Forty and Unconfused

If it were only a matter of background and talent, that would be one thing, but the problem now was the variable that was Su Ge. Even Zhao Wuji was not confident he could take that kid down, so his own odds of winning would not be much better.

That was where the issue lay. A student whom even the teachers could not manage—if any conflict were to arise between the students, it would easily make the already impoverished Shrek Academy's situation even worse.

"Forget it, I'll take it one step at a time. At least for now, it seems this Su Ge is not the type to be overly combative..."

As Flender said this, he suddenly recalled the "guidance" he had given Dai Mubai earlier.

"It seems I'll have to tell Mubai to be careful tomorrow. If Su Ge actually took those words to heart, that would be bad."

With a plan in mind, he looked at Zhao Wuji and said, "Go find Shao Xin for treatment first. As for the students, I will observe them more closely tomorrow."

Zhao Wuji had delivered the message, and seeing that Flender had already made up his mind, he did not say anything more. He simply nodded and left the room.

"Oh, and remember to get reimbursed for the cost of the wooden door."

Hearing Flender's words, Zhao Wuji's foot slipped on the stairs, and he nearly tumbled down. He cursed Flender's stinginess in his heart, unaware that it was precisely because of Su Ge that he had been spared another beating.

When the night was deep and quiet, Shrek Academy finished its day of enrollment, and everyone returned to their rooms to rest.

Su Ge was lucky; he happened to be the odd one out, so he had a room to himself.

However, throughout the long night, he did the opposite of his usual routine and did not cultivate. Instead, he lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and went straight to sleep.

But this was only a facade. In reality, Su Ge remained wide awake, pushing his external perception to the limit to sense everything happening outside.

He was waiting—waiting for a person who might appear.

Not until the chirping of insects and the sound of the wind around him gradually ceased, and the area fell into absolute silence, did Su Ge know that Tang Hao had arrived.

The strength he had displayed today would inevitably be discovered and reach the ears of the major powers. The first to be affected would be Tang Rat and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

There was no need to mention Tang Hao, but as for Ning Rongrong, the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and a genius with innate ninth-rank soul power, it was impossible for her to be alone. There were surely eyes from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect watching nearby.

So, who had come now? Was it Tang Hao, or someone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

After all, who wouldn't want to know the secret of his soul rings?

Whether there was some real trick to it or if he possessed twin martial souls, it was worth spending the effort to find out.

"Kid, come out."

Just then, a voice rang out inside his room. This voice did not come from afar; it was clearly the "voice transmission" technique that only a powerful expert could use, projecting the sound directly into his room.

Yet, facing this voice, Su Ge acted as if he had fallen into a deep sleep and heard nothing.

Tang Hao stood on a large tree, sensing that Su Ge had not moved in the slightest. He felt somewhat speechless. Of course, he knew the kid wasn't asleep, but if he refused to come out, he would have no choice but to go into the academy to find him.

But if he caused a commotion, that was not what he wanted.

Although he truly wanted to understand how Su Ge's soul ring configuration worked, the other party wasn't taking the bait, and for a moment, he was unsure of what to do.

He had watched the battle earlier that day. Although Su Ge likely still wouldn't be his match at full strength, but...

Tang Hao stared fixedly at Su Ge's room. The fact that the other party could suppress Zhao Wuji with the power of a Soul Ancestor made him sense that something was off.

"Forget it, I'll stick to observing for now. After all, he has a decent relationship with Tang San, and he might become an asset to him in the future."

In the end, Tang Hao decided not to make a move against Su Ge. Although his martial soul and strength were indeed formidable, the Clear Sky Hammer was the world's number one tool martial soul. If it were equipped with soul rings that were all ten thousand years or older, then no matter how powerful the enemy, they would eventually become nothing more than a defeated foe.

With that thought, he concealed his presence and left.

Did he leave?

Sensing the chirping of insects gradually rising again, Su Ge felt a bit of regret that Tang Hao hadn't forced the issue, but he also breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he didn't know what the man was thinking, at least for the foreseeable future, no one would harbor ulterior motives against him.

After all, what he had displayed was not just his soul ring configuration, but also that peerless combat power!

Confirming that Tang Hao had left, Su Ge stopped thinking about it and drifted off to sleep.

Since arriving in this world, he had always firmly believed in one principle.

The ancients once said: at thirty, one stands firm; at forty, one is unconfused; at fifty, one knows the mandate of heaven; at sixty, one is attuned to the truth; at seventy, one follows one's heart's desires without overstepping the rules.

It meant that when he reached level thirty, he had established a foothold in this world; at level forty, he would no longer be confused by his own strength; and at level fifty, he would be the mandate of heaven itself!

After level sixty, everything he heard would be agreeable, and by the time he reached level seventy, he would be able to follow his heart and set rules that no one else dared to overstep!

He was level forty-four now. He was almost there!

The next morning.

Su Ge rose early, intending to familiarize himself with the village, as he would be living here for some time.

Besides, he had promised Xiao Wu yesterday that he would go with her.

When he followed the path to the girls' dormitory, Xiao Wu was already waiting there, and beside her was her roommate, Ning Rongrong.

"Su Ge, you're here. Rongrong wants to join us to get familiar with the school and grab some breakfast along the way."

He raised an eyebrow but did not refuse. "Fine, let's go together."

He nodded and started walking in front, intending to call Tang San as well, but Xiao Wu stopped him.

"Don't worry about Tang San. He came by just as the sky was turning light, saying the dean had something for him to do, so he left already."

"In that case, never mind. Let's go."

Hearing this, Su Ge stopped in his tracks and changed direction.

As he chatted with the two girls, dealing with Ning Rongrong's curious questions and Xiao Wu's liveliness, he thought about his future plans.

He certainly wouldn't stay in Shrek for long; he still had to find Dugu Bo first and secure the immortal herbs.

"Forget it. Once Ji Lin brings the items and my soul power breaks through level fifty, I'll find a suitable opportunity to leave."

Facing Dugu Bo, Su Ge felt it was better to be cautious. Only after breaking through to five rings would he have the absolute confidence to take him down at any moment and have the leverage to reason with him.

Of course, the main issue was that Dugu Bo's poison was indeed difficult to handle, and he currently lacked sufficient countermeasures.

"Su Ge, look over there!"