To Zhao Wuji, Tang San going after them to search for Xiao Wu was an extremely dangerous, extremely foolish move.
How could a Soul Grandmaster in his twenties be so reckless?
Lin Xiao was fine. With his powerful Self-Created Soul Skill, escaping danger should not have been a problem.
But Tang San was different!
He might have plenty of crafty tricks, but against the Titan Giant Ape's absolute strength, he would only be crushed to death.
Now that they had found traces of Tang San, Zhao Wuji immediately rushed over with the others.
Tang San was absorbing his Third Soul Ring.
A purple soul ring hovered above his head, and sweat covered his brow.
"Guard him!"
At the sight, Zhao Wuji immediately ordered the students to spread out.
Absorbing a soul ring was an extremely perilous process.
The slightest carelessness could lead to an accident.
They had to ensure Tang San's safety now and keep other people or soul beasts from disturbing him.
About four hours later, Tang San finally finished absorbing his soul ring.
"Teacher Zhao?"
Tang San was a little taken aback to see everyone surrounding him.
But he immediately thought of Xiao Wu.
His plan to play the hero rescuing the beauty was not finished yet. He had to find Xiao Wu quickly.
No matter what, he had to put on a good performance to bind Xiao Wu firmly to his side.
Most importantly, he had to find her first. He could not let Lin Xiao beat him to it.
Wait, where was Lin Xiao?
With no sign of Lin Xiao among the group, Tang San's heart sank, and an ominous feeling rose within him.
"Tang San, you absorbed your Third Soul Ring?"
Zhao Wuji was very surprised.
When they entered the forest, Tang San's soul power had been at level twenty-nine.
Yet he had now begun absorbing his Third Soul Ring, which meant he had already reached level thirty.
Was this kid's talent that formidable too?
Still, compared to Lin Xiao, he seemed to fall far short.
Tang San stood up and smiled. "Yes. My cultivation broke through, and I happened to encounter a suitable soul beast, so I absorbed its soul ring."
"Oh? How old is your Third Soul Ring? What's its soul skill?"
Zhao Wuji was a teacher, after all.
Although he did not particularly like Tang San, the boy was still a student of the academy.
Stronger students benefited the academy too.
Showing some concern for his students was still necessary.
The corners of Tang San's mouth lifted. "I killed a sixteen-hundred-year-old Blazing Flame Tiger. The soul skill is Blue Silver Blazing Flame Whip, a single-target attack skill with an added flame effect."
Zhao Wuji scratched his head, looking slightly regretful.
"The soul skill's effect is pretty good, but it still feels like something's missing."
Tang San shook his head slightly. Blue Silver Blazing Flame Whip could increase his attack power. Was that not a good thing?
Whenever he thought of Lin Xiao's Four Swords of Zhu Xian, that ultimate offensive soul skill, his heart itched with longing.
He might be a control-type Soul Master, but nobody had decreed that control types could not possess attack power!
He already had two control skills: Blue Silver Entanglement and Parasitism.
It was time to add another means of attack.
And it was a flame-attribute attack at that. He felt quite good about it.
"Teacher Zhao, haven't you found Xiao Wu yet? Where did Lin Xiao go?"
Tang San pressed for answers. Finding Xiao Wu was crucial.
Playing the hero rescuing the beauty would surely win him Xiao Wu's heart.
Zhao Wuji shook his head. Just as he was about to speak, a figure suddenly descended from the sky.
"Hm? Lin Xiao's back?"
Zhao Wuji looked up and recognized him at once.
The Wind-Thunder Twin Wings were far too dazzling and distinctive to mistake.
But why was Lin Xiao carrying someone in his arms?
It looked like Xiao Wu!
Lin Xiao descended from the sky with Xiao Wu in his arms and landed before the group.
"Lin Xiao's back!"
"Xiao Wu's all right too! Thank goodness!"
Ning Rongrong immediately ran over. Both the person she liked and her friend were safe. This was the best possible outcome.
Dai Mubai, Tang San, and the others, however, all froze.
He... how did he come back?
Dai Mubai's mind stalled.
In the scenario he had imagined, Lin Xiao should have been torn apart by the Titan Giant Ape.
Yet Lin Xiao had returned safely, completely defying his expectations.
Rescuing someone from the Titan Giant Ape's grasp was such a spectacular feat that it utterly eclipsed everyone else.
After this, Zhu Zhuqing's attention would probably be entirely focused on Lin Xiao.
Meanwhile, Tang San stared fixedly at the arms Lin Xiao had around Xiao Wu.
He held her around the waist, intimately-far too intimately.
As they stood there, they looked like a pair of lovers embracing.
Damn it, how could he have come back? And what were those wings?
Why? Why had he found Xiao Wu first?
Tang San was almost driven mad.
The plan he had spent so long calculating had failed before he could even fully carry it out.
Had he known, he would not have absorbed the Blazing Flame Tiger's soul ring. What a crushing loss!
With Lin Xiao having played the hero rescuing the beauty, his place in Xiao Wu's heart would probably rise considerably.
"Xiao Wu, you... you're all right?"
Tang San drew a deep breath.
Even though he was not the one who brought Xiao Wu back, he still had to see his act through.
His body trembled as he walked toward Xiao Wu, one step at a time.
The joy and haggard exhaustion on his face left everyone bewildered.
Had he not been full of energy just after absorbing his soul ring?
He had been positively glowing!
How had he suddenly become like this?
Even acting should not be this blatant.
Still in Lin Xiao's arms, Xiao Wu tilted her head and looked at Tang San.
"What's wrong? Got a cramp?"
At her words, Tang San stopped in his tracks, his expression turning awkward.
The emotions he had just worked up collapsed in an instant.
Wait, shouldn't Xiao Wu have rushed over to comfort him when she saw how heartbroken he was?
So little time had passed, yet Xiao Wu's attitude toward him seemed to have changed considerably.
Now she had not even called him "Brother" once.
"Lin Xiao went to enormous lengths to save me, and he finally managed to find me."
"Lin Xiao was the one who saved me."
Xiao Wu explained to the group.
Nobody asked too many questions about how he had rescued her from the Titan Giant Ape's demonic clutches.
They had all seen the Wind-Thunder Twin Wings with their own eyes, after all.
Their speed was simply outrageous.
He had probably taken advantage of a moment when the Titan Giant Ape was not paying attention and carried her straight away.
"Since everyone's back now, let's help Xiao Ao find a soul ring, then leave."
Zhao Wuji assessed the situation.
The forest was indeed rather dangerous, but as long as they stayed out of the Mixed Zone, there should not be any problems.
The Titan Giant Ape's appearance here had merely been a coincidence. It was unlikely to show up again.
"Judging by the look of you, you've absorbed your Third Soul Ring?"
Lin Xiao glanced at the soul beast's corpse nearby.
A Blazing Flame Tiger over a thousand years old. Presumably, Tang San had absorbed its soul ring.
Having just broken through, his soul power had not yet fully settled.
"Of course."
Tang San thrust out his chest, unwilling to look weak before Lin Xiao.
He was a Soul Elder above level thirty now, after all. His level should have surpassed Lin Xiao's.
Unless Lin Xiao had also absorbed his Third Soul Ring!
"What a coincidence! Lin Xiao also absorbed his third Heaven-Bestowed Soul Ring. His soul power's at level thirty-four now."
Xiao Wu spoke with a bright grin.
Watching Tang San show off annoyed her. She had to deal him a crushing blow!
Everyone would learn his soul power level anyway, and everyone had long known about the Heaven-Bestowed Soul Rings.
The moment Tang San heard this, he completely withdrew into himself.
Lin Xiao had already absorbed his Third Soul Ring, and his soul power had even soared to level thirty-four?
Just how terrifying was the Third Soul Ring he had absorbed?
Then he thought of his own Third Soul Ring. Sixteen hundred years-it suddenly seemed pathetically weak.