Dai Mubai lay like a corpse on the wooden door-plank, his eyes hollow and vacant, looking as though he had lost his very soul.
"Mubai!" Seeing the academy's "God of Wealth" reduced to such a state, Flender felt a surge of uncontrollable killing intent boiling in his chest.
The pressure of a Soul Saint was overbearing. His uncontrolled power poured out like a tide, pinning several laborers firmly to the ground until even breathing became a struggle.
"Explain yourselves!"
Flender suppressed his fury, ultimately refraining from dealing a killing blow. Without knowing the cause and effect, he had to uncover the truth first. As he retracted his soul power slightly, his icy gaze pinned the men down like a blade.
"Lord Spirit Master—we, we are just laborers ordered to bring this lord back—"
The laborers' legs shook like sieves. They barely managed to finish their sentence before tremblingly handing over a letter left by Zhao Liuyun.
The handwriting was vigorous and sharp, exuding a sense of wild arrogance.
Flender took the paper and began to read. Taking advantage of this gap, the laborers scrambled away as fast as they could. Flender knew they were fleeing but had no heart to pursue them; his gaze had frozen the moment he saw the letter.
"Senior Flender, this matter was done entirely by me, Zhao Liuyun!"
What a fellow—he actually dared to take credit for it proactively? Did he really think that old geezer Shi Nian could protect him?
Flender forced down the fire in his heart, suppressing the urge to tear the paper to shreds, and continued reading.
"Given your cultivation as a Soul Saint, I shall tentatively call you 'Senior'!"
"But the students you have taught are each more pathetic than the last!"
"I still remember back in the Star Dou Spirit Hunting Town, that little fatty was consumed by lust and lecherous intent—the blonde tiger was base in character, launching a sneak attack to my face—"
"From this, it can be seen that their teacher is likely no saint either!"
Flender was choked with rage, his face turning a shade of iron-blue.
With a mocking tone, Zhao Liuyun detailed the process of Dai Mubai's four provocations. He did this not to seek repentance from them, but simply for his own peace of mind.
At the end, he even attached his background.
"Merely a trash prince from Star Luo, how dare he repeatedly initiate trouble?"
"This isn't over yet!"
"I have already joined the sect of the Jade Phosphor Douluo, Dugu Bo. The fierce name of 'Poison' shakes the continent; he has decimated many clans and families. I hope you conduct yourself well and do not go looking for trouble!"
The final sentence was clearly a lecture delivered from a superior position.
It was the confidence given by Dugu Bo.
Sheer self-assurance!
"The Poison Douluo's disciple!"
The killing intent in Flender's eyes vanished instantly, and he stood frozen as if struck by lightning.
He had originally thought the boy was merely from the Ye family and had wondered why a family of Support-system Spirit Masters, usually so low-key, would act this way. Who could have guessed he was actually the disciple of that old poison freak, Dugu Bo?
No one dared to falsely claim Dugu Bo's name.
In the world of Spirit Masters, strength was respected. While the Spirit Hall forbade large-scale slaughter, the dignity of a Title Douluo was never to be provoked. The last family that tried it now had grass on their graves taller than a man!
Flender gazed deeply at the vacant, blinking Dai Mubai, a sense of helplessness welling up in his heart.
He understood better than anyone the danger represented by the title of "Poison." Even if the former Golden Iron Triangle were to reunite and perform their Trinity Spirit Fusion, they would only barely be able to contend with a Title Douluo; victory was an absolute impossibility.
Moreover, he was currently alone. Was he supposed to count on Zhao Wuji and himself to fight a Title Douluo?
In the end, Flender could only let out a long, helpless sigh.
He was out of options; his network of connections did not reach the level of a Title Douluo.
Shrek Academy claimed to the outside world that one of their graduates had become the youngest Elder in Spirit Hall. They used this to recruit many talented Spirit Masters who were ignorant of the truth. But those outsiders didn't know—didn't he, as the Dean, know whether that was true or false?
For now, the only plan was to wait for this Star Luo Prince to recover and then let him find his own way to deal with it.
An unpleasant odor suddenly wafted into his nostrils, and Flender couldn't help but frown.
"Mubai? Mubai?"
He called out twice, but received no response. Flender calculated that he needed to find someone to clean Dai Mubai up first, then arrange for staff to look after him.
The methods of a Mental-system Spirit Master were erratic and unpredictable, capable of striking directly at the mind and leaving deep trauma. This method was identical to Shi Nian's. But since the boy said it "wasn't over," then Dai Mubai's life was not in danger; he would recover eventually. After all, no one would waste their breath on a fool.
"Sigh... why did you have to do this? When I wasn't around, why did you feel the need to go looking for trouble?"
Flender raised a hand to rub his throbbing temples. In this moment, he forgot his own past admonition that "those who dare not stir up trouble are but mediocrities."
"Ding-ling!"
"Whoa—"
The crisp sound of a bell and the driver's shout to pull the horses echoed lazily before the gates of Nuoding City. The carriage slowed to a halt, undergoing an inspection by the gate guards.
From the roof of the carriage, a figure used the momentum to leap down lightly. His clothes fluttered as he landed as silently as a falling leaf. His expression was calm and his pace brisk; he treated the soldiers standing solemnly on either side of the gate as if they were nothing.
The soldiers ignored him, the peddlers ignored him, and even the horses couldn't see him. No one came to collect an entry fee, and no one knew of his arrival. It was as if he were walking through a virtual world that was incredibly close to reality.
"Finally made it—"
The newcomer was none other than Zhao Liuyun.
In order to steal the hundred-thousand-year soul bone of the Blue Silver Empress, he had deliberately stalled his soul power at the peak of Level 44. He had slipped out quietly under the pretext of a secluded meditation to break through his bottleneck.
A day ago, Zhao Liuyun had activated psychological invisibility and set off alone from Fasinuo City, heading straight for Nuoding City. Following the geographic maps in his mind, he chose the shortest mountain paths and wilderness trails, crossing mountains and rivers through the day and night.
Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track was exquisite, excelling at short-range shifts and maneuvers, allowing one to traverse forests as if walking on flat ground. As a movement technique, it also had the effect of lightening the body and reducing consumption.
Relying on "Adjustment Lv.2" to alleviate fatigue and supplemented by high-energy foods like whale glue to replenish physical strength, Zhao Liuyun ran faster than a horse.
As he neared civilization, he happened upon a carriage heading the same way and hitched a ride. Using the psychological invisibility he had learned from Shi Nian, he shielded himself with mental pollution.
The "Thief" moves without sound or trace, integrating "diminished presence" and "breath concealment" into one. In the eyes of the world, Zhao Liuyun was still in seclusion at the Ye family branch in Fasinuo City. Little did they know, he had already stepped silently into the gates of Nuoding City.
Today happened to be the graduation day for the sixth-year students.
To ensure he didn't miss it, while also minimizing the danger Tang Hao might pose, Zhao Liuyun had planned long ago. During his visit to see his teacher Bai Hong in Nuoding City three months prior, he had used "Hypnosis" to catch a few minor noble students in the academy.
They would host a banquet to see off Xiao Wu and Tang San after the ceremony ended. This social obligation would constrain the time of their departure. The ceremony was only in the morning, and since the two didn't need to hunt for souls immediately, the farewell banquet was at noon.
Tang San might leave in the afternoon, or he might leave tomorrow. How to judge?
An informant approached and reported in a low voice: "My Lord, the blue-clothed Spirit Master with the gem belt and the little beauty in pink with the long scorpion braid have already departed."
"On foot. They did not take a carriage."
Tang Hao might be hidden in the shadows. For the sake of safety, Zhao Liuyun would not go near Nuoding Academy at all. He had simply planted hypnotic suggestions in the local thugs and vagrants wandering the city, making them unconsciously keep an eye on the movements at Nuoding Academy.
Nuoding City was not too far from Suoto City, but it couldn't be called close either. The two were traveling on foot, moving slowly along the unknown path ahead. Considering potential bandits and the need to preserve stamina for emergencies, they could not possibly travel as purposefully or as fast as Zhao Liuyun.
Zhao Liuyun estimated their pace. He would only begin to move once they had reached the halfway point of their journey.
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