Not long after, in Heaven Dou City, at the Shrek Academy.
In a clean and tidy reception room, Yu Xiaogang held the hand of his disciple Tang San, whom he hadn't seen for many years, and for a moment, his eyes welled up with tears.
His lips moved a few times, a thousand words stuck in his throat, ultimately turning into a long sigh.
"Teacher." Tang San stood in front of him and bowed slightly.
Yu Xiaogang held Tang San's hand, carefully examining his disciple whom he hadn't seen for many years.
Yu Xiaogang's gaze lingered on Tang San's face for a moment, his brows furrowing unconsciously.
The ever-present terrifying bloodlust and killing intent emanating from his disciple sent a chill down his spine.
Although Tang San had tried his best to hide it, his years of experience in the Slaughter City Slaughter City inevitably revealed the habits he had developed there.
"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." Yu Xiaogang calmed himself down and pulled Tang San to sit down in a chair.
The master and disciple chatted for a while longer. Yu Xiaogang asked some questions about cultivation, Tang San answered them one by one.
After a short while, Tang San slowly voiced his question, "Teacher, where are the others?"
Tang San raised his head, his dark red eyes fixed on Yu Xiaogang. "Where are the rest of Shrek? Where are my brothers and comrades? Aren't they all at the academy?"
He already knew about Xiao Wu's situation before he returned.
With those two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast guarding her, she was safe in the Star Dou Great Forest. But what about her other companions?
Yu Xiaogang remained silent for a moment, a complex expression flashing across his face.
In the Shrek Academy today, besides these teachers, the only people who are relatively close to Tang San are Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng.
Although Flan, Zhao Wuji, and others were also in the academy, they were, after all, the elders.
Among his peers, most of those who fought side by side with him in the Soul Master Tournament are no longer in the academy and have chosen to graduate.
" Rongrong isn't here, Oscar isn't here either, even Fatty isn't here, and we haven't seen Zhu Zhuqing either..."
Tang San's gaze swept across the room, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
Just then, a series of footsteps came from outside the door, sounding somewhat unsteady.
The door was pushed open, and a figure swayed in.
The man was tall, with long, flowing blond hair, disheveled clothes, and reeking of alcohol.
His eyes were glazed over, and his face was flushed, as if he had just crawled out of a wine jar.
Dai Mubai.
He leaned against the doorframe, let out a burp, and scanned the room before finally fixing his gaze on Tang San.
A flicker of emotion crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his drunken state.
" Xiao San 're back, mistress?" His voice was hoarse, dry from a hangover.
Tang San stood up, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure before him, his brows furrowing.
The Dai Mubai he remembered was full of vigor and ambition, but the person standing in front of him now was full of decadence and indulgence.
Dai Mubai sauntered in, plopped down in a chair, grabbed the teapot on the table, and took a few sips from the spout.
Seeing his appearance, Tang San felt a surge of indescribable emotions, but still asked, " Mubai, where are the others? Xiao Ao? Rongrong? Fatty?"
Dai Mubai put down the teapot, wiped his mouth, and remained silent for a moment.
He raised his head and looked at Tang San. A glimmer of clarity flashed in his hazy, drunken eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
" Xiao Ao went out to gain experience and hasn't returned for a long time."
Dai Mubai's voice was calm. "As for Rongrong, after the incident at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Sect Master Ning was worried about her traveling outside and brought her back long ago."
"As for Zhu Zhuqing..." Dai Mubai's voice suddenly stopped.
After a long silence, he slowly spoke, "She died a long time ago, many years ago, at the hands of assassins sent by Dai Weisi."
As soon as he finished speaking, the air in the room seemed to freeze.
Tang San shuddered, abruptly standing up from his chair, his expression instantly turning ferocious.
His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white, and the bloodthirsty aura he had been deliberately suppressing suddenly erupted at that moment.
"What?" Tang San asked in a low voice.
Dai Mubai didn't look up. "Dead. He died many years ago."
Tang San stood there, his mind blank.
Since the end of the Soul Master Tournament, he has not traveled on the continent, nor has he had any contact with his companions.
He followed his father in rigorous training in the deep mountains and forests, and later went to the Slaughter City training, knowing almost nothing about what was happening in the outside world.
He was naturally unaware of this matter.
He thought that when he returned, everything would be the same as before. His brothers would still be there, his comrades would still be there, and they could still drink together, train together, and work together towards their future goals.
But now, Dai Mubai tells him that Zhu Zhuqing is dead.
Tang San opened his mouth, feeling as if a ball of fire was burning in his chest, making him feel hot all over and wanting to tear everything in front of him apart.
Before Tang San could even process the shock in his heart, Dai Mubai dropped another bombshell.
"As for the fat guy, the reason he's not at the academy is simple: he's worried about implicating the academy."
"Damaged the academy?" Tang San's eyes sharpened, and the bloody aura around him intensified. "What happened?"
A murderous aura emanated from him as if it were a tangible force, causing Dai Mubai was standing to the side, to shiver deeply and sober up somewhat.
Dai Mubai raised his head and looked at Tang San, a complex look flashing in his eyes.
"You know about Fatty's Martial Soul. A few years ago, his cultivation went wrong, causing the Evil Fire to enter his body more and more frequently."
Dai Mubai paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, "Things went wrong while venting his Evil Fire, and he injured quite a few people..."
Then the fat man was issued an arrest warrant by the Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire, and they are searching everywhere for him, also labeling him Fallen Soul Master.
At this point, Dai Mubai adopted an attitude of standing up for his brother, his face full of indignation.
In his view, Ma Hongjun only lost control because of a problem with his Martial Soul. Those women were not from respectable families to begin with, so their deaths were no big deal.
"The fat guy is in a very bad situation right now; they're after him everywhere. He's afraid of implicating the academy, so he hasn't come back."
Tang San stood still, his aura growing increasingly unstable.
Ma Hongjun's chubby, smiling face kept flashing through his mind. That fat guy who always followed them around with a grin and never held his tongue was now being chased by the Spirit Hall like a stray dog, hiding everywhere.
And Zhu Zhuqing...
At this moment, killing intent and bloodlust surged forth like a flood bursting its banks, and the bloodlust in Tang San's eyes grew increasingly intense.
The feeling of losing control came quickly and intensely, making it almost impossible for Tang San to control himself.
But soon, a chilling killing intent suddenly surged from the corner of the room, like a bucket of ice water being poured over Tang San's head, instantly suppressing the killing intent on his body.
Tang Hao had somehow already stood beside Tang San.
Tang San's body stiffened, the bloodshot in his eyes quickly faded, and his breathing gradually became steady.
He took a deep breath, lowered his eyes, and suppressed his surging emotions.
Thank you, Dad.
Tang Hao nodded without saying anything.
Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang and the others looked at each other in bewilderment.
Although they didn't know what had just happened, they could tell from the terrifying aura that suddenly erupted and disappeared from Tang San's body that their disciple's condition was far from as stable as it seemed.
Yu Xiaogang opened his mouth, as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words.
He knew very well that what had happened to Ma Hongjun was far more complicated than Dai Mubai made it out to be.
Ma Hongjun is no longer simply labeled Fallen Soul Master; he is now a completely Fallen Soul Master.
Dai Mubai was right. Ma Hongjun was indeed wanted by the Spirit Hall as Fallen Soul Master because his evil Evil Fire got out of control while he was venting his Evil Fire.
But this wasn't because he hurt people; rather, it was because Ma Hongjun, who had completely fallen into evil, began wantonly kidnapping, raping, and murdering innocent women, and had already taken more than ten lives, which is why he was wanted by the Spirit Hall.
They still hear news from time to time that Ma Hongjun has committed new crimes.
In addition, Ma Hongjun was originally from the Shrek Academy and had a master-disciple relationship with Dean Flan. Furthermore, Shrek Academy was occasionally subject to investigations by the Spirit Hall and the Empire.
Since Dai Mubai didn't intend to bring these things up, they shouldn't say anything more. Saying it would only cause more trouble.
A brief silence fell over the room.
Tang San stood there with his eyes closed, completely still.
A moment later, he opened his eyes. The bloodshot color in his black eyes had faded considerably, replaced by a chilling killing intent.
"Dare to issue arrest warrants for my brothers who are hunting down Tang San? The Spirit Hall has already committed suicide!" Tang San's voice was filled with ruthlessness.
He clenched his fist and said, word by word, "I will destroy the Spirit Hall sooner or later, not just for Fatty. I will also avenge you, Master, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang was moved to tears.
He stood in front of Tang San, his lips trembling slightly, and raised his hand to pat Tang San's shoulder.
Yu Xiaogang felt fortunate once again that he had chosen to take Tang San as his disciple.
This decision changed his life.
Tang San already knew that his mother was the Blue Silver Emperor, Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that had transformed into a human. He also knew that the reason his mother chose to Sacrifice to his father was because his family was being hunted down by the Spirit Hall.
The hatred for one's parents is irreconcilable.
Tang San had long ago made up his mind to take revenge.
Now, this hatred has been compounded by the hatred between brothers and teachers.
Thinking of this, a fierce glint flashed in Tang San's eyes.
The two brothers talked for a while longer, and the atmosphere gradually eased.
Dai Mubai could feel the Pressure emanating from Tang San, which was much stronger than when he left.
" Xiao San, what level of cultivation have you reached now?"
Dai Mubai said, "I can feel a lot of pressure coming from you."
Over the years at the Shrek Academy, his cultivation had almost stagnated, but his vision remained. The aura emanating from Tang San gave him a sense of Pressure he only felt when facing elders.
Upon hearing this, Tang San smiled wryly, " Mubai, you've been somewhat lax in your cultivation lately, and you still haven't broken through to the Six Rings."
Tang San's voice carried a hint of teasing.
Given Dai Mubai's talent, it's truly unbelievable that he hasn't broken through to the Six Rings after so much time.
Upon hearing this, Dai Mubai shrugged indifferently.
After Zhu Zhuqing's death, his brother Dai Weisi reduced the frequency and intensity of his attacks on his side, seemingly because he was no longer a threat.
In addition, with the academy's teachers, Flan Zhao Wuji and Liu Erlong, having both broken through to the Eight-Ring Soul Douluo realm, Dai Weisi did not send assassins to openly kill them within the academy.
In this situation, what's the point of him cultivating? He can no longer see the meaning in cultivation.
Judging from the wanted notices for Ma Hongjun, it seems that the fat man's cultivation level has already broken through to the Six Rings.
Dai Mubai twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a self-deprecating smile, but did not reply.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Tang San didn't ask any more questions.
He stood up, raised his right hand, and a thought flickered in his mind.
A jet-black hammer appeared in his hand, its surface engraved with stark white patterns, radiating a chilling aura.
Clear Sky Hammer.
The next moment, seven jet-black Soul Ring slowly emerged from the hammer, gently pulsating around it. The seven Soul Ring were entirely black.
The stench of blood instantly filled the entire room, chilling to the bone and carrying a heavy killing intent.
For a moment, Yu Xiaogang, whose cultivation level was relatively low, was even unable to withstand the corrosive aura of blood. His old face turned pale and his body trembled slightly involuntarily.
Seeing that things were not going well, Liu Erlong quickly stepped forward and placed her hand on Yu Xiaogang's shoulder. A scorching Fire Dragon Soul Power surged from her palm, enveloping Yu Xiaogang and isolating him from the unpleasant bloody aura.
Yu Xiaogang finally caught his breath, his complexion gradually returned to normal, and he nodded to Liu Erlong.
Tang San didn't notice this scene; his gaze was fixed on the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
"Do you see these seven Soul Ring?"
His voice carried undisguised arrogance, "My cultivation level has now reached level seventy-eight!"
The moment he finished speaking, the stench of blood emanating from him returned, even stronger than before.
Seven ten- Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring pulsed slowly on the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand, emitting a chilling black light.
"In another year at most, I'm confident I can break through to the level of Eight-Ring Soul Douluo."
As he said this, he raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces before finally settling on a certain direction outside the window.
"If I ever meet Lin Mo again, I will never lose again!"
At this point, Tang San subconsciously licked his lips, a greedy glint flashing in his eyes.
Eight purple spider legs silently emerged from behind, moving rhythmically in a strange pattern.
Tang San's experiences in the Slaughter City led him to develop the habit of Eight Spider Lances: Devour his opponents in order to accelerate his cultivation.
The feeling of directly plundering someone else's Life and Soul Power is faster and more exhilarating than any other cultivation method.
He's even starting to get tired of meditation, such a low-level form of cultivation.
In Tang San's eyes, Lin Mo had now become an extremely desirable prey.
If I could devour him, I might be able to leapfrog my cultivation to the Eight-Ring Soul Douluo.
Thinking of this, the greed in Tang San's eyes intensified.
Upon hearing Tang San's words, everyone fell silent once again.
Finally, Yu Xiaogang broke the silence with a light cough.
"That kid Lin Mo took a group of people out to sea for training a long time ago," Yu Xiaogang said calmly. "They've been gone for quite a few years and haven't returned yet."
He didn't tell Tang San that Lin Mo had broken through to the Seven-Ring Soul Sage early on and possessed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.
Revealing those things now would only damage my disciple's confidence; it would be pointless.
Moreover, in Yu Xiaogang's current view, Tang San's failure back then was not a bad thing; it made Tang San train harder.
Tang San, now, will undoubtedly achieve no less than anyone else in the future!
Upon hearing this, Tang San frowned slightly, but did not press the matter further. He simply nodded and moved on from the topic.
Just then, Yu Xiaogang noticed the old man following behind Tang San and Tang Hao.
The old man stood silently in the corner of the room.
He was shrouded in a large gray robe, his gray hair was disheveled and draped over his shoulders, and his face was old, bearing some resemblance to Tang Hao and his son Tang San.
He stood there, motionless, his cloudy eyes staring blankly ahead, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.
Yu Xiaogang, filled with doubt, couldn't help but ask, " Xiao San, who is this...?"
Tang San followed his gaze, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said, "This is my great-grandfather, Tang Chen."
Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent for a moment.
Tang San's great-grandfather? When did the Clear Sky Sect even have such a person? Why don't they remember him?
Before long, Yu Xiaogang was the first to wake up, his eyes widening suddenly, his expression changing from bewilderment to shock, and finally freezing into an incredulous blank stare.
He opened his mouth, his voice trembling, " Tang Chen... could he be the previous generation's Clear Sky Douluo?"
Tang San nodded, confirming Yu Xiaogang's guess.
Yu Xiaogang welled up with tears again.
For Yu Xiaogang, after suffering a series of setbacks, Tang San's return was both a shock and a delight.
My disciple's strength has reached level 78, which is enough to prove his worth.
Although Yu Xiaogang may be a good-for-nothing, his theories are anything but! He is definitely not someone who seeks fame and fortune for personal gain.
Tang San, who was trained through his theories, is the best evidence to prove the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul!
Moreover, Tang San now has Tang Chen, a Peerless Douluo, by his side.
While others might not be aware of the previous Clear Sky Douluo's achievements, how could he not be?
As Peerless Douluo once defeated Qian Daoliu, the current Great Enshrined the Spirit Hall, Tang Chen's strength is beyond doubt.
Looking across the entire continent, there are very few people who can rival him.
Now that Tang Chen has returned, there is a greater chance that what Tang San said earlier will come true.
It seems that destroying the Spirit Hall and avenging the clan is no longer an impossible task.
At the same time, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School also received news of Tang San and Tang Hao's return.
Perhaps because they were confident in their strength, they did not make a big show of themselves at this time, but they also did not deliberately conceal their whereabouts.
Shortly after they returned to the Shrek Academy, spies from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect sent news of their return back to the sect.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Council Hall.
Ning Fengzhi sat in the main seat, holding the newly delivered secret report in his hand, his brows furrowed. He handed the report to Chen Xin, who was sitting below him.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin took the secret report, glanced at it, and frowned.
Bone Douluo Gu Rong, leaned over for a glance and let out a sneer.
" Uncle Jian, Uncle Gu, what do you think?" Ning Fengzhi asked, his voice weary.
Out of caution, they did not inform Ning Rongrong of Tang San's return.
The attack on her sect, the death of Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun becoming Fallen Soul Master... This series of blows almost plunged Ning Rongrong, who had been pampered since childhood, into depression.
Now that Ning Rongrong has finally emerged from the shadows, they don't want Ning Rongrong to have anything to do with those people from Shrek anymore.
"What can we do? What else can we do but pretend we didn't see it?" Bone Douluo said with a face full of disdain, " The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School is barely able to protect itself right now, are we going to go out and be their pawns?"
Sword Douluo Chen Xin, who rarely argued with Bone Douluo, nodded in agreement with his statement.
Upon hearing this, the three fell silent once again.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is currently in an extremely delicate situation, yet it can be said to be the only dominant force within the Heaven Dou Empire.
Even though the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect suffered heavy losses in the past, they still have the potential to bring the sect to unprecedented glory.
The key issue is that the current situation is far from normal.
During an audience with the palace a few years ago, Sword Douluo, relying on his extraordinary senses from his Martial Soul, Frisk that the current emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire was an imposter and that there were Titled Douluo- level guardians by his side.
Initially, it was thought that Xue Qinghe had been killed at some point and his identity had been replaced.
But when Sword Douluo told Ning Fengzhi the news, everything that seemed illogical in Ning Fengzhi's mind suddenly made sense, and all the clues connected.
Even the question Xue Qinghe asked him back then, which Ning Fengzhi felt was quite out of character, has now been answered.
If the person who asked that question wasn't Xue Qinghe, but rather a member of the Spirit Hall disguised as Xue Qinghe, then his question would be perfectly reasonable.
It's likely that even before that, no, even earlier, the Heaven Dou Empire Imperial Family had been thoroughly infiltrated by the Spirit Hall, to the point that they didn't even Frisk when Emperor Xue Qinghe had been replaced.
However, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School and the Heaven Dou Imperial Family are now completely intertwined, forming a community of shared interests.
If this secret were to be exposed, it would be entirely detrimental to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School.
Thinking of this, Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but recall the question his "disciple" had asked him back then.
Would you like to join the Spirit Hall?
If he knew Xue Qinghe's true identity beforehand and was asked to answer this question again, his answer would be yes.
Even though the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect suffered heavy losses due to the Spirit Hall's Soul Hunting Operation, this answer will not change!
Compared to the prospect of having one's entire family wiped out in the future, joining the Spirit Hall and securing a future is a viable alternative.
Moreover, they might even be able to leverage the influence of the Spirit Hall to further develop and expand the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi was ultimately a businessman at heart; there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.
He sighed deeply. "Let's wait and see. It's not time to make a decision yet."
Chen Xin and Gu Rong exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke.