Ning Fengzhi had asked him to accompany Ning Rongrong to Shrek Academy.
Well, Gu Yang had accompanied Ning Rongrong here now, and they had successfully entered Shrek Academy.
That meant his task was complete, and he had an answer to give Ning Fengzhi.
Surely taking leave was still within the rules!
Flender inwardly found this troublesome. He could not allow such a big deal to slip through his fingers.
Once he closed this deal, he would never have to worry about food or clothing again!
"Boy, why do you want to take leave?"
Naturally, Flender could see that Gu Yang was the key to whether Ning Rongrong stayed or left, so he questioned him.
"Because I have some very important matters to attend to, so I can only take leave." Gu Yang shrugged, then solemnly added, "If the academy refuses, I can only suspend my studies or leave Shrek Academy."
Looking at Gu Yang's solemn expression, Flender knitted his brows even tighter. He could sense that this youngster was not easy to deal with. "The academy understands that you have matters to attend to, but your leave cannot be that long!"
"That is already my conservative estimate, Dean Flender!"
"You! Boy, don't think you can be arrogant and complacent just because you are a disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Do you know how far you will fall behind the others if you take such a long leave?" Flender was very confident in the quality of their teaching. After all, they had produced a Qin Ming.
Gu Yang smiled faintly, but to Flender, that smile carried another meaning.
"Dean Flender, forgive my bluntness, but Shrek Academy really has nothing to teach me right now!"
"You..."
"You brat, how dare you speak to Dean Flender like that!" Dai Mubai, who had already lost face over the earlier incident with Oscar's sausages, immediately refused to stand for it and looked ready to attack.
Flender stopped him, however. Looking at Gu Yang before him, Flender narrowed his eyes slightly, his lenses gleaming, and said evenly, "Are you truly determined to request such a long leave, regardless of everything else?"
Seeing Flender suddenly turn so calm, especially the look in his eyes, everyone could easily sense a hint of danger.
Gu Yang thought nothing of it, however, and nodded.
Seeing Gu Yang nod, Flender laughed instead of growing angry. "The academy has nothing to teach you... Fine. Since you think so, taking leave is easy. As long as you can last one incense stick's worth of time against Old Zhao, just like in the earlier test, I will approve your leave!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Dai Mubai and Oscar both cast pitying looks at Gu Yang.
Gu Yang's disrespectful words about Shrek Academy had naturally angered Shrek's teachers. Flender might have his problems, but he had truly poured his heart and blood into Shrek.
Moreover, when Zhao Wuji acted this time, he naturally would not hold back as he had during the earlier test. This time, Zhao Wuji would probably get serious, intent on teaching Gu Yang a harsh lesson.
"Well? Still want to take leave?" Flender looked at Gu Yang with a smile, convinced that having witnessed the entire earlier test, Gu Yang would surely be frightened into backing down.
Yet things went against his wishes. A barely perceptible trace of mockery curled at the corner of Gu Yang's mouth. "If I cannot defeat Teacher Zhao outright, then I might as well forget about taking leave!"
Hearing Gu Yang's words, everyone could not help wondering whether they had misheard.
"Little Ao, did he say defeat Teacher Zhao? I didn't hear that wrong, did I?" Dai Mubai's sinister eyes went blank with disbelief.
Oscar was equally dumbfounded. "Boss Dai, it seems you didn't hear wrong. I heard it too."
Even Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing froze.
Tang San, on the other hand, looked at Gu Yang's expression and kept feeling that he was not someone who made wild boasts, especially after witnessing Zhao Wuji in action.
Could he have powerful trump cards too?
The others did not believe it because they could not do it themselves.
Yet Tang San instead became the only one who thought Gu Yang might be able to pull it off.
Because Tang San believed that if he used every means at his disposal, relying on hidden weapons, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Purple Demon Eye, and a whole series of Tang Sect Secret Arts, he might not be without a chance.
Tang San still vividly remembered a line from the general principles of the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record: never underestimate your opponent, and never assume that just because you cannot do something, others cannot do it either.
Once both sides had made their decision, everyone cleared the central area, leaving only Gu Yang and Zhao Wuji.
Looking at Gu Yang before him, Zhao Wuji actually sensed a measure of danger for some reason, even though the boy had yet to release his Soul Rings.
A twelve-year-old child could make him feel this way?
How ridiculous that sounded!
Zhao Wuji found it hard to believe. The familiar seven Soul Rings rose beneath his feet at once, and he activated his first Soul Ring's Immovable Bright King Body before striding toward Gu Yang.
He was not fast, but his steps were exceptionally steady. With every step forward, the ground trembled slightly.
Everyone watching, even those who had already participated in the earlier test, could sense that Zhao Wuji was probably about to get serious.
"Teacher Zhao, be careful."
Gu Yang suddenly snapped his head up, a confident gleam flashing through his eyes, while Soul Rings appeared beneath his feet one after another.
Every single Soul Ring sent an enormous shock through everyone.
Purple, purple, black, black, black?!
Come on, man, did you dye your Soul Rings?
This makes no sense!
Neither the number nor the quality of his Soul Rings was comprehensible.
Since he was going to fight, Gu Yang held nothing back and immediately struck without hesitation.
While everyone was still immersed in the shock of Gu Yang's Soul Rings, a roar suddenly rang out, striking straight at their souls and shaking their minds.
For a moment, everyone felt their minds go blank, as though time itself had stopped.
Their surroundings were terrifyingly silent.
When everyone recovered from that jolt, they discovered a sight that shocked them and would be difficult to forget.
A long, jointed bone whip looped through the air, and tied to its other end was a man whom everyone present happened to know: the Immovable Wisdom King, Zhao Wuji.
Zhao Wuji was short to begin with, and being bound in midair by Gu Yang made him look somewhat comical.
By now, Zhao Wuji had also recovered from Fear Roar. He immediately mustered every ounce of strength in his body, his arm muscles bulging as he continually forced the jointed bone whip outward.
"Since you want to come out, Teacher Zhao, let me give you a hand."
Seeing the genial smile on Gu Yang's face, Zhao Wuji felt his unease intensify.
At the same time, the second Soul Ring beneath Gu Yang's feet shone with its own distinctive radiance. In response, violent fluctuations of energy also surged from the jointed bone whip wrapped around Zhao Wuji.
White light blazed, followed closely by a deafening boom.
The instant the explosion erupted, Flender hurriedly grabbed Oscar and Ning Rongrong, Dai Mubai took Zhu Zhuqing, and Tang San scooped up Xiao Wu, all of them immediately retreating from the center of the explosion.
Only after everyone had moved away and settled safely did they look back toward the center of the explosion, discovering that the once-empty ground had already been blasted into an enormous hemispherical crater over ten meters across. Zhao Wuji was now kneeling on one knee at its center, drenched in blood.
Though Zhao Wuji's body was powerful, it was still flesh and blood. Detonating every part of the jointed bone whip wrapped around him was equivalent to setting off a pile of bombs strapped to his body. The fact that his arms and legs were still intact was already enough to show that his strength and defenses were no ordinary matter.
Had Flender been in his place, he would most likely have been killed outright.
Zhao Wuji exhaled softly, and even the air he breathed out was faintly black.
"Look here, you brat, I'm still your teacher, after all. You hit so hard! This round counts as your win!"
Zhao Wuji sucked in a cold breath, gritting his teeth and contorting his face in pain.
"Teacher Zhao, I actually held back. Otherwise, the explosion would have been more powerful than this."
"Then am I supposed to thank you? Thank you for showing mercy?"
"Teacher Zhao, you really do have to thank me!"