Back at Blue Tyrant Academy—thanks to Liu Erlong's relationship with Flender—Liu Erlong had conveniently renamed Blue Tyrant Academy to Shrek Academy.
Upon Tang San's return, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Dai Mubai rushed over.
"San! You're back already? Did you meet Dugu Bo?" they asked.
Tang San's face darkened. "Don't even mention it. That useless old man poisoned himself to death!"
Then, Tang San shared his concerns about the possible situation with the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
The trio was instantly shocked.
Ma Hongjun scratched his head nervously. "If we lose the Ice and Fire Well... what happens to my Phoenix Sunflower?!"
He wasn't worried about his Evil Fire problem—Xiao Wu already helped with that. In fact, it had even become a kind of "bonding activity" between them.
What really worried him was that without an immortal herb, he'd lose his chance at godhood—and with it, his chance to compete with Tang San for Xiao Wu.
"Yeah, exactly!" said Dai Mubai and Oscar. They were also deeply concerned about missing out on a divine opportunity.
"Calm down," Tang San said. "This is all just speculation for now. The well's actual condition still needs to be investigated. For all we know, maybe Dugu Bo just wasn't lucky enough to find it this time around."
"But... won't this trip be dangerous?" Ma Hongjun asked.
Tang San replied:
"There will be danger—but not to the point of death. After all, I'm the child of destiny. I won't go down so easily."
Acting with the boldness that comes from skill and the self-assurance of a chosen one of fate, Tang San and the others decided to head to the Sunset Forest—without informing Flender, Liu Erlong, Zhao Wuji, or anyone else.
"Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun… oh, and Brother San~ Where are you guys off to?" Xiao Wu suddenly popped up and asked.
"N-No, it's nothing, Sister Xiao Wu. We're just going on a little trip," Tang San replied.
But Xiao Wu didn't believe his excuse. She gave Oscar a glance, and Oscar, understanding the cue, opened his big mouth and blurted out the real plan.
"To the Sunset Forest? Sounds good! Brother San, can I come with you?" Xiao Wu looked at Tang San with hopeful, sparkly eyes.
Facing her gentle, tender gaze, Tang San couldn't resist. "O-Okay… fine," he said, giving in.
"Oscar, you—" Tang San then muttered threateningly to Oscar, "If something happens to Xiao Wu out there, I won't forgive you."
Oscar quickly explained, "San, I did this for your own good! If danger arises, you can step in and play the hero—rescue the damsel and win her heart!"
Oscar's words struck a chord. Tang San had been troubled by how his relationship with Xiao Wu had remained stuck at the "siblings" stage, unable to progress further.
Thinking back to his past life, it always seemed like their bond deepened when she was in danger and he saved her—step by step, from siblings to lovers, to husband and wife, and finally to a bond filled with cosmic love.
So, all he needed was for a crisis to happen on this journey, Xiao Wu to be threatened by the Man-Faced Demon Spider, and he would swoop in to save her—slay the spider—and she'd fall in love with him. Heh heh. Tang San smirked inwardly. Man-Faced Demon Spider, don't you dare mess this up.
And so, the five of them set off for the Sunset Forest.
In the heart of the Sunset Forest, at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, magical herbs and celestial plants grew everywhere.
Huo Yuhao's divine consciousness descended. "Ice-Fire Dragon Kings."
"We are here." The soul spirits of the two dragon kings appeared before him.
"Tang San and the others are heading to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. I want you two to follow my script and give them the full package treatment."
"As you command."
The five followed the path from their past lives, walking toward the core of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
In his past life, although Yu Xiaogang had the honor of a divine master and reached level 93—a powerful figure on the continent—he wasn't satisfied. Just like how he didn't want to be stuck at level 29, he didn't want to stop at 93 either. So he took the Celestial Herb Compendium and followed the same path into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
At the time, Yu Xiaogang had it all figured out: one celestial plant not enough? Take two. Still not enough? Take three, four… To become a god, he would even turn into a pig if it meant harvesting every single divine herb there.
In the illusion realm, he circled around endlessly, eventually returning empty-handed (which was actually due to Tang San's mercy, allowing him to escape at all). He became the first person to attempt finding the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and fail.
Yu Xiaogang was just the opening act. Over the next 20,000 years, many geniuses tried to enter the Well—some died from poisonous fog, others were lost in illusions, reduced to skeletons. In fact, besides the original Shrek Seven Devils, the only one who later succeeded in entering the Well was Huo Yuhao (Tang Wulin's generation doesn't count—they didn't reach the third era in the previous life).
What truly caused this miraculous location to vanish from public knowledge was none other than our dear Tang the Wet God—yes, Sea God Tang San. After becoming a god, he set poison fog and illusions around the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well to seal it off.
Now, although the fog still remained inside, the illusion traps set by Tang San were gone. Tang San himself knew the way. Anyone who knew the route could enter, assuming they didn't run into ferocious soul beasts.
As for the five travelers, their luck was excellent. They encountered no soul beasts on the way.
But Tang San was growing annoyed. Where's the Man-Faced Demon Spider? Come on, show yourself! Nothing happened the whole way!
"We're almost at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well." Tang San said as he looked at a gorge up ahead.
"Awesome! My immortal herbs!" Ma Hongjun cheered.
"Don't celebrate just yet. Don't forget Brother San's theory." Oscar reminded him.
"If that's the case, this place could be heavily guarded by the Spirit Hall. Either way, let's scout it out first," Tang San said gravely.
He stepped forward—and instantly felt the world spin. His body swayed. In the final moments before losing consciousness, he saw Xiao Wu, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Dai Mubai also wobbling and fading away.
Damn… it's a trap, was his last thought before blacking out.
When Tang San came to, he lifted his head. The gorge of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was right ahead—but Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun were nowhere in sight.
"Xiao Wu~!" Tang San called out in panic.
He walked forward a few steps. The poison fog dissipated, revealing a clear view.
There was a lake up ahead. In it, someone seemed to be bathing.
Just then, a strange song drifted into his ears:
"A-kei-kuli-monkey ya-monkey dash~"
Tang San frowned. "What the heck kind of song is that?"
He ignored the tune and continued walking toward the person bathing.
"Di-da-lu-gong-ga-monkey da-hei~"
Getting closer, he could finally see the face of the bather.
"Xiao... Xiao Wu?"
Yes, the woman bathing in the pool was Xiao Wu—but not the young version from now. It was the grown-up Xiao Wu, gentle and graceful, who had already borne two little bunny babies for him.
Seeing her familiar face, Tang San's eyes filled with tears.
He quickened his pace toward her.
"Gai-sei-gai-hong-mie-ou-ya-la-ye~"
Xiao Wu noticed someone approaching and turned to face him. Their eyes met.
"Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu, is it really you? Xiao Wu?!" Tang San cried, overwhelmed with emotion.
Xiao Wu didn't reply. She simply walked toward the shore. Her alluring figure slowly rose from the water.
Tang San felt his body heat up. His nose started bleeding.
Xiao Wu emerged from the pool and walked toward him.
"Bia-li-gay-sei-monkey da-hei~"
"X-Xiao Wu…"
"Shh~ Don't speak." Xiao Wu placed a finger to her lips and said softly to Tang San, "Ah-San gēgē, would you be willing to dance with Xiao Wu to this beautiful melody?"
"I-I'm willing."
Of course Tang San was willing. Ever since they'd been delayed at Nuoding Soul Master Academy by that useless Yu Xiaogang, he hadn't had such an intimate moment with his beloved Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu reached out her hand toward him, and Tang San, trembling, extended his own to meet hers.
Before long, the two were lost in the enchanting melody around them.
"Du-lulululululu~ Du-lulululu~!"
Meanwhile, Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Xiao Wu (another one?) awoke elsewhere.
Dai Mubai looked around. "Where's Ah-San?"
The group quickly became anxious. Tang San was the chosen one, the Child of Destiny. Following him meant they might face danger, but they'd always come out okay. Without him, anything could happen.
"Ah-San! Ah-San, where are you?" they called out in panic.
Xiao Wu sniffed the air lightly. "Stop shouting, he's not nearby."
"Then… what should we do?" Dai Mubai asked.
"Mu Bai-gēgē, Oscar-gēgē, Hongjun-gēgē," Xiao Wu said in a flirty, sugary voice, "don't you think this place is just beautiful?"
The three looked around. It... actually kind of was.
"Don't you think it's a perfect place to cultivate?" she continued, looking at them seductively.
Suddenly, all three of them felt a rush of evil fire—especially Ma Hongjun, who could barely contain it.
"You sure… this cultivation is legit?" Dai Mubai asked nervously, swallowing hard as he looked at the coy Xiao Wu.
"Of course it is~ We can use our Spirit Fusion Technique. Isn't that proper cultivation?" she replied teasingly.
"B-but what if Tang San suddenly shows up while we're... cultivating?" Oscar, still holding onto a sliver of reason, asked worriedly.
"Oh, that's simple~" Xiao Wu replied, "As long as he gets close, I can smell his scent. I'll warn you guys in time."
"That's good! We can't delay cultivation! I want to cultivate too!" Dai Mubai said eagerly. "So are we doing it together?"
"Of course~ All four of us cultivating together will greatly improve our efficiency!" Xiao Wu replied sweetly.
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's cultivate together! The more the better!" Ma Hongjun had long since been overwhelmed by his urges.
And so, Xiao Wu "cultivated" very properly (big, sarcastic ahem) using their Spirit Fusion Technique with all three of them.
No one knew how much time passed. Eventually, the last one—Ma Hongjun—collapsed in exhaustion.
Xiao Wu, flushed and glowing, tidied up the aftermath. Suddenly, she felt a strange calling guiding her somewhere.
Following the sound, she arrived at a hidden part deep within Sunset Forest.
There stood a tall, slender woman with her back to Xiao Wu. Blue Silver Grass sprouted wildly around her, like worshipers bowing before a god.
She turned around, and Xiao Wu recognized her instantly. "You're... the Blue Silver Empress!"
Though they hadn't been close, Xiao Wu knew her. After all, there were only a handful of hundred-thousand-year soul beasts left in the Star Dou Forest. She knew of her origins.
"Hello, Xiao Wu. My name is Ah-Yin. Just like you, I used to be a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Also—Tang San is my son," the woman introduced herself.
At that, Xiao Wu's face turned serious. Is she here to settle scores? Xiao Wu tensed up, ready to flee if things got ugly.
Back with Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun—the three finally woke up after who knows how long.
"I remember... cultivating with Xiao Wu for a long, long time," Dai Mubai said.
"Yeah," Ma Hongjun added.
"Wait, where's Tang San?" Oscar asked curiously.
"No need to look. He never came here," Xiao Wu replied calmly.
"Well, let's go find him then."
And so, the four of them set off to search for Tang San.
Meanwhile, Tang San was lying in bliss, snuggled up with Xiao Wu, totally satisfied and looking exhausted. Joyful, foreign singing echoed around him.
"Ah-K Ka Ku Li Hou Ya Hou Bon~~~~
Di Da Lu Bon Ga Hou Da Hei~~~
Gei Sei Gei Hong Gei Olayaaa~~~
Pressure Gei Sei Hou Da Hei~~~~
Du-lulululululu~ Du-lulululu~!"
From deep in the jungle came rustling footsteps. Then, Xiao Wu and the trio emerged from the forest.
"Eeeek~!" Xiao Wu squealed when she saw the scene before her. She immediately covered her face in embarrassment, peeking through her fingers to get a better look.
Even as seasoned as Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun were, the scene before them was... eye-searing.
"Ah-San… you…"
"People can't—at least they shouldn't…"
Tang San looked up at the voices.
He saw Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar… and Xiao Wu?
Wait—if Xiao Wu is over there, then… who's in my arms?
Suddenly, a slimy red tongue licked his face.
A foul, revolting stench filled his nose.
Tang San turned to look—and froze in horror.
The "Xiao Wu" in his arms was gone. In her place was a giant lizard, staring at him with a look of betrayal and sorrow. (p.s;hahahahahahahahaha)
In other words... the "Xiao Wu" from earlier was the giant lizard.
Tang San felt like the sky was falling. His grip loosened, and the giant lizard struggled free from his arms, fleeing back into the forest with deep anguish.
Staggering toward the real Xiao Wu, Tang San reached out, trying to explain. "Xiao Wu, I…"
"Don't touch me. Disgusting," Xiao Wu said coldly, full of revulsion.
Tang San felt a stab in his heart. Out of the vast ocean, I only wanted one ladle of water… He had always vowed to remain pure for Xiao Wu.
And now...
"Ah-San, you're wild," Dai Mubai said, approaching him and giving a thumbs-up. "That was a giant lizard, man. And you still went through with it. Respect."
"Ah-San," Oscar added, "even if you were gonna cheat, couldn't you pick a human at least? Choosing a giant lizard—are you saying our Xiao Wu isn't even as good as a lizard!?"
"Ah-San, as a bystander, I just have to say—you were totally out of line," Ma Hongjun added with moral outrage. "How could you do that to Xiao Wu!?"
In an instant, Tang San was overwhelmed with guilt and shame.
"I..." he tried to speak again.
"Enough. Don't explain," Xiao Wu snapped, turning away in disgust.
Seeing her expression, Tang San was filled with both sorrow and seething rage inside.
This illusion... it never existed in my past life. This must be the work of a reincarnator from the Spirit Hall. Only they could have created such an illusion.
Damn it! They dared to plot against me, God-King Tang San! They stole my purity with a lizard and turned Xiao Wu against me!?
You've chosen the path of death.