Zhao Wuji's fury, Tang San's decision

Elsewhere.

Inside a tavern.

Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun already had bruised faces and swollen noses.

"We're students from Shrek, just students."

"You're a dignified Soul King, and a teacher at Canghui Academy at that. Aren't you ashamed to meddle in the affairs of youngsters like us?"

Oscar looked utterly unconvinced.

Opposite them stood an old man with a tortoise shell on his back.

Five Soul Rings pulsed beneath his feet, warning everyone not to underestimate him.

Ma Hongjun said, "Oscar, save your breath. He'd already thrown his dignity on the floor when he attacked us."

"Hehehe, what a sharp-tongued bunch of brats."

The old man with the tortoise shell laughed at that. "Since you're from an academy, you must have a teacher leading you, right? Where is he?"

"Heh, if Teacher Zhao found out we were being bullied here, he'd definitely break your mangy legs."

"Count yourself lucky he isn't here."

Ma Hongjun spoke with a cold laugh.

"Interesting."

"Very interesting indeed."

"I don't know whether he'd break my legs, but if I don't break yours, I, Ye Zhiqiu, will take your surname!"

As he spoke, the old man with the tortoise shell advanced step by step, a vicious gleam in his eyes.

"Y-you stay back! If you've got the guts, let us go get our teacher!"

Ma Hongjun immediately panicked.

Faced with overwhelming strength, he could only reign supreme in a battle of words.

Can't this damned fatty show a little mercy with that mouth of his?

Can't he see that we need to stall until Teacher Zhao realizes we're missing and comes to rescue us?

Dai Mubai was truly beside himself over such a pigheaded teammate.

With no other choice.

As Ye Zhiqiu advanced, they retreated step by step.

Suddenly.

Oscar's gaze sharpened as he spotted a familiar figure in the crowd. "Boss Dai, look. Isn't that Your Holiness the Thunder Emperor?"

Oscar's eyes were now swollen to mere slits, severely impairing his vision.

So he wasn't sure whether his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"Where?"

Dai Mubai was overjoyed. If Your Holiness really had come, they were saved.

"Over there!"

Oscar pointed.

Dai Mubai looked over, and his pupils immediately contracted.

Sure enough, wasn't that handsome young man watching the spectacle with his arms folded Qin Xiao?

"It really is Your Holiness..."

"But Your Holiness doesn't seem to have any intention of helping us out..."

Dai Mubai smiled bitterly.

He'd thought he'd found a little boat that could save their lives, only for it to capsize before he could even board.

"No time to worry about that."

Ma Hongjun also looked toward Qin Xiao and called, "Your Holiness, we're over here..."

As he spoke, he waved frantically at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao remained unmoved.

What a joke.

Why would he help these three Shrek swordsmen for no reason?

Besides.

It went without saying that the three had brought this predicament upon themselves.

Of course.

Most importantly, the system hadn't issued a mission.

"Uh..."

Ma Hongjun was embarrassed.

Qin Xiao had ignored him...

But his actions had caught Ye Zhiqiu's attention.

Your Holiness?

Could there be a Titled Douluo here?

Instinctively, Ye Zhiqiu followed Ma Hongjun's gaze and immediately spotted Qin Xiao.

He laughed. "Brat, even if you want to fool me, at least pick someone convincing. This kid's only a few years older than you, and you're calling him Your Holiness?"

"Hahaha, you're killing me!"

Ye Zhiqiu rocked back and forth with laughter.

"Kid, tell me, are you Your Holiness?"

As he laughed, he couldn't resist asking Qin Xiao.

He failed to notice that Oscar, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun were already looking at him as though he were a dead man.

Ye Zhiqiu's actions perfectly illustrated the saying: if you didn't court death, you wouldn't die...

Wasn't it better to stay alive and bully some weaklings?

Meanwhile.

Still smiling faintly, Qin Xiao asked, "Do you find this very funny?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

Ye Zhiqiu answered almost without thinking, "Of course it's..."

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't force out the final word, "funny."

It felt as though an invisible hand had clamped tightly around his throat. Or as though a fish bone were lodged in it.

The next instant, his eyes grew bloodshot, and his face flushed the dark red of pig's liver.

"What's going on?"

"What's wrong with our teacher? Could an old illness have flared up?"

"..."

Behind Ye Zhiqiu, the students from Canghui Academy were all stunned by the sudden turn of events.

"Your Holiness, let me handle this."

"After all, Dai Mubai and the other two caused this trouble."

"Rest assured, the outcome will satisfy you."

Just then, Zhao Wuji's voice came from behind Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao turned, glanced at Zhao Wuji, and then slowly nodded.

Zhao Wuji strode forward.

"Teacher Zhao..."

Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar cried out in delight.

Now this was a real lifeline.

At that moment, Ye Zhiqiu also returned to normal.

"Teacher Zhao? They call you their teacher? You were the one playing tricks just now, weren't you?"

He looked at Zhao Wuji, convinced he'd uncovered the truth.

"Playing tricks?"

"I'll play tricks with your granny!"

Cursing, Zhao Wuji swung his hand at him.

Smack!

Zhao Wuji's slap sent Ye Zhiqiu spinning several times before he landed face-first on the ground.

"Keep running your mouth, will you..."

"Who are you to question Your Holiness?"

Still not satisfied, Zhao Wuji kicked him again and again.

Even after activating his Martial Soul, Ye Zhiqiu couldn't withstand it.

He let out one agonized scream after another.

The students from Canghui Academy were dumbfounded.

Who is this guy now? He's pinning a Soul King to the ground and pounding him even with his Martial Soul active? Am I dreaming?

Even Oscar and the others felt that Teacher Zhao was unusually savage today.

In the Star Dou Great Forest.

Tang San suddenly stopped walking.

"Xiao Wu, wait a moment."

Xiao Wu turned to look at Tang San in confusion. "San, what's wrong?"

"I think I'm about to break through." A trace of delight appeared in Tang San's eyes.

"How could it happen so quickly? Normally, you'd need another ten days to half a month."

"Maybe it's because I've been shaken up a bit lately," Tang San said with a bitter smile.

That was indeed the case.

The shock had been far too great.

From the moment he met Qin Xiao, his heart had been subjected to one shock after another.

An eighteen-year-old Titled Douluo-what monstrous talent. How many geniuses had it battered until not an inch remained unscathed, grinding them into the dirt?

And no matter how hard one chased, such an achievement would always remain out of reach.

Even with his previous life's experience and a martial cultivation method like the Mysterious Heaven Skill, Tang San could only admit his inferiority.

Qin Xiao's talent truly defied the heavens.

At first, it had been fine. He could only say he was envious, even a little jealous.

Still, well water hadn't interfered with river water.

But Tang Hao's appearance had rewritten everything.

Such a genius had actually become their enemy!

It was simply absurd!

At the same time, he had become genuinely desperate.

"An enemy like Qin Xiao is truly terrifying. If I can't grow stronger quickly, then in the future..."

"No."

"I might not have a future at all. And my dad-he's in danger too."

Tang San spoke in a low voice.

Xiao Wu instinctively tightened her grip on Tang San's hand. "Maybe things won't turn out that badly."

"No."

Tang San shook his head. "Having provoked Qin Xiao, things will only get worse."

"So from now on, I'll stop at nothing to find a way to kill him."