Yu Xiaogang Arrived-and Got Depressed Again!

As Xiao Wu's voice fell,

an even more majestic surge of Soul Power naturally radiated from Lin Chuan's body.

Flender's eyes instantly widened like brass bells as he cried out in shock:

"Th... thirty-fourth level?! Lin Chuan, you broke through too?! And jumped several levels at once?!"

Zhao Wuji drew in a sharp breath.

He had just been punched so hard by the Titan Giant Ape that his faith in the Dao had nearly shattered.

And now he saw Lin Chuan's utterly inconceivable rate of advancement.

His entire worldview was on the verge of collapse.

Zhu Zhuqing was dumbfounded. In one stroke, Lin Chuan had widened the gap between them by so much?

Was Lin Chuan even human?

However, this was not the end.

Lin Chuan smiled faintly.

With a thought,

Whoosh—!

The [Azure Sky Wings] abruptly unfurled from his back!

Those magnificent wings shimmered with a dreamlike radiance beneath the dappled forest light.

"Another External Soul Bone!"

Oscar let out a pig-slaughtering shriek.

He felt like his brain was no longer enough for this.

Dai Mubai was completely stunned.

He stood there blankly, muttering to himself:

"How is this possible? He levels up as easily as drinking water and eating meals?"

"We risk our lives just to gain one level, while he went out for a stroll, rescued someone, and came back having shot from level thirty to level thirty-four."

"And he even got a ridiculously handsome External Soul Bone as a bonus? Is he trying to leave the rest of us no way to live?"

Tang San's pride was utterly shattered at that moment.

He stared blankly at the splendid wings behind Lin Chuan.

Then he lowered his head to look at the Eight Fierce Spider Legs he had just acquired and had yet to fully adapt to.

Comparisons truly made people furious!

The trace of pride he had felt from obtaining an External Soul Bone was completely obliterated.

He felt that the gap between himself and Lin Chuan

had not shrunk because of this fortunate encounter. Instead, it had widened even further.

As expected of Brother Lin Chuan!

Meanwhile, in the corner of the group, Ma Hongjun watched these freaks one after another and awkwardly scratched his head.

Dai Mubai was level thirty-seven, Lin Chuan level thirty-four, Tang San level thirty-one, Oscar level thirty, and Xiao Wu level thirty.

Even the usually quiet Zhu Zhuqing had a more condensed aura, having clearly reached level twenty-eight.

As for him, he was still stuck in place.

He had become the undisputed bottom of the pack.

His chubby face instantly flushed the color of pig liver.

Ning Rongrong could not help but feel a sense of urgency as well.

She was a genius. How could she fall so far behind? Once they got back, she had to make Lin Chuan put her through extra training!

After nearly two days of travel,

the Shrek group returned to the academy.

Their thrilling and turbulent experiences in the Star Dou Great Forest had left an indelible mark on everyone's hearts.

"The academy is still better!"

"Even if this place is a dump, there's no place like home!"

Oscar and Ma Hongjun joked around.

Flender wanted to yank their ears just from hearing it.

But at this moment, he had no right to do so.

He and Zhao Wuji, the academy's two strongest fighters, were feeling even more conflicted.

"Old Zhao, we failed in our duty this time."

Flender's voice was hoarse, filled with nothing but lingering fear and self-reproach:

"I'm the dean, you're the vice dean. Between us, we have more than one hundred and forty levels of Soul Power, yet we couldn't even protect a few children."

"If it hadn't been for Lin Chuan..."

He did not continue, but Zhao Wuji fully understood what he meant.

Zhao Wuji rubbed his chest, where a dull ache still lingered.

It was an internal injury left behind by the Titan Giant Ape's punch, but it was far less severe than the wound in his heart.

The Immovable Bright King Body he had always been so proud of had been as fragile as a sheet of window paper before that absolute power.

"Yeah."

Zhao Wuji's voice was as heavy as thunder:

"I fucking thought my strength had grown enough that I could trade blows with a Soul Douluo."

"But what happened? In front of that beast, I couldn't even take a single punch."

"If we hadn't been lucky, our whole group would probably have been left behind in the Star Dou Great Forest, neatly served up as snacks for Soul Beasts."

When faced with the Titan Giant Ape's sheer, overwhelming power,

they finally understood just how insignificant a Soul Sage was before a true Forest King.

The two exchanged silent looks as a crushing sense of helplessness weighed on their hearts.

They realized that the academy's development could not rely on just the two of them, a pair of brutes.

They needed a mind capable of planning the children's paths of growth.

Just as they were worrying over this matter,

the arrival of an uninvited guest shattered the academy's tranquility.

"Flender, it's been a long time."

A stiff-looking middle-aged man dressed in a gray robe stood in the middle of the academy.

"Xiao Gang?!"

Flender froze for a moment, then his face broke into an ecstatic expression.

He rushed forward and gave the newcomer a huge bear hug:

"You bastard, you finally decided to come find me!"

Flender excitedly pulled the man inside.

He immediately gathered all the students and solemnly introduced him:

"Come, come, all of you, get over here!"

"Let me introduce someone."

"This man is the foremost researcher of Martial Soul theory on the Douluo Continent, my good brother, the Grandmaster—Yu Xiaogang!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "Grandmaster," his eyes filled with pride.

However, the students' reactions were somewhat lukewarm.

Dai Mubai merely nodded politely.

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing regarded him with scrutiny in their eyes.

Oscar and Ma Hongjun, meanwhile, looked curious.

Only Tang San's eyes erupted with incomparable delight the moment he saw Yu Xiaogang.

He rushed forward excitedly. "Teacher! Why are you here!"

"Xiao San."

When Yu Xiaogang saw Tang San, even his stiff face revealed a rare trace of a smile.

After exchanging pleasantries,

Flender could not wait to recount their perilous experience in the Star Dou Great Forest, embellishing it heavily along the way.

The moment he heard the words "Titan Giant Ape," Yu Xiaogang's expression changed instantly.

He stared in shock at the students before him, who were almost entirely unharmed, and blurted out:

"You actually survived the Titan Giant Ape? And even rescued someone from it?"

As an authority in theoretical studies,

he knew better than anyone how terrifying the Titan Giant Ape was.

It was a being that even Title Douluo were unwilling to provoke lightly!

His gaze immediately settled on his most prized disciple.

With a trace of expectation and pride, he asked:

"Xiao San, did you do it? Did you use your wisdom and unique skills to rescue Xiao Wu from the Titan Giant Ape?"

In his mind, only Tang San, whom he had taught and who possessed Twin Martial Souls, could possibly create such a miracle.

However, Tang San shook his head, bitterness appearing on his face.

He pointed toward the big brother in the corner, who was currently yawning:

"No, Teacher. Brother Lin Chuan saved Xiao Wu."

How he wished that he had been the one to save Xiao Wu as her brother.

He had promised that he would protect Xiao Wu from now on, yet he could do nothing.

When would he be able to protect everyone like his big brother?

"Lin Chuan again?"

The smile on Yu Xiaogang's face instantly froze.

It was replaced by a gloominess he could not conceal.

That name was like a thorn, viciously stabbing into his heart.