The Eight Spider Lances gleamed with a deep purple hue, faintly exuding the eerie aura of the Man-Faced Demon Spider.
Holding the external soul bone in his hands, Ye Hao felt a strong urge to absorb it, an impulse that was hard to suppress.
But reason quickly prevailed. Absorbing Tang San's Eight Spider Lances would be tantamount to admitting that he was the one who attacked Tang San. That would paint a giant target on his back—not something he could afford right now.
With a sigh, Ye Hao placed the Eight Spider Lances back into his soul guide ring. Stretching lazily, he collapsed onto the bed.
After two intense battles, exhaustion weighed heavily on his body. His eyes fluttered shut, and soon, he was fast asleep.
Before dawn broke, the Shrek team hastily carried the injured Tang San back to Shrek Academy, just outside the city.
After a night of treatment, Tang San's condition had stabilized. Though still weak from significant blood loss, he was no longer in immediate danger. However, his face remained unnaturally pale.
"Ye Ritian?"
Grandmaster sat by Tang San's bedside, his brow furrowed as he processed the unfamiliar name.
"Who is Ye Ritian?"
Tang San clenched his teeth, his voice trembling with anger. "He's the one who abducted Xiao Wu and took my Eight Spider Lances."
Grandmaster's face darkened as he considered the situation. Last night's attack had been a close call; had things been worse, he wouldn't know how to face Tang Hao.
"Ye Ritian… Ye Ritian…" Grandmaster murmured, repeating the name. "What level of strength did he display? And what about his martial soul?"
Tang San sighed and struggled to sit up, his body still weak. "I'm no match for him. As for his martial soul…"
He paused, frowning. "I didn't get a clear look, but it seemed like a weapon—a scythe. My Clear Sky Hammer was shattered in the clash."
Grandmaster's eyes widened in disbelief. "The Clear Sky Hammer… shattered?"
It was hard to fathom. Could there really be a weapon martial soul stronger than the Clear Sky Hammer, the recognized pinnacle of weapon martial souls?
"Rest First"
"Don't push yourself," Grandmaster said, his voice steady despite the turmoil in his mind. "Focus on recovering. I'll investigate this Ye Ritian myself."
With that, he rose and left the room, leaving Tang San alone to rest.
Outside the room, Grandmaster's expression was grim. The lack of leads on Ye Ritian only deepened his frustration. Still, Tang San's description confirmed one thing: the assailant was undoubtedly a weapon soul master.
"A scythe? Stronger than the Clear Sky Hammer?" Grandmaster muttered to himself. The idea seemed absurd, beyond the realm of possibility.
As Grandmaster paced, lost in thought, Dai Mubai approached him, breathing heavily from running.
"Grandmaster!"
Grandmaster glared at him sharply, motioning for silence. "Tang San needs rest. Keep your voice down."
Dai Mubai nodded, his face serious. "Grandmaster, Dean Flender asked me to find you. Qin Ming and the Emperor Team have arrived."
Grandmaster frowned. "The Emperor Team? What do they want?"
"From what I heard," Dai Mubai explained, "Qin Ming is on his way back to Heaven Dou City with his team. Before leaving, he wanted to finalize plans for our academy's relocation."
Grandmaster's expression softened slightly. The planned relocation to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy was part of his long-term strategy for Shrek.
The current academy was woefully inadequate—lacking proper training grounds, resources, and even decent food. How could they nurture true prodigies under such conditions?
The thought brought him back to Qin Ming. If only Qin Ming had attended a better academy from the start, his accomplishments today would surely surpass his current achievements.
"This Is Shrek Academy?"
At Shrek's front gate, Ye Hao scanned his surroundings with disdain. This was his first time visiting the academy, and his initial impression could be summed up in one word: "poverty."
The dilapidated buildings and meager facilities made him wonder how anyone could train here without wasting their potential.
He glanced at Qin Ming with newfound respect. "You really endured this place?"
Nearby, Dugu Yan wrinkled her nose, unable to hide her disdain. "This is supposed to be an academy? It looks like a pigsty. Even a wild chicken coop would be better than this."
Not long after, the Shrek Seven Devils (minus Tang San and Xiao Wu) emerged to meet their visitors. The moment their eyes met, the air grew tense, thick with the smell of impending conflict.
Dai Mubai, seething with anger, sneered. "So, it's the losers who came to gloat?"
Ye Hao chuckled, his tone dripping with mockery. "Losers? Last I checked, it was you who lost."
"What did you say?" Dai Mubai's voice rose, his rage bubbling over. The defeat at the Emperor Team's hands, coupled with his public humiliation, had left a deep scar. Seeing Ye Hao's smug face now was too much.
Dai Mubai and the others were ready to charge, their pent-up frustration boiling over. But before they could act, a loud explosion from the academy's back mountain froze everyone in place.
Ye Hao turned sharply toward the source of the sound. Black smoke billowed into the sky, accompanied by a suffocating aura of power.
Dai Mubai collapsed to his knees, trembling uncontrollably. The others were no better, their bodies overcome by the sheer force of the presence emanating from the back mountain.
Ye Hao's heart raced. "Could it be… a Titled Douluo?"
In the back mountain, a black-robed figure stepped through the smoke. Tang Hao, his face dark and eyes blazing with fury, held the Clear Sky Hammer in his right hand. Its nine radiant soul rings pulsed with terrifying energy.
Zhao Wuji lay crumpled in a pile of rubble, barely conscious. His body trembled as he looked up at the hammer looming over him.
"It's him again," Zhao Wuji thought, his mind flashing back to their previous encounter. Last time, it had been for tangling with Tang San during the entrance exam. Now, it seemed he was about to suffer an even worse fate.
Tang Hao's voice rumbled like thunder. "Zhao Wuji!"
The Clear Sky Hammer swelled in size, casting a shadow over Zhao Wuji.
"Lord Haotian, please—spare me!"
At the last moment, Flender, Grandmaster, and Qin Ming arrived, their hurried steps barely stopping Tang Hao's attack.
Tang Hao's gaze fell on Grandmaster, his voice cold. "You. I need answers."
As Flender and Qin Ming rushed to pull Zhao Wuji from the rubble, Grandmaster took a deep breath, knowing the inevitable confrontation had come.
"This day was bound to arrive," he muttered under his breath.