'Master' Arrives

With Zhao Wuji and the other three teachers leading the way, the Shrek group returned to the academy that very night. Everyone at the academy finally got a brief chance to rest. Their trip to the Star Dou Great Forest had been dangerous, but the rewards had been immense. Oscar, Tang San, and Xiao Wu had broken through to Soul Elder, while Su Sanjia had advanced to Soul Ancestor. Overall, it had gone quite perfectly.

After returning to the academy, the exhausted group headed back to their dormitories. Oscar collapsed into bed and immediately fell asleep, but Su Sanjia was still full of energy. Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he began cultivating his Soul Power again.

He was currently at the peak of Level 44, only a tiny step away from Level 45. Breaking through to Level 45 would take no more than a day or two. Once his Soul Power successfully advanced, the External Soul Bone would naturally fuse completely into his body.

While Su Sanjia cultivated, Zhao Wuji was reporting on their journey through the Star Dou Great Forest in Flender's room. When he heard that Zhao Wuji's group had encountered a Ten-Thousand-Year Titan Giant Ape and had somehow all survived in the end, Flender felt as though he were listening to a fairy tale. His heart pounded wildly. A few words were nowhere near enough to describe the danger Zhao Wuji and the others had faced. Fortunately, the outcome had been good.

"Thank the heavens you all returned safely! If anything had happened to those little monsters..."

Flender swallowed. He could already imagine the Seven Kill Sword pressed against his neck, a massive bone dragon surrounding him, the Seven-Colored Light Tower shining in the distance, and the Clear Sky Hammer crashing down from above with overwhelming force...

"Come to think of it, it's strange, Boss! That girl Xiao Wu was captured and came back without a scratch. According to her, a melodious bull's roar came from deep within the forest. The Titan Giant Ape seemed terrified and let out an angry roar. She was knocked unconscious by it, and when she woke up, the Titan Giant Ape had vanished. There were loads of Soul Beasts lying unconscious on the ground nearby, and one of them happened to be suitable for her... Damn it, I've been around for so many years, but I've never heard of anything this absurd!"

"What she said is true!"

At that moment, the door was suddenly pushed open. Zhao Wuji immediately felt anger rise in his chest. In his perception, the Soul Power of the person entering was pitifully weak! Without even thinking, he snapped:

"Where did this idiot come from? What nonsense is a piece of trash below Level 30 spouting? Get out! This isn't a place for you!"

Smack!

Flender slapped Zhao Wuji across the head.

"Old Zhao, what nonsense are you talking about? This is my friend, and Tang San's teacher as well! The number one theorist in the Soul Master world—Master, Yu Xiaogang!"

Flender hurriedly explained. He had already seen the iron-gray expression on his former close friend's face. Soul Power had always been Yu Xiaogang's greatest sore spot. Born with only half a level of innate Soul Power, he had been unable to break through Level 30 for his entire life. Zhao Wuji's words had completely torn open Yu Xiaogang's deepest wound and dumped several tons of salt into it...

"Ah? Master? Well, Old Zhao here just speaks too fast. Please don't take offense!"

Zhao Wuji said with an awkward grin, though he was only apologizing for Flender's sake. Had he said anything wrong? He was just a Level 29 Soul Grandmaster. As for being Tang San's teacher? Good heavens, the teacher's Soul Power Level was lower than his student's. Who would believe that?

Flender quickly picked up a teacup and poured a cup of tea. Yu Xiaogang sat down with a dark expression, drinking by himself without saying a word.

"Um, Xiao Gang, you still haven't explained it. What exactly was that bull's roar in the Star Dou Great Forest?"

Flender tried to smooth things over and ease the awkward atmosphere in the room.

"Hmph. The only being capable of making a terrifying Soul Beast like a Ten-Thousand-Year Titan Giant Ape feel fear is the true ruler of the Star Dou Great Forest—the Hundred-Thousand-Year Sky Azure Bull Python!"

"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?!"

Zhao Wuji's face filled with shock, and that expression of astonishment pleased Yu Xiaogang greatly. Knowledge far beyond that of others had always been Yu Xiaogang's pride. As for where that knowledge came from... don't ask.

The three continued talking, though most of the time it was Yu Xiaogang and Flender, the old friends, chatting while Zhao Wuji chimed in from the side. In the end, at Flender's invitation, Yu Xiaogang "reluctantly" agreed to stay and become a teacher at Shrek Academy.

"That's wonderful, Xiao Gang! Let me tell you, our academy has a real monster now! With that child's talent and your guidance, tsk tsk tsk, I don't even dare imagine how terrifying he'll become!"

"Oh? A true monster? How does he compare to my disciple Tang San?"

Yu Xiaogang's interest was piqued. He knew Flender well; the man rarely gave such high praise to a young person.

"Hehe! Tang San is certainly not bad either! A twelve-year-old Soul Elder, after all. But compared to that child, he's still a little lacking!"

Flender looked immensely pleased. That was a student of Shrek Academy, and as its dean, he naturally shared in the glory.

"Have you ever seen a fourteen-year-old four-ringed Soul Ancestor? And one with a Thousand-Year second ring and a Ten-Thousand-Year fourth ring?"

Flender boasted, but Yu Xiaogang's expression changed drastically.

"Impossible!"

He instinctively refuted it. After all, his treasured Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls clearly recorded the limits of the Soul Rings that Soul Masters at every stage could absorb. Compared to a Ten-Thousand-Year fourth Soul Ring, what shocked Yu Xiaogang even more was the Thousand-Year second Soul Ring!

"The maximum age of a second Soul Ring is only 764 years! A Thousand-Year second Soul Ring is absolutely impossible!"

"But it's true! That child Su Sanjia really does possess a purple second Soul Ring! You'll see for yourself when the time comes!"

Flender said so, but Yu Xiaogang fell into deep thought.

Su Sanjia? Could there really be a Soul Master with a Thousand-Year second Soul Ring?

No! He must have mastered some kind of secret technique! A secret technique that allowed Soul Masters to absorb Soul Rings beyond their rank!

Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up, shining no less brightly than the candlelight in the room! Heat surged through his heart!

A secret technique that allowed someone to absorb Soul Rings beyond their rank—if such information were released, the experts of the entire continent would surely go mad! A Soul Grandmaster with two Hundred-Year Soul Rings and one with a Thousand-Year Soul Ring were as different as heaven and earth. No, that secret technique alone would be enough to establish a massive clan. And if such a technique fell into his hands...

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would certainly change its former attitude and respectfully welcome him back! He would return to his clan in glory and help the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan become the number one clan in the world! A watered-down version of the secret technique could become his eleventh core competency theory, and the entire continent would sing his praises! His disciple would benefit as well and become a Title Douluo in the future...

One thought after another arose in Yu Xiaogang's mind, making his breathing quicken. Amusingly, the first thing he considered was the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and its recognition, followed by the recognition of the entire world, and only lastly his disciple...

"Su Sanjia? He's only a fourteen-year-old brat! What could he possibly know? As long as I, Master, display a little skill and hint that I'm willing to accept him as my disciple, won't he obediently offer up that supreme secret technique?"

Yu Xiaogang thought this, and a smile appeared on his face.

Besides, a fourteen-year-old Soul Ancestor—what incredible talent was that?

After Tang San had become his disciple, Yu Xiaogang believed that with his status as a theoretical master, anyone who wished to become his disciple ought to kneel before him.

A peerless prodigy kneeling on the ground and begging him to accept him as a disciple—what an exciting sight!

Once he had taught two Title Douluo, who in this world would still dare call him useless?

At the same time, elsewhere.

For no apparent reason, Su Sanjia, who was cultivating, felt a chill run down his back. He sneezed several times in a row.

"Damn it, which bastard is talking about me? And why does it feel like someone has their eye on me? It's disgustingly unsettling for no reason."