Entering Shrek, Xiao Wu's Anomaly

After leaving the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, you had no specific destination in mind, so you followed Ning Rongrong to Shrek Academy. Although you were puzzled as to why she would want to enroll in an academy located in such a remote village, you accompanied her and joined Shrek Academy all the same.

However, Shrek Academy did not leave a good impression on you—you felt that the people in this academy were all somewhat abnormal. There was a "lecherous tiger" who brazenly walked into a hotel with a pair of twins to indulge in debauchery in broad daylight, a fatty who couldn't live without women and even demeaned himself by frequenting brothels, and a bearded uncle whose soul skills and personality were both incredibly sleazy.

Among these Shrek students, the only one you could barely stand was the guy named Tang San. Of course, you were more curious about the bizarre methods he used when facing Zhao Wuji, and you secretly committed these techniques, known as hidden weapons, to memory.

Perhaps a change of environment was indeed helpful for cultivation; not long after joining Shrek Academy, Ning Rongrong broke through to the thirtieth level of soul power. Together with Oscar, who had also reached the thirtieth level, you all set off for the Star Dou Forest.

But what you didn't expect was that shortly after entering the Star Dou Forest, you encountered an unimaginably terrifying enemy—a hundred-thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape.

To protect Ning Rongrong, you revealed your martial soul in front of the Shrek Academy group for the first time, exposing your soul rings to their sight.

The moment the four soul rings—yellow, purple, purple, and black—appeared, the air seemed to freeze for an instant.

But no one had the heart to be surprised, for that terrifying Titan Giant Ape was already closing in on them.

Yu Tianjue took a deep breath, gripped the Asura Demon Sword—which had transformed into a greatsword—with one hand, and a cold, murderous intent suddenly erupted.

The next instant, Ning Rongrong understood his intent and immediately chanted rapidly:

"Seven Treasures Glazed Tile, first: Power."

"Seven Treasures Glazed Tile, second: Speed."

"Seven Treasures Glazed Tile, third: Soul!"

Four beams of light shot out almost simultaneously; two landed on Zhao Wuji, who had already appeared above the Titan Giant Ape's head, and the other two landed on Yu Tianjue.

The first soul ring behind Yu Tianjue flickered quietly—this first soul ring, nearing eight hundred years, provided you with an augmentation skill capable of accumulating your own momentum and sharpness.

Under the dual amplification of your own soul skill and Ning Rongrong's, your subsequent fourth soul skill would be enough to unleash terrifying power!

The black soul ring flickered silently. The next instant, Yu Tianjue's figure turned into a blur, appearing directly in front of the Titan Giant Ape as the Asura Demon Sword in his hand struck down ferociously!

Fourth Soul Skill: Asura Slash!

Zhao Wuji, who had attempted to launch the first attack on the Titan Giant Ape, was tossed aside without suspense, but it was precisely because Zhao Wuji had attracted the beast's attention that Yu Tianjue's strike was able to land successfully.

A flash of scarlet blood vanished in an instant.

Yu Tianjue's sword fell with the force of ten thousand jun, yet as the blade struck, he felt his hand go numb, and the Asura Demon Sword nearly slipped from his grasp.

Immediately following, the sound waves from the Titan Giant Ape's deafening roar sent Yu Tianjue flying—his strike had left a bloodstain on the beast, but that was all.

If this had been a Soul Emperor-level soul master, they might have been injured by such a blow, but the opponent was, after all, a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast.

He failed to inflict any substantial damage, instead further enraging the creature.

The next instant, a massive palm descended like a sky-covering shroud.

Yu Tianjue had no time to dodge; he could only throw himself over Ning Rongrong, shielding her beneath him.

But strangely, the Titan Giant Ape did not continue to attack them; it simply snatched Xiao Wu away.

Soon, the Titan Giant Ape left with Xiao Wu, and the entire forest fell back into an eerie silence.

"Brother Tianjue, are you alright? Are you hurt? Is it serious?"

Just as she crawled out from under Yu Tianjue, Ning Rongrong began to check his condition with concern. Her beautiful eyes were fixed entirely on him, and she didn't even notice the others who had also suffered grazes, nor the grief-stricken Tang San.

"I'm fine."

Yu Tianjue shook his head, subconsciously looking at Tang San, a sense of hesitation rising in his heart.

The Titan Giant Ape... that terrifying soul beast went to such great lengths, yet it didn't kill them, choosing only to take Xiao Wu?

This anomaly made you keenly aware that something was wrong, though you couldn't put your finger on what it was for the moment. You could only watch as Tang San resolutely chose the Human-Faced Demon Spider, which nominally exceeded the optimal age limit for a soul master, as his third soul ring.

In fact, your own second soul ring had already reached the two-thousand-year limit.

Just as the members of Shrek Academy were watching Tang San absorb his soul ring with worry, Xiao Wu inexplicably ran back.

According to Xiao Wu's own explanation, she heard a strange bovine roar, and then the Titan Giant Ape set her down and left with a nervous expression. The surrounding area was filled with soul beasts that had been stunned by its roar, and since she had just happened to break through to the thirtieth level of soul power, she found a suitable soul beast to kill and absorb its ring before running all the way back.

What made you feel even more suspicious was that the others at Shrek Academy didn't probe any further, believing Xiao Wu's story so easily.

You truly couldn't fathom how everything could be such a coincidence—that there just happened to be another soul beast's cry, that the Titan Giant Ape just happened to set her down and leave, that the surrounding area was filled with stunned soul beasts, and that Xiao Wu just happened to break through to the thirtieth level.

These coincidences made you feel that Xiao Wu was not a normal person. While at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, you often read ancient texts in your spare time and knew of the legend that hundred-thousand-year-old soul beasts could take human form to recultivate. You believed that Xiao Wu was one such beast.

However, you did not share this judgment with anyone else, telling only Ning Rongrong and asking her to notify Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, while you wrote a letter to your own grandfather.

Because the ancient texts stated that before a soul beast in human form reached maturity, a Title Douluo could discern their identity at a glance. Therefore, you intended to invite your grandfather to pay a visit. If Xiao Wu were truly a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast, there was no way you would let her go; after all, you were well aware of how precious a hundred-thousand-year-old soul ring was. If she were not, it would merely have been a small trouble for your grandfather to make the trip.