Old Deng won't take me to hunt soul rings, now it's trouble.

"You won't lay a finger on Xiao Wu unless you step over my dead body!"

Tang San roared furiously. The Shrek Seven Monsters stood united, and Dai Mubai and the others all declared that they would stand on the same front as Tang San and Xiao Wu.

When Yu Xiaogang saw everyone's attention shift to Xiao Wu, his heart finally relaxed. As long as they did not force him to explain theories he did not understand himself, nothing else mattered. He whispered to Liu Erlong, "Erlong, Xiao Wu is your daughter. We absolutely cannot let Spirit Hall do as they please! Be ready to use our martial soul fusion skill at any time!"

"Xiaogang, you're so good to me... You suffered such a huge blow, yet you're still thinking of me. Xiaogang, with you... my life is already complete."

Liu Erlong was so moved that she was a complete mess.

Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath and reminded her, "Erlong, don't let your guard down! Be ready to fight at any moment!"

"Mm!" Liu Erlong nodded solemnly, thinking, Xiaogang is still so capable. Even in a situation like this, he can remain calm and composed! I'm no match for him...

Beside them, Flander saw that Yu Xiaogang had recovered from the blow so quickly, and surprise filled his eyes. Xiaogang's adaptability is truly strong! Perhaps this is one of the reasons, aside from his intelligence, that he was able to become a master.

At that moment, the atmosphere was extremely tense.

Ning Fengzhi was also weighing the pros and cons in his heart. The upper three sects stand together, so I should not stand idly by! Besides, the Hall of Consecration has emerged. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect still does nothing, then the upper three sects will have no place left in the entire Douluo Continent!

"Your Holiness the Pope."

After pondering for a long time, Ning Fengzhi finally spoke.

"What? Does Sect Master Ning also intend to make an enemy of Spirit Hall?"

Ning Fengzhi cupped his hands and said, "How can Your Holiness act against a young girl based solely on Tang Si's one-sided words from the live-stream sky curtain? Moreover, Xiao Wu is also a good friend of my daughter."

"Hehe~~"

Bibi Dong sneered. "Sect Master Ning, Xiao Wu has already admitted that she is the hundred-thousand-year soul beast, the Soft-Boned Charm Rabbit, that escaped back then. Are you... pretending not to have heard it? Or do you intend to seize this hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone from Spirit Hall?"

When it came to a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, Bibi Dong's intelligence was fully online.

Rumble rumble rumble~~~

Suddenly!

Just as Ning Fengzhi was caught in a dilemma, the skies abruptly changed color, and a deep, resonant voice rang out.

"You think you're worthy of harming my son?"

Following the voice, a hooded middle-aged man dressed in ragged hemp clothes appeared in midair.

He also stood beneath the sky curtain.

Crack! Crack!

Immediately afterward, bolt after bolt of lightning tore through the sky as Tang Hao arrived with his BGM.

"Spirit Hall, I, Tang Hao, have returned!"

Tang Hao had barely begun his obligatory grand entrance line when Bibi Dong said coldly, "I didn't expect you to truly dare show yourself. Today, I'll let you know that Spirit Hall is not a place where anyone can come and go as they please!"

The moment she finished speaking, Bibi Dong directly unleashed her martial soul and charged forward with the Papal Scepter in hand.

It turned out that from the moment Tang Hao began speaking through the sky curtain, Bibi Dong had guessed that he had been watching the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament all along. Thus, Bibi Dong had long prepared herself for a battle.

"Hmph. Little San, watch closely. This is the true Clear Sky Hammer! Clear Sky Avatar!"

Tang Hao snorted coldly. In the sky, the phantom of a massive hammer condensed, becoming nearly tangible.

Bang bang bang~~~~

Bibi Dong showed no fear whatsoever, but in the next instant, all nine soul rings beneath Tang Hao's feet—including the ninth hundred-thousand-year red soul ring—suddenly exploded!

Golden Crocodile Douluo had appeared beforehand. Tang Hao immediately used his strongest attack, afraid that if he delayed for even one more exchange, he would be unable to escape.

The terrifying soul power fluctuations from detonating all nine rings nearly crushed the void. Strands of purple-black lightning erupted, as though they had emerged from cracks in space itself.

"Your Holiness the Pope!" Yue Guan and Gui Mei were greatly alarmed and hurriedly flew into the air to resist alongside her.

In the shadows.

Golden Crocodile Douluo watched everything unfold. At first, he did not intervene, but when he saw Tang Hao detonate all nine rings in succession—and then saw that the bastard actually intended to attack the Papal Hall buildings—Golden Crocodile immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Boom!

Golden Crocodile Douluo shot forward. A golden crocodile appeared out of thin air, joining Bibi Dong and the others in resisting the attack.

The terrifying aftershocks of soul power spread wildly in every direction, whipping up a violent gale.

When everything finally settled, Tang Hao had already vanished with Tang San and Xiao Wu.

Bibi Dong's expression was as dark as water.

Golden Crocodile Douluo's expression was no better. He narrowed his eyes toward Shrek's direction, barely restraining himself from taking out his anger on them.

A dignified Rank 98 Titled Douluo had actually been played by Tang Hao? It would be humiliating if word got out.

Tang Hao had come quickly and left just as quickly, without saying another word.

Because Tang Hao feared that speaking would expose the direction of his escape. If Golden Crocodile Douluo caught up to him, it would all be over.

After the soul power aftershocks faded, the scene fell silent.

Ning Fengzhi exchanged a glance with the Sword Douluo, then hurriedly left with Ning Rongrong. Seeing this, Shrek also slunk away after them.

Dugu Bo cupped his hands and said, "Golden Crocodile Douluo, until we meet again."

Dugu Bo took the initiative to greet him, catching Golden Crocodile off guard. He then nodded back at Dugu Bo, thinking, Dugu Bo's situation isn't looking good. He probably intends to borrow Spirit Hall's influence.

Everyone had dispersed from the competition grounds.

Yet the livestream in the sky continued.

No one had expected that what had originally been an ordinary Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament would end up involving so many events.

Within the heavenly screen, an academy teacher found Xiao Wu and Tang Si, arranged work-study jobs for them, then fast-forwarded through several days of academy life and cafeteria meals at four times the speed.

At this point, the broadcast had just reached the matter of Tang Si worrying over his first soul ring.

The most important thing next is obtaining a soul ring. Sigh~~ That old geezer refused when I asked him to take me hunting for a soul ring. Now look, isn't this troublesome? Especially since I can absorb a thousand-year soul ring as my first ring.

Tang Si sat behind his desk with his little head propped up, his face full of worry.

Sigh~~ I have no idea what to do. Absorbing a thousand-year soul ring as my first ring has never happened in the entire history of the continent! No matter who I ask, I won't be able to convince them. And I obviously can't do it alone.

Or should I absorb a hundred-year soul ring first, then use Popularity Points to increase its age? But Popularity Points are far too precious. I can't bear to use them at all. Using them to raise its age would be too wasteful.

Right now, aside from a self-created soul skill and a greatsword, I don't have even a shred of combat power. Sigh~~