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Oscar was completely speechless. He couldn't understand why Yu Xiaogang would say something like that.
Zhu Zhuqing and Meng Yiran, however, fully agreed—they really wanted to give this twenty-ninth-rank Grand Soul Master two hard slaps.
Still, it wasn't entirely unreasonable for them to think that way.
They had all activated their gravity-sensing wristbands early on, and the weight they carried was far heavier than the stones Tang San and his group bore.
Even when sleeping, they couldn't relax—training under load almost twenty-four hours a day.
Meanwhile, Tang San's group only carried stones to run in the afternoon, and at night they could soak in medicinal baths to recover.
Comparing the two, who was really the lazy one here?
Yu Xiaogang noticed Oscar and the others not moving, staring straight at him.
This made him feel extremely delighted.
They're looking at me! They're looking at me! It seems they're envious of the training I arranged for Xiao San's group!
Feeling self-satisfied, Yu Xiaogang was already fantasizing about Oscar and the others switching over to become his disciples.
If that really happened, his name would resound across the entire continent.
After all, to snatch a disciple from the hands of a Titled Douluo was something truly one of a kind.
As the fantasy played out in his head, Yu Xiaogang's grin nearly reached his ears.
Seeing his expression, Oscar and the other two looked disgusted and quickly resumed their training.
Their faces clearly said that if they looked at him any longer, their eyes would explode.
Following behind Tang San while carrying stones, Dai Mubai wore an impatient expression.
"Tang San, are you sure your teacher's training can actually make me stronger? Why do I feel no effect at all?"
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing growing stronger by the day had stirred his competitive spirit.
It was only because of Tang San's boasting about Yu Xiaogang's unbeatable theories that he had reluctantly joined this training.
When Tang San heard Dai Mubai questioning Yu Xiaogang, his face immediately darkened.
"Mubai, if you don't believe in my teacher, then go train on your own."
Hearing Tang San's blunt words, Dai Mubai explained helplessly, "Oscar and the others have gravity-sensing wristbands. We're just carrying stones—can that really improve anything?"
They had personally witnessed Lan Minghua giving those wristbands as a gift, so they knew Oscar and the others trained with them.
Compared to stone-carrying, that device was far more efficient.
Hearing this, Tang San fell silent.
This kind of training put them at a disadvantage compared to Oscar's group; there was no advantage at all.
Still, he chose to trust Yu Xiaogang—his teacher whose theories he believed to be unmatched.
"If Teacher told us to do this, he must have his reasons. We just need to focus on doing it well."
With that, Tang San stopped speaking and continued running with his stone.
Dai Mubai gritted his teeth, deciding to trust Tang San this once.
He too said no more and kept running with his stone.
However, none of them knew that Yu Xiaogang's stone-carrying training had no deeper meaning.
He simply wanted to use this method to strengthen their physiques.
In the original story, if the entire Shrek Seven Devils had run with stones, it might have been to foster unity.
But with Tang San's current group already thick as thieves, there was no need for stone-carrying to "build teamwork."
So in truth, Yu Xiaogang's training was just a low-efficiency way to work on their physical endurance.
On the roof, Lan Minghua overheard Tang San and Dai Mubai's conversation and almost burst out laughing.
They actually believe it?! Well, Dai Mubai is finished for life.
He barely had any chance of catching up to Zhu Zhuqing before; now that he trusted Yu Xiaogang, that chance was completely gone.
As far as Lan Minghua was concerned, this was none of his business. They weren't his disciples, so why should he care?
However, he had just heard something that displeased him.
"Flander, Flander… what, you want to be the next Ning Fengzhi?"
Narrowing his eyes, Lan Minghua's gaze fell on the room where Flander was.
Just moments ago, Flander had been muttering to himself at length.
The content had been all about weighing Lan Minghua's pros and cons to Shrek and calculating the benefits he could gain.
Lan Minghua said nothing—Shrek Academy was his anyway.
But if Flander tried to pull something behind his back, Lan Minghua would not hesitate to deal with him ruthlessly.
Ignoring the matter for now, he closed his eyes and continued resting.
Meanwhile, Emperor Xue Ye and Xue Qinghe had already arrived at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Inside the grand hall, thousands of sect disciples were kneeling on the ground, their wailing echoing through the air.
Seeing this scene, Xue Ye's pupils trembled violently.
"Sect Master Ning… has he truly met with disaster?!"
On the way here, he had still clung to a shred of hope, believing the news to be a false rumor spread by Spirit Hall.
But seeing the state of the sect's disciples with his own eyes, he could no longer deny the truth of Ning Fengzhi's death.
He staggered and collapsed back into his seat.
At that moment, a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciple, tear stains still on his face, appeared.
He bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, Elder Bone asks that you enter the grand hall. He will tell you everything you wish to know."
Xue Ye nodded and ordered, "Go in. I must see for myself who killed Sect Master Ning. That person will pay the price."
Inside the hall, Bone Douluo's face was dark and terrifying.
"Didn't Fengzhi always say that the Upper Three Sects shared a bond? Why have the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Clear Sky Clan given no response at all?"
The news had been sent long ago, yet there had been no reply.
Just then, Xue Ye and his entourage entered the hall.
Looking at Bone Douluo's grim face, Xue Ye sighed. "Your Grace, Bone Douluo, please accept my condolences."
Bone Douluo nodded in acknowledgment, then said coldly,
"Your Majesty, ask what you wish. I will likely be very busy in the days to come."
"Your Grace, I wish to know who is responsible for Sect Master Ning's death. Could it have been Spirit Hall?" Xue Ye asked in a deep voice.
Bone Douluo shook his head. "It wasn't Spirit Hall—it was a Titled Douluo named Lan Minghua."
"What?! A Titled Douluo daring to do such a thing? Is he not afraid of retaliation from the Upper Three Sects and the Heaven Dou Empire?!"
Xue Ye was shocked; he hadn't expected Ning Fengzhi's death to have nothing to do with Spirit Hall.
Xue Qinghe's pupils contracted, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
So it wasn't that madwoman's doing? Just who is this Lan Minghua?!
No matter how he racked his brain, he couldn't have guessed this outcome.
Hearing Xue Ye's words, Bone Douluo could only smile bitterly.
The man directly killed Fengzhi—do you really think he fears retaliation from the Upper Three Sects and the Heaven Dou Empire?
If he did, none of this would have happened in the first place.
Still, Bone Douluo patiently shared the intelligence he had gathered.
"From my investigation over the past few days, Lan Minghua belongs to a force called the Heavenly Dragon Gang. Including him, they have at least two Titled Douluo."
"What?! Two Titled Douluo?!"
Xue Ye was dumbfounded—so the real fool here was himself.
With such a force behind him, one that could rival the Upper Three Sects, Lan Minghua had nothing to fear.
In truth, Xue Ye was the one who should be worried.
Still, as an emperor, he quickly regained his composure and asked in a deep voice,
"Then, Your Grace, what do you plan to do?"
"Of course, I will avenge Fengzhi. I will destroy this so-called Heavenly Dragon Gang. I hope Your Majesty will lend the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect a hand," Bone Douluo spoke without hesitation.
Xue Ye frowned, concerned. "With just the Heaven Dou Empire and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, we could win—but wouldn't the cost be too great?"
Striking at a force with at least two Titled Douluo would be no small matter.
The Heaven Dou Empire could not afford to cripple itself for the sake of one Ning Fengzhi—not with Spirit Hall and the Star Luo Empire watching like tigers ready to pounce.
Bone Douluo understood Xue Ye's concern and leaned in to whisper something in his ear.
"Your Majesty, you only need to have someone do this…"
Meanwhile, things at the Clear Sky Clan were far from peaceful.
Because Tang Hao had woken up.
Seeing this, Tang Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked with concern,
"Hao, who exactly injured you like this? Was it Spirit Hall?!"
(End of Chapter)