Xiaogang Panicked; Not a Single Level Was Cultivated by Himself

Tang San clutched the swollen, burning half of his face tightly as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Dad, I... I won't add a Soul Ring to the Clear Sky Hammer."

Though he obeyed verbally, the desire to add a Soul Ring to the Clear Sky Hammer had already planted a seed in his heart.

Tang Hao's anger gradually subsided. He stopped breathing like a bull and sighed solemnly. "It's good that you understand. Without my permission, you are not allowed to add a Soul Ring to the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul."

"Mm-hmm." Tang San nodded repeatedly.

The three of them did not speak again along the way.

Before long, they left Soto City through its southern gate and continued onward until they reached the entrance of a small village.

A shabby-looking plaque hung from a wooden archway at the village entrance.

The words "Shrek Academy" were carved upon it.

There was also the head of a green monster before the words.

Tang Hao frowned. "This is Shrek Academy? How is it even more rundown than Sacred Soul Village, where I hid away back then?"

If Yu Xiaogang had not told him it was an academy, he would have thought it was some tiny roadside village.

Xiaogang immediately looked somewhat embarrassed.

He had not expected that, after all these years, Shrek Academy, which Flender had founded with his own hands, was still so shabby without the slightest improvement.

"Stop! Who are you people? Unrelated persons, leave Shrek Academy at once."

An old gatekeeper suddenly jumped out and blocked their path.

"I am Yu Xiaogang, a close friend of your headmaster Flender. Please go in and notify him."

Yu Xiaogang gave a light cough as he spoke.

The old man frowned slightly and stared at Yu Xiaogang for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "Please wait here."

With that, he turned and entered the academy.

Not long afterward, the old man emerged with a middle-aged man sporting a shoehorn-shaped face and hooked nose.

"Xiaogang, is that you, Xiaogang?"

Flender recognized his old friend at once. Overjoyed, he hurried toward Yu Xiaogang.

"It's me, Flender!"

Yu Xiaogang was filled with complicated emotions and likewise hurried forward.

The two embraced tightly.

"Xiaogang, why didn't you tell me before coming to the academy? And who are these two?"

After they separated, Flender looked at the disabled man and child behind Xiaogang.

Yu Xiaogang raised a hand in introduction. "These two are His Excellency Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao and his son, Tang San."

"To think that Clear Sky Douluo himself has honored us with his presence. Forgive me for failing to welcome you properly, forgive me."

At those words, Flender immediately felt somewhat uneasy.

"It's nothing." Tang Hao waved a hand, not taking it to heart.

Flender could not help asking, "Your Excellency Clear Sky, how did you sustain such grievous injuries? Even your soul power has fallen to the Soul Sage Realm?"

"Cough!"

Yu Xiaogang coughed lightly and cut in, "It's a long story. Let us go inside first, then discuss it properly."

Flender truly had no sense of propriety, daring to interrogate Tang Hao right there at the village entrance.

Prying open someone's wounds like that was utterly tactless.

What if he angered his idol, Tang Hao, and drove him away?

No wonder an academy could only be built in such a shabby little village.

"Fine."

Flender could only suppress the doubts in his heart and turn his gaze toward Xiaogang.

"Xiaogang, come to think of it, I seem unable to feel that complementary connection between our Martial Soul Fusion Skill anymore, that feeling of our soul power responding to one another."

"Huh? Is that so?"

Yu Xiaogang was slightly taken aback. Then inspiration flashed through his mind, and he suddenly realized something.

Damn it!

Perhaps after Luo Sanpao underwent its second mutation into a possession-type Martial Soul, he could no longer use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with Flender and Liu Erlong!

Back then, the reason he held the dominant position within the Golden Iron Triangle was precisely because Luo Sanpao was the core vessel of the Golden Sacred Dragon.

Why had Liu Erlong fallen in love with him?

Naturally, it was because Xiaogang was sexy and highly knowledgeable,

but the spiritual bond brought by their Martial Soul Fusion Skill had also carried tremendous weight.

As long as they completed one full Martial Soul fusion, a bond would form at the level of the soul, further deepening the tacit understanding between them.

In this Douluo world, where women were practically all lovestruck fools, women would usually fall helplessly in love with the men they fused with.

The moment Yu Xiaogang thought about losing control over the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, he became frantic with anxiety, panicking like crazy.

He had no idea whether, without the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Erlong and Flender would still treat him as the most important person in the world.

And if they discovered that he had turned into a twin-tailed pig-man, what consequences would that bring...

Suppressing those terrible thoughts, Yu Xiaogang said calmly,

"Perhaps it is because we have not seen each other for many years and are still somewhat unfamiliar with one another."

"Oh, so that's it. Xiaogang, you are as wise as ever."

While one flower bloomed into two branches, let us speak of another matter.

Lu Yuan and his group returned to Dugu Bo's residence.

Ma Bao'guo quickly came forward and bowed slightly. "Master, and esteemed guests, you have returned."

Lu Yuan asked, "Steward Ma, while we were gone these past few days, has that little rabbit been behaving herself?"

"Late last night, that young girl attempted to sneak out of the secret chamber."

Ma Bao'guo looked rather pleased with himself. "Fortunately, this old man was clever enough to notice her intentions. I gave her a few lashes and caught her again."

Lu Yuan smiled faintly. "Well done."

"Keep a close watch on her. It would be best to set up a prison cell and lock her inside."

As he spoke, he looked toward Dugu Bo. "Prepare a side room for me. I want to consume some immortal herbs."

"Yes, my lord. Please follow me."

Dugu Bo stepped half a pace forward, raised a hand to lead the way, and made a gesture of invitation.

Not long afterward.

Lu Yuan followed him into a side room.

After closing the door, Lu Yuan took two immortal herbs from the Wishful Hundred Treasure Pouch.

One was the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, while the other was the Autumn Water Dew.

The Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid was an immortal herb he had chosen long ago, except he had previously consumed the Velvet Sky-Piercing Chrysanthemum first.

The Autumn Water Dew could strengthen spiritual power. Combined with the fact that he had already begun cultivating the Purple Demon Eyes, it would be enormously helpful to him.

With his current physique, he could already withstand the medicinal effects of three immortal herbs.

"I'll consume the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid first. I wonder how many levels I'll rise after refining it."

Lu Yuan pursed his lips and picked up the snow-white, lustrous Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid.

Without hesitation, he placed it directly into his mouth and swallowed it.

He sat cross-legged and began refining its medicinal power.

After the Ice Dragon King condensed its Soul Ring, Lu Yuan's soul power had entered level 21.

After obtaining the Sky-Propelling Spear's second Soul Ring, his soul power had risen to level 23, placing him extremely close to level 24.

After refining the medicinal power of this Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, it might even push his soul power to level 30.

If that happened, he would have to take Tang Wutong to the Great Star Dou Forest again just after returning.

It had to be said, leveling up by taking medicine felt truly wonderful.

Unfortunately, he could not take too much medicine.

Five hours later...

Lu Yuan opened his eyes, braced himself against the ground, rose to his feet, and stretched his arms.

"Level 29, nearly level 30 soul power. Not bad. It feels like not a single level of soul power was cultivated by myself."

"There's no rush to consume the Autumn-Water Dew. I'll wait a while first."

"According to my plans, it is also time to visit Blue Tyrant Academy."

With that, Lu Yuan pushed open the door and walked straight outside.