Watching Tang Hao "flee in embarrassment," Yun Chuan made a show of having the Thousand-Armed Guanyin give brief chase… then let it stop.
"Clear Sky Douluo… actually ran away."
From the distance, Flender and Zhao Wuji — who had been observing the whole time — were stunned speechless. They had no idea what had really happened. From their point of view, Yun Chuan had used some Martial Spirit Fusion-like technique to summon an enormous and clearly powerful colossus, fought for a short time… and then the mighty Clear Sky Douluo had withdrawn his spirit and left.
Left?
The eminent Clear Sky Douluo… ran?
This utterly incomprehensible sight slammed into their worldviews like a hammer.
"Collect!"
The thirty-meter-tall Guanyin statue flared with light, slowly disassembling into nothingness… and Yun Chuan's figure reappeared where it had stood. He gazed toward the direction Tang Hao had vanished, thinking that tonight's harvest wasn't bad at all. A battle with a Titled Douluo would provide insights he could digest for a long time.
"Wake up. Come back to your senses."
He stepped up to the still-dazed Flender and Zhao Wuji, waved a hand in front of their faces — finally snapping them out of their stupor. They stammered, "Just now… y-you drove back the Clear Sky Douluo?!"
The two of them hardly knew what to say.
"You're overthinking it." Yun Chuan rolled his eyes. Defeat Tang Hao? Impossible. Even with his many "plug-ins," he had yet to fully unlock their power. Within Douluo's world framework, there was no way a Soul Sage could truly beat a Titled Douluo — especially this Titled Douluo, who wasn't ordinary at all but someone who, upon first attaining the title, could hammer several higher-ranked Titled Douluo into retreat.
"Then why would His Majesty Clear Sky…" Flender trailed off, hesitating to say flee in embarrassment.
"Didn't you notice? The stick of incense burned out ages ago. He probably got bored and couldn't be bothered to keep going," Yun Chuan said casually.
"I see…" Flender and Zhao Wuji both exhaled in relief. If a Soul Sage could really make a Titled Douluo run, their entire worldview would have been in tatters.
"Let's go. It's the middle of the night. Back to sleep." Yun Chuan's figure flashed as he slipped past them, striding quickly toward the dorms.
Left behind, Flender and Zhao Wuji exchanged glances, then likewise headed back toward the academy.
Early morning
Tang San was up before dawn, as always. Training the Purple Demon Eye was already part of his daily routine. Exiting the dorm he shared with Oscar, the sky was still dark. After a night's rest, his internal energy was restored.
Leaping onto a rooftop, he turned toward the faint purple glow in the east and began cultivating. Pressure was also motivation — after yesterday's fight with Yun Chuan, even if he'd been beaten the whole way through, a beating was still a form of battle. He could already feel his soul power pushing toward breaking through from rank 29 to rank 30.
Once he hit rank 30, a trip to hunt a third spirit beast for a new ring would raise his strength another step.
When the sun rose, Tang San returned to the dorm. His roommate Oscar was still clutching his blanket, fast asleep — even drooling.
"Little Ao, wake up," Tang San nudged him.
"…What is it… lemme sleep a bit more," Oscar mumbled.
Tang San frowned. "Come on, it's not early anymore. Ever heard 'a day's plan starts in the morning'?"
Oscar reluctantly cracked an eye open. "I'm not like you combat-types. I'm a Tool Soul Master — and a food-type at that. I don't need all your tedious early training. Bro, do me a favor and let me sleep."
"Then at least tell me where Xiao Wu's staying. I want to check if she's recovered," Tang San said.
"Go left out of our dorm, about thirty meters. There's a wooden cabin there — she and Ning Rongrong live in that one. But I'll warn you, the academy rules are strict: male students can't just go bother the female students, or the punishment's severe. Shrek takes up a third of this village; the rest is the villagers' homes. Don't wander over there casually."
Indeed, Shrek was poor — the "campus" was just a rented portion of the village, with old wooden houses as dorms. At least Soto City was nearby, so supplies could be bought easily.
Tang San left the dorm, stomach already rumbling — but seeing Xiao Wu came first.
He soon reached the girls' dorm. Entering outright? If it were just Xiao Wu, no problem — they'd lived together in the same dorm for years as "siblings." But with another girl there, it wasn't convenient.
After hesitating, he called softly from outside, "Xiao Wu… Xiao Wu…"
Before long, the door opened and Xiao Wu appeared, still wearing the same outfit as yesterday. Relief loosened Tang San's chest. "Xiao Wu, you feeling better?"
She put a finger to her lips. "Rongrong's cultivating. Don't disturb her — let's talk a bit away from here."
For some reason, Tang San felt something different in how she looked at him today, though he couldn't pinpoint what.
He rubbed her head. "Yesterday was my fault — I didn't protect you."
She shook her head, sticking out her tongue. "I told you, that teacher's just too strong. How can you blame yourself? This place isn't like Nuoding — everyone here's strong. At least there wasn't a Soul Douluo-level popping up."
"How do you know there aren't any Soul Douluos in the academy? The teachers are Soul Sages — maybe the dean's a Soul Douluo," Tang San asked curiously.
Xiao Wu froze, hesitating. "Just a guess. Would a Soul Douluo settle down quietly in a tiny place like this?"
He accepted the answer without suspicion and said, "Let's get breakfast — you must be hungry too."
"I am." She nodded, her liveliness back, slipping her arm through his.
New to the academy and knowing nothing of where to eat, they decided to wander toward where cooking smoke rose.
The village was small, and before they knew it they had left Shrek's part of it. On the other side, the villagers were already busy with their day — farming waited for no one.
Deciding to buy food from a local family, they were stopped by voices ahead — a boy and girl arguing.
The girl looked about fourteen or fifteen, plain-faced but lively, dressed in simple farm clothes. A village girl.
The boy was younger, maybe Tang San's and Xiao Wu's age, short and chubby, with a sturdy build under his baby fat. Small eyes, short hair, two faint whisker-like mustache hairs on his upper lip made him look oddly like a mouse.
The girl's eyes held fear. "Ma Hongjun, stop coming after me. I won't be with you."
Ma Hongjun's voice was nasal and dissatisfied. "Cuihua, haven't I treated you well? Why're you breaking up with me?"
Tang San and Xiao Wu exchanged amused glances. Kids today — talking about breaking up already? They stopped to watch.
Cuihua flushed. "You are good to me, but I just can't stand it. We're not right for each other. And I'm years older than you. Please, don't come to me again."
Ma Hongjun's face darkened. "Can't stand me? I don't get you women. Fine — break up if you want, but sleep with me one more time and I'll let you go. Otherwise, no chance." As he spoke, he lunged to grab her arm.
She backed away like a startled rabbit, but the fat boy was quick, catching her hand.
"Please, no. Let me go. Are you even human?" she pleaded.
Xiao Wu had heard enough. She leapt out. "Stop!"
Both turned to look. His little eyes widened, the whisker-hairs twitching, and a gleam lit them. "Whoa, gorgeous. So, you wanna take her place as my girlfriend? Sure, no problem. I agree."
"Bullshit!" Xiao Wu snapped, kicking his hand off Cuihua's wrist. "You little punk. This young and already up to no good? Broad daylight and you're thinking about abducting girls?"
At her words, Ma Hongjun's expression darkened further. "Our business. Butt out, little meddler. If you're not gonna be my woman, get lost."
"You—!" Xiao Wu was just about to move when Tang San stepped in front of her. "You're Ma Hongjun, right? Please leave this young lady alone."
After yesterday's lesson, Tang San didn't want Xiao Wu striking out casually. And besides, he could sense this fat kid might not be so simple.
(End of Chapter)