Lin Mu stored the Eight Spider Lances in his storage soul tool and disappeared into a blur of wind. Traveling at full speed with the Hurricane armor, he could cross a thousand meters in a single second. It took him only a few minutes to return to the town's inn.
He learned from the innkeeper that Tang San and Xiao Wu were already in their room upstairs.
Inside, Xiao Wu was lying on the bed. Although the poison from the Man-Faced Demon Spider had been largely neutralized by Lin Mu's pill, her body was still weak and required rest.
Seeing his Master enter, Tang San was both surprised and delighted. The heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled. "Master, it's so good you're alright. That Titan Giant Ape..."
"How is Xiao Wu?" Lin Mu waved his hand dismissively, his expression calm as if he had just taken a stroll.
"Thanks to Master's medicine, the poison in Xiao Wu's body has been cleared," Tang San replied, his eyes full of gratitude.
If his Master hadn't stayed behind to block the retreat, Tang San knew he and Xiao Wu would never have escaped the Titan Giant Ape. His Master had essentially risked his life for them.
"Thank you, Brother Lin Mu~" Xiao Wu looked up at Lin Mu, her voice weak but sincere. Deep down, however, a complex emotion she couldn't describe lingered.
She vaguely sensed that something catastrophic had happened deep within the forest. That heart-wrenching feeling of unease wouldn't go away, but looking at Lin Mu's calm face, she couldn't find any evidence to support her fears.
Lin Mu was already used to her calling him "Brother." This 100,000-year-old rabbit truly loved to maintain her youthful facade.
"Little San, after Xiao Wu rests for a couple of days, we'll head straight to Heaven Dou City."
"Master, why are we in such a hurry?"
"This trip to Heaven Dou City is mainly to enroll you in the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. They have one of the best simulated training environments on the continent. The sooner you start there, the better," Lin Mu explained simply.
Compared to the impoverished and makeshift Shrek Academy, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy had every resource imaginable; its only flaw was its mediocre, pampered student body. However, for Lin Mu, that was a feature, not a bug. The more arrogant the noble students were, the better they would serve as "training partners" for Tang San's growth.
Seeing that his Master had made up his mind, Tang San naturally had no objections. As long as his Master and Xiao Wu were by his side, he would follow anywhere.
Two days later, the three hired a comfortable carriage and began their journey toward Heaven Dou City.
Meanwhile, after eventually helping Oscar obtain a different third Soul Ring, a battered Zhao Wuji led the Shrek students back to the academy.
"Little Oscar, how is it? What is your third Soul Skill?" Flender asked, pushing up his glasses.
Oscar's eyes darted away, looking somewhat embarrassed to demonstrate his new skill.
At this moment, Zhao Wuji sighed and stepped in. "Dean, I originally planned to secure a Cockscomb Phoenix-Tailed Serpent Soul Ring for Oscar. It likely would have granted him a flying Soul Skill."
Before he could finish, Yu Xiaogang, carrying the aloof air of a "Grandmaster", interrupted him, nodding sagely.
"The Cockscomb Phoenix-Tailed Serpent is indeed a rare find. If Oscar had absorbed it, he would most likely have obtained a short-duration flying ability. For a Food-type Soul Master who lacks self-defense, it is an excellent choice for survival."
Hearing this "expert" analysis, the disappointment in Oscar's eyes deepened.
Zhao Wuji's expression grew increasingly grim. He snapped irritably, "But unfortunately, that serpent was already subdued by another group of Soul Masters before we could finish it."
Flander frowned, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction. "Old Zhao, what happened to your usual temper? Don't you know how to negotiate for a ring? Unless the other party was also a Soul Saint, they shouldn't have been able to stop you."
"Negotiate?" Zhao Wuji forced a bitter, painful smile. "If it had been a normal Soul Saint, I might have stood my ground. But the strength that person displayed... it was far beyond a mere Soul Saint!"
"Not a Soul Saint? Could it be a Soul Douluo? It can't be a Titled Douluo, can it?" Flender's expression shifted, his eyes wide with shock.
Zhao Wuji didn't speak, but simply nodded solemnly. The memory of that crushing, raw power that didn't even require Soul Skills still made his bones ache.
Flender's pupils contracted. "Is he really... a Titled Douluo?!"
"That lord completely overwhelmed me with sheer physical power. He didn't even use a single Soul Skill to put me in the dirt. Even if he isn't a Titled Douluo, he is at the very peak of the Soul Douluo realm."
Only then did Flender notice that the bruises on Zhao Wuji's face were still quite visible. He asked urgently, "You didn't offend this figure, did you?"
Zhao Wuji pointed at his swollen face, his voice rising with annoyance. "Offended? Hmph! It's all thanks to those 'Monster Rules' you set! Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun provoked that lord's disciple. If I hadn't used up all my savings over the years to appease his anger, we might not have come back at all! Flender, you owe me those Gold Soul Coins!"
Flander's eyes widened at the mention of money. He coughed awkwardly. "Old Zhao, we're brothers. Talking about money hurts our friendship. Besides, the academy is so poor we're practically starving..."
"What kind of academy are you running where the teachers have to pay out of pocket to stay alive?"
As the two argued, Yu Xiaogang suddenly asked, "Teacher Zhao, was there anything distinctive about this powerful figure?"
Zhao Wuji thought for a moment. "He looked incredibly young, no more than twenty years old. His talent is simply unimaginable. Also, his disciple is a Blue Silver Grass user who is already a Soul Grandmaster (Level 20+) at such a young age."
"Blue Silver Grass?!"
Yu Xiaogang's face turned deathly pale. He staggered, taking two steps back and nearly tripping. He muttered to himself, "How is this possible? Could it really be that guy, Lin Mu? But how could he be strong enough to defeat Zhao Wuji so easily?"
If that person was truly Lin Mu, it meant Shrek Academy wasn't the safe haven Yu Xiaogang thought it was.
Flender noticed his friend's reaction. "Xiaogang, do you know this person?"
"Boss Flender, I think I know who it is. If it's the Lin Mu I'm thinking of, then he's definitely not a Soul Douluo, much less a Titled Douluo. At most... he's just a Soul Emperor (Level 61-70)!"
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, forcing a confident look back onto his face.
"A Soul Emperor?" Both Flender and Zhao Wuji were stunned.
Yu Xiaogang nodded firmly. "Yes. He's only in his early twenties. It is theoretically impossible for someone that age to reach the Soul Saint realm or higher. I suspect he used some sort of deceptive technique or an external tool. I simply didn't expect Zhao Wuji to be so easily fooled."
Hearing this, Flender let out a massive sigh of relief and laughed. "So he was just a Soul Emperor! That scared me half to death! I knew it, how could there be a Titled Douluo in his twenties? That would be a joke!"
He turned to Zhao Wuji with a look of reproach. "Old Zhao, you were just 'stunned' this time. You misjudged the situation and let yourself be intimidated. The other party likely used a special trick to catch you off guard. If you had decisively used your Martial Soul True Body from the start and gone all out, a mere Soul Emperor could never have been your match!"