Shi Yu smiled at Gu Yue but didn't reveal anything clearly, leaving her uncertain about how much he truly knew.He neither agreed nor refused directly.
"As long as you accept my conditions, I'll release you immediately," Shi Yu said aloud, his words open for all to hear.
Deputy Tower Master Li, Wu Changkong, and the others were slightly puzzled, not understanding what conditions he was referring to.
"That's fine, but I need to speak with you in private," Gu Yue replied. She needed to find out how much he knew.
"Alright. Then hand over what I want when we're alone," Shi Yu responded.
"But before that, I can't let Tang Wulin go. I'll hand him over to you afterward," he added.
He then commanded the Eight Spider Lances to stop draining Tang Wulin's blood. He couldn't absorb any more.
Too much would be dangerous. Tang Wulin's blood contained not only the Golden Dragon King's power but also hidden traces of the Sea God and the Asura God.Consuming too much could put him at serious risk.
Shi Yu recalled an incident during the era of the Peerless Tang Sect, where an evil soul master died instantly after absorbing too much of Tang Wutong's blood.Because evil soul masters were filled with dark energy, absorbing too much pure energy could cause conflict and result in bodily destruction.
That story was proof: even strong bloodlines couldn't be absorbed blindly. One had to consider whether they could handle it. Reckless absorption only led to self-destruction.
So, Shi Yu had been cautious. He had only taken about five drops of Tang Wulin's blood—not daring to take more.He feared not being able to refine it properly, and even more, he was afraid that "Old Tang," hiding inside Tang Wulin, might emerge and intervene.
Gu Yue clenched her teeth and silently accepted it. In her heart, she made a firm decision: if she ever got the chance, she would eliminate Shi Yu. He had gone too far.
Just then, a group of people burst in and surrounded Wu Changkong, pointing high-powered soul tools at him.
"Suppress him," Deputy Tower Master Li ordered calmly, having been waiting for the reinforcements.
He released his own powerful aura, and the others followed suit, activating their soul tools and pressing Wu Changkong.
Reacting swiftly, Wu Changkong released his battle armor, resisting with all his strength.
But against a Soul Douluo, several Soul Saints, and an eighth-level soul tool, he was quickly overwhelmed and bound by energy, unable to move.
"I was just waiting for my men. What were you waiting for?" Deputy Tower Master Li said smugly.
Did a mere Soul Saint really think he could stir up trouble in the Spirit Pagoda?
They had prepared this eighth-level soul tool specifically to deal with troublemakers inside the Pagoda. It was strong enough to suppress even a Soul Douluo.
Wu Changkong struggled desperately, but he couldn't escape the restraints.
"Teacher Wu!" Gu Yue, Tang Wulin—still weak—and the others called out, worried about his condition.
"You're not allowed to kill him," Gu Yue warned coldly, glaring at Deputy Tower Master Li. "Or I won't let this go."
Though she didn't have deep personal affection for Wu Changkong, he had been her teacher for years. She couldn't just stand by and watch him fall.
Deputy Tower Master Li glanced at Shi Yu, uneasy. He couldn't just ignore Gu Yue's warning. After all, she had Tianfeng Douluo backing her, and Shi Yu himself held great potential. There was always the chance of future retaliation.
"Deputy Tower Master Li, just restrain him. I'll do the killing," Shi Yu declared after a moment of thought.
"Alright," Li replied with relief. It would be better for Shi Yu to handle it.
"You dare?!" Gu Yue shouted furiously.
"What do I have to be afraid of?" Shi Yu replied indifferently. He would be leaving in a few days—there was no need to worry about consequences now.
"My teacher is Zhuo Shi, one of the elders of Shrek Academy. Are you sure you want to kill me?" Wu Changkong shouted, forced to reveal his identity.
Though it was humiliating, he had no choice. He still had a mission—he couldn't die here.
"What?!" Deputy Tower Master Li's face changed drastically.
He knew exactly who Zhuo Shi was—and his incredible status and strength.
Everyone else's expression shifted as well, except Shi Yu, who had already known.
"Zhuo Shi is one of Shrek's elders. He has a close relationship with the Pavilion Master of the Sea God's Pavilion. They're like brothers," Deputy Tower Master Li explained to Shi Yu.
"If possible, it's best not to go too far. Zhuo Shi isn't someone you want to provoke," he advised.
Shi Yu weighed the situation. He had been wondering whether Zhuo Shi—or even Yun Ming—might come looking for him if Wu Changkong was killed.
It wasn't very likely, but not impossible. Shrek Academy was famously protective, and sometimes the older generation intervened on behalf of the younger.
Zhuo Shi and Yun Ming had trained together; they were as close as brothers.Wu Changkong was essentially Yun Ming's nephew, which meant provoking him could very well lead to retaliation.
"Can his battle armor be stripped?" Shi Yu asked cautiously. Better safe than sorry.
Deputy Tower Master Li was momentarily stunned. Then realization dawned—Shi Yu was eyeing Wu Changkong's battle armor.
"It's possible," Li replied slowly, "but forcibly removing it will cause him serious harm—possibly lifelong damage."
Stripping someone's battle armor was a grave offense. Li wanted to deescalate, especially now that he knew Wu Changkong's background.
"Then please do it for me, Deputy Tower Master. Consider that the price I'm charging for letting him live," Shi Yu said coldly.
"Oh, and take his storage soul guide too. That's my reward."
After much deliberation, Shi Yu decided not to kill Wu Changkong—for now. Better to avoid potential retaliation from Zhuo Shi or Yun Ming.
"Are you really going through with this?" Li asked again, hesitating.
"I am," Shi Yu nodded firmly. He was eager to examine the battle armor up close.
"In that case..." Deputy Tower Master Li slowly turned his eyes toward Wu Changkong.
"You dare!" Wu Changkong growled in rage, trying to intimidate them.
But threats meant nothing now. They weren't killing him only out of respect for Zhuo Shi and Shrek Academy.
Wu Changkong had killed people inside the East Sea Spirit Pagoda. That alone gave them enough reason to act.
"Ahhh!" Wu Changkong screamed in agony as Deputy Tower Master Li and the others forcibly stripped him of his battle armor.
The pain was unbearable.