Shrek Academy, inside a dormitory temporarily serving as a sickroom.
Tang San lay on the bed, his face bruised and swollen, pale as paper, and his breathing weak.
At this moment, his entire body was tightly wrapped in thick white bandages, like a mummy painstakingly pieced back together after being broken.
Not far away, the healing Soul Master Jiang Zhu was fully channeling her Martial Soul, the Healing Scepter, emitting soft green light that continuously enveloped Tang San's body, repairing the broken Meridians, bones, and damaged internal organs within him.
A moment later, the green light gradually dissipated, and Jiang Zhu, exhausted, took a step back and wiped her sweat.
"Flender, how is Little San doing?"
Just then, the Master, who had been anxiously waiting by his side, immediately pushed his wheelchair forward and looked at Flender, asking anxiously.
Flender adjusted his crooked crystal glasses, his face filled with worry, and let out a heavy sigh: "Alas... his life is finally saved. Jiang Zhu has stabilized his injuries."
"But Little San's injuries this time are truly too severe. Many of his Meridians are broken, his internal organs are shaken, and he has lost too much blood, especially with his external Spirit Bone being destroyed and damaging his spine... To fully recover and return to a state where he can fight, I'm afraid... it will take at least half a month or more."
"Half a month?!"
Upon hearing this, the Master's face changed, and his voice suddenly rose, filled with despair: "But the schedule for the qualifiers is so packed. If we lose Little San, what will we do in our upcoming matches?! Forget about the later elimination rounds; we probably won't even qualify for the main competition!"
Thinking that Shrek Academy might not even make it out of the qualifiers.
The Master's face became extremely grim. Then, he slammed his fist on the armrest of his wheelchair with a dull thud, gritting his teeth and growling in a low voice:
"Tang Chuan! That bastard! That beast! He clearly wanted to ensure that Shrek Academy couldn't advance in the qualifiers, which is why he deliberately dealt such a vicious blow to Little San!"
"Such a person is utterly inhuman! Not at all like an older brother! If I, Yu Xiaogang, don't avenge this, I swear I am not a man!"
At the same time, outside, within the shadow of a large, leafy tree canopy.
A burly figure, almost merged with the night, was silently lurking there.
This person was Tang Hao!
His sharp, eagle-like gaze pierced through layers of obstruction, fixed intently on Tang San, who was wrapped in bandages and barely breathing on the bed.
Although not close, with Tang Hao's Cultivation, the conversations and scenes in the room could be clearly heard and seen by him.
When he heard the Master's pained and angry accusations.
Tang Hao's fists suddenly clenched, his knuckles creaking eerily from the excessive force, and an extremely suppressed, violent aura uncontrollably spread from him, startling the roosting night birds into fluttering away.
"This beast! To lay such a vicious hand on his own younger brother!"
"Now that the Death Spider Emperor's venom in my body has been mostly purged, no matter what, I must get justice for Little San this time."
"I don't believe those two Titled Douluo will always be by your side."
As his words fell.
His figure suddenly flickered, not stirring the slightest breeze, and he vanished silently into the dense shadows of the trees, as if he had never appeared... Tianxing Academy, inside a secluded courtyard room.
The moonlight, like water, streamed in through the window lattice.
A blue-clad youth sat quietly on the bed, his hands forming a seal, his breathing calm and prolonged, with subtle energy fluctuations circulating around him, clearly in a state of Cultivation.
Suddenly, a soft yet clear knock on the door broke the night's tranquility.
"Please come in."
Slowly opening his eyes, a glint of light faded from Tang Chuan's pupils, and he said in a low voice.
"Creak—"
The door was gently pushed open, and a graceful golden figure stepped inside.
In the cold moonlight, her golden hair seemed to glow, her face was exquisitely beautiful, and her noble temperament carried a hint of unapproachable coldness. It was Qian Renxue.
"Oh, it's Little Xue." Seeing the visitor, Tang Chuan's face showed a perfectly timed hint of surprise, then he spoke in a calm tone.
Immediately after, he asked casually:
"Didn't your brother say he wanted you to join us in this Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament? But I didn't see you at the arena or in the Academy today?"
Hearing this, Qian Renxue didn't answer immediately. Instead, she walked to the table, gracefully sat down on a chair, her eyes flickered slightly, and she explained naturally:
"I... I had some private matters recently and went out for a trip. Just now, I returned to Heaven Dou City, and I immediately rushed back to the Academy."
Tang Chuan merely gave a faint 'oh'.
No particular emotion showed on his face, but his heart was clear.
This woman had clearly been impersonating Crown Prince Xue Qinghe today.
Such an important occasion as the opening ceremony of the Pan-continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Competition, with Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire and Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School present, how could she dare to let someone else impersonate Xue Qinghe?
If the slightest flaw were exposed, her decades of lurking and planning would be for naught.
Her 'urgent private matters' were merely an excuse.
Slowly standing up from the bed, Tang Chuan stretched, then walked to the table, poured himself a glass of water, and looked calmly at Qian Renxue, saying earnestly:
"Little Xue, then you specifically came to find me so late, is there something you need?"
Hearing this, Qian Renxue slightly raised her chin, her unique golden eyes appearing exceptionally bright in the moonlight. She directly stated her purpose:
"I want to know how you're arranging the matches later, and when I'll be on stage?"
The hand holding the water cup paused slightly, and a perfectly timed look of surprise appeared on Tang Chuan's face as he murmured, "You on stage?"
He then seemed to remember something and asked in return:
"Oh, right, what is your current Soul Power Rank? The competition has reporting requirements."
Qian Renxue didn't answer directly. A barely perceptible sharpness and a hint of competitiveness flashed in her eyes, and her tone carried a touch of arrogance and a subtle hint of rivalry.
"Anyway, I won't be weaker than that Xiao Rui'er by your side."
Tang Chuan merely gave another faint 'oh', stating calmly, "Ruier's Soul Power Rank officially broke through to Rank fifty a few days ago. I wonder about you..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Qian Renxue, as if provoked, abruptly interrupted him, her voice rising several decibels, with a challenging tone:
"You don't need to know my Rank. If you don't believe me, let her fight me! Let's see who's stronger, who's more qualified to be on stage for critical matches!"
Upon hearing this, a subtle glint flashed in Tang Chuan's eyes.
He was actually quite curious deep down.
What Realm had Qian Renxue's strength reached now?
After all, if this Innate Rank twenty Soul Power Genius hadn't spent so much energy on lurking and disguise over the past decades, how could she have lost to Tang San in the original story?
Thinking of this, Tang Chuan put down his water cup, a seemingly easygoing smile appearing on his face, and waved his hand, saying, "Forget it, it's so late, there's no need to specially disturb Ruier."
At this point, he changed the subject, his gaze suddenly turning to Qian Renxue.
"How about... I spar with you?"
"Let me see how confident you truly are."
Hearing this, an almost imperceptible gleam also flickered in Qian Renxue's beautiful eyes. She seemed to have been waiting for this very sentence, then her lips curved slightly upwards, and she nodded.
"Alright."
As she spoke, she stood up, glanced around the not-so-spacious room, and said softly, "However, there's not enough room to move freely here. It wouldn't be good if we broke something."
"How about we go to the small forest outside the Academy?"
Clearly, she not only wanted to display her strength.
She also wanted to use this opportunity to personally gauge the depth of Tang Chuan's current strength.
There were too many things about this mysterious man that she couldn't see through.
"Alright, then let's go outside now." Tang Chuan naturally knew her intentions, but he also had his own goals, so he readily nodded.
The two, having reached a tacit understanding, said no more. Their figures moved, like two wisps of light smoke merging into the night, silently leaving the room.
Soon.
They left the grounds of Tianxing Academy.
At the same time, a burly figure, almost completely merged with the darkness, suddenly emerged silently from the shadows nearby.
"Hmph, unfilial son."
"I see you're just jealous of Little San's twin spirits, afraid that Little San will surpass you in the future, which is why you want to use the competition as an opportunity to cripple Little San."
"Later, I'll let you experience the taste of abuse too!"
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