Lin Mu stored the Eight Spider Lances in his storage soul guide and, transforming into a gust of wind, vanished from the spot.
Traveling at full speed, he could instantly move a thousand meters per second. In just a few minutes, he returned to the previous inn.
From the innkeeper, he learned that Tang San and Xiao Wu were in a room upstairs.
Inside the room, Xiao Wu was lying on the bed. Although the Human-Faced Demon Spider's poison had been neutralized, she still needed some recuperation.
Seeing his master push the door open and enter, Tang San was both shocked and overjoyed. His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled. He said, "Master, it's great that you're alright."
"How is Xiao Wu's condition?"
Lin Mu waved his hand dismissively, his expression calm and indifferent.
"Thanks to Master's medicinal pill, the poison in Xiao Wu's body has been cleared."
Tang San's eyes were filled with gratitude. If his master hadn't stayed behind to cover their retreat, neither he nor Xiao Wu could have escaped from the Titan Giant Ape.
"Thank you, Brother Lin Mu~"
Xiao Wu looked up at Lin Mu, her voice weak, her gaze brimming with gratitude, but deep within, there was still a trace of indescribable complexity.
She vaguely sensed that something major seemed to have happened deep in the forest. That feeling of heartache lingered, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.
Lin Mu was already accustomed to Xiao Wu's form of address. This hundred-thousand-year-old rabbit just liked to act youthful.
"Little San, once Xiao Wu recuperates for two days, we'll set off for Heaven Dou City."
"Master, so urgent?"
"The main purpose of going to Heaven Dou City this time is for you to enter the Heaven Dou Royal Academy to study. It has the best simulated cultivation environment. The sooner you go, the better."
Lin Mu offered a brief explanation.
Compared to the impoverished Shrek Academy, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy could be said to lack nothing. The only flaw was that its students weren't particularly outstanding.
However, the worse the students were, the more it would actually train Tang San.
Seeing his master had already made up his mind, Tang San naturally had no objections. As long as his master and Xiao Wu could stay by his side, that was enough.
Two days later, the three hired a horse-drawn carriage and set off towards Heaven Dou City.
At the same time, after helping Oscar obtain his third soul ring, Zhao Wuji brought the students back to Shrek Academy.
"Little Ao, how was it? What's your third soul skill?"
Facing Flender's inquiry, Oscar averted his eyes, somewhat embarrassed to demonstrate his soul skill.
At that moment, Zhao Wuji sighed and explained, "Dean, originally, I planned for Little Ao to absorb the soul ring of the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent. It might have given Little Ao a flight-type soul skill—"
Before he could finish, Yu Xiaogang, adopting the posture of a grandmaster, interrupted him, nodding slightly:
"Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent is indeed a good choice. If Oscar absorbed it, there's a high probability he would obtain a short-duration flight-type soul skill. For a food system soul master lacking self-preservation abilities, it would indeed be an excellent choice."
Hearing this, the disappointment in Oscar's eyes grew even deeper.
Simultaneously, Zhao Wuji's expression grew increasingly unpleasant. He said irritably, "But unfortunately, that Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent was subdued first by another soul master."
Hearing this, Flender frowned tightly, a trace of dissatisfaction in his tone. "Old Zhao, didn't you know you could just take it? Unless the other party was also a Soul Sage, they would definitely be no match for you."
"Take it?"
The corners of Zhao Wuji's mouth twisted into a bitter smile, his face full of helplessness. "If it were a Soul Sage, it might have been manageable. With my strength, I might have been able to compete. But the strength that person displayed was far beyond that of a Soul Sage!"
"Not a Soul Sage? Could it be a Soul Douluo? Surely not a Title Douluo?"
Flender's expression changed abruptly, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Zhao Wuji didn't respond, only nodding with a grave expression. That terrifying power that completely overpowered him was most likely that of a Title Douluo.
Seeing this, Flender's pupils contracted sharply. He confirmed again, "A Title Douluo, truly?!"
"That esteemed one, without even using a soul skill, overwhelmed me completely with pure strength alone. Even if he wasn't a Title Douluo, he was absolutely an extremely powerful existence among Soul Douluos."
It was then that Flender noticed the not-yet-faded bruises on Zhao Wuji's face and hurriedly asked, "You didn't offend this important personage, did you?"
Hearing this, Zhao Wuji pointed at the injuries on his own face, saying with displeasure, "Offend? Hmph! It's all thanks to the school rules you set that Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun dared to provoke that esteemed one's disciple, only to get beaten up instead!"
"I, your grandpa, had to spend all my savings accumulated over the years just to appease that esteemed one's anger! Flender, you have to compensate me for this money!"
Upon hearing about compensation, Flender's eyes widened. He said with some embarrassment, "Old Zhao, between us brothers, who's counting? Talking about money hurts feelings. You know the situation of the academy; we're so poor we're almost unable to make ends meet."
"If you have no money, why are you running an academy? Do I have to pay to work here?"
Just as the two were arguing incessantly, Yu Xiaogang suddenly spoke up and asked, "Teacher Zhao, did this powerful individual have any particular characteristics?"
Hearing this, Zhao Wuji thought for a moment and said, "This esteemed one looked to be at most in his twenties. His talent is simply unimaginable. Oh, right, his disciple is a Blue Silver Grass soul master, already a Soul Elder at a young age."
"Blue Silver Grass soul master..."
Yu Xiaogang's pupils constricted violently. His face instantly turned deathly pale. He staggered, involuntarily taking two steps back.
After steadying himself, he muttered to himself, "Impossible... Could it really be that guy, Lin Mu? He's actually that strong, able to easily defeat even Zhao Wuji, a Soul Sage..."
If that person really was Lin Mu, didn't that mean this Shrek Academy wasn't safe either?
Flender noticed Yu Xiaogang's unusual state and quickly reached out to pat his shoulder, asking in surprise, "Xiaogang, you don't possibly know this powerful individual, do you?"
"Boss Flan, I probably know this person. If he really is the Lin Mu I know, then he is absolutely not some Soul Douluo, much less a Title Douluo. At most, he's just a Soul Emperor!"
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, barely steadying his mind. He spoke in a tone as calm as he could muster.
"Soul Emperor?" Flender and Zhao Wuji were both stunned simultaneously.
Yu Xiaogang nodded affirmatively, forcing himself to appear composed. "That's right. He's only a little over twenty years old. How could he possibly have cultivated to Soul Sage or above? I just never expected him to be able to defeat Zhao Wuji."
Hearing this, Flender instead breathed a sigh of relief and said with a laugh, "So it's just a Soul Emperor. Scared me to death. I was just saying, how could there possibly be a Title Douluo in his twenties? That wouldn't leave any room for us old folks to live."
With that, he turned to look at Zhao Wuji, with a hint of reproach in his tone:
"Old Zhao, I think you were just knocked silly this time, misjudging in the heat of the moment. The other party probably used some special method, catching you off guard. If you had decisively used your Martial Soul True Body from the start and gone all out, how could a mere Soul Emperor possibly be your match!"