First Glimpse of the Great Spirit Arena

Tang San nodded firmly. "Teacher, I understand your intentions. Don't worry. One day, I'll defeat these opponents with my own hands."

Fang Yuan rubbed Tang San's head, feeling deeply gratified.

Just as expected, his disciple was both clever and obedient.

This time, not only had Tang San, his disciple, not joined Shrek Academy, but he had instead become their opponent. At last, he was on the right path.

None of those Shrek people were good birds!

Never mind the teachers. Most of them had committed all sorts of crimes in their youth, only to turn themselves into educators in their old age to evade their enemies. They had utterly disgraced the teaching profession.

Of the academy's current three students, Oscar was the most normal one. Aside from being a little sleazy, he had no major flaws.

As for the other two, they were real heavyweights.

How could Tang San develop proper values by staying with such vermin?

Poor Tang San. After joining Shrek Academy, his life would contain nothing but running laps and fighting in arenas.

Running around the academy, around the city, with weights; fighting in private, fighting in the Spirit Arena, fighting in competitions...

Thinking of this, Fang Yuan could not help feeling that Tang San deserved better. The hand rubbing Tang San's head grew a little heavier.

Feeling the large hand on his head, Tang San somehow sensed a trace of tender affection in his teacher's touch. He could not help narrowing his eyes contentedly.

After bringing Tang San and Xiao Wu back to their hotel in Soto City, Fang Yuan said to them, "All right, time is of the essence. Delays breed complications. You two wait for me in the city. I'll first head to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain a suitable spirit ring, then come back for you.

"You may look around the city, but don't go too far from it. Don't worry about the teachers from Shrek Academy coming to trouble you. I've arranged for people to watch over you in secret. But don't become reckless because of that. You still need to be careful."

Tang San and Xiao Wu nodded firmly. "Yes, Teacher. Don't worry."

Xiao Wu seemed to still have something on her mind. Tugging at Fang Yuan's sleeve, she said vaguely, "Teacher, do you remember what I told you before? There are two spirit beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest that aren't suitable for you..."

Fang Yuan's trip to the Star Dou Great Forest was not merely to hunt a ten-thousand-year spirit beast.

His body had been transformed by medicinal pills refined from immortal herbs. It now far exceeded the limits an ordinary Spirit Sage could reach. With his current physical constitution, absorbing a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring was not impossible.

Thus, Fang Yuan was going there to hunt a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast.

Naturally, Xiao Wu knew this, and she could not help worrying about her two friends, Daming and Erming.

Daming and Erming were her friends, while her teacher was also someone she could not do without. She did not want the two sides to start fighting for no reason.

Therefore, after learning of Fang Yuan's plans, Xiao Wu had brought up the matter while the two of them were alone.

Hearing Xiao Wu's words, Fang Yuan smiled and rubbed her rabbit head. "Don't worry. Since your teacher promised you, I'll keep my word."

Xiao Wu immediately smiled and leaped onto Fang Yuan. "Teacher is the best!"

Fang Yuan helplessly grabbed the back of her collar and set her down. The child was wonderful in every way, except she was a little too enthusiastic.

After giving Tang San and Xiao Wu his instructions, Fang Yuan did not linger any longer. He left the hotel and headed for the Star Dou Great Forest.

Left in the room, Tang San and Xiao Wu looked at each other.

"So, what are you going to do next?"

With Fang Yuan gone, Xiao Wu could not help feeling listless. She asked Tang San.

Thinking that her teacher was going to obtain a spirit ring and might be away for several days, Xiao Wu felt increasingly restless.

How was she supposed to get through the next few days?

Tang San gave her a strange look. "Cultivate. What else would I do?"

As he spoke, he walked straight to a corner of the room and sat down cross-legged.

The inner power of the Mysterious Heaven Method began to circulate, and as his spirit power flowed, Tang San entered a meditative state in an instant.

"Oh, come on..." Xiao Wu could not help getting a black line across her forehead.

She knew Tang San was steady and rigid by nature. But she had not expected him to start cultivating the moment their teacher left.

"Are you planning to cultivate nonstop until Teacher comes back?" Xiao Wu asked Tang San with a laugh. "When we were walking around the city earlier, I saw there was a Great Spirit Arena here. How about we go take a look?"

Tang San's eyes remained closed as he replied, "A Spirit Arena is usually liveliest at night. If we're going, we should wait until then."

After saying that, his voice fell silent again.

Xiao Wu sighed and could only give up.

She returned to the bed, took off her shoes and socks, and sat down, assuming a cultivation posture as well.

However, after sitting for a while, she found herself unable to settle into meditation no matter what.

For the past five years, she and Fang Yuan had both lived at Notting Academy. She stayed in the dormitory, while Fang Yuan lived in the residence the principal had provided for him.

Though they did not live together, they were still in the same academy and spent every day in each other's company.

Even during academy breaks, Xiao Wu had no hometown to return to, and Fang Yuan generally remained at the academy. Aside from accompanying Tang San back to Holy Soul Village once, he had stayed at the academy the entire time.

This time, with Fang Yuan leaving for several days, it seemed to be the first time she and Fang Yuan had truly been separated.

The thought made Xiao Wu's heart grow restless.

She changed positions several times and tried again and again, but she could never calm down enough to immerse herself in cultivation. Her irritation only grew stronger.

"Forget it. I'll just sleep."

Seeing that she could not cultivate, Xiao Wu did not dwell on it. She simply fell backward and lay down on the bed.

Night fell.

Though the sky was dark, Soto City was brightly lit. Crystal lamps lined the city's major roads, illuminating the area quite clearly.

As one of the Balak Kingdom's foremost cities, Soto City's nightlife was naturally anything but dull.

The tavern district was packed with people, while mysterious shops with pink lanterns hanging outside also saw a steady stream of visitors.

Yet the liveliest place of all was still Soto City's Great Spirit Arena.

The nearly hundred-meter-tall structure appeared immensely imposing beneath the night sky. Beams of light shone through the small windows surrounding the building.

The Spirit Arena was oval-shaped, with an exceptionally broad main entrance through which people constantly streamed in and out. From afar, it looked like a beast sprawled upon the ground, endlessly flicking its tongue.

Led by Xiao Wu, Tang San arrived at the entrance of Soto City Great Spirit Arena, his expression still somewhat helpless.

Under Fang Yuan's guidance, his personality had become extremely steady. With his teacher absent, he had truly intended to cultivate continuously for several days, until his teacher returned.

But Xiao Wu was lively and restless by nature. How could she possibly stay indoors without going out for a walk?