In Dugu Bo's eyes, Wu Tong had already given this Spirit Beast a chance, and she should have seized it instead of stubbornly resisting, pointlessly wasting Wu Tong's time and energy.
"What? Xiao Wu is a 100,000-year Spirit Beast in human form?" ×n.
The moment Dugu Bo's words reached their ears, everyone present was utterly shocked.
"Ahahaha, Mr. Wu Tong, I'm not really close with Xiao Wu, you know."
"Yeah, yeah! She only enrolled in the academy a month ago. We barely know her."
"Exactly! I even got beaten up twice because of this Spirit Beast. Just seeing her pisses me off."
"I used to think her temper was just impatience, but now it's clear—she's still a beast at heart."
...
In an instant, the crowd that had initially stood in front of Xiao Wu scattered, eager to distance themselves from her, terrified of being targeted by Wu Tong as well.
It wasn't that they didn't want a 100,000-year Spirit Ring.
They simply knew they stood no chance against Wu Tong and couldn't possibly snatch the prize from him. So, they chose the "sacred" path of righteous disassociation.
After all, even if they somehow obtained the 100,000-year Spirit Beast, they couldn't protect it. Better to curry favor with Wu Tong by stepping aside.
Moreover, the accusation of Shrek Academy colluding with Spirit Beasts and betraying humanity was a burden they couldn't bear. Cutting ties with Xiao Wu was the only logical move.
Once this realization hit, they wasted no time in loudly proclaiming their innocence.
To onlookers, the scene was nothing short of absurd.
Typical Shrek Academy, they thought. Their instinct to bully the weak and cower before the strong is practically engraved in their bones.
"Those who don't pick fights are mediocrities, but if they provoke someone stronger, they just bow and apologize?
The hypocrisy is unreal.
Watching Shrek's members reveal their true colors, Meng Yiran and Chao Tianxiang twitched their lips, as if seeing these people for the first time.
Where did all that bravado from earlier go? Why do they turn into such cowards the moment they meet someone they can't afford to offend?
...
Among Shrek's group, those deeply influenced by the academy's teachings were scrambling to disavow any connection to Xiao Wu.
But the newcomers who had enrolled just over a month ago saw things differently.
Nami and Zhu Zhuqing weren't particularly close to Xiao Wu, but that was simply due to lack of familiarity. Their integrity wouldn't allow them to kick someone when they were down, so they merely watched coldly as the others spoke.
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze, especially when it landed on Dai Mubai and the others, carried a trace of self-mockery and regret.
Is there really any point in staying at this academy?
Aside from these two, there was Kizuki, who had been dragged aside by the others. He had been pretending to be a mild-mannered, good-natured person to blend into Shrek Academy.
But after hearing Dugu Bo's revelation, Kizuki had no intention of giving up on hunting Xiao Wu for her Spirit Ring.
Having arrived in this world not long ago and lacking detailed knowledge about the Spirit Master world, Kizuki had no concrete understanding of Wu Tong's identity or strength.
In his eyes, since Wu Tong was called a "wise man," he must be a weakling who couldn't even lift a chicken—hardly a threat. Kizuki didn't take him seriously at all.
As for Kizuki's principle of not killing women?
He'd simply say: "That's right! I'm not breaking my rule—Xiao Wu isn't human."
If Wu Tong knew about this, he'd probably sigh and mutter, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
And it was precisely this misplaced confidence that now gleamed unmistakably in Kizuki's eyes.
Though he hadn't been in this world for long, a few months were enough for him to learn the basics about Spirit Masters. A 100,000-year Spirit Beast—the ultimate dream for any Spirit Master—wasn't something he'd let slip away.
A 100,000-year Spirit Ring and Spirit Bone represented immense power, and for someone like Kizuki, who craved strength above all else, this was an opportunity too rare to pass up.
As for the risk of his body exploding if he couldn't absorb the Spirit Ring?
Kizuki would laugh it off. "What demon fears physical destruction? As long as my head isn't cut off with a Nichirin Blade, I won't die."
Strictly speaking, the only true weakness of demons was the power of the sun.
Even Nichirin Blades wouldn't faze them unless forged with Scarlet Ore, which contained traces of solar energy.
Now, after arriving in this world and gaining new powers, Kizuki felt he had evolved beyond his former limitations.
He no longer feared sunlight. In his mind, he had become the perfect being that even Kibutsuji Muzan had once dreamed of becoming.
With this power, he believed he could snatch the prize right from under Wu Tong's nose.
Sure, he might not be able to defeat everyone here, but they couldn't kill him either. If he could just seize an opening, this opportunity might very well fall into his hands.
Having hunted Spirit Beasts before, Kizuki knew one thing for certain: a Spirit Ring could only be absorbed by its killer.
In other words, if he killed Xiao Wu, her Spirit Ring would be his alone.
All he needed to do was escape with the Spirit Ring, and he was confident his monstrous regenerative abilities would allow him to forcibly absorb it.
After reviewing his plan and finding it flawless, Kizuki decided it was time to drop the act.
Since enrolling, he had hidden his true nature, playing the role of a harmless, friendly student to gather information.
But as the saying goes, "Play the pig long enough, and you might become one."
Honestly, after pretending to be a good guy for so long, Kizuki felt he was losing touch with his real self.
"Heh heh heh… Sorry, Xiao Wu. I'll be taking that Spirit Ring of yours."
Lost in his thoughts, Kizuki failed to notice the look in Wu Tong's eyes—one brimming with amusement and disdain.
"Don't worry. You won't get the chance."
Wu Tong silently vowed this as he observed Kizuki's antics.
...
"Grandma, should we…?"
For a moment, greed clouded Meng Yiran's judgment, and she turned to Chao Tianxiang for guidance.
"No. This is Wu Tong's prey. We must not offend him."
Chao Tianxiang, however, remained clear-headed.
...
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(End of Chapter)