Douluo Dalu 2 – The Unrivaled Tang-Clan Chapter 131

Published at 11th of October 2023 11:30:05 AM

Wang Dong rushed to speak first, “Let me go first.”

Elder Mu suddenly said, “Why don't the both of you write your paths on my hand at the same time?” As he spoke, he smiled while extending both his hands.

Elder Mu's hands appeared extremely youthful, unlike his face. His palms were slender, and his skin was clear like jade. A sparkling radiance subtly flashed, but it was different from Wang Dong's glossy skin. There was a sense of simplicity to his palms.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong stared at each other. They acted with great chemistry, and came to Elder Mu's side.

Elder Mu smiled and said, “You can begin.”

They lifted their hands and extended their index fingers at the same time. They wrote the paths that belonged to them on his palms. These were the paths that they would walk for their entire lives.

Elder Mu's smile widened. He clenched his palms into fists when they both stopped.

“The two of you have indeed found the paths that belong to you. Very good. I'm very comforted.” As he spoke, he lifted his hands, and they intersected. His palms faced towards Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.

There were two words on both his palms, and they shone with a dim golden color.

“Tang Sect.”

“Tang Sect!”

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong exclaimed together. They were shocked as they looked at each other. They were momentarily stunned.

Was this chemistry? It couldn't be simply described using chemistry anymore. The paths they chose were exactly the same.

Elder Mu smiled and said, “Wang Dong, tell me first why you chose this path. What does it mean to you?”

Wang Dong replied, “I'm actually not very sure myself. Both my martial souls are assault-type. Without a doubt, my path should be assault-based. But during the process of deep meditation, the words 'Tang Sect' popped up for no reason. I also realized that my strength is closely related to the different capabilities of the Tang Sect. Besides being unskilled in secret weapons, the rest of the Tang Sect's methods are aligned with my skills. They include the Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, Purple Demon Eyes, Mysterious Jade Hands, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, etc. Both the Radiant Butterfly Goddess and Clear Sky Hammer require offensive tactics. The most accurate soul master just unleashes his soul power, whereas a stronger soul master unleashes his soul power cleverly. I hope to become a soul master that combines my soul skills with the Tang Sect's techniques. This is the path that I want to take.”

Elder Mu nodded his head and said, “Very good. Huo Yuhao, what about you?”

Huo Yuhao looked at Wang Dong and said, “My situation is more complex than Wang Dong's. But I think that the Tang Sect is more suitable for me.”

“I have two martial souls. One is a control-type, and the other is an assault-type. While I can use both of them at the same time, their effects are unleashed on their own. It's extremely crucial for my future cultivation to organically combine both my martial souls. At the same time, I'm not just a soul master, but also a soul engineer. If I only cultivate my martial soul, I will only be a pure soul master. But I don't wish for it to be so. I'm unwilling to give up my soul tools. That's why I thought of the Tang Sect.”

“I've learnt all of Tang Sect's Six Great Secret Techniques – the Purple Demon Eyes, Mysterious Jade Hands, Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Hidden Weapon Hundred Separation and Mysterious Heaven Technique. I'm more skilled in the Mysterious Heaven Technique and Purple Demon Eyes among these six techniques. I only have brief experience with the other four techniques.”

“But when I thought of the Tang Sect, I found to my surprise that all of my capabilities can be related to the Tang Sect. My Spirit Eyes are greatly connected to the Purple Demon Eyes. I only managed to possess a spiritual-type ability like the Spiritual Shock because of the Purple Demon Eyes. My Spirit Eyes' attainments in the aspect of spiritual control can also help me to use many of the Tang Sect's secret techniques. This includes the Tang Sect's secret weapons. And that's not even mentioning the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion. An ice-type soul skill combined effectively with the Tang Sect's capturing techniques and footwork. Just like Wang Dong said, it'll increase my abilities greatly.”

“When I first studied secret weapons in the Tang Sect, eldest senior told me that the only way to rebuild the glory of the sect was by combining soul tools and secret weapons. I'm more and more inclined to believe that this will work. That's why my future path will combine the Tang Sect's secret techniques with my own capabilities. This is my choice.”

Elder Mu nodded repeatedly as he heard Huo Yuhao's words. “Very good. The two of you have made good choices. The Tang Sect's secret techniques once prospered under Tang San, the founder of the Tang Sect. Tang San managed to save the world of soul masters using the Tang Sect's Six Great Secret Techniques and break through the bottleneck, achieving rapid progress. The collapse of the Tang Sect doesn't equate to the collapse of the Tang Sect's secret techniques. It's just that no one suitable has been able to master the Tang Sect's secret techniques. Both of you have extraordinary talents. I hope that you can continue to walk this path and complete it. You shall inherit the Tang Sect's ancestors' immense strength and write your own legends.”

Elder Mu turned his wrists around, and something else appeared in both his palms.

In front of Huo Yuhao was the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion's left arm bone that he had once seen at the top-ranked auction in the Starlight Auction house. A thick, icy fog caused the temperature in the hall to dip quickly.

There was a right arm bone in Elder Mu's other hand. This right arm bone presented itself in bright gold, and the radiance that came from it carried an intense aura of sharpness.

“Yuhao, I've analyzed this left arm bone before. It's a soul bone that came from at least a ten thousand year soul beast. Although soul bone absorption won't be as tremendous as a soul ring's reaction, the Ultimate Ice aura contained within this soul bone is extremely domineering. I believe the saying about the Ice Explosion Technique is real. Are you confident?”

Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up, and he nodded his head with strength.

Elder Mu smiled and passed him the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone. He said, “Then you can start fusing it here.”

“Wang Dong, this right arm bone is called the Broken Devil of Light. I obtained it when I was young, but it's a pity that I already had six soul bones then. Otherwise, you'd have had no fate with it. This Broken Devil of Light came from an extremely rare element-type soul beast. This strong presence can only be nurtured in a place where the light element is in abundance. I'm still not sure what soul skill the Broken Devil of Light carries, and I can only tell when it combines with you. But I'm certain that it carries a powerful offensive soul skill. It also has a strong restraining effect on all dark and evil powers. I believe evil soul masters will be afraid when they see it.”

“When soul bones are being paired, it's best to pair the corresponding soul bone to an existing soul bone that you possess. Since you already have the Golden Light Left Arm Bone, the addition of this Broken Devil of Light will greatly enhance all your soul skills. You can also start fusing it here. I shall protect the both of you.”

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were both surprised, especially Huo Yuhao. After Elder Mu exposed his Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, he was still anxious, although he had completed his deep meditation. But Elder Mu had passed the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone to him now, which made him more assured and enabled him to understand that Elder Mu's words were true; that the academy wasn't bothered about the origin of his second martial soul.

Both of them received their respective soul bones and sat cross-legged on the ground to either side of Elder Mu.

Wang Dong gently caressed the Broken Devil of Light's smooth surface. At the same time, his left arm also lit up with an intense, golden flame. The golden light seeped into the Broken Devil of Light slowly, and caused the right arm bone to light up with the same light too. An intense aura of light caused Wang Dong's body to become transparent again. The Radiant Butterfly Goddess' wings flapped open behind his back before stretching forward to cover his entire body. Bright, golden halos started to spread from his body.

This soul bone that Elder Mu gave him was the academy's treasure, and not a reward from the tournament. Since the soul bone was personally picked out by Elder Mu, it was guaranteed to be compatible.

Amidst the undulation of the light aura, the Broken Devil of Light started to fuse with Wang Dong's right arm. Wang Dong only felt a patch of warmth on his right arm, and didn't experience any pain.

It was easy for Wang Dong to absorb this Broken Devil of Light with the golden light in front of him because the Radiant Butterfly Goddess was once baptized by the golden tree's aura of light. But he was still inferior to Huo Yuhao in terms of compatibility.

Huo Yuhao felt an indescribable sense of closeness that came from the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone when it entered his hand.

If this soul bone had appeared in front of other soul masters, they would immediately be affected by the ultimate chill released by the soul bone. Even Elder Mu had to use his own power of light to suppress it.

But Huo Yuhao only felt a sense of closeness. To him, there was no sense of chill to speak of.

An azure light lit up Huo Yuhao's chest and back. The Ice Jade Empress Scorpion's skeleton seemed to have been awakened by this left arm bone. The aura of a ruler that belonged to the Ice Jade Scorpions was gradually exuded, while the left arm bone in Huo Yuhao's hands seemed to come alive. It trembled slightly, then leapt up like a child that had seen his mother. It turned into a streak of white light before penetrating Huo Yuhao's left arm.

Huo Yuhao felt the chill this time. The ice-cold flow of gas rose rapidly along his left arm and penetrated his shoulder. Then, it reached his chest and clavicle. An intense, azure light also shone from his body.

The power sealed within the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion's skeleton was stimulated and rapidly connected with the Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone. Huo Yuhao's left arm was also dyed an azure green. An intense undulation of soul power surged maniacally. The pain that he felt when he had once fused the skeleton appeared again.

Ultimate ice and heat alternated with each other. Fortunately, it was only on his left arm this time.

“What, again?” Huo Yuhao laughed bitterly in heart. But he couldn't do anything except tolerate it at this point.

In fact, it was not that the Ice Empress wanted to train him. It was that the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion's skeleton was modifying this Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone.

No matter how strong this Ice Jade Scorpion was, its cultivation was only around ten thousand years or so, whereas the Ice Empress had cultivated for four hundred thousand years!

The skeleton was the core of the body, and the spine was the most important of the six soul bones. The rest of the soul bones connected to it. If it were any other soul bone, the Ice Empress might not be bothered. But this Ice Jade Scorpion Left Arm Bone came from the same origin as her, and thus the modifications were very smooth. The key lay in the sense of familiarity!

The immense power sealed within the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion's skeleton started to surge into the left arm bone. Huo Yuhao wasn't in any danger, but the pain he once felt came back…

……

Shrek Academy. External Courtyard. Second grade, Class 1.

“Why is everyone silent? Have all of you become dumb?” Zhou Yi suddenly slammed the table and revealed an infuriated look.

The students under her kept quiet out of fear; no one dared to speak.

While Zhou Yi's teaching method was simple and crude, it was quite suitable if she wanted to intimidate these talented youths. In the past year or so, the students from Class 1 maintained strong camaraderie and achieved significant progress under her. The crucial thing was that they listened to her! No one dared to defy Zhou Yi, and all of them diligently completed the tasks that she gave them.

While Zhou Yi had expelled many in the first academic year, not one student had yet been expelled in the second academic year. She would at most reprimand them if they made mistakes, or even give them two kicks. They would be motivated to cultivate harder through this.

However, the current atmosphere in the classroom was very tense, and all the students lowered their heads.

Zhou Yi scanned everyone before she fixed her attention was on Zhou Sichen. “Zhou Sichen, stand up.”

Zhou Sichen lamented in his heart and knew that he couldn't escape. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have become the class monitor after Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong left.

Zhou Yunchen bit the bullet, stood up and answered, “Teacher Zhou.”

“Did you not eat?” Zhou Yi raged, “you don't seem to have any guts! You're a man. Puff up your chest.”

“Yes!” Zhou Sichen acknowledged her words and puffed up his chest.

“Tell me,” Zhou Yi said indifferently, “as the class monitor, what are you going to do with regards to the competition suggested by the Class 2?”

Zhou Sichen's lips moved a little, and he shouted in his heart, “Go for it!”

“I'll go.” He replied loudly.

Zhou Yi's eyes lit up. “Good. This is how my students should be. So what if you lose? I don't expect you to win. But we must have the aura. As the class monitor, I will give you full authority to choose your team members. Choose another six to compete with you.”

The second academic year was already halfway done, and the mid-term exams had ended. Class 1 had tipped Class 2 to become the most outstanding class in the level. This was achieved even without Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao.

Class 2 was unconvinced! That's why the teacher of Class 2, Mu Jin, proposed to Zhou Yi for both classes to have a friendly competition. Both classes would choose 7 members each to form a team. The losing team had to sweep the level where all the second grade classes were held for the rest of the academic year.

The punishment for losing was nothing. Sweeping and maintaining hygiene were nothing to these young soul masters. They were fighting for glory in this competition. The losing team would lose the glory of their class!

Class 3 or 4 wouldn't participate in this competition. If they weren't auxiliary-type soul masters, they possessed miscellaneous martial souls. They weren't in a position to challenge the assault-type, control-type, defense-type and agility-type soul masters in the first and second classes.

Zhou Yi and Mu Jin were rivals in love in the past. Zhou Yi also had a hot temper. After being provoked by Mu Jin, she accepted the challenge impulsively. But she immediately regretted agreeing to the challenge. She would naturally be unafraid if Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were in the academy. Since Class 2 had Dai Huabin, Xie Huanyue, Zhu Lu and the others, Class 1 would have an absolute advantage only if 7 members were selected to compete. But she had lost three of her most outstanding students, negating her advantage in this competition. It was rumored that Dai Huabin's soul power had reached Rank 39 after a period of tireless cultivation. He might become Shrek Academy's youngest soul ancestor ever.

Dai Huabin was very strong himself. No one from Class 1 could win against him in a one-on-one situation. In addition, he and Zhu Lu possessed the Netherworld White Tiger. In a 7 v 7 team battle, it would take a miracle for Class 1 to win.

But Zhou Yi couldn't take back her words. With Zhou Yi's temper, she couldn't back off even if she regretted her decision! That's why she could only try to relieve the pressure. She figured that losing the competition wasn't the end of the world, and it was enough if her students managed to unleash their rightful abilities. She would keep an eye on the competition and prevent her students from getting hurt.

Zhou Yi heard from Fan Yu that Huo Yuhao and the other two were back, but they were taken to Sea God's Island. Fan Yu was also unclear why they hadn't returned to class. He only told Zhou Yi that it was a good thing for the three of them.

Zhou Yi had asked about them several times over the past few days. While Fan Yu's status wasn't low in the Soul Tool Department, he still didn't have the right to inquire about news from the Sea God's Pavilion. The competition was coming soon, and she couldn't hesitate any further. That's why she had to start picking her members.

Zhou Sichen revealed a cheeky look on his face after he heard Zhou Yi's words. He scanned the class, and there was a myriad of expressions from the other students. Some dodged his gaze, while some begged him to spare them. They were not afraid of competing, but who was willing to throw their own face knowing that they were bound to lose?

Zhou Sichen lifted his hand and tapped on Cao Jinxuan beside him. He said with an awe-inspiring look on his face, “Brother, we might not have been born on the same day or at the same time. But we hope to die on the same day and time. Follow me into battle.”

Cao Jinxuan's lips trembled a little as he lifted his head to glare at Zhou Sichen. He seemed to subvocalize something to him. Zhou Sichen could only subtly make out that Cao Jinxuan was cursing his father. He tried his best to withhold his laughter before looking at the rest.

Zhou Yi seemed to relinquish her authority and allowed Zhou Sichen to choose as he pleased. She also approved of Zhou Sichen in her heart, as he was quite capable. He made a conscious decision to choose Cao Jinxuan. Cao Jinxuan was his best friend, while this competition didn't bode well. By choosing Cao Jinxuan first, what could the others say if they were chosen next?

“Lan Susu, Lan Luoluo. The two of you shall come along too. The two of you shall complement Little Cao, who will be the main controller.”

Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo nodded their heads lightly. They were well-liked in class, and they were also very good-tempered, which made them close to the rest. Although everyone was still young, there were many male students who had already developed a liking towards them. Once they were picked up, there were immediately a few who volunteered themselves to be their chaperone.

Zhou Sichen very quickly picked out the strongest three. They were all assault-type soul masters. Thus, their team of 7 was formed.

There were 4 assault-type and 3 control-type soul masters. This was a rather good combination of assault-type and control-type soul masters.

Zhou Yi nodded and said, “Alright, the 7 of you shall practice in the afternoon. Tomorrow's competition shall depend on the 7 of you. There's no punishment for losing, but the reward for winning is being relieved of your cleaning duties in the class. Class has ended. Everyone is free to do what you want. The 7 of you, follow me.”

After she finished speaking, Zhou Yi turned around. While she wasn't confident in tomorrow's competition, she didn't want to give up either. She was making her last-minute preparations and giving tips on how her students should work with one another. Zhou Sichen, Cao Jinxuan, Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo were all the academy's core disciples even though their overall strength was inferior to their opponents'. They were not that bad themselves either! They were all close to Rank 30.

Class 2 was also choosing their team, although the atmosphere was different from Class 1. They managed to pick their choices much more easily.

Mu Jin stood behind the podium and chose her team members directly, “Dai Huabin, Zhu Lu, Xie Huanyue, Wu Feng, Huang Chutian, Cui Yajie and Long Xiangyue. The 7 of you shall compete tomorrow. I won't say too many motivational words. If all of you don't want to continue living in Class 1's shadow, then give it your all. I want to see if Zhou Yi still dares to be complacent in front of me.”

Dai Huabin sat quietly in the last row. He appeared much steadier now, and had lost some of the arrogance that he had had in the past. A greater sense of gloominess was revealed in his eyes as he blinked. He also seemed to be less magnanimous compared to his elder brother, Dai Yueheng.

But one couldn't deny his talent in cultivation. He was even better than his seniors. His Rank 39 soul power wasn't a joke; that was his true cultivation. Although it wasn't easy to rise from Rank 39 to Rank 40, Dai Huabin was determined to do so before he entered the third year. He wanted to obtain his fourth soul ring.

Dai Huabin was deeply convinced that his superiority in cultivation to Huo Yuhao meant that Huo Yuhao couldn't beat him even if he possessed twin martial souls or was extremely gifted.

Dai Huabin believed that he was never inferior to Huo Yuhao before. It was more of a coincidence. If it were a pure one-on-one battle, he believed that Huo Yuhao wouldn't be his match.

Dai Huabin was filled with jealousy and hate as he thought of how Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao took part in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament even though they weren't as powerful as him. It was just that they had left for so long, but hadn't returned. Did they perish in the tournament? After he humiliated Class 1 tomorrow, it would be time for him to make a trip and inquire about the tournament results.

He had been keeping a low profile ever since it was known that he had instructed someone to attack Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong. He cultivated tirelessly, and rarely made any contact with the outside world. On the other hand, Dai Yueheng was instructed not to reveal any information about the tournament after he returned to the inner courtyard, and went into retreat in the inner courtyard due to pressure from his upcoming graduation. That's why no one from the outer courtyard knew anything about the academy in the tournament. The academy only announced that they had returned as champions, but didn't reveal any of the details of the process. There was nothing extraordinary about Shrek becoming champions in many of the students' eyes.

In reality, it was not only Dai Huabin from Class 2 that resented Class 1. Zhu Lu, Xie Huanyue, Wu Feng and Huang Chutian – who used to be the Lan sisters' partner, but was also chased out like Wu Feng – all possessed hatred towards Class 1. Class 1 only had assault-type and control-type soul masters, but they had defensive-type and agility-type soul masters in addition to those two. Although they lacked any auxiliary-type soul masters, they still formed a rather powerful team. The importance of an auxiliary-type soul master had also dwindled due to the development of soul tools. There were fewer and fewer auxiliary-type soul masters in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament.

Early morning.

The weather was a little hazy, but the air was very fresh. It carried a slight moisture from Sea God's Lake. When inhaled, it left one feeling relaxed and refreshed.

Many students were already gathered at the Soul Dueling Area within Shrek Academy's outer courtyard in the early morning. They were all from the second grade of the outer courtyard, and it wasn't just the students from the first and second classes. Students from the third and fourth classes were also gathered here. Their reason was very simple – they were here to observe and learn.

Zhou Yi gave off a very cold and rigid look when she wore a mask. It was as if she was warning everyone not to come close to her. Zhou Sichen and the others were already prepared beside her, but it was obvious that they were still a little anxious from the looks on their faces.

The students from Class 2 were a little late. Under Mu Jin's leadership, Dai Huabin and the rest were all feeling very competitive. Even the rest of the students behind them were all in high spirits, and looked very proud.

It wasn't a surprise that they were like that. The first class of every grade in the outer courtyard was always the strongest, and they were always superior to the other classes. But it was a little special for Class 2 in the second grade. Class 2's abilities were greatly increased because Dai Huabin, Huang Chutian, Wu Feng and the other core disciples that had been chased out of Zhou Yi's class. This also developed their competitive streak. Although their overall abilities were still incomparable, Class 2 still possessed an advantage in today's competition.

Many of Class 2's students reckoned that Class 1 wouldn't be able to match up to them even if Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were present. That's because only 7 team members could be selected. After all, Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao only had 2 soul rings. In Class 2, it was not only Dai Huabin who had managed to reach an astounding Rank 39 soul power. Xie Huanyue was slightly lousier at Rank 35, but was still commendable. The two of them were the top two in the second grade. Wu Feng and Huang Chutian had crossed the Rank 30 mark, whereas Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie were only slightly off from Rank 30 at Rank 29. Zhou Sichen and Cao Jinxuan managed to reach Rank 28, and were among the top few agility-type students. They were also chosen to compete this time. The depth of Class 2's strength was obvious.

On the contrary, the greatest strength of Class 1 was that the average cultivation of the entire class was above Rank 25. But none of them were above Rank 30 as of now. Zhou Sichen, Cao Jinxuan, Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo were all Rank 29, while the other 3 were Rank 28. There was a huge gap in both team's abilities. Wang Dong, Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao would make it better if they were here. After all, Wang Dong had crossed the Rank 30 mark, and Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao both had twin martial souls. They would have a fighting chance.

Class 1's morale was extremely low, which was a stark contrast from Class 2. All of them lacked energy, which revealed their despondence.

Zhou Yi's expression couldn't be seen, as she wore a mask. But she already regretted her decision. She was naturally aware of the disparity in the abilities of both classes. She regretted her impulsiveness for agreeing to the challenge after Mu Jin provoked her. She wasn't afraid of losing, but the impact on the students' fighting spirit if they lost. However, she wasn't fully devoid of confidence. She recalled Fan Yu mentioning that Xiao Xiao had ended her retreat. She had asked her to find her in the inner courtyard yesterday. But why were they not back?

“Teacher Zhou.” Mu Jin brought her 7 team members in front of Zhou Yi at this point. She appeared calm, but the complacency in her eyes couldn't be concealed.

“Teacher Mu.” Zhou Yi answered indifferently.

Mu Jin looked at the 7 behind Zhou Yi and revealed a slight smile on her face. “Eh, there should be a few students with decent cultivations in Teacher Zhou's class if I remember correctly. Where are they? Were they expelled because they made some mistakes?”

Zhou Yi revealed a cold look in her eyes. Mu Jin was asking an obvious question, “Teacher Mu, you don't have to worry about this. How my students are is my problem .”

Mu Jin smiled and replied, “You can't put it this way. Teacher Zhou, the students in every class across all grades are the most brilliant talents that have been picked out. Their development is extremely crucial. Although I'm in charge of Class 2, it's also necessary for me to be concerned about the academy's future. However, our grade is a little special. In terms of overall abilities, Class 1 is strongest. But Class 2 is better in terms of high-end combat strength. There are already 4 students in my class that are Rank 30 and above. It seems like Teacher Zhou is still incomparable to me in terms of nurturing outstanding students.”

Behind Zhou Yi, Zhou Sichen couldn't help but say, “Teacher Mu, Dai Huabin and the rest…”

“Shut up.” Zhou Yi interrupted him.

Zhou Sichen was shocked, and didn't dare to speak anymore. His eyes were filled with indignance. Teacher Mu's skin was extremely thick. Out of the 4 students from Class 2 that were Rank 30 and above, 3 of them came from Class 1. The only exception was Xie Huanyue. It was just that these 3 were chased out by Zhou Yi.

Mu Jin laughed uncontrollably. “Teacher Zhou, your teaching attitude is undesirable. How can you stop your student from speaking? This would not happen in my class. We have to preach democracy. If your students cannot adapt to your teaching style, they can find me in Class 2. The doors to Class 2 are always open.”

Zhou Yi turned more and more dismal under the mask, and she said coldly, “Teacher Mu, you're full of nonsense. As Shrek Academy's teacher, aren't you aware that soul power rank doesn't represent everything?”

Mu Jin straightened her look, “Good, I was waiting for you to say that. We shall meet in the Soul Dueling Area. I want to see how your students can prove to me that soul power rank doesn't represent everything.”

“They will prove it to you. We'll prove this point to you, Teacher Mu.” A crisp voice rang out at this moment. The students behind Zhou Yi stood aside and created a path. Three people walked towards them with big steps.

Zhou Yi's fury that was about to erupt instantly turned into a bellyful of surprise when she saw the 3 of them. She couldn't help but scream, “You three rascals still know when to return!”

Three students wearing second grade uniforms quickly walked over as they were surrounded by excited Class 1 students. They were led by Huo Yuhao, while Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao followed behind.

Xiao Xiao had only undergone her retreat for slightly more than 30 days, but Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had been secluded for more than 60 days. That's why their abilities had increased so significantly.

Xiao Xiao hadn't left after she finished her retreat. She had remained on Sea God's Island to absorb her soul bone. She was supposed to return to the outer courtyard after she finished absorbing the power of the soul bone, but she was retained by Elder Mu. He invited the strongest auxiliary-type soul master in the Sea God's Pavilion to guide her personally in her cultivation. Since she had chosen to be an auxiliary-type soul master, she had to learn vastly different things from what she did before.

There was another reason why Elder Mu kept her in the inner courtyard. That was because both her and Huo Yuhao's cultivation had reached a bottleneck. After Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong ended their retreat, Elder Mu was going to instruct someone to bring them to hunt suitable soul beasts to enhance their soul rings.

After Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong ended their retreat, they both absorbed their respective soul bones before reuniting with Xiao Xiao outside of the Sea God's Pavilion. Elder Mu gave them a few days to rest and allowed them to readjust themselves. They went to obtain their third soul rings after that. It was also at this point that Fan Yu reached the inner courtyard and found Xiao Xiao.

Fan Yu didn't tell Zhou Yi that Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong had ended their retreat, as he wanted to give her a surprise. At this point, Zhou Yi's best students had finally returned.

Chapter end