Hearing Lin Jie's words, Tang San was the first to react. It was only then that he realized what kind of expression he was showing—shock, confusion, and disbelief.
How could I look at Xiao Wu like that? She's my little sister… someone I've spent the past six or seven years with…
Although he had regained his composure, that momentary expression had already etched itself deeply into Xiao Wu's memory. It was a wound that might never fully heal.
"Xiao Wu, I…"
"I…" Tang San stammered, at a loss for words. This truth had shaken him to his core.
It was as if someone you had lived with for years suddenly turned out to be… something else. Anyone would be rattled. Tang San managed to regain his composure so quickly only because he feared hurting Xiao Wu.
"I'm fine." Xiao Wu forced a smile in response.
By this time, the other members of Shrek Academy had also recovered from their initial shock. They quickly came to their senses.
So what if Xiao Wu is a transformed soul beast? She's still our comrade.
Even if they understood, the shock remained.
They moved to stand in front of Xiao Wu, shielding her as one.
"Xiao Wu is our companion. We won't let you take her."
Tang San stepped forward, eyes cold as he stared at Bibi Dong.
"If you want to take Xiao Wu, you'll have to step over my dead body first."
Although their earlier reactions had hurt Xiao Wu deeply, their willingness to protect her now still moved her heart.
She recalled Lin Jie's earlier question:
"Do you regret it?"
At this moment, Xiao Wu still didn't know the answer.
Flender stepped forward.
"We old folks are still alive. You little monsters don't need to handle this yourselves."
Flender might love money, but he valued loyalty even more.
Bibi Dong glanced at the calm Lin Jie, a trace of surprise flashing in her eyes. But in the end, she simply waved her hand.
"Take her."
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo moved simultaneously. At their level, no one among the Shrek team could stop them.
Xiao Wu, standing next to Lin Jie, felt the crushing pressure as the two Titled Douluo approached.
This is my fault… I've dragged everyone into this—including Lin Jie.
Liu Erlong and the others were just about to activate their Spirt Fusion Ability but hesitated.
Just as Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo were about to reach them, Lin Jie muttered under his breath:
"He's here."
Suddenly, a deep, thunderous voice echoed across the skies.
"A chrysanthemum and a ghost? You think the two of you can harm my son? Get lost!"
The voice wasn't loud, but it resonated like a bomb in the air, carrying an overwhelming aura that made everyone instinctively tremble.
Hearing that voice, Tang San—standing next to Xiao Wu—snapped his head up, joy lighting up his face.
Then—BOOM!
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had just approached the Shrek group, were abruptly blasted back like cannonballs. Both their expressions changed drastically.
A moment later, a black figure appeared, suspended midair, radiating an immense pressure.
It was a rugged-looking man in his fifties, with a scruffy beard and ragged clothes.
Tang San's eyes welled with tears.
"Father…"
Yes—this man was none other than Tang Hao, the famed Titled Douluo known as Clear Sky Douluo, and Tang San's father.
Behind him, a pitch-black giant hammer floated silently in the air.
"Tang Hao!" Bibi Dong's eyes burned with rage as she shouted his name.
Tang Hao showed no fear. In a flash, he appeared beside the Shrek group.
Lin Jie stared at the man who had appeared so suddenly. The pressure he exuded caused Lin Jie's expression to darken slightly.
So strong…
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo returned to Bibi Dong's side. All three released their Spirit Rings.
Nine rings shone around each of them—but what stunned the crowd was the blood-red ring glowing on Bibi Dong's body.
A red Spirit Ring—a mark of a 100,000-year Spirit Beast.
In the Spirit Master world, 100,000-year Spirit Rings were hailed as the greatest treasure. Any beast at that level, once slain, would also drop a Spirit Bone. If both were absorbed, the resulting strength was unimaginable.
But even facing three Titled Douluo, one of whom had a 100,000-year Spirit Ring, Tang Hao was unfazed.
He slammed his iron hammer to the ground, his eyes like the twilight sun, staring directly at Bibi Dong.
"Trying to protect your master's legacy, Bibi Dong? You think you can keep me here?"
Bibi Dong raised her hand.
A sharp, screeching sound echoed from within the Pontriff's Palace.
Moments later, four more shrill cries responded.
Tang Hao stood on his iron hammer, watching calmly.
"So you're calling backup now?"
As his words fell, nine Spirit Rings emerged in succession—each one radiating an even more powerful aura than the last. When the ninth ring appeared, the crowd gasped.
It was also red.
Tang Hao's ninth ring, like Bibi Dong's, was a 100,000-year Spirit Ring.
His gaze turned cold as he looked toward the Pontriff's Palace behind Bibi Dong.
"Seven Titled Douluo. As expected of Spirit Hall. But even with seven of you, do you think you can stop me?"
His seventh Spirit Ring suddenly lit up.
The giant hammer behind him exploded with black light. In the blink of an eye, it expanded into a colossal weapon over a hundred meters long, with intricate red patterns glowing across its surface.
At the same time, his red Spirit Ring shone brightly—turning the massive black hammer into a red one.
"Pontriff's Palace… Ha! A joke."
Tang Hao raised the massive weapon and swung it down—not toward Bibi Dong—but toward the Pontriff's Palace itself.
In that instant, the air inside the palace solidified. Every Spirit Master below Rank 70 was frozen in place.
Lin Jie, too, felt the overwhelming pressure. Despite pushing his limits, he couldn't move. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
"Tang Hao, you dare!" Bibi Dong roared.
She and the two Douluo behind her shot into the air, racing toward the hammer.
Simultaneously, four more Titled Douluo emerged from within the palace, all rushing toward the descending hammer.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion erupted.
Silence followed.
All Spirit Masters below Rank 70 were blasted to the ground.
Lin Jie, too, was overwhelmed by the shockwave. His mind went blank for a split second, but thanks to his strong spiritual power, he quickly recovered. Staggering, he nearly fell over.
Looking around, he saw everyone—except Flender and Liu Erlong—collapsed on the ground.
Even they looked pale and strained.
Liu Erlong spotted Lin Jie still standing and was momentarily stunned.
He withstood that…?
Shock quickly turned into joy. As his god-sister, she was genuinely proud.
Tang Hao, bleeding from the mouth, laughed wildly.
"Bibi Dong, just wait. Spirit Hall owes me a debt. One day, I'll collect. And that day… isn't far off!"
In the next moment, he appeared before Lin Jie.
He gave Lin Jie a surprised look—Tang Hao knew exactly how powerful the shockwave had been.
A Spirit Master under Rank 70 shouldn't have withstood it.
But he didn't dwell on it. With a flash, he picked up the unconscious Tang San and Xiao Wu, and vanished.
His voice echoed as he left:
"Dean Flender, Grandmaster… thank you for teaching my son all these years. I, Tang Hao, owe you a debt."
Lin Jie stood frozen in place.
That wasn't even the most absurd part...
What left him speechless was that Tang Hao knocked Yu Xiaogang unconscious, and then thanked him as he left.
Yu Xiaogang—the weakest person in the entire palace—not even a Spirit Elder…
Knocked out cold… then "thanks for everything." Did he just get gratitude-beamed into a coma?
Lin Jie couldn't help but respect Tang Hao a little… and also be impressed at how fast he ran off.
If he'd stayed longer, Spirit Hall might've really swarmed him. And Lin Jie had no doubt about Spirit Hall's strength.
As Tang Hao vanished, Bibi Dong landed quietly, returning to her original spot.
She took a deep breath, the flush on her face slowly fading.
Behind her now stood not just Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo, but four more elderly men—each one radiating powerful pressure. All of them were Titled Douluo.
This was the true might of Spirit Hall.
Tang Hao hadn't aimed for Bibi Dong. Instead, he had targeted the Pontriff's Palace itself. The structure, as a symbol of Spirit Hall, could not be allowed to fall.
Thus, all the Titled Douluo had been forced to intercept the hammer's strike.
If Tang Hao had aimed directly at Bibi Dong, the outcome might have been very different—perhaps even fatal.
But Tang Hao was clever. He hit and ran.
After all, one man against seven Titled Douluo wasn't a fight he could win—especially when who-knows-how-many were hiding in the shadows.
"Your Holiness…" one of the elders behind her spoke, seething with rage.
Bibi Dong raised her hand.
"There's no point chasing him. It would be useless."
A trace of weariness appeared on her face.
Despite all her years of cultivation and her current Titled Douluo rank, she now realized—even with the same Spirit Ring quality, she still fell short of Tang Hao in terms of presence and