"You are my eternal family. Da Ming, Er Ming, thank you both."
"No need to be polite, Sister Xiao Wu. This is what we should do. After all, we're friends, aren't we?"
The simple-minded Titan Giant Ape scratched its head, tentatively showing a human-like smile as it grinned at Xiao Wu.
"Da Ming, since you've already brought them out, I might as well condense my third spirit ring here."
Xiao Wu knelt and sat down as a pink energy beam emanated from her body. The Titan Giant Ape stood guard like a loyal knight protecting Xiao Wu during her cultivation.
In less than an hour, after condensing her spirit ring, Xiao Wu immediately followed Tang San's group's scent back to everyone's side.
"Xiao Wu, you broke through to level 30?"
Zhao Wuji sensed the Spirit Elder fluctuations emanating from Xiao Wu and was greatly delighted. The other six were also surprised, with Ma Hongjun looking back and forth between Xiao Wu and Tang San, feeling utterly hopeless.
"No way! Third Brother and Xiao Wu both broke through to level 30 Spirit Elder—they're the youngest Spirit Elders on the entire continent! Where's the justice in this world?"
However, in the next moment, Tang San's face showed pain as he desperately cried out:
"Get back! Get back..."
Eight dark purple spider legs extended from Tang San's back without being summoned. Everyone retreated in fear.
"Third Brother isn't going to turn into a giant spider, is he?"
"He won't."
Xiao Wu's eyes were filled with worry as she anxiously ran toward Tang San, but Zhao Wuji and Dai Mubai at the front forcibly held her back.
Zhao Wuji looked at Tang San, who was suffering terribly, with a face full of worry. He didn't know what was happening either—why absorbing a 2,000-year Human-Faced Demon Spider would cause eight spider legs to grow from his back. He said worriedly:
"Xiao San, try to retract those eight spider legs back into your body."
"Teacher Zhao, I can't retract them! Ahh—"
Tang San's pain became even more intense, and multiple bones in his body felt like they were about to shatter. Even speaking became difficult.
Zhao Wuji really had no other choice. After making some adjustments, he immediately used his first soul skill, Immovable Bright King, along with his sixth soul skill, Gravity Crush. Under the powerful gravity, all of Tang San's bones made crisp cracking sounds.
"Teacher Zhao, what are you—"
Zhao Wuji ignored Xiao Wu's questioning. He immediately knocked out Tang San, who was pressed to the ground, unable to move, wrapped him in a black robe, carried him on his back, and instructed the remaining six:
"It's too dangerous here. Let's return to the academy first. We'll discuss Tang San's situation after we get back to the academy."
"Alright!"
...
At this moment, three carriages had stopped at the entrance of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Seven gracefully built new generation soul master competition regular team members from Skywater Academy, wearing pure blue uniforms, stepped down from the carriages.
Spirit Douluo Zhilin was personally leading several teachers to greet them at the academy entrance.
"Students and teachers from Skywater Academy, thank you for coming such a long way. Rest quarters have been prepared for everyone. Tonight, we three education committee members will personally host a welcome banquet for you all."
"Senior Zhilin is too kind. This exchange competition is a tradition between our two senior spirit master academies. We just didn't expect that this year, instead of going to Blazing Fire Academy as usual, these seven children chose to compete with Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."
Li Xianyue respectfully bowed to Spirit Douluo Zhilin. As a mere Spirit King leading the team, being personally welcomed by a Spirit Douluo was probably the greatest honor of her lifetime.
Within the academy, most of the noble students came upon hearing the news, staring unblinkingly at the many beauties from Skywater Academy walking step by step through the academy gates.
"Skywater Academy only accepts beauties, and seeing them today, their reputation is well-deserved. Look at those snow-white, long legs and that curvy figure."
"Absolutely gorgeous! If that Shui Bing'er standing in the center, who seems to keep everyone at a distance, could become my wife, I'd die without regrets."
"Your thinking is too crude. My father says I must have three wives and seven female attendants to serve me."
...
At this moment, the minds of many Heaven Dou Imperial Academy noble students were filled with various thoughts. Watching the beauties slowly walking past them made their hearts itch unbearably.
Once they graduated and returned to their respective kingdoms, with their titles and lands, marrying one or two women from Skywater Academy with lesser backgrounds as wives would definitely not be difficult.
Moreover, girls who could enter Skywater Academy were all beautiful and were spirit masters too, making them even more suitable as wives.
Shui Bing'er held the center position, with the other six arranged by strength level. It was like being back at a Paris Fashion Week runway show.
However, since this was the seven's first time coming here as regular team members for the spirit master competition, when they saw the crowd of onlookers with lewd smiles and frivolous gazes, they still felt scared.
Seeing this situation, Zhilin immediately organized several teachers to disperse the crowd and said somewhat apologetically:
"Everyone, those students just now are noble children from various kingdoms and their subsidiary duchies. They cannot represent the overall strength of our Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."
"How about this—I'll personally introduce our academy's Heaven Dou level students to you talented ones from Skywater Academy later. The participants in this exchange competition are precisely our excellent Heaven Dou level students."
"That would be much appreciated, Senior Zhilin."
Li Xianyue spoke very respectfully. She knew more or less about various aspects of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, and the students with extremely dissolute behavior she'd just seen were merely Heaven Supreme and Heaven Trace level spirit masters below level 30 who only knew how to waste their days.
As they entered the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Shui Bing'er's heart was very anxious, and her hands clenched tightly.
Just then, Shui Yue'er beside her whispered:
"Sister, I inquired in advance. That man you've been thinking about day and night still hasn't returned, but Dugu Yan is resting in her dormitory today. I'll accompany you to meet her later."
Hearing this, Shui Bing'er's eyes were already filled with defiance, her red lips moving slightly as she uttered one word: "Good."
Not long after, when they were all arranged to rest in dormitories, Shui Yue'er used a little charm and found out where Dugu Yan was located.
"Sister, what a coincidence—that Dugu Yan is in the building right in front of us. I even found out her dormitory room number clearly. Let's go meet her while we have the chance."
Shui Bing'er suddenly became hesitant, while Xue Wu, who had been lightly dozing nearby, heard the commotion, sat up straight, and asked:
"Where are you two sisters going?"
Without caring about anything else, Shui Yue'er directly took both Shui Bing'er's and Xue Wu's hands and walked toward the front dormitory building.
There's strength in numbers, and more impressive momentum too.