When Zhao Wuji found the two of them again,
Tang San and Oscar were covered in wounds and filth.
A foul stench rose from their entire bodies.
Sensing their soul power levels, Zhao Wuji suddenly felt puzzled.
At some point, both of them had actually absorbed new soul rings and become three-ring Soul Elders.
"Little San, Little Ao, when did you absorb your third soul rings? Could you two really hunt thousand-year soul beasts?"
As they watched Zhao Wuji question them in bewilderment,
Tang San and Oscar also realized that something was wrong with them.
When they had awakened, their whole bodies had been in agony, and their survival instincts had overridden everything else.
They had only managed to reunite with great difficulty. Once they calmed down, however, they discovered that their soul power had somehow already surpassed level 30.
When exactly had they absorbed soul rings?
Confusion filled their hearts.
A bad feeling followed close behind.
Oscar was the first to release his martial soul. He stared at his yellow third soul ring.
Then, as though he had completely broken down, he threw his arms around Zhao Wuji and burst into tears.
Not only had he failed to obtain the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent that should have been his, but he had also suffered a backlash and spat out a mouthful of blood.
And now, his third soul ring was nothing more than an ordinary hundred-year ring.
Although hundred-year third rings were not uncommon in this era,
he attended Shrek Academy, which had several six-ring and seven-ring experts.
The yellow of his third soul ring stood out all the more glaringly.
After all, even Ye Zhiqiu of Canghui Academy could hunt decent thousand-year soul beasts for his students to absorb.
Tang San then released his own martial soul.
He stared at his white third soul ring.
Then he looked at Oscar, who had been sobbing just moments ago but was now gazing at him with pity.
Boundless fury surged through him. Tang San's eyes were bloodshot, and he panted like an ox.
"Who was it? Who the hell was it?!"
He roared, and Blue Silver Grass erupted outward toward the surrounding trees.
A large swath of trees was knocked down.
Zhao Wuji looked at the two geniuses whose prospects had all but been ruined.
All he could do was sigh helplessly.
After all, that had been the king of the forest, the Titan Giant Ape.
He had already done everything he could. The gulf between a Soul Saint and a hundred-thousand-year soul beast was like a chasm carved by heaven's wrath.
Even if he and Flender had led the group together, both of them would have needed to reach the level of Eight-Ring Soul Douluo to have any chance of keeping everyone safe.
He stepped forward and patted their shoulders reassuringly.
"It's all right. At least you're still alive, aren't you?"
"You're monsters. How could you lose your fighting spirit over one little soul ring?"
Zhao Wuji's reassurance did have an effect.
Oscar soon calmed down.
He kept taking deep breaths, easing his turbulent emotions.
They had survived an encounter with the king of the forest.
That alone would have shocked even some powerful experts.
He was a food-type Soul Master with innate full soul power.
So what if his third soul ring was only a hundred-year ring?
He still had a chance of reaching the Titled Douluo realm in the future.
Even in the worst-case scenario,
a food-type Soul Saint or Soul Douluo would command the respect of most powerful experts on the continent.
Tang San calmed down a little as well, but he was still brimming with anger.
Just then, he suddenly felt something strange in his chest.
A mass of Blue Silver Grass wrapped around his chest.
It slowly formed a suit of armor.
"A soul bone!"
Zhao Wuji exclaimed.
"A soul bone?"
Tang San froze as well.
"And it's from the rarest location-the torso! Little San, this disaster has actually brought you a blessing!"
Hearing the envy in Zhao Wuji's voice,
and recalling the Grandmaster's teachings over the past six years,
he understood just how important this soul bone was.
"Teacher Zhao..."
Before he could continue, Zhao Wuji volunteered more information to the two of them.
"Most soul bones form when soul beasts at least a hundred years old die with overwhelming resentment."
"A ten-year soul bone is something I've never seen in my life, but its value is still outrageously high."
"Ordinary Soul Masters-even people like Flender and me-haven't obtained so much as a single hundred-year soul bone."
As he spoke, Zhao Wuji suddenly sighed with emotion.
So what if the third soul ring was only ten years old? This ten-year Torso Bone was enough to make up for a great deal.
Besides, Blue Silver Grass was a trash martial soul to begin with.
The fact that Tang San had cultivated this far was already a testament to his own talent.
Naturally, the requirements for his soul rings could not be too demanding.
"Little San, what skill does your soul bone have?"
Like a curious child, Oscar poked here and peered there.
Tang San carefully examined it.
"The skill is very simple. It turns into Blue Silver Armor and gives me some protection."
"A soul bone really lives up to its reputation. Even a ten-year one increased my defense by a full five percent!"
Five percent did not sound particularly high at first.
But that was only because Tang San's current level was too low.
If this soul bone had been on Zhao Wuji,
the extra five-percent defense boost, combined with the boosts from his soul skills,
would definitely have made him tougher than before.
That was what Zhao Wuji thought, but the more he considered it, the harder it became to keep a straight face.
Five percent? Even some random support-type One-Ring Soul Master could provide more than that...
At least he had a soul bone.
Although Tang San was still unhappy, he was no longer quite so dejected.
As for why a ten-year soul ring and a ten-year soul bone together had only raised his soul power by one level,
Tang San did not give it much thought. Soul bones were simply too rare, after all. No one knew exactly what effects they had or whether they could increase soul power.
Back at the academy,
Yu Xiaogang had already arrived with Lang Yi to seek refuge.
He frowned as he looked at the Shrek students before him.
"Where's Tang San?"
Just as he voiced the question,
Zhao Wuji finally returned with Tang San and Oscar.
Seeing that the two were safe and sound, everyone from Shrek hurried forward and surrounded them.
They celebrated while asking what sort of legendary experience had allowed the pair to survive.
Flender also breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, thank goodness...
"Ahem!"
Yu Xiaogang cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to him.
"Little San, I'm glad you returned safely. You must never act so recklessly again!"
Hearing Yu Xiaogang's reprimand, Tang San lowered his head in shame.
"Yes, I understand."
Then Tang San looked at Lang Yi beside him.
For some reason, the sight of this man suddenly irritated Tang San intensely.
He was not thin-in fact, he could even be called somewhat sturdy-but his mannerisms seemed rather effeminate.
Tang San frowned.
"Who's this? Does Shrek let in every stray cat and dog?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Yu Xiaogang suddenly glared at him.
"Little San, don't you know to speak respectfully? Brother Lang Yi saved my life!"
Hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, Tang San felt that he had made a terrible mistake.
He quickly lowered his head and admitted his fault.
"I'm sorry, Teacher! I'll never do it again! Also, Teacher, what exactly happened to you? Is there anything I can help with?"
Upon hearing that this man had saved his teacher's life, the attentive Tang San immediately imagined a perilous chase.
Out of concern, he promptly asked about it.
But how could Yu Xiaogang possibly reveal that dark chapter of his past?
His expression merely darkened, and he did not answer the question.
Instead, he continued with a question of his own.
"Little San, have you found your third soul ring?"
At the Grandmaster's question, Tang San's expression darkened as well.
But with no other choice, he could only release his martial soul.
Everyone except Oscar and Zhao Wuji stared at him in astonishment.
"Teacher, I'm sorry! While I was chasing after Oscar, something knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, I discovered that my Blue Silver Grass had automatically absorbed a ten-year third soul..."
Like a child who had done something wrong, his voice grew quieter and quieter.
Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San, sorely tempted to give him a thorough scolding, but he did not know where to begin.
In the end, he could only let out a slow sigh.
"Forget it. As I said at the beginning, what matters is that you came back."
"You are my disciple, the disciple of Yu Xiaogang. Remember: there are no trash martial souls, only trash Soul Masters. So what if your third ring is ten years old? You can still become one of the continent's powerful experts."
Yu Xiaogang offered him some reassurance.
Then he asked,
"What skill does your third soul ring have?"
Tang San hesitated.
Bracing himself, he slowly released it.
The Blue Silver Grass gradually formed a shield.
Though rather than a shield, it looked more like a woven football spread open.
It was full of holes on every side.
"Teacher, my third soul skill is the Blue Silver Woven Net Shield. Its function is to intercept an opponent."
Yu Xiaogang felt the world spin around him and nearly fainted.
Then Tang San changed tack.
"But Teacher, I also obtained a ten-year Torso Bone. It can increase my own defense by five percent."
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang came back from his half-conscious state.
The torso was undoubtedly a particularly valuable location for a soul bone.
In an era when even Titled Douluos did not necessarily possess a single soul bone,
having one like this was still quite good.
Although its age was terribly low and the ability it granted was utter garbage,
it was better than nothing... It could work in tandem with the third soul skill, so it still had some use.
That was the only way Yu Xiaogang could console himself.