On the other side.
In a tavern.
Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun were already battered and bruised.
"We are just students from Shrek, nothing more."
"You, a mighty Soul King and a teacher from Canghui Academy, getting involved in the affairs of us youngsters, do you really feel no shame?"
Oscar's face was full of defiance.
Opposite them stood an elder with a turtle shell on his back.
Beneath his feet, five soul rings pulsed, demanding respect.
Ma Hongjun said, "Little Ao, save your breath. When he made his move, he had already thrown his dignity to the floor."
"Hehehe, what a bunch of sharp-tongued kids."
Upon hearing this, the elder with the turtle shell laughed, "Since you're from an academy, you must have a teacher leading the team, right? Where is he?"
"Hehe, if Teacher Zhao knew we were being bullied here, he would definitely break your dog legs."
"You should be glad he's not here," Ma Hongjun said with a cold sneer.
"Interesting."
"Really interesting."
"Whether he will break my legs or not, I don't know, but if I don't break yours, my name is not Ye Zhiqu!" the elder with the turtle shell said as he stepped forward, a ferocious light in his eyes.
"You, don't come any closer, if you dare, let us go and bring our teacher here," Ma Hongjun suddenly panicked.
In front of absolute strength, he was just a king of bluster.
"This fatso, can't you be a little nicer with your words?"
"Can't he see that we're just stalling for time, waiting for Teacher Zhao to realize we're missing and come to rescue us?" Dai Mubai was really anxious about such a pigheaded teammate.
With no choice left...
As Ye Zhiqu advanced, they kept retreating step by step.
Suddenly.
Oscar's gaze fixed on a familiar figure in the crowd, "Boss Dai, is that… His Majesty the Thunder Emperor?"
Oscar's eyes were so swollen at the moment that only slits remained, which significantly reduced his vision.
Therefore, he was not sure if he was seeing things.
"Where?"
Dai Mubai was overjoyed. If it really was His Majesty, they would be saved.
"There!"
Oscar pointed.
Dai Mubai looked over, and his pupils shrank instantly.
Isn't that handsome young man standing with his arms folded and watching the fun none other than Qin Xiao?
"It really is His Majesty..."
"However, it seems that His Majesty has no intentions of helping us..." Dai Mubai said with a wry smile.
He had just thought he'd found a life-saving boat, only to see the boat flipping over before he could even get on board.
"We can't worry about so much now."
Ma Hongjun also looked towards Qin Xiao, shouting, "Your Highness, we're over here..."
As he spoke, he waved frantically at Qin Xiao.
Qin Xiao didn't budge.
You've got to be kidding.
Why would he intervene out of the blue to help these three swordsmen from Shrek?
Besides.
It goes without saying, all three have only themselves to blame for their current predicament.
Of course.
The most important reason was that the System had not issued any mission.
"Uh..."
Ma Hongjun felt awkward.
Qin Xiao ignored him...
But his behaviour had caught Ye Zhiqu's attention.
Your Highness?
Could it be that a Titled Douluo is present?
Subconsciously, Ye Zhiqu followed Ma Hongjun's gaze and immediately spotted Qin Xiao.
He laughed, "Kid, even if you wanted to fool me, at least find someone more convincing. This young man is only a few years older than you, and you call him Your Highness?"
"Hahaha, you're killing me with laughter."
Ye Zhiqu rocked with laughter.
"Kid, tell me, are you His Highness?" His laughter subsiding, he couldn't help but ask Qin Xiao.
He didn't notice that at a distance, Oscar, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun were already looking at him as if he were a dead man.
Ye Zhiqu's actions perfectly embodied the saying that one who seeks death shall find it...
Living well, bullying the weak, wasn't that good enough for him?
Meanwhile.
Qin Xiao still asked with a faint smile, "Do you find it funny?"
"Is that even a question?"
Without a second thought, Ye Zhiqu replied, "Of course, it's fu.."
But, the last character 'funny' was something he just couldn't say no matter what.
It was as if an invisible hand was gripping his throat tightly, or as though a fishbone was stuck in his throat.
The next moment, his eyes started to bloodshot, and his face turned the color of a pig's liver.
"What's going on here?"
"Teacher, what's wrong with you? Could it be some old ailment has recurred?"
'...'
Behind Ye Zhiqu, a group of Canghui Academy students were stunned silly by the sudden turn of events.
"Your Highness, let me handle this," said Zhao Wuji.
"After all, it was a matter stirred up by Dai Mubai and the other two."
"Don't worry, the outcome will definitely satisfy you," he assured.
On the other side, behind Qin Xiao, the voice of Zhao Wuji rose.
Qin Xiao turned around, glanced at Zhao Wuji, then slowly nodded.
Zhao Wuji strode forward with determination.
"Teacher Zhao...."
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar called out in surprise and delight.
This was truly a life-saving straw.
By then, Ye Zhiqu had also returned to normal.
"Teacher Zhao, they call you teacher? Just now, it was you messing around, wasn't it?" he asked, feeling like he'd found the real answer.
"Messing around?"
"I'll mess with your granny!" Zhao Wuji cursed and slapped Ye Zhiqu across the face.
Smack!
Ye Zhiqu spun several circles from Zhao Wuji's slap before landing face-first on the ground.
"I'll show you how to prattle..."
"You dare to question His Highness?" Zhao Wuji felt unsatisfied and lashed out with a series of kicks.
Even with his Martial Soul activated, Ye Zhiqu couldn't bear it.
He let out continuous screams of agony.
The students of Canghui Academy were dumbstruck.
Who was this person that even a Soul King was being hammered on the ground with their Martial Soul active? Was this really happening?
Even Oscar and the others felt that today's Teacher Zhao was unusually ferocious.
...
In the Aquipeia Forest.
Tang San suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Xiaowu, wait a second," he said.
Xiaowu looked at Tang San, puzzled, "Xiaosan, what's wrong?"
"I think I'm about to make a breakthrough," Tang San said, joy flickering in his eyes.
"How can it be so soon? Normally, you'd need another ten days or half a month to break through," she observed.
"Maybe it's because I've been under some stress lately," Tang San replied with a wry smile.
Actually, that was indeed the case.
The stress was enormous.
From the moment he saw Qin Xiao, his heart was constantly being stimulated.
An eighteen-year-old Titled Douluo, what an outrageous talent, trampling so many geniuses to the ground. How could one possibly catch up with such accomplishments?
Even with Tang San's previous life's experience and the Mysterious Heaven Method, such talents were incomparable.
Qin Xiao's gift was just too heaven-defying.
Originally, it was still bearable; he could only say he was very envious, even somewhat jealous.
But it had been a different matter altogether.
Such a talent turning out to be an enemy!
It was simply outrageous!
At the same time, he was truly anxious.
"An enemy like Qin Xiao is just too terrifying. If I can't grow quickly, in the future..."
"No."
"I might not even have a future, and there's also my father, he's in danger too," Tang San whispered.
Xiaowu instinctively gripped Tang San's hand tighter, "Maybe things won't be that bad."
"No," Tang San shook his head, "Angering Qin Xiao, will only make things worse."
"So, from now on, I will stop at nothing to find a way to kill him."
"Xiaosan, I think you should focus on your cultivation and temporarily give up thoughts of revenge,"
"After all...."
Xiaowu hesitated at this point.
But Tang San persisted, "After all what?"
"What I'm going to say might not sound very nice."
"It doesn't matter, I'll love to hear anything you say."
"Alright then."
Reassured by Tang San, Xiaowu no longer hesitated, "After all, the gap in strength between you and Qin Xiao is quite significant...."
In fact, Xiaowu put it rather mildly.
Not to mention the future, even the current gap between the two was like comparing a trickle to an ocean...
And Tang San was rashly talking about killing Qin Xiao to eliminate future troubles?
What a joke, that would be nothing but courting death.
However, out of consideration for Tang San's pride, she didn't say anything too harsh.
"Xiaowu, just watch,"
"I, Tang San, never boast without merit,"
Tang San said confidently.
He was very aware of his own strength. Relying on his cultivation to avenge Tang Hao would take decades.
But he had the hidden weapons of the Tang Sect.
"As long as I can craft a mechanical hidden weapon that ranks in the top three, I could kill even a Titled Douluo!"
Tang San held this confidence in his heart.
The confidence in the hidden weapons of the Tang Sect.
"Unfortunately, if I had the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus now, I could definitely kill Qin Xiao,"
Tang San felt some regrets in his heart.
Qin Xiao had a fierce battle with Tang Hao, and nearly lost his life, so Tang San believed that Qin Xiao must have suffered Greatly.
However.
What he didn't know was that the real battle was a one-sided beating, with Qin Xiao emerging practically unscathed except for some energy consumption.
...
Jinyu West Frontier.
Qin Xiao, Zhao Wuji, and others had just arrived outside the Aquipeia Forest.
This was much later than Qin Xiao had anticipated.
But it was an unavoidable matter. Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, both Battle Soul Masters, despite being wounded, weren't greatly affected in terms of speed.
But Oscar couldn't keep up.
As a supportive Soul Master, his physical condition was significantly inferior. Various injuries had considerably slowed him down.
"Your Highness, should we enter the forest tomorrow morning instead?"
Zhao Wuji asked cautiously.
"There's no need,"
Qin Xiao said, "I believe if we finish quickly, we can exit the Aquipeia Forest very soon."
In his eyes, the difference between day and night wasn't significant.
Moreover, he was quite eager to complete his task.
With each Soul Ring fusion, his strength would increase a bit more.
You must know that at his level, improving strength was no easy feat.
Which is why he wouldn't miss any mission.
Hearing this, Zhao Wuji nodded and then addressed those behind him, "Listen well, every soul beast within the Aquipeia Forest is extremely dangerous. Even at the outer rim, we might encounter soul beasts of ten thousand years.
Therefore, once we enter the forest, none of you must stray more than twenty meters from me. Ning Rongrong, Oscar, you two especially must stay close to me. Do you understand?"
"Yes!"
Everyone answered in unison.
However.
After nearly two shichen in the Aquipeia Forest, they had encountered quite a few soul beasts, but hadn't seen a single one suitable for Oscar's Soul Ring.
"Let's rest for a while,"
Zhao Wuji spoke softly, "When the moon rises, we'll continue exploring."
He made arrangements after glancing at the sky.
However.
At that moment, Qin Xiao countered Zhao Wuji's suggestion, "Now is not the time to rest, a soul beast is approaching."
Soul beast?
Zhao Wuji instantly became vigilant, looking toward Zhu Zhuqing, who was keeping watch on a large tree nearby, "Zhu Zhuqing, do you hear anything?"
"Nothing,"
Zhu Zhuqing immediately responded.
However, before Zhao Wuji could catch his breath, he heard Zhu Zhuqing say, "It's coming, from the southwest, a strange snake is approaching! It seems to be able to fly, but not very high, just two to three meters above the ground...."
"On guard!"
Zhao Wuji made a decisive decision and roared without uttering any unnecessary words.
Everyone stood up in an instant, ready for the forthcoming conflict.
Only Qin Xiao was lost in thought, seemingly unaware of what was going on around him.
Actually, he was quite surprised.
Could it be that the Phoenix-tailed Cock-crown Snake was still available for Oscar? The Dragon Duke and Snake Duchess were really too incompetent, weren't they?
Shasha shasha...
While Qin Xiao was lost in thought, a shadow already emerged from the dense forest, appearing in front of everyone.
It was a strange snake, with a flesh crown on its head that looked larger than the head itself, vivid red like blood. Its tail was unusual, shaped like a fan.
"Phoenix-tailed Cock-crown Snake!"
Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up, "This one's about six to seven meters long, and looks to be around one thousand four to five hundred years old. Oscar, it's perfect for you."
"Normally, this soul beast should be left for you to hunt."
"But considering your current condition, forget it."
Zhao Wuji said somewhat helplessly.
"Hehe, so you're saying that I'm actually lucky in this misfortune?"
Oscar chuckled.
Zhao Wuji gave him an annoyed glance, "I'll make sure you really enjoy yourself on the way back..."
Gululu...
Oscar swallowed hard, the look in Zhao Wuji's eyes giving him chills.
Nothing good will come out of this!
Zhao Wuji paid no more attention to Oscar and made a beeline for the Phoenix-tailed Cock-crown Snake with swift steps.
Though he might look clumsy, like a strength-based competitor.
In reality, he was quite fast, and the Phoenix-tailed Cock-crown Snake had no chance to dodge before Zhao Wuji caught its tail.
Ssssss...
Clearly enraged by Zhao Wuji's action, the Phoenix-tailed Cock-crown Snake turned to bite him.
But Zhao Wuji was faster and had already flung the Phoenix-tailed Cock-crown Snake into the air before it could react.
Pang pang pang...
A series of noises erupted as Zhao Wuji seemed to be using the Phoenix-tailed Cock-crown Snake as a whip, continuously striking the ground with it.
After about a dozen times, the Phoenix-tailed Cock-crown Snake was already at death's door.
"Plop."
He tossed it disdainfully in front of Oscar, "While it's still warm, quickly..."
[・_・?]
⊙(・◇・)?
Everyone wore an expression of bafflement.
"Pah, what are you thinking?"
Even Zhao Wuji couldn't help but blush, "I meant for Oscar to hurry up and hunt it, to obtain its Soul Ring...."
So that was it...
Everyone looked meaningfully at Zhao Wuji.
However, at that moment, a voice suddenly rang out:
"Stop, no one dares to touch this snake!"
The voice, old and hoarse.
But Oscar, Dai Mubai, and the other young Soul Masters felt a sizable pressure of Soul Force.
They were taken aback.
The newcomer was very likely a powerful being!
Instinctively, everyone looked in the direction of the voice.
Shua shua...
The vegetation rustled, and two figures leapt out from the dense forest.
It was an old woman and a young girl.
The old woman seemed to be in her sixties or seventies, yet her complexion was as rosy as a baby's, and her silver hair was meticulously combed.
The young girl had short hair that reached her ears, appearing to be sixteen or seventeen, clad in a tight-fitting outfit that snugly wrapped around her well-developed figure, a pair of deep brown eyes full of vigilance and anger as she looked at everyone in front of her.
Seeing the two suddenly appear, Qin Xiao's eyes lit up, "Is this Snake Granny and Meng Yiran?"
He glanced again at the Phoenix-tailed Cock-crown Snake lying on the ground, tossed aside by Zhao Wuji, and he shook his head slightly.
It wasn't that they were incompetent; they really weren't up to the task.
Even given the chance, they weren't effective.
The Phoenix-tailed Cock-crown Snake still wasn't captured by them.
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