I Did It on Purpose by Accident

Tang San sprinted through the dense forest like a madman.

Branches lashed across his face, carving bloody streaks into his skin, but he didn't feel a thing.

At that moment, only one thought remained in his mind:

The Titan Giant Ape had taken Xiao Wu!

What would he do if anything happened to her?

At the thought, he quickened his pace even more.

But just then, a black figure suddenly swooped down from the treetops.

Tang San reacted instantly, rolling hard to the side.

Boom!

The thing slammed into the ground, sending dirt flying.

Tang San scrambled to his feet and took a closer look. His heart sank.

A Man Faced Demon Spider!

And judging by its size, it had at least two thousand years of cultivation!

A grotesque, twisted face on the beast's abdomen stared straight at Tang San, as if sneering at him.

Its body was coated in purplish-black venom. With every step it took, the plants beneath it withered as the venom swiftly corroded them.

Tang San gritted his teeth at the sight.

He didn't have time to waste fighting this thing.

"Get out of my way!"

Tang San summoned his Blue Silver Grass and lit up his First Soul Ring. Countless vines shot toward the Man Faced Demon Spider, trying to ensnare it.

But the moment the Blue Silver Grass touched its body, the corrosive venom dissolved it.

Tang San frowned and immediately changed tactics.

He used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, his movements turning instantly elusive and unpredictable.

The Man Faced Demon Spider's pounce missed. Its eight legs clawed furiously at the earth, and its venom seeped into the soil, raising wisps of white smoke.

Tang San seized the chance to circle around its flank, raised his right hand, and sent three Sleeve Arrows whistling through the air.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The Sleeve Arrows struck the Man Faced Demon Spider's shell, leaving behind only a few white marks.

The beast's defenses were too tough.

The Man Faced Demon Spider wasn't hurt, but the attack still enraged it.

It immediately opened its mouth and sprayed a huge mouthful of venom.

The venom burst apart in midair, spreading like a giant net as it descended toward Tang San.

Tang San hurriedly retreated, but some still splashed onto his clothes, corroding a huge hole in an instant.

Seeing this, he acted without hesitation. He circulated his Mysterious Jade Hand and tore the contaminated patch of cloth from his body.

But the Man Faced Demon Spider wasn't about to let him catch his breath. Taking advantage of Tang San's distraction, it immediately raised its foreleg and swept it toward him.

Tang San couldn't dodge in time. The blow caught him in the chest and sent him flying into a large tree with a heavy thud.

Pfft!

A mouthful of blood burst from his lips.

Tang San felt as if his internal organs had been knocked out of place.

The Man Faced Demon Spider gave him no chance to recover. Its eight legs scuttled rapidly as it charged toward him.

As that ugly, twisted face drew closer and closer,

Tang San gritted his teeth through the pain and reached for his waist with his right hand.

Dragon Whisker Needle.

It was his strongest killing move at the moment, one he'd intended to save for a life-or-death situation.

But now, he had no choice.

Tang San's gaze sharpened as he prepared to strike.

Suddenly, a shout rang out in the distance, interrupting him.

"Look out!"

Before Tang San could react, a figure appeared out of nowhere above the Man Faced Demon Spider.

The person held a baseball bat and brought it straight down on the spider's head.

Thud!

With a single blow, the Man Faced Demon Spider's head burst like a watermelon.

Tang San immediately circulated his Mysterious Jade Hand, moving it rapidly to bat away the venom spraying in every direction.

The Man Faced Demon Spider didn't even have time to scream. Its eight legs gave way, and it collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Then a purple Soul Ring slowly rose from its corpse.

Tang San stared, dumbfounded.

He looked at the gray-haired young man before him, his mind utterly blank.

Who was this guy?

Ye Qiong put away his baseball bat and turned to glance at him.

"Are you okay?"

Tang San didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the purple Soul Ring.

That was the prey I'd risked my life to hold off.

And now someone had stolen the kill with a single swing of his bat!

Tang San drew a deep breath, forcing down his anger.

"I spotted this Man Faced Demon Spider first."

Ye Qiong spread his hands.

"I just accidentally hit it a little too hard on purpose. Besides, if I hadn't stepped in, you'd already be a corpse."

Tang San gritted his teeth.

"That doesn't mean you had to kill it! I could've handled it!"

Ye Qiong smiled.

"Could you? Who was the one getting beaten until he spat blood just now?"

Tang San had no answer.

He knew the other man was telling the truth, but he still couldn't swallow his anger.

Ye Qiong had killed the Man Faced Demon Spider, and Tang San couldn't absorb its Soul Ring.

By the rules of the Soul Master World, whoever killed a Soul Beast got its Soul Ring.

He didn't even have grounds to contest it.

Just then, footsteps sounded through the woods.

Zhao Wuji arrived with Dai Mubai and the others.

"Xiao San! Are you all right?"

Zhao Wuji saw the blood at the corner of Tang San's mouth, and his expression changed.

Tang San shook his head.

"Teacher Zhao, I'm fine."

Zhao Wuji glanced at the purple Soul Ring and frowned.

"What happened here?"

Tang San was about to answer, but Ning Rongrong cried out first.

"Ye Qiong?! Why is it you again?"

Ye Qiong looked at Ning Rongrong, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

"Well, fancy meeting you here, Miss Ning."

Ning Rongrong bit her lip and stepped forward.

"What are you doing here? Trying to steal something from Shrek?"

Before Ye Qiong could answer, more footsteps came from the other side of the woods.

Tribbie emerged with Phainon and the others.

Wang Sheng glanced at Tang San without saying anything, then took his place behind Ye Qiong.

Phainon walked over to Ye Qiong and murmured a few words to him.

Ye Qiong listened, then nodded.

Phainon turned to the Shrek group.

"Everyone, I think there's been a misunderstanding. The headmaster was saving someone."

Zhao Wuji scoffed at that.

"So you're from Omphalos Academy. Saving someone? Looks to me like you were clearly trying to steal the Soul Ring."

Phainon calmly shook his head.

"We saw everything clearly from a distance. The Man Faced Demon Spider was about to attack Tang San, so the headmaster called out a warning before intervening."

"That's right, I heard it too. And the headmaster killed the beast with a single swing. Who knew it'd be so fragile?"

Bai Chenxiang also stepped forward to defend Ye Qiong.

Zhao Wuji fell silent for a moment, then looked at Ye Qiong.

"Whatever the case, we at Shrek spotted this Man Faced Demon Spider first."

Ye Qiong smiled.

"Spotted it first? Then tell me, when Tang San was almost killed by it just now, where were you?"

Zhao Wuji was at a loss for words.

Ning Rongrong, however, refused to let it go.

"Ye Qiong, you did it on purpose! You must be jealous of Shrek, so you're deliberately picking a fight with us!"

Ye Qiong glanced at her as if she were a joke.

"Ning Rongrong, you think far too highly of yourself."

Ning Rongrong trembled with rage and turned to Zhao Wuji.

"Teacher Zhao, let's fight him!"

Dai Mubai stepped forward too, fists clenched and ready for battle.

"Right. We can't just let this go."

Seeing this, everyone summoned their Martial Souls.

Zhao Wuji drew a deep breath and released the pressure of a Soul Sage.

"Ye Qiong, headmaster of Omphalos Academy, right? Give us an explanation."

Ye Qiong looked at them, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

"An explanation? Heh."

The next second, he took one step forward, and seven Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet.

Yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, red!

"What kind of explanation do you want?"