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"Boom!!!"
A slipper slammed into the ground, and the resulting shockwave sent the Dragon Duke hurtling backward dozens of meters before he finally came to a stop.
"Who's there?!" the Dragon Duke's face darkened.
Lan Minghua descended from the sky and blocked his path, his eyes cold. "You, old man—planning to steal my disciple's spirit beast?"
The Dragon Duke stayed silent, staring at Lan Minghua, trying in vain to gauge his strength. But Lan Minghua's power was unreadable.
The Snake Matron's strength was far below the Dragon Duke's; she couldn't discern Lan Minghua's level either. She guessed he was at most a Soul Saint. After all, her and the Duke's Martial Soul Fusion Skill—Dragon-Snake Twin Strike—was supposedly unbeatable against anyone below the Titled Douluo rank.
She immediately objected, "We discovered the Scarlet-Crested Phoenix-Tail Snake first! The wounds on its tail prove it."
Lan Minghua chuckled. Just because you found it, it's yours? "The beast was wounded, but not fatally. A wild spirit beast has no owner until it's captured. If you couldn't hold onto it, it was never yours to begin with."
The Snake Matron trembled, her snake-headed cane quivering in her grip. She could find no rebuttal.
"Grandpa," Meng Yiran—who had been silent until now—finally spoke. "I don't care! I want that snake as my third spirit ring!" It was her ideal spirit ring, and she would have already been absorbing it if not for the earlier tremor that allowed it to escape.
The Snake Matron softened. "Don't worry, Yiran. Even if it costs our lives, your grandfather and I will get it back for you."
Lan Minghua smiled. All this fuss over a thousand-year beast? He'd already located the Sharp-Tailed Swift for Oscar, but he wasn't about to let these people get something for nothing.
The Dragon Duke's brows knitted into deeper creases. "Who is this man?! I can't read his power at all!"
At that moment, Tang San sprang forward and knelt heavily before Lan Minghua. "Teacher Lan, please save Xiao Wu! I know you're a Titled Douluo. You can rescue her from the Titan Giant Ape's grasp!"
Lan Minghua froze. Tang San—kneeling to beg his sworn enemy? Intriguing.
"Ha," Lan Minghua said, "if I hadn't sensed the killing intent in your eyes, I might have actually believed you'd set aside your hatred for Xiao Wu's sake."
Though Tang San hid it well, Lan Minghua saw everything. As a transmigrator, he would never trust Tang San's character.
The Snake Matron and Dragon Duke's eyes snapped wide. A Titled Douluo... No one would be foolish enough to impersonate one.
Lan Minghua glanced at Zhao Wuji and the others. "And you? What do you say?"
Zhao Wuji was first to answer. "Hua-zi, if you can, please save Xiao Wu. She's a Shrek student, after all."
Lan Minghua said nothing, turning his gaze on Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing.
They unhesitatingly replied, "Master, if you can, please rescue her."
Lan Minghua was pleased. Though they clashed with Tang San and Xiao Wu, they weren't heartless. As for Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Ning Rongrong—he didn't bother asking.
"Rest easy. That girl is fine," Lan Minghua said. "Being captured by the Titan Giant Ape may even be a stroke of good fortune for her."
He spoke the truth—the Titan Giant Ape and the Azure Sky Bull Python were practically Xiao Wu's younger brothers. Tang San, however, heard this as a cowardly excuse.
"Bullshit! That's a one-hundred-thousand-year beast! Xiao Wu is only a Grand Spirit Master—how could she possibly be safe?!" Tang San shouted, losing all reason. "You're just scared! You don't dare to face the Titan Giant Ape!"
Lan Minghua's expression remained calm. He knew Tang San was only begging out of desperation and that one favor wouldn't erase his hatred. Besides, he was telling the truth: in the hands of the Titan Giant Ape, Xiao Wu couldn't be safer.
"Tang San, don't be an ungrateful fool!" Zhao Wuji growled, utterly exasperated. Helping is a kindness, not an obligation. He thought, You tried to kill his disciples with lethal force, and it's a sign of his good temper that he hasn't settled the score with you yet! Now you have the nerve to make demands?
Lan Minghua raised a hand to silence Zhao Wuji, then faced Tang San. "Are you saying I'm afraid of that little gorilla?"
"What 'little gorilla'?! That's the King of the Forest, the Titan Giant Ape! If you're scared, just admit it!" Tang San yelled, completely losing his composure.
"Pfft!" Lan Minghua burst into laughter as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world. With his peak Experience Card, a mere one-hundred-thousand-year beast was trivial. Even a million-year beast would only require a bit of effort.
Tang San tried to bait him: "What are you laughing at? If you have the guts, go kill it!"
Lan Minghua saw through the provocation—but found it amusing. Smiling, he said, "You want me to kill the Titan Giant Ape?"
Tang San didn't hesitate: "Of course."
"Interesting," Lan Minghua said. "I suppose I'll make an exception and intervene. I'd planned to let it fatten up before the slaughter, but now is as good a time as any."
After all, having a husband demand the death of his wife's younger brother... now that was entertaining.
Even if it meant using his last Experience Card, witnessing such a spectacle was worth it.
He activated his final card and slowly ascended into the air, his terrifying perception instantly locking onto the Titan Giant Ape.
"Found you," he murmured. "Now, please die for me, Titan Giant Ape!"
(End of Chapter)