"Xiao Qiong, you've grown even faster than I expected."
Gu Rong suddenly leaned closer.
"Kid, are you really only a Soul Saint now?"
Ye Qiong smiled with narrowed eyes. "The real deal. Level seventy-six."
"You can fight Chen Xin and me to a draw at level seventy-six? Who'd believe that?"
Chen Xin shot him a sidelong glance.
"Enough. Let's not talk about that. Fengzhi, you had something important to ask, right?"
At that, Ning Fengzhi nodded, his smile fading as he looked at Ye Qiong.
"Xiao Qiong, about Rongrong..."
Ye Qiong cut him off at once.
"I think we should call off the engagement."
Ning Fengzhi fell silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.
"Have you really made up your mind?"
"I have."
Ye Qiong had never had any particular feelings for Ning Rongrong, so of course he wouldn't agree to the engagement.
Besides, he had now awakened his memories of his past life as a Pathfinder.
How could he give up the road to the stars for a little Ning Rongrong?
"Ning Rongrong has her own path to walk, and I have mine."
Hearing Ye Qiong's words, Ning Fengzhi fell silent again for a while before nodding.
"So be it. If that's what you've decided, I won't force you."
"Next time I see her, I'll explain everything to her in person."
Ye Qiong nodded and clasped his hands toward him.
"Thank you for understanding, Uncle Ning."
Chen Xin patted Ye Qiong on the shoulder.
"Don't overthink it, kid. With your strength and status, what celestial maiden wouldn't be good enough for you? They'd all have to reach above themselves to get you. Rongrong's just unlucky, that's all."
For once, Gu Rong didn't argue.
"Old Sword's right."
Ye Qiong smiled and didn't continue the subject.
After seeing Ning Fengzhi and the others off, Ye Qiong returned to his office and opened the system panel.
A notification appeared:
[New mission issued: Sever Tang San's opportunity. Reward: 3,000 Star Jades.]
Ye Qiong looked at the mission, his brows drawing together slightly.
Tang San's opportunity?
Had Tang San come to Heaven Dou?
But he had already cleared out the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, even taking the dragon bones from beneath the springs. What could possibly be left there?
"System, explain yourself."
The system gave no response.
Ye Qiong thought it over for a moment, then decided to go and see for himself.
Since the system had issued a mission, there had to be an opportunity somewhere.
If it wasn't the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, then it might be somewhere else.
Whatever the case, the most important thing was to see what Tang San was up to.
He changed clothes and left the academy alone, heading toward the western outskirts of Heaven Dou City.
As he passed the entrance to Blue Tyrant Academy, Ye Qiong suddenly stopped.
He looked up and saw that the Blue Tyrant Academy sign was gone,
replaced by a brand-new sign.
Shrek Academy.
Ye Qiong's mouth twitched slightly at the sight.
By rights, Shrek should have rested for a month before arriving, just like in the original story. He hadn't expected them to show up so soon.
Could it be that his Omphalos Academy had made Flender and the others feel threatened, making them hurry over?
The more Ye Qiong thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
But as he pondered, he suddenly heard several voices talking inside the gates. Ye Qiong immediately moved away and sat down in a café across the street.
Sure enough, the next moment, Tang San, Flender, and Yu Xiaogang came out through the gates.
They all looked rather grim, and Tang San was especially tight-lipped, not saying a word.
Seeing them, Ye Qiong wondered if they had only arrived yesterday.
Then today should be Dugu Bo...
Sure enough, speak of the devil,
and a cloud of emerald-green mist suddenly spread across the plaza.
Tang San stopped in his tracks. Before he could react, the mist had already swept him up.
Flender and Yu Xiaogang immediately turned around at the commotion, but it was too late.
"Xiao San!"
Ye Qiong's eyes narrowed. Holding his breath, he quietly followed.
Ye Qiong followed them to an unfamiliar hot spring.
He leaned against a rock wall and peeked inside.
Tang San was sitting cross-legged on a rock, his eyes tightly shut.
A faint emerald-green glow surrounded him. He was clearly neutralizing the poison in his body.
Dugu Bo stood nearby, watching him.
Ye Qiong's mouth twitched.
Clearly, after finding the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well unavailable, that Old Poisoner had found a slightly inferior blessed ground instead.
The protagonist's halo really was at work.
Ye Qiong was about to sneak closer and give Tang San a blow that would strike deep into his soul.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from outside:
"Dugu Bo! Hand him over!"
Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed. He snorted, then flashed outside.
Ye Qiong looked out and saw three figures descend from the sky.
Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Liu Erlong.
The Golden Iron Triangle had arrived in full.
Dugu Bo looked at the three, his expression darkening.
"Just the three of you?"
Liu Erlong pointed at Dugu Bo and shouted:
"Poison Douluo, I'm telling you, I'm no pushover! Ever heard of the Golden Iron Triangle? You'd better know what's good for you and hand Tang San over."
"The Golden Iron Triangle? This old man's never heard of you. But if you dare threaten me, I won't go easy on you."
"Martial Soul Avatar!"
Yu Xiaogang and the others immediately took up their positions. A triangular light array soon appeared beneath their feet.
"Sun and Moon Radiance, Golden Transformation!"
As the words rang out, golden light burst from all three of them at once. Flender and Liu Erlong poured a large amount of Soul Power into Yu Xiaogang.
The next moment, Luo Sanpao's body began to swell.
Soon, he had transformed into a Golden Sacred Dragon!
Dugu Bo's expression changed at the sight.
He had heard of the Golden Iron Triangle, but hadn't believed these three were the real thing. He hadn't expected it to be true.
The Golden Sacred Dragon swooped down, its claws tearing through the poisonous mist as it collided head-on with Dugu Bo in his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor form.
The whole valley shook as if the earth were splitting apart.
Watching the melee, Ye Qiong's mouth twitched.
Go on, fight. The fiercer, the better.
Neither side noticed that someone was quietly approaching Tang San in the shadows.
Ye Qiong's footsteps were feather-light. Tang San couldn't sense him at all.
Tang San had his eyes tightly closed, concentrating on forcing the poison out of his body. He could barely notice the changes around him.
At last, when Ye Qiong had crept up behind Tang San, he raised his hand and brought down a club with a dull thud, striking Tang San squarely on the back of the head.
The blow landed, and Tang San collapsed, unconscious.
Ye Qiong patted the baseball bat and assessed Tang San's head. "Mm, a nice, crisp sound. Looks like it's a good head."
But just then, Dugu Bo, who was outside desperately fending off the Golden Sacred Dragon's attacks, glanced into the cave from the corner of his eye. At the sight, his expression turned aghast.
"You!"
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