"Boss, what happened? How did you get so badly injured, and why do you suddenly need so much money?" Shao Xin asked, his face full of confusion.
As a food-type Soul Saint, Shao Xin was one of the wealthiest among them. Earning extra money was incredibly easy for someone with his utility. Seeing that he could no longer hide the truth, Flander's face turned bitter as he explained the situation.
"Lin Mu... he came knocking on our door. It turns out Xiao Gang owes him 100,000 gold soul coins from a bet. And just like Old Zhao warned us, he truly does possess the strength of a Title Douluo. He is the one who caused these injuries, and he has only given me half an hour to raise the full amount."
"What?!"
Zhao Wuji's face turned deathly pale. He had no doubt that if the debt wasn't settled, Lin Mu wouldn't stop at Yu Xiaogang, everyone at Shrek Academy would be implicated.
"100,000 gold soul coins!"
Compared to Zhao Wuji's fear, Shao Xin and the others were more concerned about the staggering figure. That was an immense fortune. Despite their initial reluctance, the teachers' hearts softened as they watched Flander's desperate state.
"Alright, this is all my savings. I hope it helps settle this, but it means we'll be living a very hard life from now on," Shao Xin sighed, pulling a black card from his storage soul tool and handing it over. As a food-type Soul Saint, he knew he could eventually make the money back, but this was a massive blow.
Li Yusong and Lu Qibin also sighed, each pulling out the savings they had accumulated over decades. Unlike Shao Xin, they were older and had less earning potential; this was essentially their life savings for retirement. They hadn't expected that following Flander would lead to them paying for the privilege of working for him.
However, after counting the cards, the total only added up to a mere 40,000 gold soul coins, with Shao Xin contributing over 30,000 of it.
"Not enough! Even with my own hidden stash, it's still nowhere near enough!"
Flander's face grew increasingly grim. With time ticking away, if he couldn't raise the remaining 60,000, his brother was as good as dead. He briefly thought of Liu Erlong and how heartbroken she would be, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. He had no other friends in Suotuo City to turn to.
Suddenly, a sinister glint appeared in Flander's eyes. He raised his head, looking at his old comrades. "There is a viscount south of Suotuo, a nobleman from the Kingdom of Balak. His fief is nearby. The man has a terrible reputation for exploiting the common people and hoarding wealth."
Before he could even finish, everyone understood his intent. Zhao Wuji's eyes widened. "Boss, you're not... planning to rob a noble, are you?"
"It is the only way to raise the money in time. Offending a corrupt noble is better than offending a young powerhouse comparable to a Title Douluo!" Flander nodded heavily.
The expressions on the other teachers shifted. They had joined Flander in the hopes of a stable, quiet life. Robbing a noble was a capital crime. But looking at the situation, it truly was their only choice.
Flander turned to Zhao Wuji, his voice pleading. "Old Zhao, you have to come with me. You have more experience in this than any of us."
"No, absolutely not!" Zhao Wuji shook his head vigorously. "Boss, I retired from that life years ago. The risk is too high!"
"Old Zhao, just this one last time! For our future. I promise that after this, I'll take everyone to Heaven Dou City to live a good life!" Flander gripped his arm, his eyes pleading.
Zhao Wuji took a deep breath and cursed. "Damn it, I must have owed you a life in my past world! Fine, I'll do it! But it's a deal, just this once!"
"Alright! Just this once. I promise we won't be caught." Flander breathed a sigh of relief. After giving some quick instructions to Shao Xin, he led Zhao Wuji away from the academy.
Unbeknownst to them, a figure was perched on a massive tree nearby, suppressing their aura while watching the entire scene. It was the Snake Lance Douluo, following Lin Mu's orders to observe the school.
Meanwhile, at the Suotuo Grand Soul Arena, Tang San had successfully pinned Ma Hongjun. His Blue Silver Grass was now incredibly resilient, and with the crystallization of his first Soul Skill, an ordinary Soul Master had no hope of breaking free.
'That useless Evil Fire Phoenix can't even singe this grass!' Dai Mubai cursed inwardly. Seeing that his partner was out of commission, he reached into his storage tool and pulled out a strangely shaped purple sausage.
It was Oscar's third Soul Skill: the Mutated Mushroom Sausage. While this particular version had significant side effects, it was a potent life-saving measure.
"I'll risk it all!" Dai Mubai snarled, glancing at Tang San before shoving the sausage into his mouth.
In an instant, his Soul Power surged. His aura rose steadily, breaking through his bottleneck and reaching the power level of a Soul Ancestor! His eyes turned blood red, and a guttural, beast-like roar escaped his throat.
Tang San frowned. 'What did he just eat? How could his strength jump so drastically in a second?'
Like a mad tiger, Dai Mubai charged forward. He brought a foul, heavy stench with him as he tore through the air.
"Blue Silver Grass: Entangle!" Tang San shouted.
Vines swarmed forward, but the empowered Dai Mubai swung his tiger claws with reckless abandon, shredding the Blue Silver Grass like paper. He closed the distance in an instant, his sharp claws gleaming with a lethal light as he lunged for Tang San's throat.
"Third Soul Skill: Life Sharing!"
Tang San remained calm. His third Soul Ring lit up, and a thick, blue-gold shield of intertwined vines formed in front of him.
"Bang!!"
The tiger claws struck the shield with a deafening crack, leaving only shallow scratches. Compared to the force he had faced from Zhao Wuji, this attack was manageable. Tang San noted that while Dai Mubai was stronger and faster, his movements were chaotic and purely instinctive, full of flaws.
'The sausage must have cost him his sanity,' Tang San realized. He glanced at the bound Ma Hongjun and an idea took root.
Using the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Tang San blurred and appeared directly behind Ma Hongjun. The irrational, raging Dai Mubai didn't hesitate, lunging toward the spot Tang San had just occupied.
"Boss Dai! It's me, Fatty! Snap out of it!" Ma Hongjun screamed in terror.
But Dai Mubai was gone, replaced by a mindless predator. In his eyes, everything was an enemy. His sharp tiger claws raked the air, closing in on Ma Hongjun's horrified face.