Monster: A Worried Flender

"Given the talent Mubai has shown and the purple-purple-black configuration of his first three Soul Rings, do you really think the major powers of the Soul Master World will be willing to watch him grow?"

"Especially since Mubai is also the third prince of the Star Luo Empire. To maintain the balance among the continent's powers, neither the Heaven Dou Empire nor Spirit Hall will want him to grow."

"Even within the Star Luo Empire, if the eldest prince, Dai Weisi, who is competing with Mubai for the throne, learned of Mubai's talent, he'd probably be unable to eat or sleep in peace. He'd try every possible way to assassinate him."

"Knowing all that, how could I not have a headache?"

"Against giants like the Seven Great Sects, the Heaven Dou Empire and Spirit Hall... I'm afraid it'll be hard for us old fellows to keep Mubai safe."

"If Mubai's talent is exposed." Flender's eyes were full of worry as he looked at Dai Mubai.

"This..." Hearing Flender's words, Zhao Wuji, who had thought little of it before, immediately turned serious.

Zhao Wuji understood the cruelty of the Soul Master World more deeply than most.

Nicknamed the Immovable Wisdom King, Zhao Wuji had once been a notorious devil incarnate in the Soul Master World, infamous far and wide for his fearsome reputation.

But Zhao Wuji had grievances he could not voice. That reputation was not one he wanted; it had all been brought about by the circumstances around him.

Born a commoner, Zhao Wuji had once accidentally injured a younger male relative of Tai Tan, the patriarch of the Strength Clan. For that alone, he had been hunted everywhere by the Strength Clan, one of the Clear Sky Sect's four subordinate sects;

At the same time, Zhao Wuji had considerable talent as a Soul Master, and his Great Strength Vajra Bear Martial Soul was also an exceptionally powerful, high-tier Beast Martial Soul.

When his cultivation broke through to the Seven-Ring Soul Sage realm, Spirit Hall had sought to recruit him for those reasons.

Zhao Wuji, however, was used to living freely and had politely declined.

Yet his refusal had enraged Salas, who had extended the invitation. Salas was one of Spirit Hall's four Platinum Bishops and, at the time, the bishop of the Spirit Hall Branch in Heaven Dou City.

Salas then sent sixteen black-robed bishops to hunt him down.

Although Zhao Wuji had ultimately escaped their encirclement, making the Immovable Wisdom King's fearsome name even more renowned throughout the Soul Master World,

he had also been placed firmly on Spirit Hall's blacklist. After that, he could only keep a low profile, hardly daring to reveal his whereabouts for fear of bringing a full-scale hunt down upon himself...

Perhaps Flender was right. Perhaps he had spent so long living out his old age in comfort at Shrek Academy that he had nearly forgotten the cruel side of the Soul Master World.

Flender's reminder brought back everything he had once gone through.

As Zhao Wuji recalled what he had encountered during his days roaming the Soul Master World, his heart gradually grew heavy.

Whether a commoner Soul Master or one of any other background, anyone without powerful backing would find it extremely difficult to gain a foothold in the Soul Master World-

Dai Mubai's identity was especially sensitive. There were plenty of people and powers wary of his talent who wanted neither to see him grow nor to let him live.

"Let's take it one step at a time."

"Until he's grown stronger, we'll just have to make sure Mubai avoids revealing his Soul Rings as much as possible," Flender said with a sigh, looking at Dai Mubai with a mixture of joy and worry.

Flender had always wanted to teach a monster of a student, but now, for the first time, he felt pressured and worried because his student's talent was too monstrous.

While Flender and Zhao Wuji were talking, Dai Mubai, who had finished absorbing the Soul Ring, slowly opened his eyes.

"Mubai, you're finally awake! How did it go? Did absorbing the Soul Ring go smoothly? What kind of powerful Soul Skill did this ten-thousand-year Third Soul Ring give you?"

Seeing Dai Mubai wake up, Zhao Wuji, whose temperament was relatively open and optimistic compared with the deeply worried, overthinking Flender, immediately asked in excitement.

"All right, Old Zhao. We've been out here for over half a month, and we don't know how things are at the academy. Everything can wait until we get back."

"Staying out here, I can't help feeling uneasy."

Flender knew full well how many people and powers did not want Dai Mubai to grow. Even though Dai Mubai had yet to expose his talent,

Flender still felt as though thorns were pressing against his back, gripped by the panic and unease of being surrounded by wolves.

That intense sense of crisis made Flender unwilling to stay outside another moment, or even to look into what other benefits Dai Mubai had gained from absorbing a ten-thousand-year Third Soul Ring.

The talent Dai Mubai had already displayed was enough to leave Flender deeply worried.

If Dai Mubai displayed even more monstrous talent, Flender was truly afraid he would be unable to bear the pressure.

After all, he was only a level 78 Seven-Ring Soul Sage. The five teachers at Shrek Academy, himself included, were all old people living out their retirement.

The shock and pressure Dai Mubai brought him were simply too great, far beyond anything he had imagined.

"All right, then. During these past couple of weeks in the Star Dou Great Forest, I, Old Zhao, haven't had a single good night's sleep or a proper meal."

"When we get back, I'm going to get some proper rest and relax."

"And Mubai promised to buy a few jars of fine wine to reward me, Old Zhao, for my trouble. Haha..."

"I never thought Shrek, our backwater, third-rate school, would manage to recruit an imperial prince as a student. Never thought I, Old Zhao, would one day become an imperial prince's teacher, either."

"Haha... you old ghost Flender, Mubai is the third prince of the Star Luo Empire. So as his teacher, doesn't that make me one of those imperial tutors?"

"We common folk are truly, truly happy today!"

At the thought of finally leaving the Star Dou Forest and returning to Shrek Academy, and of being not only an imperial prince's teacher but also promised wine by his princely student Dai Mubai, Zhao Wuji was so happy he couldn't stop grinning.

But when Flender saw Zhao Wuji grinning carefreely, baring his big white teeth, he immediately couldn't help cursing him out.

"Zhao Wuji, you old rascal! As Shrek Academy's vice dean and a teacher, you neglect your duties and shirk your work. You do nothing but eat and sleep all day, and now you're even swindling a student out of wine!"

"I'm docking six months of your pay!" Flender roared furiously.

"Why, you old ghost Flender! How have I neglected my duties? How do I do nothing but eat and sleep all day?"

"Besides, Mubai saw how hard I, Old Zhao, had worked and was happy to buy me that wine. He offered it of his own free will to show his respect and reward me. You're just jealous!"

"And you want to dock my pay, you old ghost? I've taught at Shrek Academy for so many years, and I never even knew our academy's teachers got paid."

"Fine... you can dock six months of my pay, you old ghost Flender. But first, pay me all the wages you've withheld for the past ten-odd years."

With one hand on his hip and the other held out toward Flender, Zhao Wuji demanded his pay indignantly.

"You..." Seeing Zhao Wuji acting so shamelessly, Flender, who was already in the wrong, had nowhere to vent his anger.

He could only turn away and head out of the Star Dou Forest, stewing in silence as he walked.