Tang San had no idea that everything Xiao Wu had done since arriving in human society had one ultimate purpose—revenge.
In Xiao Wu's eyes, every man she interacted with had a value—some higher, some lower.
The reason she was willing to be patient with Tang San was because he was a prodigy with innate full spirit power. Taming such a genius like a dog would make him a significant asset on her path to vengeance.
But what Tang San had lost was not just any external soul bone—it had been forcibly stripped from his body, greatly damaging his potential.
His Blue Silver Grass spirit was already subpar, and now that his potential had been diminished, Tang San's value in Xiao Wu's eyes had dropped significantly.
After several days of recuperation, Tang San could finally walk again. The team resumed their journey back to Shrek Academy.
Upon returning, they learned that a buzz-cut man had been waiting for them there.
Yu Xiaogang immediately noticed Tang San's upper body wrapped in bandages and his unnatural expression. Pale-faced, he said:
"My good disciple, what happened to you?"
(To assert dominance and let everyone know that Tang San was his student, Yu Xiaogang no longer called him "Xiao San" but rather "my good disciple.")
Tang San said nothing, face dark.
Zhao Wuji stepped forward and explained everything to Flender and Yu Xiaogang from beginning to end.
Upon hearing that Tang San had chosen the Man-Faced Demon Spider as his spirit ring instead of sticking stubbornly to a plant-type spirit, Yu Xiaogang felt pleased.
"This child can be taught."
Then, when he heard that Tang San had exploded with an external soul bone, Yu Xiaogang became ecstatic.
An external soul bone!
That drop rate is practically zero!
His disciple had such incredible luck! With that soul bone, Tang San's future would be limitless—and he, as the teacher of such a prodigious student, would be remembered forever!
But before he could rejoice for too long, Zhao Wuji continued:
Bibi Dong had appeared.
She had witnessed the explosion of the soul bone and seized it on the spot.
Yu Xiaogang's joy turned to heartbreak. He roared in anger in his heart:
"Bibi Dong, you cruel woman! Don't you know that by destroying Tang San's future, you're destroying my future too?"
Flender scolded Zhao Wuji:
"Zhao Wuji, what's going on with you? Every time you go out, something happens!"
Zhao Wuji defended himself:
"Dean, I admit I've made mistakes in the past because of my drinking.
But this time, I was completely sober!
It was just bad luck—Tang San exploded with a soul bone at the exact moment the Pope of the Spirit Hall passed by. What could I do?"
Flender sighed helplessly:
"Well… guess Xiao San just wasn't destined to keep that soul bone…"
"No—!" Yu Xiaogang shouted furiously.
"That vile woman Bibi Dong! Doesn't she know that Xiao San is my student?!
I must go reason with her and make her return that soul bone!"
He stormed off as if in a rage, declaring that he would go demand justice from the Spirit Hall.
Flender quickly stopped him:
"Xiaogang, don't be impulsive. She's the Pope, for heaven's sake! Don't act rashly!"
But in Yu Xiaogang's heart, he quietly gave Flender a thumbs-up.
After that incident years ago, he hadn't contacted Bibi Dong in decades. He wasn't even sure if she still remembered him.
The real purpose of this dramatic performance wasn't to retrieve the soul bone—he knew that was nearly impossible. He just wanted to show off to Tang San. He wanted to display his influence and connections to win back his disciple's loyalty.
(See that? Bibi Dong? She's the Pope of Spirit Hall. And I, Yu Xiaogang, know her personally!)
The more Flender tried to stop him, the more fired up Yu Xiaogang got.
"So what if she's the Pope of Spirit Hall? I'm a Spirit Hall Elder!
She stole my disciple's soul bone. I, Yu Xiaogang, deserve an explanation!"
He even stole a glance at Tang San as he said it.
Tang San, meanwhile, looked on with utter contempt—but he didn't expose Yu Xiaogang's theatrics. Instead, he fanned the flames:
"Teacher, do you… know the Pope personally?"
Yu Xiaogang stood tall, hands behind his back.
"My good disciple, Bibi Dong is an old acquaintance of your teacher."
"Then… you two must have had a great relationship?" Tang San prodded.
"It was… decent," Yu Xiaogang replied calmly.
"Then if you go see her, you'll definitely be able to make her return my soul bone, right?"
"Uhh… should be possible."
"Teacher—" Tang San suddenly knelt down.
"I beg you, please go to Spirit Hall and ask Bibi Dong to return that soul bone to me.
The Eight Spider Lances are truly important to me.
If you can get them back, I will revere you as my true teacher— 'A teacher for a day, a father for life!'"
Yu Xiaogang had only intended to put on a show—boast about his network and status to win Tang San's respect.
Deep down, he never believed he could get that soul bone back from Bibi Dong. Everything he did just now was acting for his rebellious disciple.
But the phrase:
"A teacher for a day, a father for life!"
—rocked him to the core.
For the longest time, Yu Xiaogang had been frustrated by his ambiguous relationship with Tang San. As a registered teacher, he was treated with little respect. In private, Tang San didn't even call him "Teacher"—just Gangzi (a nickname), which deeply unsettled Yu Xiaogang.
He had discovered that both he and Tang San cared a lot about their public image—so he'd been going around constantly reinforcing their teacher-student relationship to secure his moral leverage over Tang San.
"One day, when Tang San becomes famous, I'll use our teacher-student bond to guilt-trip him into honoring me."
But no matter how many tricks he pulled, none of them were as powerful as that one phrase:
"A teacher for a day, a father for life."
If Tang San truly honored him like a father, then what more would Yu Xiaogang have to worry about? He could drop all that "good disciple" nonsense and just call him "Xiao San" affectionately.
And so—Yu Xiaogang got carried away.
"Xiao San, wait here. Your teacher is going to Spirit Hall right now to demand justice for you!"
"Wait, Xiaogang, you're not seriously going to ask the Pope for the soul bone, are you? Do you even have access to her?" Flender asked, concerned.
Yu Xiaogang replied proudly:
"Did you forget my status?"
He pulled a token from his sleeve and said coolly:
"This is the Pope's Decree.The bearer is a Spirit Hall Elder.
Whoever sees it must treat it as if the Pope herself were present."
After speaking, Yu Xiaogang placed both hands behind his back and walked out of the academy, leaving behind a figure he believed to be one of a reclusive master (at least in his own mind).
Behind him, Tang San looked at him with clear disdain. He thought to himself: I used to think you really were the Pope of the Spirit Hall, but later I found out that the Pope's Token actually belonged to my father. But fine, Bibi Dong did truly like you. Thinking of that…
A crooked smile appeared on Tang San's lips.
"Sigh~" sighed Flender. As far as he knew, Bibi Dong's spirit was the Death Spider Emperor, and Tang San's external spirit bone, the Eight Spider Lances, was a perfect match for her. That meant she would almost certainly absorb it.
If Yu Xiaogang were to request the return of the spirit bone from Bibi Dong, it would be the same as asking her to rip the bone back out after she had already absorbed it. From Flender's point of view, that was utterly impossible.
He walked up to Tang San and tried to console him: "San, don't get your hopes up too much about this."
Afterward, Flender introduced the identity of the now-departed Yu Xiaogang to the Shrek Seven Devils. Then, Zhao Wuji introduced Er Ming, who had expressed his willingness to join the Shrek Seven Devils. With Er Ming's talent and potential, Flender of course welcomed him into Shrek Academy.
Er Ming's arrival also resolved a long-standing issue for Flender—Shrek had been one short of a complete team to compete in the Continental Soul Master Tournament. With Er Ming joining, that problem was finally resolved.
Shrek Academy arranged a single dorm room for Er Ming, just in front of Tang San's own. With his arrival, the dorm layout now looked like this: Tang San stationed at the center, flanked left and right by Dai Mubai and Oscar, and with Ma Hongjun and Er Ming at the front and back. It was a layout blessed by the heavens!
After class, the Shrek Trio gathered once again with Tang San.
"Hey Tang San," said Dai Mubai, "you're not seriously going to keep calling that Yu Xiaogang guy your fake dad, are you?"
"Hmph." Tang San let out a cold snort and said, "The Eight Spider Lances fell into Bibi Dong's hands. She would've absorbed them immediately. Asking her to return it now is basically asking her to rip it out of her body. Do you guys really think she'd do that if the request came from Yu Xiaogang?"
The Shrek Trio thought for a moment. Then Oscar said, "Actually, it might be possible."
"Yeah," added Dai Mubai. "Given how obsessed Bibi Dong is with Yu Xiaogang, she might actually do it."
"She better," said Tang San with a cruel smile. "She made me suffer the pain of having my bone ripped out—she should taste that pain too."
"And besides, if I can get the Eight Spider Lances back through Yu Xiaogang, then so what if I call him a fake dad again? I did it in my past life too. I'll just leave him behind on the Douluo Continent again once I become a god."
When the time comes, I'll just say I can only bring two people with me. Tang Hao and Ah Yin are my real parents. Yu Xiaogang is just a fake dad, nothing more.
"You're right," said Oscar.
Tang San's eyes gleamed coldly. "And I have another purpose for doing this. The Spirit Hall's reborn one clearly sides with them. He must know the harm Yu Xiaogang brings to the Spirit Hall, but he probably doesn't know how much Bibi Dong values him. If he tries to stop me, I can use this to drive a wedge between him and Bibi Dong."
"San-ge, you're brilliant!" said Ma Hongjun in admiration, but deep inside, he became even more wary. If Tang San is this sinister when dealing with enemies, then I really can't let him know about my relationship with Xiao Wu. Who knows what evil tricks he'd use against me?
Dai Mubai and Oscar were thinking the exact same thing.
"See?" Tang San said smugly, "Yu Xiaogang is like a chamber pot—you only use it when you need to. This is how you use a chamber pot."
Meanwhile…
Yu Xiaogang set out with hopes for a bright future. Once a teacher, always a father. He had no children of his own. If he could complete this task and formally take Tang San, such a talented disciple, as his son, then when Tang San eventually became a peerless powerhouse, Yu Xiaogang's own status would rise with him.
But along the way, unease crept into Yu Xiaogang's heart. Tang San's external bone was the Eight Spider Lances, and Bibi Dong's spirit was the Death Spider Emperor—a near-perfect match. By the time he saw her, it would likely have already been absorbed.
To ask Bibi Dong to give it back now would mean asking her to pull it out of herself and hand it over to Tang San.
Would she really do that? Yu Xiaogang suddenly lost confidence. If it were the Bibi Dong he once deceived—so deeply obsessed she'd do anything for him—maybe…
But when they fled together all those years ago, Qian Xunji made him choose between Bibi Dong and the Golden Dragonfruit.
And he had chosen the dragonfruit.
He had abandoned Bibi Dong.
No, Yu Xiaogang shook his head, I can't give up. This is my best chance to win Tang San's heart. If I succeed, I'll become his foster father. For the sake of my future, I must make Bibi Dong give up that bone. I have to.
So, along the way, Yu Xiaogang rehearsed every possible scenario he might face upon meeting Bibi Dong. He carefully plotted out how to talk his way out of things and how to convince her to return the bone.
As Spirit City grew nearer, Yu Xiaogang comforted himself:
"It'll be fine, Yu Xiaogang. Back then you had no choice. Dong'er will understand you."
What he instinctively chose to ignore was this—could he even meet Bibi Dong once he got there?
After absorbing an external spirit bone, it takes just over a month to fully fuse. The journey had already cost Yu Xiaogang fifteen days. To prevent the bone from fully merging with Bibi Dong, he didn't waste a second upon reaching Spirit City.
He rushed straight to the Pope's Hall.
At the entrance, he looked at the two guards and said calmly, with hands behind his back:
"You two. Take me to see Pope Bibi Dong. Immediately."
The two guards exchanged puzzled glances. Who the hell is this idiot? He looks so weak. Does he think the Pope is someone he can just meet on a whim?
Yu Xiaogang saw the contempt in their eyes. A flicker of anger passed through his own.
Then he pulled out a token from behind his back and showed it to them:
"Do you see this? This is the Pope's Token. Whoever holds it is an Elder of the Spirit Hall. Now kneel and do as I say—take me to see Pope Bibi Dong!"
The two guards were startled at first—the Pope's Token?!—but when they took a closer look…
Something didn't seem right.
Only to see that on Yu Xiaogang's Pope Decree, there were six symbols drawn: a Clear Sky Hammer, a blue dragon, a sword, a chrysanthemum, a human-shaped symbol, and a crown.
As soon as the warrior saw the decree, his panic vanished. Looking at this low-level punk who dared to act all high and mighty with just Rank 29, a mocking look spread across his face.
"This Pope Decree—where did you get it from?"
Yu Xiaogang was furious inside. Wasn't it supposed to be that showing the Pope Decree was equivalent to meeting the Pope?
Yet even after revealing it, he wasn't met with the slightest respect. Enraged, he shouted:
"Where the Pope Decree came from is none of your concern, lackey! Has the Spirit Hall trained its underlings to such insolence? Have you forgotten the rule that the Pope's Decree is the same as seeing the Pope? Kneel down already!"
"You, a Rank 29 piece of trash, dare tell me to kneel?"
One of the warriors immediately raised his hand and slapped Yu Xiaogang across the face, sending his body spinning mid-air before slamming to the ground.
Dazed and dizzy, Yu Xiaogang muttered, "You dare hit me?"
"Not only dare I slap you—I'll beat you too."
The two warriors stepped up with batons, delivering six strikes per second as Yu Xiaogang screamed in agony. They continued until his face was bruised and swollen, crying and begging for mercy.
Then, one of the warriors picked up the Pope Decree and spat on Yu Xiaogang's disfigured face, saying:
"First of all, the Spirit Hall underwent reform. It's true that those holding the Pope Decree are considered Honorary Elders, but the rights of outsiders holding the decree have been greatly reduced. Now, for people from other factions, we only owe basic respect. You, a Rank 29 trash, are not worthy of our kneeling."
With that, the warrior raised his foot and stomped on Yu Xiaogang's face, crushing whatever dignity he had left.
"Second, every Pope Decree has a registered owner. The Spirit Hall only recognizes the true holder of the decree, not an illegal possessor. To be given one, you need to be at least the leader of a sect and at minimum Rank 79. What qualifications do you have, a Rank 29 trash, to hold one?"
"Lastly, in the last Spirit Hall summit, we reorganized the sect rankings. The Clear Sky Sect and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan were removed from the top three sects. The new top three are: Body Sect, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Dragon Elephant Sect. We recalled all the old decrees and reissued new ones to the top three. The new decrees don't feature the Clear Sky Hammer or Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon symbols. So yours is clearly an old version."
"As for the decrees from the Blue Lightning and Glazed Tile sects, we've already reclaimed them. The only one that hasn't been recovered is the one from the Clear Sky Sect.
And now it's in your hands. Speak! How did you get it?"
"I…"
Only now did Yu Xiaogang realize he had made a critical mistake. He'd been tricked by Tang Hao!
Given the hostile relationship between the Spirit Hall and Clear Sky Sect, there was no way he could admit he got the decree from Tang Hao or the Clear Sky Sect.
So he tried to change the subject.
"I'm an old acquaintance of Bibi Dong. She gave me this decree—let me see her."
But as soon as the words left his mouth—SLAP!
Another harsh slap landed.
"You think a Rank 29 trash like you can speak the Pope's name directly? Still trying to lie? Take him to prison! Interrogate him under torture!"
The two warriors grabbed Yu Xiaogang and dragged him toward the Spirit Hall's dungeon.
"You… What are you doing?! Let me go! I'm an old friend of Bibi Dong's! She'll have your heads for this!"
But the guards of Spirit Hall were Soul King-level fighters—Yu Xiaogang, a mere Grandmaster, couldn't even pretend to stand up to them.
So, he was dragged off into the cold and dark prison.