Douro Continent

Chapter 540 The Intentions of the Four Elements Academy

Good heavens, both of them have used their fifth soul skill. Are they trying to decide the outcome? No, Tang San immediately saw through their intentions. The reason why Huo Wushuang and his sister were willing to expend their soul power to launch such an attack was not to defeat him instantly, but to buy time for Feng Xiaotian, who had ascended into the air.

Although Feng Xiaotian's Gale Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes lost to Tang San's Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique, the power of his Gale Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes was still considerable. Tang San was not facing alone now. As long as Feng Xiaotian was given enough time to build up his attack power, while Tang San himself was entangled by Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang and unable to use the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique to charge up, then Feng Xiaotian was fully confident of defeating Tang San. They had practiced this tactic many times, and due to Tang San's unexpected strength, they finally used it.

Five fiery meteors flew towards Tang San first. Tang San's figure blurred, his feet stepping on Ghost Shadow Step, and his Killing God Domain instantly erupted, the powerful killing intent forcefully breaking through Huo Wu's lock on his body. As he passed through the gaps between the five fiery meteors, he waved his right hand, sending a ball of eerie green light into the air, releasing his third soul skill, Spider Web Binding, which chased after Feng Xiaotian who had ascended into the sky.

At this moment, the second batch of fiery meteors arrived in front of Tang San along with Huo Wushuang.

Tang San's eyes narrowed, and he retreated swiftly in a flash. At the same time, his fifth spirit ring shone brightly, and his right arm was glowing with golden light.

The Shrek Academy students watching the battle naturally hadn't forgotten the deep impression the Blue Silver Overlord Spear had left on them. They were all holding their breath, watching intently.

A three-meter-long golden spear appeared on Tang San's right arm. The fiery meteor, though fast, couldn't catch up with his body. With the amplification from the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone, Tang San had even competed in speed with the pure-agility members of the Agility Clan. The speed he could achieve at this moment was naturally beyond what Huo Wu and the others could imagine.

Feng Xiaotian, who was in mid-air, had already begun his Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes of Gale Wolf. Seeing the spider web binding flying towards him, he suddenly spun around and swung his sharp wings to try to cut it off.

However, he once again experienced the Blue Silver Emperor's incredible resilience after its evolution. With Feng Xiaotian's Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes of the Gale Wolf, he might have been able to barely cut through an ordinary Blue Silver Emperor. But don't forget, the Spider Web Binding would increase the Blue Silver Emperor's resilience by one hundred percent. His wing strike failed to unravel it; instead, the Spider Web Binding, aided by his power, rapidly wrapped around him, instantly interrupting his self-created soul skill.

Feng Xiaotian let out a low growl of resentment. He knew the spiderweb bindings were poisonous; if he were truly bound, he wouldn't be able to continue fighting. Left with no other choice, he had to halt his Gale Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes, and his fifth spirit ring instantly erupted. A layer of intense azure light shot out from his body, transforming into countless extremely sharp, almost tangible wind blades that burst into a dazzling tornado, shredding the spiderwebs surrounding him to shreds.

The fifth soul skill of the Gale Twin-Headed Wolf is Tornado Wind Blade.

Huo Wushuang grew impatient with Tang San's constant retreat. He suddenly stopped, circled his hands in front of him, and unleashed his fifth soul skill, a fiery dragon that combined offense and defense, which roared and flew towards Tang San. The fire dragon's explosive power was astonishing; it not only rapidly approached Tang San's body, but even Tang San's Killing God Domain could not dispel its lock.

Huo Wu also coordinated with her brother, controlling the remaining fiery meteors to circle around Tang San from both sides. Unable to lock onto him, she used her mental power to control them. The effect was equally good. The brother and sister quickly placed Tang San in a deadly trap.

And at that instant, the golden light was released, and Tang San's fifth soul skill, the Blue Silver Overlord Spear, erupted.

A flash of golden light disappeared in an instant, and the fire dragon froze in mid-air. No matter how Huo Wushuang tried to control it, it wouldn't move an inch. The golden light that had passed through it drew an arc in the air, heading straight for Feng Xiaotian, who had just stabilized his body and was about to unleash the Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes of the Gale Wolf. Although the golden light had been weakened by half by the fire dragon, its extremely sharp aura and unstoppable momentum still gave Feng Xiaotian a suffocating feeling.

His Gale Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes had just completed one rotation when he realized he couldn't withstand such a locked attack. Helpless, he had to stop a second time and unleash his fifth soul skill once more. With the precise control of the tornado blades and his own retreat in mid-air, he barely managed to dissipate the remaining power of the Blue Silver Overlord Spear's attack.

At the same time, the fire dragon that had condensed not far in front of Tang San, along with a large number of fire meteors that exploded simultaneously, turned into a rain of fire amidst a violent roar. Their original target, Tang San, had vanished.

Tang San merely disappeared from Huo Wushuang's sight, but he did not vanish from Huo Wu's. Because when he reappeared, he was right between Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu, and only a step away from Huo Wu.

Seeing Tang San suddenly loom larger before her, Huo Wu was taken aback and almost without hesitation released her Resist Fire Ring. She had no confidence in confronting Tang San head-on.

With the release of the Fire Resistance Ring, Tang San vanished once again. No matter how fast Huo Wu's third soul skill was, it couldn't possibly match the speed of Tang San's instantaneous teleportation.

This time, when Tang San reappeared, he was already behind Huo Wu. The thick, crystalline Blue Silver Grass directly wrapped around the female Soul King's body. Sharp thorns pierced through her clothing and penetrated Huo Wu's skin, which was still weakened by the release of her Fire Resistance Ring.

A strong sense of numbness instantly spread throughout Huo Wu's body. With her physical abilities, how could she possibly break free from this Blue Silver Emperor?

At this moment, Huo Wushuang had also reacted, and Feng Xiaotian in the air was extremely frustrated. He didn't care about gathering his strength anymore and swooped down, his sharp wings slashing straight at Tang San.

Tang San made a simple movement, and once again stopped Feng Xiaotian's self-created soul skill. He swung the Blue Silver Emperor, and the tightly bound Huo Wu slammed towards Feng Xiaotian like a meteor hammer. Never doubt Tang San's accuracy; even if he used Huo Wu as a large hidden weapon, his throwing technique wouldn't falter.

A dazzling blue-gold light suddenly erupted from the ground, and Huo Wushuang, who was rushing towards Tang San, was immediately slowed down by the blue-gold light.

Blue Silver Emperor's fourth soul skill, Blue Silver Cage, a mutated skill, Blue Silver Thrust Array, is released.

The next moment, Tang San was already facing Huo Wushuang. He teleported instantly, and his Blue Silver Emperor and the dazzling six rings disappeared at the same time. In their place, the Clear Sky Hammer was smashed down from his hand.

Huo Wushuang had already lost his composure because Huo Wu had been captured, and all his protective soul power was converted into offensive power concentrated in his hands. Although the dizziness was brief, when he regained consciousness, all he saw was the enlarged Haotian Hammer.

The Soul King with the one-horned fire tyrannosaurus could only grunt as Tang San smashed him to the ground, knocking him unconscious. And that was only because Tang San held back. If it had been someone from the Spirit Hall, that blow would have been fatal.

Feng Xiaotian felt like vomiting blood. His Gale Wolf Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes had evolved into a fifty-four-slash combo compared to five years ago, and he was confident in its immense power. But even the most powerful skill needs to be executed. Tang San forcibly interrupted his energy-saving efforts three times in a row, and even forced him to use his fifth soul skill, which consumed a large amount of soul power, twice. At this moment, although he caught Huo Wushuang, he could only watch helplessly as Huo Wushuang fainted under Tang San's hammer.

A burst of purplish-gold light suddenly erupted from Tang San's eyes. Feng Xiaotian was shocked and tried to dodge, but the light had already swept past him.

The light slowly receded from Tang San's eyes, and his steady voice rang out, "Want to continue? Or do you want to compete with my Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique again?"

Feng Xiaotian landed gracefully, looking at Huo Wu in his arms—her Blue Silver Emperor skin had vanished when Tang San hammered Huo Wushuang—his face filled with bitterness. What had five years of effort been for? Wasn't it to surpass this person before him, to prove to Huo Wu that he was stronger than him, so that he could marry her openly? But five years later, he was still the one who failed. The gap hadn't narrowed because of his efforts; instead, it had widened considerably.

Despite Huo Wu's resentment, she knew Tang San had already shown mercy. She didn't know what that fleeting purple-gold light was, but she clearly felt the powerful mental fluctuations. That attack would have been painful for either her or Feng Xiaotian. Especially for herself, whose body was still numb.

Ma Hongjun laughed heartily and shouted, "Long live Shrek! Shrek will win!"

His voice instantly brought the students, who were completely absorbed in watching the battle, back to reality. Suddenly, shouts of "Long live Shrek! Shrek will win!" erupted, echoing in almost every corner of the academy.

Tang San had long since reached a state of equanimity, unmoved by praise or criticism. He reached out and grabbed Huo Wushuang from the ground, patting him several times on the shoulder to stimulate the circulation of his blood vessels with his Xuan Tian Gong. Only then did Huo Wushuang regain consciousness. Looking at Tang San, his face flushed slightly. Even if he was unwilling to accept it, he knew that they had lost this match. A complete and utter defeat—three against one!

Once Tang San saw that Huo Wushuang had regained her footing, he walked up to Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu, who both looked dejected. He extended a Blue Silver Emperor sword, placed it on Huo Wu's arm, and withdrew the paralyzing poison injected into her body.

Huo Wu's body already had high resistance, and with Tang San's help, the paralysis in her body immediately disappeared.

The once arrogant students of the Four Elements Academy all lowered their heads.

Feng Xiaotian sighed, "It seems I'll never be able to surpass you in this lifetime."

Tang San turned to look at Xiao Wu, who seemed somewhat flustered by the cheers, and sighed softly, "If Xiao Wu can return to normal, what does it matter if I don't have all this cultivation? The strength of a Soul Master is certainly important, but to me, she is more important."

Seeing Tang San's dejected expression and the fleeting sadness in his eyes, Feng Xiaotian's heart was touched, and his gaze unconsciously drifted to Huo Wu beside him. Yes, he had already obtained the most precious thing; why should he be depressed because of this defeat?

Huo Wu couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with Xiao Wu? She seems a little off."

Tang San didn't answer her question. "Brother Feng, how about we find somewhere to talk?"

Feng Xiaotian nodded and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking. Huo Wu, you and Wushuang take everyone back first. I'll talk to Tang San."

Huo Wu said stubbornly, "No, I want to hear it too. Let Big Brother take them back."

Feng Xiaotian had never been able to do anything about Huo Wu, so he looked helplessly at Tang San, who calmly said, "Then let's all come together."

Huo Wushuang led the students from the Four Elements Academy away somewhat dejectedly, and the teachers from Shrek Academy naturally wouldn't let go of this good opportunity to educate their students. Of course, none of this was Tang San and his companions' concern.

The Shrek Five Monsters, along with Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu, arrived at their wooden cabin. Tang San took Xiao Wu's hand again, and Xiao Wu's previous panicked emotions vanished upon contact with him.

Huo Wu kept glancing at Xiao Wu, but in her eyes, Xiao Wu showed no reaction whatsoever, as if she had never seen her before. Huo Wu was always very curious and wanted to ask, but Feng Xiaotian stopped her with a look.

Back in the cabin, they found the largest room and sat down. Since they didn't have any grudges against each other, and Tang San had just defeated them, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Ning Rongrong naturally wouldn't have any strong hostility towards them anymore.

As soon as Feng Xiaotian sat down, he said to Tang San, "Tang San, do you believe that our fight with your academy's students wasn't a deliberate provocation? Perhaps it's because Shrek Academy's reputation as the number one academy in the world is so great that the students have become a bit arrogant."

Oscar, standing nearby, said, "That wouldn't have turned out the way it did. If I'm not mistaken, you deliberately let the students from the Four Elements Academy provoke us to lure us out."

Feng Xiaotian looked at Oscar with some surprise, thinking to himself, "It seems that Tang San has overshadowed most of the Shrek Seven Devils' brilliance in the past. This Oscar is no ordinary person either. Not only his aura, but also his meticulous mind."

Feng Xiaotian decided to stop hiding his intentions. "Yes, that's what I was thinking. It's been many years since we last met. Firstly, I wanted to see how much your strength has improved. Secondly, I also hoped to introduce you to your academy. Now that Dean Flander and the others aren't here, you can speak to them more effectively."

Ning Rongrong said, "You asked us to introduce you just so you could seize our campus?"

Feng Xiaotian said somewhat awkwardly, "Of course not. To be honest, we do have our eyes on your academy's campus. But we have no intention of taking it over. We just hope to discuss with your academy whether you can open up a piece of land for us. We are willing to pay for it, and also purchase some existing simulated training grounds. As you know, after the academy relocates, many things will have to be started from scratch. Shrek Academy is already deeply rooted in Tiandou City. As the saying goes, it's good to take shelter under a big tree. If we can get some help from it, it will be easier for us to establish ourselves."

Ma Hongjun said irritably, "Then why don't you go to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy? Their place is quite large, and their facilities are no less than ours. Don't you know that the soul masters under the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family often receive intensive training here? Although our place is large, if all four of your academies move in together, there won't be any room left."

Huo Wu curled her lip and said, "Heaven Dou Royal Academy? You think highly of them? We're afraid that being with them will negatively influence our student atmosphere with those spoiled brats. It's precisely because we value Shrek Academy that we hope to cooperate with you."

Tang San, who hadn't spoken since entering the cabin, finally spoke. At that moment, Xiao Wu was leaning on his shoulder, holding one of Tang San's large hands. Her serene and beautiful appearance made Huo Wu secretly a little jealous.

"Brother Feng, you still haven't told the whole truth. If I'm not mistaken, the Four Elements Academy isn't doing very well right now. If you can't openly discuss your specific difficulties, I don't think we can help you."

Feng Xiaotian's expression changed slightly. Tang San was incredibly clever; with just one sentence, he hit the nail on the head.

With a helpless, bitter laugh, he said, "Tang San, dealing with you is truly a painful experience. Do you really have to tear away even this last veil of pretense?"

Tang San smiled calmly, "I just want to know the actual situation so I can advise Dean Flander. If it weren't for a last resort, I doubt your four academies would have joined forces, much less relocated to this Heaven Dou City."

Feng Xiaotian nodded. "Alright. There's no point in hiding it any longer. Yes, you guessed right. The situation at the Four Elements Academy is dire. In the Heaven Dou Empire, our Four Elements Academy has always been a leader among advanced Soul Master academies. Even with the sudden rise of your Shrek Academy, it couldn't affect our status in our original city. However, the Spirit Hall's sudden action has completely changed the situation. Thunder Academy was the first to be hit. The destruction of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan directly caused Thunder Academy to lose its backing. Many students who returned to their families died in that battle. Even those who survived, as long as they weren't from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, mostly left Thunder Academy immediately after that incident, severing ties with them. As a result, Thunder Academy is almost deserted, with less than a fifth of its original number of teachers and students remaining, less than a hundred people."

At this point, Feng Xiaotian's face clearly showed a sense of shared sorrow, "On the surface, the Spirit Hall backed down after proposing a re-election of the seven major sects in a year. But in reality, their thunderous destruction of two major sects has shaken the entire spirit master world. All the sects are desperately trying to annex the surrounding areas, and our academy has officially received an invitation from the Spirit Hall."

Huo Wu's emotions clearly became agitated. "What a load of rubbish! Those hypocritical bastards from the Spirit Hall actually demanded that our Four Elements Academy become a branch of their Spirit Hall Academy. They clearly want to swallow us up."

Feng Xiaotian said coldly, "This has crossed the academy's bottom line. Naturally, we wouldn't agree. But the day after we officially rejected the Spirit Hall, a situation similar to Thunder Academy occurred: a large number of students and teachers announced their departure from the academy. Although the losses weren't as great as Thunder Academy's, more than two-thirds of the teachers and students left. Just then, the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family came to invite us, and we had no choice but to decide to relocate to Heaven Dou City and reorganize into a single academy called the Four Elements Academy. Now, most of our remaining teachers and students have no family background, no sect entanglements, or their sects are completely opposed to the Spirit Hall. It was the Spirit Hall that pushed us completely to the side of the Heaven Dou Empire."

Tang San thought for a moment and asked, "So, how many teachers and students do your four academies have in total right now?"

Feng Xiaotian smiled wryly, "There are over six hundred people in total. So you don't need to worry about us taking up too much space here. We just want a place to continue living. In the future, we can also contribute to the fight against the Spirit Hall. The Four Elements Academy has accumulated some savings over the years. As long as Shrek Academy agrees, we are willing to contribute money and effort to renovate the teaching buildings, school buildings, and even expand the academy's grounds. This way, we can not only learn from each other but also support each other."

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School also suffered greatly. Looking at Feng Xiaotian's sorrowful face, Ning Rongrong subconsciously nodded, "It's a good thing to be able to look out for each other, after all, the Spirit Hall is our common enemy."

Oscar gently tugged at Ning Rongrong's clothes, signaling her to keep quiet. After all, the Four Elements Academy's move into Shrek Academy involved a great deal of issues. Although the Shrek Seven Devils weren't part of the academy's management, Ning Rongrong was the heir to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and her words carried considerable weight.

Feng Xiaotian said, "Then I'll have to trouble you."

Tang San smiled calmly and said, "Brother Feng, if it's really as you say, there's no harm in us all joining forces. However, you are guests after all, and judging from your performance today, you don't seem to intend to relinquish your dominant position. In that case, I'm afraid conflicts will arise between the two sides in the future. After all, you have a large number of students, and frankly speaking, your overall strength is above Shrek Academy. Everything is fine now, but the future may not be so. I think you understand what I mean."

Feng Xiaotian feigned ignorance and said, "We will definitely restrain our students and will never have any conflict with your students. Moreover, this matter has already been approved by the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family. Now, all that's left is for them to move in."

Tang San smiled slightly, "Since that's the case, then I think we have nothing more to discuss. Please proceed. Shrek Academy is private property, and even the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family cannot arbitrarily deprive the academy of its assets. Besides, I believe Uncle Ning still has influence with His Majesty. I don't quite believe His Majesty will allow you to directly reside at Shrek Academy. Moreover, if you really think this is acceptable, then I have nothing to say. Go ahead and try."

It sounds nice now, but what if you turn the tables and take control later? Do you really expect us to fight to the death? Besides, Shrek Academy is private property. Even if we're all in the same boat, how can anyone just move in without paying any price?

Tang San is a highly influential figure at Shrek Academy. With Dai Mubai absent, the Shrek Seven Devils clearly follow his lead. Even when Dai Mubai is present, Tang San's words carry the most weight among the Shrek Seven Devils. Furthermore, he is Grandmaster's direct disciple, Liu Erlong is Grandmaster's wife, and Ma Hongjun is Flander's direct disciple. Ning Rongrong can easily influence the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's attitude. Although the current Shrek Five Devils don't officially hold any positions within the academy, their influence is enough to change the attitudes of Shrek Academy and even the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family.

"You..." Huo Wu slammed her hand on the table and stood up, pointing a finger at Tang San, about to explode, but was stopped by Feng Xiaotian, who quickly stood up as well.

"Huo Wu, calm down, calm down. Aren't we negotiating?" Feng Xiaotian was probably used to trying to persuade Huo Wu. Looking at his obsequious smile, Tang San couldn't help but find it amusing. Although Huo Wu had a straightforward personality, she had Feng Xiaotian, this clever guy, completely under her thumb. Perhaps, this was what they called "one thing subduing another."

As he spoke, Feng Xiaotian looked at Tang San with regret and said, "In that case, our differences are too great. Let's wait for your dean to return before we talk again. I believe we can find a solution that satisfies both sides. I hope we can meet under the same roof next time we meet."

Tang San, holding Xiao Wu's hand, stood up and made a gesture of seeing them off. Feng Xiaotian, holding Huo Wu's fiery eyes, bid farewell to everyone and left.

Ning Rongrong frowned slightly and said, "Third Brother, it's not a good idea to just reject them like this. The Four Elements Academy seems to be in a pretty bad situation, and we also have a common enemy."

Tang San smiled slightly and said, "Rongrong, don't you think their arrival was too timely?"

Oscar ruffled Ning Rongrong's hair, saying affectionately, "Silly girl. The Four Elements Academy chose this time to come, isn't it just to bully our academy because we have no one here? I believe they already found out beforehand that the dean and the others weren't here, and neither were we. They came specifically to establish their authority. One reason is to overwhelm our academy with their strength, and the other is to show the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family. To let the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family see that the Four Elements Academy is more important than our Shrek Academy, so that they can further annex us and seize our territory. But Xiao San just happened to ruin it. Unable to win, Feng Xiaotian started using the victimhood tactic again. What he said might not be false. But as the saying goes, words are not enough. It's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away. Once they really move into our academy, if a conflict breaks out between the two sides, it won't be easy to drive them away."

Ning Rongrong listened blankly as Oscar spoke, "There are so many tricks involved? Little Oscar, I didn't realize you were just like Third Brother, full of cunning schemes."

Oscar raised his hand to touch the scar on his face and said with a wry smile, "If I hadn't thought things through more carefully, I probably wouldn't have been able to come back to see you."

Ning Rongrong's expression softened immediately, and she took Oscar's hand. Although she didn't say anything, her adorable, dependent manner made Tang San and Ma Hongjun chuckle simultaneously. Oscar also laughed, but his laugh was one of smug satisfaction.

Ma Hongjun asked, "Then what do we do? Wait for the teachers to come back and decide?"

Tang San smiled calmly and said, "They definitely won't give up. Since they've come this first time, there will definitely be a second. The Four Elements Academy might be our ally in the future. But for now, Shrek Academy must maintain its dominant position. These things aren't our concern. When Dean Flander returns, hehe..."

Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Ning Rongrong naturally understood what Tang San was thinking. Given Flander's ruthless and greedy nature, even if the Four Elements Academy did eventually move in, he would likely skin them alive. When it comes to cunning, treachery, and a sole focus on money, who can compare to our great four-eyed owl, Dean Flander?

Ning Rongrong looked at Xiao Wu, whose eyes were vacant, and asked, "Third Brother, what's wrong with Xiao Wu?"

Tang San embraced Xiao Wu's supple waist and briefly recounted the events of the trip. He naturally had nothing to hide from his companions, and he shared his simple analysis of Xiao Wu's current situation.

After listening to Tang San's analysis, Ning Rongrong said, "So, if you want Xiao Wu to truly revive, Third Brother, you have to sacrifice your own martial soul? And it has to be a level 90 martial soul. This..."

Tang San smiled faintly, "Compared to Xiao Wu, what do these sacrifices matter? If it weren't for her, I would be dead. My life, my soul, and everything I have belong to her."

Tang San spoke naturally, without any impassioned rhetoric, as if it were just a perfectly normal thing. But the more natural he was, the more depressed Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar became.

Ning Rongrong's eyes were slightly red as she looked at Tang San and Xiao Wu, wanting to say something, but something seemed to be stuck in her throat, preventing her from speaking. She and Oscar had also been separated for five years, but compared to Tang San and Xiao Wu, they were so much happier. At least they were now reunited after a long separation and could truly be together. But Tang San and Xiao Wu had to endure so much pain. Only the Shrek Seven Devils truly knew the heartbreaking past behind Tang San's seemingly powerful talent and strength. His parents and lover had made him bear far too much…

Tang San smiled slightly and said, "Don't be like that. Xiao Wu has recovered; you should all be happy for us! Xiao Ao, have you noticed any changes in Heaven Dou City during our trip?"

Oscar composed himself, gripped Ning Rongrong's hand tightly, and said to Tang San, "Heaven Dou City is at least outwardly calm. However, I heard from Uncle Ning that the situation within the royal family is very tense. Emperor Xue Ye is seriously ill, and all the imperial physicians are helpless. Perhaps, the situation will change drastically soon."

Tang San smiled faintly. He was aware of the situation, of course. Moreover, the poison that Emperor Xue Ye had been afflicted with was no longer lethal. With the Poison Douluo present, the effects of the mixed poison should be almost completely cured. The reason for releasing this information now was to thoroughly purge any unstable elements within the palace. Tang San had also discussed this matter with Ning Fengzhi.

During his last conversation with Ning Fengzhi, Tang San stated that he would not proactively cooperate with the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family until things were completely stable. He didn't know if doing so would be helping the enemy or himself. The fundamental premise for cooperation with the royal family was that there would be no more internal problems within the royal family.

Ning Rongrong said, "Dad has already given me the first batch of funds to support our Tang Sect. This trip was really worthwhile; our Tang Sect now has over a thousand Soul Masters. It seems that it won't be long before our numbers surpass those of our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School."

Tang San shook his head and said, "No, the Tang Clan will never recruit people easily. We are currently based on the four clans, and unless they are absolutely trustworthy Soul Masters, we will never recruit new people. Moreover, everything must be handled in the most discreet way. Right now, apart from our own people and Uncle Ning, no one knows that the Tang Clan belongs to us. No matter what we do outside, we need a secret safe haven. On the way back, I already discussed it with Senior Titan. For the time being, the Tang Clan's plaque will still be displayed."

Oscar agreed, "Better safe than sorry, mistress. So, when are we moving in?"

Tang San smiled slightly and said, "Since the Four Elements Academy has appeared, we have to wait until our teachers and the others return before we can leave. Shrek Academy is also our home; we can't let them come and bully us."

Ning Rongrong chuckled and said, "That's actually easy to handle. I'll invite Grandpa Gu over later, and then we'll see who dares to cause trouble. Third Brother, you've been gone for so long, and Xiao Ao and I are getting so bored in the academy. Let's move quickly. Besides, the Tang Clan's renovation will cost money."

Tang San chuckled, "You're in such a hurry, aren't you, our little money god?" The agreement he and Ning Fengzhi had reached was clear: Ning Rongrong would manage the Tang Sect's finances. After all, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School wouldn't just give away money for nothing; with Ning Rongrong in charge, Ning Fengzhi naturally felt at ease.

-

Fans of Douluo Continent, please vote for Xiao San! Your support is my greatest motivation, thank you.

(End of this chapter)