By the time Tang San finally woke, a full twenty-four hours had passed. Two yellow Soul Rings and one purple one pulsed up and down around his body, showing that he had successfully absorbed this Soul Ring.
Yet a sudden change occurred: eight spider legs grew from Tang San's back. These were the Eight Spider Lances, one of his important fortuitous opportunities.
Tang San was inwardly delighted. This had to be something extraordinary. He immediately began studying the eight spider legs, and before he knew it, another hour had passed.
Once everything was settled, Tang San finally remembered Xiao Wu all of a sudden and hurriedly asked Zhao Wuji, "Teacher Zhao, how is Xiao Wu? Have you found any trace of her?"
Ning Rongrong, standing nearby, was somewhat surprised to hear this. She thought, Only now do you remember Xiao Wu?
Zhao Wuji was somewhat surprised as well, but his expression immediately darkened as he sighed. "While you were absorbing your Soul Ring, we searched the surrounding area, but there was no trace of her. I also searched deeper into the forest, but I couldn't find her there either."
Upon hearing this, Tang San's eyes immediately turned bloodshot, and he looked deeply anguished. Then he said resolutely, "Teacher Zhao, I'm going to find Xiao Wu. Whether she's dead or alive, I have to find her!"
With that, Tang San prepared to head deeper into the forest.
Zhao Wuji did not dare let anything happen to Tang San right under his nose. He quickly caught hold of him and urged, "It's already been twenty-eight or thirty hours since Xiao Wu was taken. The Star Dou Great Forest is so vast-how would you search it? By now, I'm afraid Xiao Wu has already been... by the Titan Giant Ape."
Zhao Wuji glanced at Tang San and did not finish.
The others from Shrek also began urging Tang San to restrain his grief, saying that Xiao Wu was blessed with good fortune and a resilient life, that she would surely turn disaster into good fortune and return safely, and so on.
Before long, Tang San seemed to accept this fact as well and shouted, "Titan Giant Ape, as long as I live, we cannot share the same sky!"
Only the newly joined Meng Yiran was bewildered. Who was Xiao Wu? Tang San cared so much about her that he actually dared to make an enemy of the Titan Giant Ape for her. Tang San truly was a man who valued affection and loyalty.
Only Ning Rongrong, who was accustomed to intrigue and scheming, silently gave him a thumbs-up. Masterful. Truly masterful!
The group delayed no further. After packing up, they began the journey back to the academy.
Meanwhile, Tang Feng had long since reached Suotuo City. He intended to follow his original plan and continue participating in Soul Fighting at Suotuo City's Great Soul Arena with the Ruyi Jingu Bang. Once his staff techniques reached major accomplishment and he understood how to fight different Soul Masters, he would return to the sect.
Tang Feng checked into a hotel near the Soto Great Soul Arena. After entering his room, he took Xiao Wu out of the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse.
Looking at this living Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and Soul Bone, he could not imagine how pleasantly surprised his grandfather would be by this gift.
After confirming that she was in no danger, Tang Feng put her back into the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse. With the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse and the Soul-Confusing Pill that could keep her asleep for four or five months, she would not wake anytime soon.
That evening, Tang Feng went to register for Soul Fighting at the Soto Great Soul Arena under the name "Sun Xingzhe." After all, he used a staff.
Tang Feng made up his mind to use only staff techniques in Soul Fighting. If he still could not win after exhausting his Soul Power and stamina, he would concede. He was not pursuing any ranked badge, but merely honing his staff techniques and familiarizing himself with fighting various types of Soul Masters.
And so Tang Feng began his journey through the Soul Fighting Arena.
Meanwhile, after two days of travel, the Shrek group finally returned to Shrek Academy. When Flender, the dean, heard what they had experienced, he shuddered with lingering fear and privately decided that he would have to lead Soul Hunting trips himself from now on.
However, the shrewd Flender also felt a hint of relief. Fortunately, it was Xiao Wu who had met with trouble. If it had been anyone else, his position as dean would have become difficult.
Tang San had a Titled Douluo father and a teacher from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan backing him.
Ma Hongjun was Flender's personal disciple. Although Oscar was also a commoner, he had at least been at the academy a long time, and there was some affection between them.
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing were both members of the Star Luo Imperial Family.
Ning Rongrong was even less someone he could afford to offend. She was the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. If anything happened to her, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would surely skin Flender alive.
Only Xiao Wu had neither backing nor status. She was merely a commoner with decent talent, and anything happening to her would not affect the academy much.
Besides, it was not as though such things had never happened at the academy before. Soul Hunting was dangerous, after all.
Furthermore, the academy had successfully welcomed the granddaughter of Dragon Duke Meng Shu, a renowned figure in the Soul Master World. Its reputation would surely grow even greater!
Thus, when the other teachers at Shrek Academy heard about this, they merely regretted it inwardly and showed little further emotion.
Along the way, with everyone's efforts to console him, and with Meng Yiran filling Xiao Wu's place in his heart, Tang San had also come to terms with things somewhat. He thought, The world of Soul Masters is full of danger to begin with. I'll have to be more careful in the future.
By now, they had all safely returned to Shrek Academy in Suotuo City.
That evening, Ning Rongrong sought out Tang San. Having witnessed the power of his Hidden Weapons, she wanted to do business with him and purchase his Hidden Weapons for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
But Tang San politely declined, merely saying that he had not thought it through yet and they could discuss it later. Ning Rongrong could only helplessly express her understanding.
At that moment, in Flender's office, Zhao Wuji was still recounting what had happened in the Star Dou Great Forest.
"A Titan Giant Ape actually appeared on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest?"
A somewhat stiff and peculiar voice came from outside the door.
Zhao Wuji started. "Who is it?"
"Haha, it's Xiaogang. Come in!" Flender said excitedly.
The door opened, and a middle-aged man walked in from outside. He was Tang San's teacher, Grandmaster Yu.
Flender enthusiastically introduced him. "Here, Wuji, let me introduce you. This is my old friend from back then, and Tang San's teacher. Just call him Grandmaster."
Zhao Wuji's heart stirred. Upon hearing that he was connected to Tang San, he quickly said courteously, "So you're the Grandmaster. Hello, hello. I'm Zhao Wuji."
The Grandmaster truly lived up to his title! Brimming with the bearing of an expert, he merely nodded calmly.
"No need for formalities, Immovable Wisdom King. Tang San came back with you as well, I take it?"
Zhao Wuji chuckled. "Your distinguished disciple Tang San returned safely. He gained a great deal this time and performed quite well. He even obtained an extremely rare Soul Ring and successfully advanced to Soul Elder!"
Then his tone changed, and he said gravely, "It's just... one of our students was taken by the forest's overlord, the Titan Giant Ape. Her fate is unknown!"
"Oh, was that the Titan Giant Ape you mentioned encountering on the outskirts of the forest? Which student was so unfortunate?" Having heard that Tang San was unharmed, the Grandmaster asked casually.
"Alas, it was Xiao Wu, who came here with Tang San!"
"What! Xiao Wu! You... you... how were you protecting the students?"
Grandmaster Yu's expression had eased somewhat upon hearing that Tang San was unharmed. But when he learned that Xiao Wu had been taken, he flew into a rage, pointing rudely at Zhao Wuji as he angrily questioned him.
Both Flender and Zhao Wuji were greatly startled, their expressions turning puzzled. Wasn't she just a commoner Soul Master? Why was the Grandmaster so agitated?
Zhao Wuji's face quickly darkened, and his temper rose as well. He thought, I may not be able to afford to offend Tang San, but I'm no pushover either. I was only polite to you earlier out of respect for the dean, and now you're climbing onto my face because I let you step on my nose? Where does a useless fool with only a Soul Grandmaster's strength find the nerve?
Of course, Zhao Wuji did not say that outright. Instead, he sneered, "My abilities are meager. Next time, we must ask our 'Grandmaster' to lead the students into the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for Soul Rings. I'm sure the Grandmaster will win every battle and conquer every stronghold."
Zhao Wuji placed particular emphasis on the word "Grandmaster."
Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's face alternated between red and green, and for a moment, he was speechless.
What a joke. Asking him, a Soul Grandmaster whose Soul Skills did nothing but fart, to lead a Soul Hunting expedition-wasn't that asking for Yu Xiaogang's life?
Seeing the extraordinarily awkward atmosphere, Flender hurriedly intervened. "None of us wanted this to happen. Everyone in the Soul Master World knows how powerful the Titan Giant Ape is. With only one student lost, Wuji already did everything he could."
Yu Xiaogang still looked furious, but what could he do?
Zhao Wuji, however, no longer showed Yu Xiaogang any courtesy. He bid Flender farewell and swept out with a flick of his sleeve, without so much as looking at Yu Xiaogang.
Flender continued trying to reason with Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang was not genuinely concerned about Xiao Wu. Rather, his anger came from worrying that Tang San would be heartbroken. Yu Xiaogang believed that Tang San must be utterly devastated at that moment.
Little did he know that Tang San was indeed very "heartbroken" at that moment as he discussed Hidden Weapons with Meng Yiran, from Bone-Piercing Nails and Silent Sleeve Arrows to Sand Shooting Shadow, the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow, and the Foot-Stomping Crossbow.
The two sat shoulder to shoulder at a table. Meng Yiran gazed at Tang San with admiration, constantly asking about the effects of various Hidden Weapons and how to use them.
Tang San introduced them proudly as well. She was the first person he had met in this world who appreciated his Hidden Weapons so much, and it made him feel a great affinity with her.