[Later, Ning Rongrong got so upset that she asked Tang San to kill Dai Mubai, offering the friendship of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan as a reward. I can only say Ning Rongrong was thinking too much.]
[Tang San didn't know her well, and he was too proud to help her kill someone. Ultimately, this matter was left unresolved. Later, Ning Rongrong seemed to genuinely reflect on herself, realizing that outside of her clan's advantages, she had no reason to be arrogant at Shrek Academy. So, she stopped acting out and began to truly change!]
Ning Rongrong let out a sigh of relief after reading this. Thankfully, she had the ability to reflect and didn't continue down a self-destructive path. If she had kept going, even with her father and two grandfathers protecting her, she wouldn't have achieved much.
Furthermore, she realized that Dai Mubai, as a prince of the Star Luo Empire, still held some power despite fleeing to the Heaven Dou Empire. He could easily use underhanded tactics against her.
Her father, as the head of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, would face a tough decision—either stand up for her by retaliating against Dai Mubai, or put the clan's interests first and let it go.
Ning Rongrong believed that, even if her father wanted to avenge her, he would prioritize the clan's future. However, her two grandfathers, who were more protective, might become enraged and directly kill Dai Mubai, putting the clan in great danger. After all, Dai Mubai was still a prince, and the royal family wouldn't let the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan get away with it for the sake of the empire's dignity.
Now more mature and thoughtful, Ning Rongrong could see the bigger picture.
Both Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu felt relieved after reading about Ning Rongrong's eventual change of heart. Had she not changed, living with her might have been unbearable. They also realized that, given the system's nature, Ning Rongrong likely also possessed a diary, meaning the future events written here might not happen anymore.
Years of reading Su Ming's diary had likely taught Ning Rongrong much about her clan's future, including its destruction. She had probably devised plans to prevent that and had matured considerably.
Additionally, with shared secrets and goals, their relationship should be easier, possibly even fostering mutual encouragement and progress.
[I've written so much about Ning Rongrong's early days at Shrek that I've gone off-topic. Why can't I control my thoughts? I need to fix this bad habit!]
Ning Rongrong: No, please write more about me! Even if it's embarrassing, it helps me learn my weaknesses, and I get rewards! It's great, really!
[Let's return to Shrek Academy's entrance exam. In the original story, Tang San and the others were all above level 25, so they skipped the second and third rounds and went straight to the fourth. And the judge for the fourth round was none other than the Immovable King, Zhao Wuji!]
Upon hearing the name "Immovable King," Ning Rongrong immediately remembered who Zhao Wuji was. Isn't he the guy being hunted by the Spirit Hall? She didn't expect him to be hiding here as a teacher!
[Originally, the fourth round required Tang San and the others to team up and endure one incense stick's worth of time against Dai Mubai's attacks to pass.]
[If nothing had gone wrong, they would've easily passed this test. If Tang San had gone all out, Dai Mubai wouldn't have stood a chance. Plus, with Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing supporting, along with Ning Rongrong's boosts from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, their combined combat power would've overwhelmed Dai Mubai, a mere level 37 Soul Elder.]
[However, Zhao Wuji decided to change the rules and have them withstand his attacks instead. Zhao Wuji is a level 76 Soul Saint with the Martial Soul Vigorous Vajra Bear, while Tang San and the others weren't even at level 30 yet. They probably couldn't even break through his defense! It was ridiculous.]
[As expected, they failed the challenge. But given the circumstances, it was understandable, considering Zhao Wuji was taking advantage of his power.]
[Of course, there was a little twist—because how else could our protagonist Tang San show off his greatness?]
As Su Ming wrote this, the girls began to guess—was this related to the hint he had given Tang San earlier?
[During the battle against Zhao Wuji, Xiao Wu tried to use her second soul skill, Charm, on him. But Zhao Wuji, known as the Immovable King, was far too powerful, and their mental power levels were vastly different. As a result, Xiao Wu was backlashed and fainted. I'll have to remind her tomorrow not to do anything reckless—I don't want to see her hurt again.]
Xiao Wu: Why is this happening to me again? I have a bad feeling... Am I going to get hurt again, only for Tang San to become all-powerful afterward?
[As I mentioned before, whenever Xiao Wu gets hurt, that's when Tang San starts going all out. If she doesn't get injured, it's like he can't fight properly. Sigh, it's frustrating.]
[Seeing Xiao Wu injured, Tang San asked Zhu Zhuqing to take care of her, then demanded a rematch against Zhao Wuji, saying he'd face him alone for an incense stick's worth of time. It's honestly laughable. Why wait until now to go all out? If he thought he could fight Zhao Wuji, why not from the start? Does he always need Xiao Wu to get hurt before taking things seriously?]
[Even though Xiao Wu's injury might not have been part of Tang San's plan, this whole situation feels avoidable. We can't let Xiao Wu keep getting hurt for Tang San to fight at full strength. What if one day she's fatally wounded?]
[I get more frustrated the more I think about it! Injuries are inevitable in battle, so I need to do my best to protect Xiao Wu. The best way to prevent tragedy is to fight at full strength from the start!]
[Zhao Wuji was surprised by Tang San's challenge but agreed, likely curious to see how capable Tang San really was.]
[Once everything was ready, Tang San activated his Purple Demon Eye, placed his hand on his soul tool, and prepared to unleash his hidden weapons. His cold gaze made Zhao Wuji feel a shiver of unease. The battle began.]
[Because Tang San's soul power was too low to break Zhao Wuji's defense, he relied heavily on hidden weapons, using them to strike at weak points. Combined with his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and Mysterious Jade Hand techniques, he pushed Zhao Wuji to use his fifth soul skill, which was impressive.]
The girls were shocked. They hadn't expected Tang San to have such power, forcing Zhao Wuji to use his fifth soul skill—even if Zhao Wuji wasn't going all out, it was still remarkable!
[Ultimately, it was Tang San's newly acquired Dragon Beard Needles that gave Zhao Wuji the most trouble. As I mentioned earlier, the Dragon Beard Needles are extremely effective against Zhao Wuji's type of defense.]
[Tang San timed his attack perfectly, firing several Dragon Beard Needles into Zhao Wuji's body. While the needles weren't miraculous enough to tear through his flesh completely, they still caused him a lot of pain.]
[In the end, Tang San won the fight.]
The girls were astonished. Tang San had managed to defeat a Soul Saint like Zhao Wuji! Though there were mitigating factors, it was still something to be proud of.
[That's why I subtly hinted to Tang San today. I hope tomorrow, during the battle, he'll use his hidden weapons at the right time. With my Wood Release supporting him and me revealing a bit more of my strength, we should be able to defeat Zhao Wuji.]
[With Tang San showing his strength first, I can reveal some of mine without it seeming too suspicious. After that, Tang Hao can leave without worrying too much.]
[I don't want to outshine Tang San too much while Tang Hao is around. Although I've surpassed him significantly, I'm still within a reasonable range. After all, Tang San is supposed to be my friend.]
[Besides, Tang San has twin martial souls. Tang Hao probably believes that once Tang San masters the Clear Sky Hammer and awakens his Blue Silver Grass at level 50, he'll surpass me. That's probably Tang Hao's confidence in his son's potential.]
[Moreover, Tang San will need comrades to fight against the Spirit Hall in the future. That's why Tang Hao is looking for talented people to form a team with Tang San, and it worked. In the future, Tang San's group of seven would lead the charge against the Spirit Hall.]
Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue furrowed their brows. So Tang Hao is already scheming to oppose the Spirit Hall, with Tang San's team as the main force? They realized they needed to act sooner rather than later, making preparations for the inevitable confrontation.
[Still, there's something I find odd. Why hasn't Tang Hao reacted to my close relationship with Xiao Wu? Wouldn't he want Xiao Wu to develop feelings for Tang San and then arrange for her to 'accidentally' sacrifice herself later?]
Xiao Wu: Su Ming, you're overthinking it! Please, system, keep Su Ming confused!
Su Ming casually asked the system, "System, do you know why?"
The system: ...
[Ding! Host, is it possible that Tang Hao plans to wait until Tang San reaches the Soul Douluo level before orchestrating Xiao Wu's death? Right now, Tang San's strength isn't there yet, so he's letting things play out. Maybe he expects you all to stay together for a while, growing closer, and only later would he take action.]
[That actually makes a lot of sense. If that's the case, I need to be extra cautious moving forward. I can't let Xiao Wu out of my sight, and even if she's far from me, I'll need to give her some Soul Douluo-level protective items.]
[After asking the system, I now think Tang Hao might wait until Tang San is stronger before targeting Xiao Wu. The system's reasoning makes sense.]
Xiao Wu: Well done, system!
The system: Hehe, the host is so easy to mislead.
Ah Yin: She still didn't fully believe that her Tang would go that far unless she saw it with her own eyes. She clung to a small hope that maybe Tang Hao wouldn't do it.
Soon, midnight arrived once more.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing today's diary entry and triggering a critical reward.]
[Rewards received: One Divine Bestowed Soul Ring, Fiery Eyes of Truth, and the Complete Guide to Talisman Crafting.]
Su Ming: Holy! A critical reward! And these are incredible rewards!
The Divine Bestowed Soul Ring was self-explanatory, but he didn't need it right now, so he set it aside. The Fiery Eyes of Truth, allowing him to see through all illusions and perceive the truth, was perfect for complementing his Sharingan's abilities.
However, the most valuable reward to him was the Complete Guide to Talisman Crafting. The guide contained detailed instructions on creating various talismans, including space, transfer, explosion, and lightning talismans!
Each type of talisman required different materials, and the guide categorized them into nine levels, corresponding to the nine stages of a soul master—simple yet effective.
Su Ming believed that if talisman crafting spread across the Douluo Continent, it could spark a massive technological revolution, possibly even creating a new profession—talisman masters.
For now, though, he didn't plan to share the method of making talismans. It was one of his trump cards. The only downside was that he'd have to learn everything from scratch, so it would take some time and effort.
But Su Ming knew it was worth it—talismans were far superior to Tang San's hidden weapons!