Tang San calmly said, "These things are mine. What's the problem?"
Meng Yiran immediately piqued with a competitive spark. "I didn't expect you to use those. I have a way to compete."
She produced twenty soul-breaking swords forged by her soul guide and proposed, "Each of us will have ten soul-breaking swords. Whoever hits the most leaves wins!"
As expected, Tang San emerged victorious.
Meng Yiran gritted her teeth in frustration—she hadn't thought her treasured Soul-Breaking Sword would be lost so easily. Was it really worth giving up on this crested snake?
Just then, Duke Long arrived, and for a moment, the atmosphere between the two groups turned tense again.
The snake woman pondered whether to disobey orders for her granddaughter's sake.
"Ahem, actually, there is a better solution. Want to hear it?" Xiao Tian said calmly.
Long Gong and She Po noticed Xiao Tian and, curious, asked, "What solution?"
Xiao Tian explained, "After Oscar absorbs the third soul ring, we plan to hunt a thousand-year-old sub-dragon soul beast. We only need its meat, not the soul ring."
Everyone immediately caught his meaning.
Flanders admired Xiao Tian's quick thinking and said to the Dragon Lord and Snake Lady, "If you don't mind, why not join us later? If I'm right, your granddaughter's martial spirit is a snake staff—a suitable sub-dragon beast would be better, right?"
The Dragon Man and Snake Woman exchanged glances and turned to their granddaughter for her opinion.
Meng Yiran, intrigued by Tang San's hidden weapons and Xiao Tian's cleverness, replied, "Grandpa, grandma, I have no objection. I lost the competition anyway."
Zhao Wuji glanced at Oscar, who eagerly stepped forward and stabbed the tumor on the Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Snake with a dagger. Soon, a purple thousand-year soul ring emerged from its body.
Oscar guided it to himself, sat cross-legged, and began absorbing it.
With conflict averted, Long Gong and She Po's attention shifted fully to Oscar, Tang San, Xiao Tian, and the others.
"Flanders, you've opened an academy? How do you have so many talented young people around?" Duke Long stroked his beard.
Flanders' vanity flared and he laughed, "No, no, Oscar is 14 and level 30, but among us, his cultivation is actually the lowest."
Proudly, Flanders introduced the strength of his students, drawing the attention of the Dragon Man, Snake Lady, and especially Xiao Tian.
Xiao Tian twitched.
Xiao Wu curled her lips, murmuring: What does our strength have to do with you? We earned it ourselves.
"Little guy, interested in joining my family? I can guarantee you enough resources!" Lord Long immediately invited Xiao Tian.
He hadn't expected such a young talent near Flanders—only twelve, yet already a high-level Soul Master!
Meng Yiran looked at Xiao Tian expectantly. "Hey, Senior Long Gong, Xiao Tian is my Shrek Academy student. How could you…"
"Hahaha, I'm just eager to see talent. With a noble lady from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect in your team, I doubt she'd allow joining a small family like ours."
Predictably, Xiao Tian politely declined. "Sorry, Senior Long Gong. I don't want to join any family. I'm a swordsman—I like moving forward without hesitation and dislike restrictions. Plus, my innate soul power is only level five. There are other reasons for my strength."
At that moment, Fifteen floated beside Xiao Tian.
"Oh?"
Duke Long looked surprised. Such strength, yet only level five innate soul power? Based on experience, this was impossible.
Then Lord Long glanced at the small jade jar, his eyes sharp with comprehension.
Could it be this master had discovered a method to accelerate cultivation growth, explaining his students' rapid improvement?
Immediately, he lost interest. If the method forced progress unnaturally, it would harm their foundation—a pity.
He had considered poaching these geniuses for the School of Exotic Beasts but now hesitated.
Meng Yiran frowned. "Xiao Tian, you didn't use dark methods to force your strength, did you? I warn you, forcing it will damage your foundation. You…"
"Yiran, shut up!"
The snake woman scolded her granddaughter, then smiled at Xiao Tian and Flanders. "My granddaughter is naive. Please don't take offense."
Chastened, Meng Yiran fell silent, her warning having missed its mark.
Xiao Tian felt helpless. What were they thinking? Did the Dragon Man and Snake Woman suspect him of using dark means?
How could that be?
Tang San remained quiet. Might this be a "side door"?
If Xiao Tian had memories from his past life like Tang San, it wasn't impossible he possessed secret cultivation methods.
Tang San also had such techniques, but most damaged foundations and were only used for death squads.
Then Tang San grasped it.
That was it!
Xiao Tian's rapid strength rise was surely due to secretly using forbidden methods from a previous life—not merely sword intent!
Having studied with his teacher long enough, Tang San knew many sword martial spirit owners lacked sword intent.
According to his teacher, only Jian Dao Chen Xin currently possessed sword intent.
Everything pointed to Xiao Tian being reborn—a martial arts hero from a swordsmanship sect!
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