tang San would ask whether there were Evil Eye White Tiger Emperors or Hell Spirit Cat Emperors.
"Yes. Third Soul Skill, Blue Silver Bamboo Thorn Formation!"
Tang San's third Soul Ring flashed beneath his feet. The ground instantly split with countless cracks, and Blue Silver Grass bearing sharp bamboo blades burst from the earth one after another, fiercely stabbing toward the distant trees.
"This Soul Skill of yours should have come from a Sword Bamboo." Yu Xiaogang reached out to touch the bamboo blade gleaming with cold light. The instant his finger made contact, a bright red cut was left on it.
"Teacher!" Tang San cried anxiously.
"It is nothing." Yu Xiaogang calmly tucked his hand behind his back.
"Yes, Teacher. It came from a Sword Bamboo just over a thousand years old." Tang San only relaxed after seeing Yu Xiaogang was fine.
"A thousand years is just right. Your first Soul Ring was only ten years old. Rashly absorbing a seventeen-hundred-year Soul Ring might not have succeeded." Yu Xiaogang was still forcing himself to show off his theories.
Just then,
"Tang San, Master, something's wrong!"
Ma Hongjun flew in from the direction of the academy like a cannonball, landing heavily in front of them.
"Fatty, what happened?"
Tang San stepped forward and asked with a frown.
"Xiao... Xiao Wu is gone!"
Ma Hongjun bent over with both hands on his knees, gasping for breath.
"What?!"
Tang San's expression changed drastically. He seized Ma Hongjun by the shoulders with frightening force.
"Tang San." Yu Xiaogang patted Tang San's shoulder, signaling him to calm down. "Ma Hongjun, tell us exactly what happened."
Only then did Tang San release him, his eyes fixed fiercely on Ma Hongjun as if Ma Hongjun were the culprit behind Xiao Wu's disappearance.
Ma Hongjun rubbed his painfully squeezed shoulders and glanced at Tang San, seemingly not expecting Tang San to be so strong.
But he understood Tang San's feelings and felt no resentment.
"When Zhu Zhuqing got up to cultivate today, Xiao Wu was already gone from the dormitory." Ma Hongjun took a deep breath. "Since it was almost time for training, Zhu Zhuqing woke Ning Rongrong. The two of them searched the entire school, but they still couldn't find Xiao Wu."
"How could Xiao Wu suddenly disappear..." Tang San's gaze turned vacant.
"The Headmaster and Teacher Zhao are already searching." Ma Hongjun patted Tang San on the back.
"Xiao Wu wouldn't leave without warning." Tang San suddenly grabbed Yu Xiaogang's arm, his voice trembling. "Teacher, Xiao Wu must have been taken away! She must have been!"
"Tang San, I just told you that no matter when or where, you must think and judge calmly." Yu Xiaogang reprimanded Tang San. "Especially at a time like this, you need to remain calm."
"Teacher, Xiao Wu..." Tang San tried to say something, but Yu Xiaogang cut him off. "Impulsiveness cannot solve any problem!"
"Let's go back and meet up with Flender and the others first." Yu Xiaogang waved his hand. "Tang San, use this time to calm yourself as well."
Shrek Academy.
The moment Yu Xiaogang, Tang San, and Ma Hongjun returned, they saw Flender standing in the open space with a grave expression.
"Headmaster Flender, have you found Xiao Wu?" Tang San asked hoarsely.
"I carefully scouted the area around the academy just now, but I found no traces at all." Flender shook his head with a dark expression.
Of course they could not find any traces. Xiao Wu had not touched the ground at all, afraid that even a single footprint would allow someone to follow the clues and find her.
"Teacher, I still feel that Xiao Wu was taken away." The image of Xiao Wu being absent-minded yesterday surfaced in his mind. "Something was off about her yesterday."
Flender frowned and rejected Tang San's guess. "If she had been taken away, Xiao Wu would definitely have resisted. There couldn't have been no disturbance at all."
"Could she have been lured somewhere deserted before the other party acted?" Tang San pressed.
"Tang San, why would that person take Xiao Wu?" Yu Xiaogang hit the nail on the head. "Does Xiao Wu have anything worth coveting?"
Tang San fell silent.
That was right. Xiao Wu did not even possess a single valuable item.
At that moment,
Zhao Wuji returned to the academy with Shrek's other Soul Emperor teachers. The moment he entered, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "We didn't find Xiao Wu! We searched everywhere around Suotuo City!"
Tang San's face turned ashen, but the voice in his heart grew increasingly clear—Xiao Wu had definitely been taken away.
Not long after, Dai Mubai returned as well with Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Oscar. All of them were drenched in sweat from exhaustion. "We searched Suotuo City inside and out, but we found no sign of Xiao Wu."
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