"Hmph! At least you know your place!" Ye Zhiqiu scoffed. "I won't bully children. Call your teacher out."
Dai Mubai felt a sense of impending doom!
Ma Hongjun's eyes widened in anger.
Did they really think he was that easy to bully?
No matter what, Flender was still up there—he wouldn't just stand by and let him get killed, right?
"Second Spirit Skill—Phoenix Bathing in Fire!"
"First Spirit Skill—Phoenix Fire Line!"
Scorching flames shot straight at Ye Zhiqiu.
But with a difference of over 20 ranks, Ye Zhiqiu didn't even need to use a spirit skill.
His Black Tortoise martial soul materialized behind him, blocking the attack effortlessly.
Dai Mubai seized the chance—
"Third Spirit Skill—White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
With his body enlarged and strengthened, he struck from the side, sharp tiger claws slashing down!
"Martial Soul Possession!"
Ye Zhiqiu's Black Tortoise shell enveloped him like armor.
Dai Mubai's claw attack landed—forcing Ye Zhiqiu to take half a step back—
But it still didn't break his defense!
"Very well!"
"You attacked first!"
"Second Spirit Skill—Black Water Freeze!"
White mist surged from his spirit power, instantly freezing both Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun solid!
A single move—KO.
The sheer power gap between high and low-rank spirit masters was terrifying.
Upstairs.
Flender's expression darkened.
He didn't understand what Tang Lan was trying to do!
The impatient Zhao Wuji was about to jump down and intervene—
"Ssshhhhh—"
A rustling sound, like leaves brushing against each other, filled the air.
Suddenly—
A green shadow burst from the ground beneath Ye Zhiqiu, instantly binding him and all seven Canghui Academy students!
Tang Lan sat there, calm as ever—his third spirit ring glowing purple beneath him.
"Brat! You've got guts!" Ye Zhiqiu roared. "Fifth Spirit Skill—"
"Heh."
Tang Lan smirked coldly.
Devour activated!
Ye Zhiqiu's spirit power drained at an alarming rate, causing his spirit skill to collapse before it could even form.
His lifeforce weakened, making his limbs go limp.
His mental energy rapidly diminished, sending his mind into a haze.
"CRACK—CRACK—"
With his weakened control over his spirit power,
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun broke free from the ice!
Ye Zhiqiu, realizing something was very wrong, desperately forced himself to activate another spirit skill—
"Third Spirit Skill—Black Water Surge!"
Waves of water energy pulsed outward, attempting to wash away Tang Lan's Lifebound Blue Silver Emperor.
For a moment, he thought he could break free—
Until he realized—
Aside from knocking off a few leaves,
Not a single Blue Silver Emperor vine had snapped!
—With three 20,000-year spirit rings empowering it,
such a non-offensive skill was nothing more than a tickle.
Tang Lan remained seated, channeling his mental power into his Twin Pupils—
While teaching a lesson.
"Not picking fights doesn't mean being afraid of them."
"If your comrades are bullied, for whatever reason—beat the enemy first, ask questions later."
"If our people are at fault, then punishment is our own sect's business."
"Why should outsiders have a say?"
"If you're in the right—press the advantage."
"If you're in the wrong—still argue your case."
"Do you understand?"
Ye Zhiqiu, struggling desperately but unable to escape,
Only made Tang Lan look even more dominant.
"Brother, you're so handsome!" Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"'Press the advantage when right, argue even when wrong'? I see…" Tang San murmured thoughtfully.
Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Oscar all nodded.
The words sounded bold and unyielding—
Way more impressive than Flender's "If you don't dare cause trouble, you're useless."
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
Flender descended the stairs, clapping forcefully.
"How impressive, Sect Master Tang! Are you implying that my teaching philosophy is wrong?" he demanded.
"I agree that 'not daring to cause trouble is cowardly,'" Tang Lan said calmly. "But using troublemaking as a method of training? That's just foolish."
Flender's face darkened.
But Tang Lan didn't care at all.
Right now, all of Shrek's so-called Seven Devils, except Ma Hongjun, had already joined Tang Sect.
If he fell out with Flender—
Xiao Wu and Tang San were guaranteed to stand with him.
Zhu Zhuqing craved strength, and Ning Rongrong was bound by interests—both would follow.
Dai Mubai, having finally seen a new path forward, would likely take Tang Lan's side.
As for Oscar…
It was fifty-fifty.
But if he tried leaving Tang Sect?
Not happening.
Tang Lan had just taught him the Nine Yang Divine Skill—he could cripple it in an instant, forcing Oscar to start from scratch.
So—
Tang Lan didn't bother giving Flender any face and continued to mock him.
"Using troublemaking as training will always do more harm than good."
"Take today's Canghui Academy as an example—if you provoke someone stronger, at worst, you suffer losses. But more importantly—you make enemies."
"The only reason things haven't gone south so far is because Shrek carefully selects its students—each one an exceptional talent."
"Talented people can afford to be proud—but if they're reckless, they're just geniuses on the fast track to an early grave."
Brutal.
Flender's face turned purple with rage!
Zhao Wuji, who had come downstairs, looked caught in the middle and gave Li Yusong a pleading glance.
"Ahem, Xiao Lan…" Li Yusong attempted to mediate. "Cultivation is about fighting for every inch. If you don't compete, opportunities slip away. If you hesitate, you fall behind."
Tang Lan nodded in agreement.
"If there's an opportunity, of course, we shouldn't back down."
"But tell me—what 'opportunity' is there in fighting Canghui Academy because of a sex-obsessed idiot?"
"If the situation were reversed—if some guy had been ogling Xiao Wu or Zhu Zhuqing while mocking us as trash—"
"I would've crushed his hands and feet without hesitation."
"And at that point, even if we were 'bold' troublemakers—what exactly would we have gained?"
Like a machine gun, Tang Lan's words shredded through Li Yusong—leaving him speechless.
Suddenly, he understood.
Yes—
Put themselves in Canghui Academy's shoes.
If Shrek had been the ones picking the fight, and their opponent had been someone like Tang Lan…
Wouldn't that make them idiotic villain fodder?
And looking back at tonight—
What exactly had Canghui Academy done wrong?
Entered the hotel at the wrong time?
This was a public inn!
People were coming and going all the time!
And Flender chose this exact spot to discuss something important?
That was beyond irresponsible!
Li Yusong looked at Flender, his expression strange—
Like someone who had just broken free from a cult's brainwashing and realized something was seriously wrong.
"Nonsense!" Flender roared. "That's just a hypothetical! My Shrek students are all exceptionally talented! So what if they're a little arrogant?"
"Oh?" Tang Lan raised an eyebrow. "Then on the night of the entrance exams, when you and Old Zhao got your faces smashed in—why didn't you 'cause trouble' then?"
"What happened? Were you two cowards?"
Flender's anger froze mid-expression.
Zhao Wuji, awkward as hell, started digging his toes into the floor.
Holy sh*t!
How did this kid know about that nightmare of an encounter?
Unless—
He knew Tang San's father was the legendary Haotian Douluo?!
Was that why he dared to act so recklessly?
Li Yusong, meanwhile, was just confused.
Wait… that happened?!
Seeing the expressions on Flender and Zhao Wuji's faces,
he knew it was true.
And he fell into silence.
Flender himself, when faced with real power, had submitted without hesitation.
And now, he dared to preach that "not causing trouble makes you a coward"?
Then what the hell was he?
"I heard that you and Grandmaster are good friends, right?" Tang Lan said, unable to resist pushing further.
"Then you must know his famous words—"
"'There are no trash martial souls, only trash Spirit Masters.'"
"Do you agree?"
Flender instinctively nodded—this was Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's favorite motto.
Then—
Tang Lan sneered and delivered the final blow—
"If that's the case, then why does Shrek still screen students based on martial souls? Shouldn't you only check their age and spirit power?"
Flender: ∑(①□①|||)*
Blocking me into a dead-end with logic?!
What about my dignity as the Headmaster?!
Fine!
You want to play dirty? Then don't blame me for being ruthless!
Flender's face turned cold.
"Since Sect Master Tang is so insightful, this little Shrek Academy clearly isn't fit for you. We won't hold you back any longer."
Expulsion—his ultimate move!
Unfortunately—
For Tang Lan, who had no parents to discipline him and was the highest-ranking person in his circle,
this move was completely useless.
Without hesitation, he nodded.
"Aside from Old Zhao's gravity spirit skill, all Shrek does is babysit."
"Leaving actually sounds pretty good."
"Rongrong, inform Elder Chi to hold off on building the forging workshop. We're relocating."
Ning Rongrong nodded obediently, took out a communication soul guide, and stepped outside to make the call.
—Tang Lan had made a few more of these over the past few days.
Flender was stunned—he hadn't expected Tang Lan to be so decisive!
Then—his face twisted as realization struck.
In his rage, he hadn't thought it through—
But now that they had officially fallen out,
didn't this mean…?
Tang Lan stood up.
"Headmaster Flender has spoken. Shrek has no place for Tang Sect."
"Anyone staying behind?"
Xiao Wu jumped up first.
"Hmph!"
"I told you from the start, we shouldn't have come to this broken-down, faraway place!"
Zhu Zhuqing stood up next.
"Tang Sect makes me stronger. I'm leaving Shrek."
With Ning Rongrong already on her way out,
that made four students withdrawing from Shrek!
Flender began to regret his words—
How did I let my mouth get ahead of my brain?!
Dai Mubai's face shifted between different expressions—
Finally, he stood up and gave Flender an apologetic glance.
—Tang Sect had given him hope. He wasn't about to throw that away.
"I'm sorry, Headmaster… I'm leaving Shrek as well."
Now—
Only Oscar and…
"Tang San, you're still sitting there?" Xiao Wu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Your brother just got kicked out, and you still want to stay?"
Tang San's face showed hesitation.
Shrek was where his teacher had sent him,
And Grandmaster had said he would come to teach here soon.
Leaving just like that…?
Tang Lan hadn't expected Tang San to hesitate.
Tang San… was actually hesitating?!
Ungrateful bastard.
"Forget it." Tang Lan sighed, pretending to be heartbroken.
"Xiao San is grown now. He can make his own choices. He doesn't need my protection anymore."
"If he wants to stay, let him stay."
With that, Tang Lan turned and walked away,
Leaving behind a desolate, lonely figure.
Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai immediately followed.
Nearby,
Oscar let out a subtle sigh of relief.
With Tang San staying, he didn't have to struggle over the decision anymore.
"Heh! So your wings have finally grown, huh?" Xiao Wu sneered. "Tang San, remember this—if you stay today, there will be no place for you in Tang Sect ever again!"
Then,
She turned her back on him without hesitation and chased after Tang Lan.
Tang San's face twisted in inner conflict!
Until—
Zhao Wuji suddenly spoke up—
"Flender, thank you for everything over the years."
"But Tang Sect offers me a chance to reach Title Douluo, and I can't pass that up. Sorry, brother!"
"Old Li, there's a jar of wine under my dorm bed. Dig it up and share it with the others."
With a respectful fist-to-palm salute,
Zhao Wuji chased after them, shouting—
"Sect Master! Why didn't you even ask my opinion?"
"I'm the Martial Hall Master, after all!"
Seeing Tang Lan's group stepping past the doorway—
Tang San exhaled deeply.
—He couldn't leave Tang Lan.
Tang Sect was still in its infancy, he still needed to learn the Hammer Techniques,
And, more importantly,
Tang Lan was one of his only two living relatives.
Materials, manpower, money, knowledge…
Tang San had fully surpassed both Shrek and his teacher in every way—
So, when faced with a choice between his teacher and his brother, he picked the one that benefited him the most.
He stood up,
Retrieving a communication soul guide from his storage ring and placing it on the table.
"Headmaster, when my teacher arrives, please give this to him."
"After all—he's my brother."
With that,
He didn't even glance at Oscar, simply turning and walking out.
—Not forcing Oscar to leave was the only compromise he would make for disobeying his teacher.
But—
Now, Oscar was the one struggling!
Yesterday, Tang San had only taught him the third level of Nine Yang Divine Skill.
But he had also demonstrated the power of Tang Sect's hidden weapons.
—A technique that could give even a support-type Spirit Master a means to fight!
And beyond that—
If he defied Tang Lan, was he even still part of Tang Sect?
Betraying the sect was a grave offense.
If Tang Lan ever came to clean house, Flender would have no grounds to stop him.
"Hey! Xiao Ao!" Ma Hongjun spat out rudely. "If you dare leave, don't blame me for cutting you off!"
Oscar flinched!
He couldn't take it anymore!
"You stupid fatass! Of all times for your brain to be ruled by your dick—WHY NOW?!"
Ma Hongjun refused to back down.
"Why are you taking their side?!
"That Tang Lan—is he even a good person?!"
"He accepted everyone else but me—what, trying to act superior?!"
"Now that everyone's in Tang Sect, is this even still our teacher's Shrek, or is it just his Tang Sect?"
Ma Hongjun's angry ranting made Oscar's expression grow heavier.
"Enough!" Flender finally roared. "Ma Hongjun! Haven't you caused enough trouble?!"
Ma Hongjun finally shut up, though his face still screamed defiance.
Flender let out a deep sigh.
He suddenly looked much older.
He had thought that with Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's funding, Shrek would finally rise to prominence.
But just when he was at his proudest moment—
Reality had slapped him right in the face.
To be fair—
Shrek had very little to offer.
Especially for someone like Tang Lan.
With a Titled Douluo father, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect backing him, and a ton of self-created spirit techniques—
Shrek was basically just providing a place to train.
And as for Oscar…
His future would be much brighter in Tang Sect than in Shrek.
"Sigh—"
"Oscar… go."
Saying those words took every ounce of strength he had.
He staggered back into his chair, looking completely drained.
"Teacher!" Ma Hongjun's eyes widened in disbelief. "Do you even know what you're saying? You—"
"Shut up!" Flender roared. "You refuse to improve yourself—fine! But don't drag others down with you! Old Li, take him back to his room!"
Without a word,
Li Yusong grabbed Ma Hongjun, sealed his spirit power, and dragged him upstairs at high speed.
"BANG—"
Oscar dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
"Thank you, Headmaster, for taking me in all those years ago!"
"BANG—"
He slammed his forehead into the floor—
When he straightened up, his forehead was bright red, with small pieces of stone embedded in his skin.
"No matter what happens, I will always be your son!"
"BANG—"
Another forceful bow, blood spreading across his forehead.
"Today—I am unfilial!"
"BANG—"
A stream of blood trickled down his face.
Flender's heart ached, his hand lifting slightly—
But in the end,
He stopped himself.
Finally,
He closed his eyes and weakly waved his hand.
Go.
Oscar gritted his teeth, stood up, and ran out the door.
Outside,
The others were already gone.
Without hesitation,
Oscar shed his weighted gear and sprinted at full speed toward Star Dou Forest.
After about ten minutes,
He finally caught up to Tang Lan's group, who were still running under gravity suppression and weighted training.
When they saw Oscar, bloody-headed and red-eyed,
Tang Lan simply nodded.
—You made the right choice.
Dai Mubai let out a sigh of relief.
He stepped forward and helped steady Oscar, giving him time to catch his breath.
No one asked questions.
Oscar had been raised by Flender—
Leaving Shrek must have been an agonizing decision.
They ran another ten kilometers before Tang Lan finally stopped.
He clapped his hands together—
"Blue Silver Domain—Three-Story Villa!"
The Blue Silver Grass surged, forming a massive three-story villa.
Even though they knew Tang Lan could "build houses with his bare hands",
Seeing a full-sized mansion made them speechless.
"That's a really convenient ability…" Ning Rongrong marveled.
"Domains can be used like this…?" Zhao Wuji was full of envy.
As soon as they entered—
The Blue Silver Grass surged again, sealing all the doors and windows.
Everyone got their rooms assigned.
Tang Lan collapsed onto his bed, a smirk creeping onto his lips.
It was done.
(End of Chapter.)