Jiujiu, deathly silence fell over the Shrek Academy compound.
Flender and Liu Erlong looked at Yu Xiaogang, who seemed to have gone mad, with eyes full of unfamiliarity.
They could hardly believe that the Horn of Wisdom, with whom they had ventured across the mainland for decades, would do something so cruel.
Six months of torment for a child who saw him as a father.
" Xiao Gang..."
Liu Erlong's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't imagine how they should treat Xiao Yan if they faced him again.
She and Flender were simply trying to find the Grandmaster to ask about the truth of the matter.
But little did I know that the truth would be so heartbreaking.
Tears welled in Liu Erlong's eyes. This woman, who had always presented herself as strong, was now pale and looked at the Grandmaster, saying:
" Xiao Gang, I've never cared about your strength, your talent, I..."
"Bang!"
But I care!
Yu Xiaogang slammed his left fist on the armrest of the wheelchair, his face contorted with rage as he looked up and suddenly met Liu Erlong's gaze. He struggled violently as he remained seated in the wheelchair!
"I care, I care!"
The Grandmaster roared angrily:
Do you know that you'll be ridiculed and looked at coldly wherever you go?
A hint of resentment flashed in the Grandmaster's eyes:
"Because my strength is such that I can never break through level 30, even though I proposed the Ten Core Theories of Martial Souls, no one takes them seriously at all."
"No matter where I go, I'm always met with sarcastic glares! Even the lowest-ranking Soul Master, the insignificant ants in the Soul Master World, look at me with nothing but mockery!"
The Grandmaster burst into curses, angrily saying:
"I had already resigned myself to my fate! I knew these theories were just theories, and even if I trained Tang San and Xiao Yan, I would still be a good-for-nothing in the eyes of outsiders!"
"But!"
The Grandmaster's eyes were once again filled with desire. He looked at Liu Erlong and Flender, his voice hoarse, and said:
" Boss Fu, Sister Erlong, do you know?"
The Grandmaster's body began to tremble; this was due to his inner excitement.
"Until I discovered Xiao Yan's special abilities, and I discovered his Martial Soul!"
The Grandmaster closed his eyes, slumped in his wheelchair, a faint serenity appearing on his face, and said to the two:
"During those six months, I experienced what it felt like to be a genius; cultivation became as simple as eating and drinking."
'Gulp~'
The Grandmaster's eyes were filled with pleading as he looked at the two of them and said:
So, you understand me, right?
The Grandmaster reached out with his remaining left hand to touch Liu Erlong's head, but this time, Liu Erlong dodged it, and the Grandmaster froze on the spot.
"Xiao... Xiao Gang."
Liu Erlong's voice was choked with emotion, and the tear stains on her face had not yet faded.
"But... but that child never hurt you, my Xiao Gang isn't like that."
As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Erlong stood up and said firmly:
" Xiao Gang, you were wrong this time. Let's wait until the finals. After the finals, I'm willing to go with you to apologize to Xiao Yan."
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Erlong walked towards the door and said:
Don't overthink it. No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side!
Yu Xiaogang hadn't expected Liu Erlong to be so resolute, even going so far as to apologize to Xiao Yan.
A sense of absurdity rose in Yu Xiaogang's heart. He looked at Flender beside him and asked:
" Boss Fu, what do you mean?"
Flender fell into Jiujiu silence upon hearing this.
He could understand the Grandmaster's resentment, after all, they had both witnessed the witty and spirited young men of the Horn of Wisdom in their twenties.
However, wasn't the very reason that Flender's Shrek Academy ended up without funding precisely because he held onto his own principles?
" Xiao Gang, I'm sorry..."
Flender stood up, his tone tinged with melancholy.
"I'm getting old. Perhaps, after this final competition, I'll hand over the academy to someone else to manage..."
Flender left, disheartened, leaving the Grandmaster alone.
As Liu Erlong and Flender left one after another, the Grandmaster's face, which had initially held a glimmer of hope, turned completely gloomy after the two disappeared.
With his head bowed, the Grandmaster looked at his crippled self in the wheelchair, the resentment in his heart almost eroding his sanity.
"You're all so high and mighty, of course you wouldn't harbor any resentment..."
The Grandmaster lowered his head, his gaze gradually becoming calm and cold.
He revealed everything in the hope that Liu Erlong and Flender would become his helpers.
That's why the Grandmaster acted so unwillingly, hoping to use their sympathy to firmly bind them to his own side.
Unfortunately...
" Boss Fu, Sister Erlong, it seems that after decades apart, a gap has indeed formed between us..."
The Grandmaster's heart grew increasingly somber.
Twenty years ago, no matter what his plan was, would the other two members of the Golden Iron Triangle" have questioned it?
They only follow their own plans.
But what about now?
Talking about morality with yourself?
The Grandmaster stubbornly thought: Perhaps it's because you Soul Saint are now so high and mighty? How could you possibly empathize with a mere Soul Elder like me?
The Grandmaster collapsed in his wheelchair, and after a long while, a figure suddenly appeared in his mind.
"Now that I've found an opportunity to become stronger, I... will not give it up..."
That night, Xiao Yan and Zhu Zhuqing did not stay in the courtyard that the Spirit Hall had arranged for them.
Instead, they arrived at a secluded courtyard within Spirit City.
"You've arrived?"
Upon entering the courtyard, Qian Renxue was sitting at the stone table, drinking tea.
"I never expected that you would actually be able to defeat Hu Liena and Xie Yue."
Qian Renxue's tone carried a rare hint of pleasure, indicating that she was in a rather good mood.
"I must thank Your Highness for your great guidance and support."
Xiao Yan didn't stand on ceremony and pulled Zhu Zhuqing to sit down to the side.
His relationship with Qian Renxue was not simply one of subordination. The main reason he was willing to listen to Qian Renxue's requests was that she had saved him and Zhu Zhuqing Qian Renxue then.
Qian Renxue was also very clear about this.
"You all earned this through your own hard work."
Qian Renxue's gaze swept over Xiao Yan and Zhu Zhuqing, and she spoke with a surprised tone:
"You possess Twin Martial Souls, so your rapid progress is understandable. But isn't Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul the Hell Spirit Cat of the Zhu Family in the Star Luo Empire? This Serene Moon Love Shadow Cat is..."
"Of course, if this involves your secrets, you can pretend I didn't ask."
"There's nothing wrong with saying this."
Zhu Zhuqing took the initiative to speak and explained to Qian Renxue:
"Back then... at the Shrek Academy, we consumed Immortal Herb, so that's probably why my Martial Soul mutated."
" Immortal Herb?" A look of surprise crossed Qian Renxue's cold face, then she nodded in realization and said in a low voice:
"I see..."
Qian Renxue's gaze fell on Xiao Yan again, and she asked:
"I promised you back then that if you could become the number one young person in the Spirit Hall, I would give you two Soul Bone and some information about your Twin Martial Souls. How are those two Soul Bone? Not bad quality, right?"
Hearing Qian Renxue's words, Xiao Yan and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance. Xiao Yan then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Qian Renxue and said with a grin:
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
"Alright, stop with that fawning look, it's disgusting."
As Qian Renxue spoke, she raised her head, but a smile crept onto her lips.