When Zhao Wuji nodded heavily, confirming the news, Yu Xiaogang's breathing froze.
For an instant, all sound vanished.
Shrek Academy…
His long-planned future…
Even the disciple standing before him—
All of it was wiped clean from his mind.
Only one thing remained.
A single path.
A path that led straight to Spirit City.
A place he had yearned for his entire life.
What was Yu Xiaogang's greatest regret?
Not Bibi Dong.
Not Liu Erlong.
Not even being expelled from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
No—
His greatest sorrow
was his accursed spirit power,
stuck forever at the bottleneck of level 29.
A lifelong humiliation.
A thorn buried deep in his heart for decades.
Now, at long last…
The opportunity had descended from the heavens.
Ning Fengzhi, an outsider, could break his spirit shackles in Spirit City.
Then why… WHY…
would Bibi Dong refuse to help him?
A storm of resentment and ambition, suppressed for twenty years, erupted in Yu Xiaogang's chest.
His body trembled with excitement.
He spun around.
For the first time in decades, his stiff face showed raw greed, hunger, and desire.
"Flender! I can't stay here any longer—I must go to Spirit City immediately!"
His voice cracked with fanatic excitement, grating and sharp.
Flender stared at him, stunned.
Then he finally understood.
But instead of speaking sense into him,
he simply forced a twisted smile.
"…Go, Xiaogang.
Go chase your dream."
Lost in his own fantasies, Yu Xiaogang completely missed the bitterness in Flender's tone.
He turned to leave—
But a hoarse voice stopped him.
"Teacher…"
Tang San stepped forward.
His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails pierced his palms.
His voice was rough, scraped by pain.
"Please take me with you."
Yu Xiaogang frowned, irritation instantly cooling the fire in his eyes.
"Little San, why would you go?
Your task is to stay and cultivate."
"I want to become stronger!"
Tang San suddenly lifted his head.
His eyes were crimson, filled with despair and madness.
"I must find Xiao Wu!
I must bring her back!"
His voice trembled with determination.
But to Yu Xiaogang, it sounded like nothing more than noise.
Find Xiao Wu?
Ridiculous.
Just a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast.
Not worth mentioning.
Besides—
Tang San was Tang Hao's son.
A sworn enemy of Spirit Hall.
If bringing Tang San to Spirit City endangered his chance to break through…
Then why should he care?
Yu Xiaogang's face darkened.
His voice rose with the full authority of the "Grandmaster."
"Nonsense!"
"I understand your emotions, but a spirit master who loses control is destined to fail! You've disappointed me greatly!"
Tang San staggered back as if struck.
"But—"
"No buts!"
Yu Xiaogang snapped, slicing off his words.
His gaze swept over everyone—Tang San, Flender, Zhao Wuji—and hardened again.
"This matter is decided."
"I will go to Spirit City.
You all remain here and wait for my return."
He didn't spare Tang San a single glance.
He walked out, shoulders shaking with excitement.
His future—
His chance—
His destiny—
All lay in Spirit City.
Nothing and no one would delay him.
Yu Xiaogang stepped through the dilapidated Shrek gate—
and froze.
A tall figure stood in the shadowed path ahead.
A man wrapped in a patched, colorless robe.
The moment he appeared, the surrounding light dimmed.
Tang Hao.
Yu Xiaogang's pupils tightened violently.
The joy of impending breakthrough evaporated like water thrown into fire.
The words he had just used to scold Tang San…
This man definitely heard them.
Every single syllable.
Cold sweat burst from Yu Xiaogang's back.
He opened his mouth to explain—
But Tang Hao spoke first.
"You did well."
Yu Xiaogang blinked.
What?
Tang Hao's flat gaze drifted past him toward Shrek Academy.
"Spirit City is a dragon's den. A tiger's lair. Little San isn't qualified to go yet."
Yu Xiaogang exhaled in relief so quickly it almost became a whimper.
His hands folded behind his back, regaining the fake composure of a stern teacher.
"This child is too emotional. His temperament needs tempering."
Then he shifted topics, carefully.
"Your Excellency… Xiao Wu, she—"
"I already know."
Tang Hao's voice dropped, heavy with suppressed fury.
"I never expected such an accident. That old fox Ning Fengzhi really botched things."
A murderous glint flashed in his eyes.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School
would pay.
But the rage faded quickly.
This wasn't the time.
"Forget that."
Tang Hao fixed his deep, dark eyes on Yu Xiaogang.
"This time, when you go to Spirit City, you must accomplish one task."
"Get the method to resolve the backlash of twin spirits from Bibi Dong."
(Author's note: If Tang Hao let Tang San become Yu Xiaogang's disciple without this motive, I refuse to believe it.)
Yu Xiaogang's heart clenched—
but outwardly he wore righteous determination.
"Rest assured, this is also the core purpose of my trip. Little San is my disciple; I will never abandon him."
Only he knew the truth:
The method for twin-spirit backlash was priority two.
Breaking his shackles was priority one.
Tang Hao nodded slightly, satisfied.
Then he delivered a sentence that made Yu Xiaogang's soul leave his body.
"I'll go with you."
Yu Xiaogang's eyelid twitched violently.
What kind of cosmic joke was this?!
I don't even dare bring your son,
and you—Spirit Hall's most wanted fugitive—
want to personally enter Spirit City?!
But Tang Hao's next words froze him in place.
"I won't reveal myself."
"But this matter is too important. I don't trust you to go alone."
He paused.
His tattered robe fluttered despite the still air.
An overwhelming aura surged silently outward.
"And even if I was discovered…"
"Those useless people in Spirit Hall can't keep me."
Yu Xiaogang felt his last doubt melt away.
Regardless of how exaggerated Tang Hao sounded—
Yu Xiaogang believed him.
With Tang Hao secretly escorting him…
His journey would be safer.
Faster.
And his meeting with Bibi Dong more certain.
A top-tier bodyguard—
for free!
Yu Xiaogang almost burst with joy.
"Your Excellency sees clearly and wisely.
Xiaogang admires you deeply."
"We will depart immediately!"
_____________________
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