Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, Arranged

"Father, Xiao San discovered something important."

After entering the room, Tang San eagerly told Tang Chuan about what he had discovered.

"Xiao Wu... she's actually not human. She's a soul beast! Could she also be a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form?"

"Sigh, Xiao San, your father actually knew long ago. But because of your feelings for Xiao Wu, I could only let you uncover it yourself."

"Only high-level soul masters can see through the true forms of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. But those of us who cultivate the Purple Demon Eye are different. Once we reach the Mustard Seed Realm, we can do so as well."

Tang San froze upon hearing this. So his father had anticipated this day long ago? He simply had not brought it up to spare Tang San's feelings.

Yet Tang San still felt miserable. It was hard for him to imagine that the little sister he had spent so long with was actually a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast—and they had just confirmed their relationship.

"Xiao San, so what if she's a soul beast? You aren't after her soul ring or soul bone. What you value is this relationship. Think about it—wasn't your mother also a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?"

As soon as those words were spoken, Tang San, who had been somewhat dejected, froze again. That was right—his mother had also been a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Wouldn't his attitude mean that he had developed a barrier toward his mother as well?

To Tang San, that was a grave act of disrespect, an unfilial thing to do.

"No, I don't look down on her or hate her!"

"Then that settles it. Remember this, Xiao San: love is precious. You're both still young, so take your time getting to know each other."

"And there's no need to worry about her being discovered. Do you remember that Lovesick Heartbreak Red? Once it acknowledges its owner, it can conceal the aura of a soul beast. Even a Title Douluo would find it difficult to see through."

Upon hearing this, Tang San finally let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that everything had been within his father's calculations. Every step his father took had never been for a single purpose—he had achieved three things with one move.

He admired his father more and more now. Such wisdom could only be called astonishing!

"Get some proper rest. Tomorrow, we'll be heading over to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to take a look. Adjust your condition."

"Yes, Father!"

With the burden in his heart resolved, Tang San's expression finally no longer looked so awful. It had to be his father—just a few words were enough to strike straight at his heart and make him see his true thoughts clearly.

Thinking of this, Tang San no longer felt so upset and chose to go chat with Xiao Wu.

At Shrek Academy.

On the training field, Zhao Wuji and Flender stood off to the side, their eyelids twitching as they watched Yu Xiaogang relentlessly pressure Dai Mubai ahead of them.

"Run faster! With talent like yours, if you don't work hard, it'll all be wasted! Children more talented than you are still working hard—what right do you have not to?"

Yu Xiaogang's excitement had turned his face bright red. Meanwhile, Dai Mubai was running beneath the blazing sun with a basket of stones on his back.

The scorching sunlight made him suffer in silence. Was Yu Xiaogang's training method a little too unusual? Shouldn't soul masters cultivate through meditation? Why did they have to run laps too?

"Damn it, why am I starting to regret taking him as my master? If anyone imitates this kind of teacher in the future, they'll definitely be cursed out by everyone."

Panting heavily, Dai Mubai truly regretted coming to this academy. If not for the headmaster and teachers having fairly high cultivation, and for this so-called master constantly boasting about his achievements, he would never have come here even if beaten to death.

"Xiaogang, does your method really work?"

Flender approached with Zhao Wuji. He could not help feeling that this training method was rather unreliable.

"Flender, you don't understand. This kind of training builds physical fitness. Mubai is an assault-type soul master, so physical endurance is extremely important to him."

"And it's not just him. Once more students enroll in the academy, they'll need to run with him too! Even if auxiliary-type soul masters are lacking in physical fitness, this method can improve their ability to protect themselves in actual combat."

"So that's how it is!"

Flender's eyes lit up slightly. Xiaogang, just how far could those eyes of yours see? You had even considered the future?

Zhao Wuji curled his lip in disdain. Flender was just more educated than him. After listening for so long, Zhao Wuji had summed it up in one sentence: running laps was to train auxiliary-type soul masters to run away.

"Speaking of which, Mubai should reach level thirty in a few days, right? He said that the first few soul rings of their martial souls seem to be fixed. What do you think, Xiaogang?"

"Rigid and old-fashioned! Their soul ring configurations may be identical at the beginning, but does that mean their lives must be identical too? According to this master's understanding, the White Tiger martial soul is among the higher-quality beast martial souls. And White Tigers specialize in slaughter, so their bodies will inevitably carry the aura of blood and death."

Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands behind his back, raised his head at a forty-five-degree angle toward the sky, and said solemnly, "Listen to me. Absorb a thousand-year plant-type soul ring. Its abundant life force can completely offset the negative effects brought by that bloodlust!"

He had an obsession he simply could not shake regarding the ten-year Lone Bamboo and the Mandala Snake. But since Dai Mubai possessed a beast martial soul, according to his martial soul mimicry theory, absorbing a plant-type soul beast would surely be perfect.

"Then we'll do as you say. I'll personally lead the team when the time comes. Zhao Wuji, you just need to guard Shrek Academy."

"Sigh, understood."

Flender, as the headmaster, had always been a man of his word. Zhao Wuji could only sigh and say nothing more.

"By the way, Flender, where are those two students?"

Yu Xiaogang naturally meant Oscar and Ma Hongjun, the first two to join Shrek Academy. Dai Mubai had enrolled after them.

Oscar was an orphan, while Ma Hongjun came from the village within Shrek Academy. Flender had taken a liking to him and accepted him as his disciple.

"They... Oscar is still meditating and cultivating. As for Hongjun, I arranged for him to go vent his fire."

"Xiaogang, you're a master. You must have a way to solve this evil fire, right?"

Looking at Flender's hopeful expression, Yu Xiaogang actually knew nothing at all. But for the sake of face, he still put on an act and said:

"Of course. But Ma Hongjun is still young. Notify me when he goes to obtain his third soul ring. At that time, I'll only need one soul ring to restore him to normal!"

"Wonderful! As expected of my good brother Xiaogang. You make solving evil fire sound as simple as putting out a fire!"

In his excitement, Flender hooked an arm around Yu Xiaogang's neck. The heavy force made Yu Xiaogang frown instinctively—his shoulder seemed to have already bruised.

But neither Ma Hongjun nor Dai Mubai knew that with Xiaogang around, they were destined never to have normal lives again. Running laps alone was enough to drive many people away, including Tang Chuan, who had read the original story.

If Xiaogang truly did not know how to teach students, he could simply choose not to teach. Yet here he was, harming others.