Xiao Yan greeted Tang San, Xiao Wu, and the others, then went straight into the dormitory to rest.
After everything he had been through, especially his fight with Zhao Wuji, he had expended a tremendous amount of Soul Power using his Soul Skills to hold Zhao Wuji off.
Once on his bed, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged and rested.
Watching him, Oscar could not help admiring Xiao Yan.
After all, Oscar was a support-type Soul Master, and his cultivation was different from that of a Battle Soul Master like Xiao Yan. All he needed to train was his physical condition, so that it could keep up with his level of strength.
Seeing that Xiao Yan had already entered a meditative state and begun cultivating, Oscar took care to move more quietly, worried that he might disturb him.
Night fell, and everyone was immersed in cultivation or had retired early, exhausted from the day.
In a dormitory at the academy, Zhao Wuji set down the information on Xiao Yan and the others, a strange smile appearing on his face.
"Heh heh, they really are a few extraordinarily gifted kids."
Zhao Wuji sat beside the table, a hint of excitement on his face.
Xiao Yan and Tang San's actions during the fight that day had made Zhao Wuji rather fond of them. In particular, he admired what Xiao Yan had said at the end to get Oscar out of trouble.
"Geniuses need plenty of polishing..."
Excitement gleamed in Zhao Wuji's eyes. Xiao Yan and Tang San were the culprits who had left him in such a sorry state that day, and although he admired them, he had kept it in mind.
Even though he had already given them both a beating, he still could not help feeling his hands itch when he saw them.
"Once you enter the academy, I'll give you plenty of training..."
After Zhao Wuji spoke, he was still immersed in excitement at the thought of dealing with Xiao Yan and Tang San in the future when a calm voice suddenly sounded beside his ear, making his expression change.
"I never expected to meet the Immovable Wisdom King here. My hands are truly itching..."
"Who!?"
Zhao Wuji was shocked!
He was a genuine Soul Saint. Even when he did not deliberately probe his surroundings, nothing within a hundred meters could escape his senses.
But now, the voice beside his ear made every hair on Zhao Wuji's body stand on end. He had not even detected its owner!
"Heh heh, Immovable Wisdom King, please come outside for a chat!"
The mysterious voice sounded again, and Zhao Wuji sensed an unfamiliar presence, as though it were deliberately guiding him.
Zhao Wuji's eyes flickered, but his pride as a Soul Saint kept him from fearing the mysterious person in the shadows.
Following the unfamiliar presence, Zhao Wuji soon left the village behind and reached the wilderness.
"Sir, why keep hiding your head and showing your tail? You should be right here, shouldn't you?"
Standing in a clearing, Zhao Wuji sensed that faint presence and spoke with a cold snort.
As soon as Zhao Wuji finished speaking, a figure slowly emerged from the darkness, though his entire body remained hidden in shadow.
Even his head was covered by a pitch-black mask, making his face impossible to see.
"Hmph!"
Zhao Wuji snorted coldly. Seven Soul Rings emerged from beneath his feet and rotated in succession in midair, surrounding him as he fixed a sharp gaze on his opponent.
Faced with the terrifying pressure of Zhao Wuji's Soul Power, the mysterious person who had emerged from the darkness appeared utterly unconcerned, paying no heed to the pressure of a dignified Soul Saint.
"Nothing special..."
The mysterious man spoke coldly. The next moment, as Zhao Wuji watched in shock, he reached out and clenched his hand, and an enormous black phantom appeared and condensed in it.
Nine Soul Rings appeared around the mysterious man, enveloping him. Two yellow, two purple, and five black rings circled him. Most importantly, the last black Soul Ring gave off a faint trace of red.
Zhao Wuji's eyes widened as he stared at the nine Soul Rings.
Even among Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, there were differences in strength. How could a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring be compared to a ninety-thousand-year one?
The man's final Soul Ring was already close to a hundred thousand years old!
"Titled Douluo!"
Zhao Wuji's throat went dry, and the Great Strength Vajra Bear Martial Soul that had possessed him abruptly dispersed.
Above level sixty, even a difference of a single level meant a gap in strength, let alone the gap of more than twenty levels between him and the mysterious man before him.
A Titled Douluo was among the foremost existences in the entire Douluo Continent!
"May I ask which senior has graced us with his presence? Please don't joke with me. How could a lowly person like me be worthy of fighting you?"
Zhao Wuji dismissed his Martial Soul and bowed respectfully to the mysterious man as he spoke.
"Hmph! Enough nonsense. Weren't you awfully pleased with yourself today? You seemed to get quite a sense of accomplishment out of bullying a few children. Just think of me as using my strength to bully the weak!"
The mysterious man walked toward Zhao Wuji, powerful pressure radiating from him.
Zhao Wuji felt the mysterious man moving closer, and sweat broke out on his forehead. He ran through the Titled Douluos in his mind, trying to identify the powerhouse before him.
"Heh heh, since you're here, come on out. What difference does it make whether there's one or two of you?"
Just as the mysterious man came within ten meters of Zhao Wuji, he suddenly stopped and spoke.
As his words faded, a figure emerged from the forest behind them and stood beside Zhao Wuji.
Zhao Wuji's expression immediately eased considerably when he saw the newcomer. "Boss, this senior..."
The newcomer raised a hand to stop Zhao Wuji from speaking and fixed his gaze on the mysterious man. Faced with the pressure of a Titled Douluo, he too had to release his Martial Soul to resist it.
A pair of enormous wings spread from his back, and a layer of feathers covered his entire body. His pupils became vertical slits, and a light of wisdom seemed to flow in his eyes.
Seven Soul Rings, the same colors as Zhao Wuji's, appeared and rose and fell around his body.
"Greetings, Your Excellency Haotian." Rather than attack the mysterious man, however, he addressed him respectfully, revealing his identity in a single sentence.
Hearing his companion's words, Zhao Wuji finally learned the mysterious man's identity, but could not help drawing a sharp breath.
There was no other reason: His Excellency Haotian's Martial Soul had developed along exactly the same lines as his own, but compared with the man's, his strength looked rather laughable.
After all, this was the Titled Douluo hailed as the Soul Master World's foremost powerhouse in physical strength!
"No need for formalities. I'm here to make trouble," Clear Sky Douluo said coldly.
"Cat Owl Martial Soul, level seventy-eight. As expected of Flender, the Golden Iron Triangle's main fighter back then. You were the one who founded Shrek Academy, weren't you?"
"Yes."
Flender nodded and pleaded:
"I don't know how Zhao Wuji offended Your Excellency, but please give him a chance to make amends."
"Enough nonsense. If you don't get out of the way, I'll beat you up too!"
Clear Sky Douluo spoke indifferently, his gaze settling on Zhao Wuji. "Need I say it? Once the little one has been beaten, the old one naturally has to come out and seek justice."
"Zhao Wuji, I won't use my Martial Soul. Likewise, as long as you can hold out against me for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, we'll consider this matter settled. Otherwise, you'll have to do something for me."
Hearing this, Flender shook his head and stepped aside, ignoring Zhao Wuji's pleading gaze.
He understood what Clear Sky Douluo meant: he would not do anything serious to Zhao Wuji, since he still needed Zhao Wuji's help with something.
Standing to one side, Flender watched the fight unfold without the slightest surprise. Zhao Wuji was used as a punching bag, his head gradually swelling up, and Flender wore an expression that said the sight was too miserable to bear...