"Rongrong, your Sword Grandpa is here a bit late," a bold voice called from the sky.
In the sky, a silver-haired man descended with a deafening boom, riding a flying sword that streaked downward, landing between the two opposing sides.
"Grandpa Sword! Grandpa Bone! You're finally here!" Ning Rongrong's heart surged with relief as the arrival of her two grandfathers granted her an overwhelming sense of security.
The Shrek team could finally breathe a sigh of relief, their tense nerves easing. With these two powerhouses here, they were safe at last.
"How did these two old fossils show up?" Chrysanthemum Douluo muttered, his expression grave. Their arrival brought him immense pressure. Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo were both elite Super Douluo, and facing even one of them alone would be challenging.
"Little monsters, my apologies for the delay." From the end of the road, yet another figure appeared—a black-haired man clad in dark green armor, striding confidently toward them.
"Old Monster!" Tang San exclaimed in joy, unable to hide his excitement.
It was Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, another formidable Title Douluo known for his vast collection of rare medicinal herbs.
"Chrysanthemum Douluo, did you really think Shrek Academy was defenseless?" Poison Douluo spoke with authority as he approached, hands behind his back.
Ma Hongjun couldn't contain his excitement. Another Title Douluo had come to support them; now, who would dare bully Shrek?
"Old Poison, since when did you become this academy's lackey?" Chrysanthemum Douluo's expression darkened, his voice turning icier.
Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo were already too much to handle, and now Dugu Bo joined them, leaving him without a single chance of victory.
From a distance, Lordiala hid, too terrified to reveal himself. Three Title Douluo were here; any rash move on his part would mean instant death, and not even Chrysanthemum Douluo could save him.
"Who are you calling a lackey? I'm Shrek Academy's honored elder, and Tang San is my brother. You lay a finger on him, and I'll kill you myself!" Dugu Bo retorted with a confidence that made Chrysanthemum Douluo flinch.
Sword Douluo, wielding the Seven Kill Sword, pointed it directly at Chrysanthemum Douluo. "Yue Guan, you're a Title Douluo, yet here you are bullying kids. Aren't you afraid of becoming a laughingstock?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo's face grew darker, his sharp voice taking on a menacing tone. "Chen Xin, Gu Rong, are you really going to meddle? You should know what happens when you cross us."
"Chrysanthemum Douluo, who are you trying to scare? Less talk, more fight if you dare!" Bone Douluo Gu Rong taunted, unfazed by the threat.
No matter how powerful the Spirit Hall was, could they really wipe out the entire Heaven Dou Empire?
"So, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has decided to oppose us?" Chrysanthemum Douluo, though seething, hesitated to make a move.
As he uttered these words, thoughts of retreat started forming in his mind. Even if Ghost Douluo arrived, they would still be outmatched against the opposing side's power.
"We three upper clans stand together, Chrysanthemum Douluo. Did you really not know that?" Ning Fengzhi entered the scene, dressed simply yet elegantly, accompanied by the crown prince, Xue Qinghe.
Holding the radiant Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, with seven spirit rings glowing at his feet, Ning Fengzhi made their position clear.
Chrysanthemum Douluo's fighting spirit vanished. With such a strength imbalance, even with Ghost Douluo, they stood no chance.
"This time, I'll concede. Lordiala, let's go!" Chrysanthemum Douluo tossed a small orb to the ground, releasing a thick cloud of smoke that quickly engulfed the area.
Dugu Bo waved his sleeve, casting a strong wind that scattered the smoke, but Chrysanthemum Douluo and Lordiala had already vanished without a trace.
This operation by the Spirit Hall was a complete failure. Despite deploying a large team of Spirit Masters, including two Title Douluo, they failed to accomplish the Pope's task.
Watching them leave, Tang San sighed deeply, feeling a complicated mix of emotions. In a short time, four Title Douluo had gathered here, beings far beyond his reach.
The immense power displayed by these four left him feeling small and insignificant, realizing that against such strong opponents, even his hidden weapons were useless. They lost their effectiveness against anyone above the Spirit Douluo level.
"Clan Leader Ning, Senior Poison, thank you for coming to our aid." Flender and Liu Erlong, having returned from another battlefield, bowed deeply to the four.
With Chrysanthemum Douluo gone, all black-clad fighters and weapons were cleared from the area, allowing them to breathe freely again.
Both Flender and Liu Erlong felt a lingering sense of fear; without Ning Fengzhi and Dugu Bo's intervention, the children would have likely been in grave danger.
"No need to thank me. Little Tang is my brother, and besides, I'm an honored elder of Shrek. This is my duty." Dugu Bo waved off their gratitude, deeming it unnecessary.
With his usual elegance, Ning Fengzhi replied, "We were here to protect the crown prince, and since we weren't far, it was only natural to look after the children."
"Sword Grandpa and Bone Grandpa would never let harm come to our precious Rongrong," Sword Douluo Chen Xin added, plainly stating it was unnecessary to thank him.
"Dad, if Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone had arrived even a bit later, you'd be arranging my funeral!" Ning Rongrong scolded, still shaken from the close call.
Ning Fengzhi chuckled warmly, patting her head. "Silly girl, your grandpas were keeping an eye on everything from the start. How could they ever let anything happen to you?"
The Shrek team collectively realized the truth, somewhat annoyed, as it seemed their suffering had been part of the plan.
Chen Xuan observed quietly, aware of how cunning these elders were. They had likely monitored his every move all along.
"Chen Xuan, thanks for saving Xiao Wu earlier." Tang San approached, surprising everyone with his expression of gratitude.
Chen Xuan was taken aback, as it was the first time Tang San had ever addressed him directly. He wondered if this gratitude was genuine.
"As a member of Shrek, Xiao Wu is my friend, too. No need for thanks." Chen Xuan dismissed it with a casual wave.
Sword Douluo approached, his gaze fixed on Chen Xuan. "So, you're Chen Xuan? Rongrong has mentioned you, and seeing you today, you are indeed impressive."
His expression remained stern and serious.
"By the way, Rongrong said you know Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan. What's your connection?" Sword Douluo asked, his tone nonchalant, though his intent was clear.
"So, it's come to this," Chen Xuan thought, tightening up as he expected the question.
He knew there was no use lying to such powerful figures—they'd see right through him.
"I encountered Chrysanthemum Douluo in the Star Dou Great Forest when they were taking students to hunt spirit beasts…" Chen Xuan explained, recounting the events truthfully.
Sword Douluo scrutinized his expression closely, finding no sign of deception.
For the moment, he seemed satisfied, advising Chen Xuan to rest before moving on.
Meanwhile, Tang San approached Ning Fengzhi and the crown prince to ask questions.
"Clan Leader Ning, who exactly attacked us? I want to know who's behind this so we can repay this humiliation in the future."
Dai Mubai joined in, clenching his fists. "Clan Leader Ning, please reveal the faction behind these people."
Like Tang San, he was unafraid of conflict, and Shrek's philosophy had always been that avoiding confrontation meant weakness. The humiliation of today would be repaid a hundredfold in time.
After a brief look to the crown prince, Ning Fengzhi, receiving a nod from Xue Qinghe, decided to share the truth with them.
Even if he hadn't, Dugu Bo would eventually inform Tang San, so there was little point in hiding it.
"What? The Spirit Hall!" Shrek's team was stunned, their anger rising.
Tang San's face turned dark, his expression murderous. Through Xue Qinghe, he had already learned that years ago, his father, Tang Hao, had been pursued by the Spirit Hall, forcing the Clear Sky Clan into hiding.
"The Spirit Hall… One day, we'll settle this once and for all!" Tang San vowed, his voice filled with loathing.
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