Tang Lan was extremely satisfied with how things had turned out.
Not only had he cut ties with Shrek, but he also stood on the moral high ground.
Perfect!
Flender, Zhao Wuji, and Li Yusong coming along had complicated his plan,
And now that he had partnered with Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Shrek had no resources left to offer him.
After all—
Tang San's greatest fortune here was simply the Shrek Seven Devils themselves.
As for Flender and the other teachers?
Ha!
They lived in a village, with no mimicry training environments,
And among five teachers,
They had two Power Attack, one Agility Attack, one Control, and one Food-type Spirit Master.
No Support, Defense, or Plant-type Spirit Masters—Ning Rongrong and Tang San were basically left to fend for themselves.
Most of their training consisted of running laps or fighting in the spirit arena.
The teachers were mostly idle, only taking students out to hunt for spirit rings once in a while.
And even with this level of 'guidance'—
They still managed to rack up casualties.
—In Shrek's entire history, out of 62 students, 48 had died.
An 80% mortality rate!
That many deaths couldn't just be from hunting spirit beasts.
Tang Lan had a hunch—
It was probably Flender's "If you don't cause trouble, you're useless" philosophy that got them killed.
So,
Tang Lan had been looking for the right moment to ditch Shrek and leave them behind.
Running into Canghui Academy was the perfect excuse to make his move.
And Flender played along beautifully, kicking him out without hesitation.
—Wasn't that like a pillow being handed to a man who needed sleep?
Not only that—
He even stole Zhao Wuji and Oscar in the process.
The only difference from the original timeline was that he left behind the insignificant Ma Hongjun.
Absolutely flawless.
However—
Shrek still had one last opportunity left—
Swallowing up Blue Tyrant Academy!
But that was only possible because of Yu Xiaogang's connections.
With Tang San still in the sect,
Wouldn't Yu Xiaogang come running after him?
At that point, all Tang Lan had to do was give him a Guest Elder position—
And steal the entire fortune for Tang Sect.
Maybe he could even…
"Swoosh—"
Xiao Wu suddenly teleported over, interrupting Tang Lan's thoughts.
"Brother, today was amazing!" Xiao Wu beamed. "That village was so run-down—it's worse than Nuoding Academy!"
Tang Lan chuckled.
After six years together, Xiao Wu's perspective had been shaped well.
But then—
Xiao Wu's expression darkened.
She scowled.
"But your brother—he actually hesitated back there?!"
"After everything you've done for him all these years, he still couldn't immediately stand by you?"
"Seriously—"
Tang Lan waved his hand dismissively.
"Xiao San is still my little brother. With Father gone, I'm like his father figure. If he made the wrong choice, that means I failed to guide him properly."
He shouldered all the blame himself.
Which only made Xiao Wu even angrier!
"You're only a few minutes older than him, but you've had to take care of him like a parent!"
"That Tang San—he's completely ungrateful!"
At the same time—
Similar conversations were happening elsewhere.
Dai Mubai was bandaging Oscar's forehead wounds.
Seeing Oscar in low spirits, he tried to distract him with small talk.
"Your master, Tang San, is seriously ungrateful."
"Even if someone hesitated today, it should never have been him."
"You'd better be careful in the future."
Oscar snapped out of his thoughts, his expression unreadable.
Tang San was his teacher, so he couldn't openly criticize him.
But deep down—
Everyone knew the truth.
"Ain't that the truth!" Zhao Wuji slapped his thigh. "The Sect Master has treated Tang San like no one else!"
"Blueprints for soul tools, self-created spirit techniques, cultivation manuals, rare minerals—"
"Whatever he had, he shared."
"You might not know this, but he even turned down an offer from Heaven Dou Royal Intermediate Academy just to stay by Tang San's side at Shrek."
"Flender brags a lot, but let's be real—besides us old guys, Shrek has nothing."
"And yet, when the Sect Master needed support the most—Tang San hesitated?"
"It's obvious—he was weighing the pros and cons!"
"Only after realizing that staying with the Sect Master was more beneficial did he finally come running after us!"
"And still, the Sect Master didn't hold it against him, acting like nothing happened."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk!"
Zhao Wuji's tone dripped with open disdain.
—Tang San really wasn't worth much, huh?
Dai Mubai nodded in agreement.
"Xiao Ao, we're not saying this to badmouth your master."
"We just want you to see him for what he really is."
"They say 'once a teacher, always a father,' but let's be honest—there are plenty of hypocrites who don't actually care about their disciples."
"Now that you know the kind of person Tang San is, you need to be careful in the future."
"Otherwise, you might get sold out one day."
Oscar sat silently, head lowered, not responding.
But—
The fact that he didn't defend his master spoke volumes.
—With a teacher this self-serving, he definitely needed to stay on guard.
Meanwhile,
Ning Rongrong entered Zhu Zhuqing's room.
She wasn't surprised that Xiao Wu wasn't there.
Of course she'd be with Tang Lan—she was the best one to comfort his 'wounded heart.'
"Tch, I wanted to ask Xiao Wu about Tang San's past." Ning Rongrong complained."I just can't understand why he hesitated."
Even Zhu Zhuqing, normally cold and detached,
Frowned slightly at the mention of this topic.
—Tang San was truly…
"You think he's an ungrateful bastard too, right?"
Ning Rongrong didn't hold back.
"If someone like him were in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, his spirit power would've been crippled, and he'd be kicked out immediately!"
"The only reason he's safe is because he's Tang Uncle's little brother."
"If it had been Oscar instead—if he hadn't followed us today, do you really think Tang Uncle wouldn't have crippled him first chance he got?"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded in agreement.
That perverted rogue Ma Hongjun had only said a few inappropriate things once—
And Tang Lan had directly confiscated his 'offending weapon.'
With his "always repays grudges" personality,
Did he really seem like the kind of person who'd just let this slide?
After a bit more "bonding over mutual dislike",
Ning Rongrong suddenly changed the subject.
"Zhuqing, you like Tang Uncle too, don't you?"
Zhu Zhuqing: (●—●)
She kept her cold expression, silently staring at Ning Rongrong, waiting for her to continue.
"Aha! You do like him!" Ning Rongrong declared confidently.
How did she figure that out?!
"It's obvious. At first, you came to Shrek for Dai Mubai, right?"
Ning Rongrong continued—
"If all you wanted was to break off the engagement, you didn't need to travel all the way from Star Luo Empire—especially since you were being hunted."
"And you already knew Tang Uncle before this, didn't you?"
"Care to share the story?"
Zhu Zhuqing remained silent.
Ning Rongrong didn't mind the lack of response and kept talking.
"Why don't we form an alliance?"
"A Tang Uncle pursuit alliance!"
"Tang Sect's rise is inevitable. It's practically guaranteed to become one of the top three sects."
"If we don't make a move now, we might not get another chance in the future!"
Zhu Zhuqing's pupils unfocused as memories of last night's events surfaced.
If she wanted to "win over" Tang Lan,
Wouldn't she have to… dual cultivate with him?
Ning Rongrong saw her dazed expression and knew she had guessed correctly.
She stepped forward and took Zhu Zhuqing's hand.
"Then it's settled!"
"From now on, we're allies—covering for each other!"
Zhu Zhuqing remained silent, but she didn't pull her hand away.
She truly wasn't sure how to proceed—
Ning Rongrong, however, was clever and full of ideas—perhaps she was worth listening to.
Meanwhile.
Tang San lay restless in his room.
The image of Tang Lan's desolate figure, walking away, haunted his mind.
"SMACK—"
He slapped himself hard across the face!
The more he thought about it, the worse he felt!
How could he have hesitated?!
What did Shrek even have?!
Nothing!
And yet he had hesitated?!
His brother must have been so hurt.
Would he no longer treat him the same way?
Would he stop sharing everything with him like before?
That would be a huge loss!
'It's all that fat bastard Ma Hongjun's fault for stirring up trouble!'
'You've already dug your own grave!'
The next morning.
Tang Lan woke up refreshed, having slept soundly with Xiao Wu in his arms.
As he stepped out of his room,
He ran into Xiao Wu, hand in hand with Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, leaving their room.
Their expressions were a little unnatural.
Xiao Wu had teleported back to her room earlier, but she hadn't expected Ning Rongrong to stay over too…
Now she had been caught in the act.
Now, one more person knew about her 'dual cultivation' with Tang Lan.
Tang Lan smirked.
"Since everyone's up, let's wash up by the stream and get ready to depart."
The three girls silently moved to his left side,
Deliberately avoiding his right side, where Tang San stood.
Dai Mubai hung back, also keeping his distance from Tang San.
Only Oscar, despite his silence, still stepped forward to fetch water from his storage ring for Tang San.
Tang San's expression darkened.
So the aftereffects were starting to show…
"Brother!" Tang San couldn't hold back. "Are you still angry with me?"
Tang Lan turned to look at him, opening his mouth—but stopping mid-sentence.
An expression of hesitation.
Tang San's heart clenched!
In the past,
His brother would have smiled and reassured him, saying—"You're my little brother, how could I be mad at you?"
But now…
His brother was silent.
Tang San's heart sank.
He really is angry!
Tang San let out a bitter laugh, his expression turning serious.
"Brother!"
"It was our teacher who sent me to Shrek."
"Yesterday, I was only hesitating because I was thinking about how to reject Headmaster Flender more tactfully."
"I never once considered leaving you or Tang Sect!"
"After all, you're one of the only two family members I have left in this world!"
Xiao Wu felt chills down her spine.
—He's really trying to talk his way out of this, huh?
Tang Lan snapped out of his thoughts, flashing a carefree smile.
He walked up to Tang San, ruffling his short hair into a complete mess.
"Hahaha! You're my little brother! How could I be mad at you?"
"Get yourself together, let's head out!"
His tone carried no grudge at all, only genuine cheerfulness.
Tang San breathed a sigh of relief.
—His brother still favored him!
But Xiao Wu and the others were furious!
—Tang Lan was clearly hurt, yet he still had to pretend like nothing was wrong and comfort Tang San instead!
What they didn't know…
Tang Lan was actually truly delighted!
Just moments ago, his system notification had interrupted him—
[Host has successfully made the Shrek Seven Devils recognize Tang San's true nature, severing their loyalty. He can no longer rely on them to aid his ascension to godhood. Mid-level Tang San Luck stolen!]
[Reward: 23,333-Year-Old External Spirit Bone: Ancient Life Tree Right Foot!]
Another External Spirit Bone!
How could Tang Lan not be happy?!
His grin nearly reached his ears!
He didn't even question why a tree had a 'right foot'.
—As long as it was an external spirit bone, who cares?!
Seeing Tang Lan smiling so "happily,"
Xiao Wu's heart ached!
She immediately fetched water, wrung out a towel, and helped him clean up.
Tang Lan's mood became even better.
After everyone finished preparing,
Zhao Wuji asked, "Sect Master, should we keep using gravity suppression today?"
Tang Lan shook his head.
"You all trusted me enough to follow me."
"I won't treat you unfairly."
He took out two storage rings—each one cubic meter in size—
And tossed them to Zhao Wuji and Dai Mubai.
Then, he retrieved a much more refined silver ring, holding 125 cubic meters,
And handed it to Zhu Zhuqing.
"We're about to enter Star Dou Forest—everyone go store your weighted gear in your rooms."
"Training can be done anywhere, but training in a place as dangerous as Star Dou Forest?"
"That's just plain stupidity."
"Remember this—"
"If you ever find yourselves in mortal danger, run immediately!"
"Only those who survive can become Title Douluos. Understand?"
At that moment—
Everyone had the same thought—
They had chosen the right leader.
One by one, they returned to their rooms to remove their weighted gear.
As for the Blue Silver Mansion, Tang Lan didn't dismantle it.
Instead, he even engraved words on its outer walls—
"Tang Sect Inn"
Below that, another inscription read:
"Free lodging for passing travelers."
—A good reputation is free advertising, so why not take it?
"Sect Master's vision is something else!" Zhao Wuji gave a big thumbs-up.
As someone who had traveled across the entire continent, he knew just how valuable an inn like this would be in the wilderness.
"Basic operations, don't overthink it." Tang Lan waved it off. "Let's move out!"
"Yes!"
After traveling for a while,
They could already see the vast, unbroken expanse of Star Dou Forest.
But as the saying goes—"Seeing the mountain won't make the horse run any faster."
In reality, they were still over 30 kilometers away.
On the road,
Oscar hesitated several times before finally walking up to Tang San.
He spoke in a low voice—
"Master, I've discovered something—my sausages usually expire in 12 hours when exposed to air, but inside a storage ring, they don't spoil at all."
"I checked some I made two days ago, and they're still perfectly fresh."
"So in theory, sausages stored inside a storage ring could last indefinitely."
Tang San's eyes lit up!
Having eaten Oscar's sausages before, he knew they were genuinely delicious.
And now, combined with storage rings, this could be revolutionary!
"Excellent work." Tang San praised. "When we get back, I'll teach you a new self-created spirit technique."
Oscar smiled.
Good thing he knew his place.
He didn't isolate his master like the others.
And he didn't report his discovery directly to Tang Lan.
Now he was getting a reward!
"Give me a big sausage and a small cured sausage," Tang San ordered. "Keep it quiet."
Oscar nodded.
Muttering under his breath,
"I have a big sausage, I have a small cured sausage."
Two sausages appeared, and he handed them to Tang San.
Tang San stored them in his ring, then walked over to Tang Lan.
He retrieved the same two sausages and held them out.
"Brother, through my research, I've discovered that Oscar's sausages can be stored in storage rings indefinitely without expiring."
"It's been three days already, and they're still perfectly fresh."
"Now that everyone has a storage soul tool, we should each carry some for emergencies."
Tang Lan: "…"
—Wait a damn minute.
—How did you say that with a straight face?
He always had his Blue Silver Domain active—
Even though it was only 10 meters wide, everyone was traveling in a group, so they were definitely within range.
So how the hell did Tang San 'research' this on his own?!
—Like master, like disciple—he was a perfect successor to Yu Xiaogang!
Oscar's face twisted awkwardly!
But—
Since it was his own teacher taking credit, and he had been promised a reward,
He could only force himself to act normal, pretending not to notice.
But deep down—
His opinion of Tang San dropped sharply.
Tang Lan grinned.
"Xiao San, you really do have a knack for research. In that case, let's trouble Xiao Ao to prepare sausages for everyone."
"Understood, Sect Master." Oscar immediately obeyed.
He quickly focused on chanting his incantations, producing sausage after sausage to distract himself.
They continued producing sausages all the way to Star Dou Forest.
By the time they arrived, each person had at least 20 stored away—and Oscar was exhausted.
Tang San hesitated.
In the past, he might have used Mysterious Heaven Skill's internal energy to help replenish Oscar's strength.
—After all, Mysterious Heaven Skill and Purple Cloud Divine Light were highly compatible.
But—
Star Dou Forest was too dangerous.
If he drained his own energy and his condition wasn't at its best, he could die at any moment.
So he ultimately decided against it.
Oscar, panting for breath, said nothing.
But his heart turned cold.
—You take the credit, I do all the work.
And in the end—
You won't even spare some energy to help me recover?
At that moment—
Suddenly!
(End of Chapter.)
Notes-Read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X