He Who Gains the Master Gains the World

Inside the main hall, Prince Xue Xing and Yu Xiaogang were chatting merrily. One lavished praise upon the other, while the other accepted it calmly. As they went back and forth, they looked for all the world like kindred spirits who had met too late.

Gangzi was also putting on quite a show, unleashing all the swagger he had bottled up over this period in one go. He genuinely carried a bit of the so-called master's bearing.

Prince Xue Xing, meanwhile, was the perfect straight man throughout, tossing out flattering remarks with ease. He even blurted out a line that could be called a classic.

"Whoever gains the Master gains the world!"

When Xue Xing said those words, his heart was filled with admiration for Yu Xiaogang, and he did not notice anything inappropriate about them.

But when those words reached the ears of the three Education Committee members beside them, all three froze on the spot. They looked at one another, unable to find a suitable response.

In the end, the three Education Committee members quietly kept their mouths shut.

Their stance had always leaned toward Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, though they had remained on the sidelines and had not fully chosen a side.

However, they genuinely valued the potential of the Shrek group.

Setting everything else aside, Oscar alone, a food-type Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power, was a top-tier talent the Heaven Dou Empire could only dream of finding.

Even if Dai Mubai's identity was somewhat sensitive, so what? Their plan was simple. They only needed to send a few women to leave behind the bloodline of the White Tiger Martial Soul and raise it in secret. Dai Mubai himself was secondary.

With the Golden Iron Triangle added to the equation, Xue Xing's judgment was not wrong in the slightest.

Once Shrek fully settled on its position and pledged allegiance to Prince Xue Beng, the three Education Committee members would immediately follow suit and choose their side.

With such advantages stacked together, Xue Beng had practically turned the tables overnight, rewriting his unfavorable situation.

Of course, the premise behind this glorious reversal was that the current Xue Qinghe truly was Xue Qinghe himself.

Outside the door, Chen Ling stood there and glanced back at the other three, his expression nearly cracking.

He truly had not expected to hear that line here of all places. There was really no one else like that.

Seeing this, Dugu Bo spoke up proactively, looking slightly awkward. "Principal, why not let this old man take Yanyan in alone? I can bring that girl Ye out as well."

This Xue Xing was possessed. He was a real demon.

"No need." Chen Ling was rather curious about what sort of strange characters had gathered inside.

He pushed open the door and entered. The first thing he saw was the Golden Iron Triangle and the three Education Committee members seated above.

Below them were naturally the Shrek group and the Imperial Fighting Team.

The atmosphere instantly stagnated. Neither side spoke first; they simply stared at one another awkwardly.

"Xiao Wu!"

"Yanyan!"

The two calls rang out from the Heaven Dou side almost simultaneously.

Yu Tianheng instinctively turned to look at Dugu Yan, and his peripheral vision happened to meet Tang San's gaze.

The moment their eyes met, a strange sense of shared misery rose in both their hearts.

During this break, Yu Tianheng had gone to extraordinary lengths just to arrange a meeting with Dugu Yan.

To see her a few more times, he had even rented a room at an inn opposite Dugu Manor and stayed there, waiting day after day.

Yet even after going so far, he had failed to win the beauty's favor and had not gained even a single chance to be alone with her.

Now that he finally saw Dugu Yan again, he even felt a little pleasantly surprised.

Tang San's state of mind at this moment was much the same.

Seeing the Xiao Wu he had missed so dearly once more, the longing and worry he had suppressed for days instantly broke through the restraints in his heart and surged forth.

Only during the days they had been apart did he completely see his own true feelings, and he understood more deeply how irreplaceable Xiao Wu was in his heart.

The girl before him had shed some of her childishness and become ever more lovely and captivating. His gaze burned as he could no longer bear to look away, even for a moment.

Just as Tang San's gaze locked tightly onto Xiao Wu, she directly hid behind Chen Ling. That intimate display instantly petrified Tang San, who had just been wearing such an affectionate expression.

After witnessing that scene, Tang San's expression changed instantly. His entire face flushed bright red as his eyes turned bloodshot and he began panting like a bull.

Yu Xiaogang was in exactly the same state.

"Chen Ling!"

Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth and growled. He instinctively tried to rise while circulating his Soul Power, but Meng Shenji swiftly raised a hand and firmly pressed him down. At the same time, Prince Xue Xing, who had been seated, abruptly stood. The two men respectfully bowed in unison.

"Greetings, Poison Douluo."

Once that respectful title was spoken, the main hall, which had been faintly restless due to Chen Ling's intrusion, instantly fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.

Everyone's gaze focused in unison on the figure behind Chen Ling.

Chen Ling turned his head toward Dugu Bo behind him, amusement glinting in his eyes. In a casual, composed tone, he said, "Old Poison, since it's this kind of occasion, I'll leave it to you."

Completely disregarding the hierarchy and etiquette of the main hall, he openly wrapped one arm around Xiao Wu's slender waist and gently took Dugu Yan's little hand with the other. He leisurely sat down to one side, looking entirely like someone waiting to watch a show as he prepared to enjoy Dugu Bo's performance.

This was the true use of taking in underlings. He only needed to sit to the side, hold beautiful women, and enjoy himself.

Chen Ling's sudden intimate gesture made Dugu Yan's cheeks burn and her ears turn red, her heart racing wildly. Yet she still obediently sat down with him without the slightest resistance.

Xiao Wu was even more considerate. She immediately took out the fruit and snacks she kept in her Soul Tool, nestled affectionately in Chen Ling's arms, and fed him by hand.

Not to be outdone, Dugu Yan began massaging Chen Ling's shoulders.

He had helped detoxify her. She was merely repaying his kindness.

The girl muttered to herself inwardly, making excuses for her actions. She was still a tsundere.

Now, besides Tang San, Yu Tianheng was also seeing red.

As expected of mentor and disciple, uncle and nephew. Their bloodshot eyes and bull-like panting carried quite a bit of the same lineage.

"Chen Ling, what are you doing at Heaven Dou Royal Academy? You are not welcome here!" Perhaps Xue Xing's praise had gone to Gangzi's head a little. With his two old friends beside him, his confidence had swelled considerably.

At that moment, Gangzi seemed to have found his nerve again, and his whole bearing suddenly straightened.

Flender and Liu Erlong beside him also stared at Chen Ling with grave expressions. Although the Golden Saint Dragon was said to rival a Titled Douluo, Gangzi's Soul Power Level had fallen, and the three of them were nowhere near as synchronized in their Martial Soul Fusion as they had been in the past. As for whether they could defeat Chen Ling, none of them had any confidence.

He was a Soul Douluo powerhouse with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and Spirit Bone. The strength of such a person could not be measured by Soul Power Level alone.

Chen Ling, however, seemed to be daydreaming, or perhaps slightly dazed.

At that moment, the system prompt sounded in his mind once again.

[Detected: the Golden Iron Triangle has a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. The host does not, so the opponents count as easy prey. After defeating the three, the host will obtain a Self-Martial Soul Fusion Skill.]