Chapter 126: Tang San: I Killed the Soul Beast With My Own Ability. Where Was I Wrong?
Dragon Duke Meng Shu's gaze suddenly swept toward Lin Qingmo.
The old man's eyes lingered on Lin Qingmo for several seconds, a hint of surprise flashing across them.
'So this is the twelve-year-old Soul Ancestor the old lady mentioned?'
He truly carried himself with an extraordinary presence.
Just standing there, he naturally emitted an aura that made it impossible for others to ignore him.
However, now was not the time to focus on that. Meng Yiran's third soul ring was a matter of importance.
Dragon Duke withdrew his gaze and looked back at Zhao Wuji.
"Zhao Wuji."
Each word he spoke carried a heavy, oppressive weight.
"You must give us an explanation for this matter."
"I chased that Man-Faced Demon Spider for quite a long time. I was just about to capture it, yet your student picked up the reward without doing the work."
"The soul ring has already been absorbed, so it can't be returned. But someone must still bear this loss."
"This…"
Cold sweat began forming on Zhao Wuji's back.
Previously, when only the Serpent Lady was present, he could still rely on his strength as a Soul Saint to hold his ground.
But now Dragon Duke has arrived. This was a genuine Soul Douluo. Moreover, when Dragon Duke and the Serpent Lady used their martial soul fusion skill, even ordinary Titled Douluo could barely contend with them.
What could he use to fight them? His head?
In his heart, he had already cursed Tang San, that troublemaker, several hundred times.
Zhao Wuji took a deep breath, trying his best to make his expression appear respectful.
"Senior Dragon Duke, Senior Serpent Lady, this matter is indeed due to my student's negligence."
"Teacher Zhao, I…"
"Tang San!"
Zhao Wuji barked sharply and shot Tang San a glare that clearly meant, "Shut your damn mouth."
Then he carefully continued, "May I ask what compensation the seniors would like? As long as Shrek Academy is capable of doing it, we will certainly do our best to satisfy your request."
His words were already extremely polite.
But Tang San refused to accept it.
"I didn't do anything wrong!"
He lifted his chin stubbornly, his voice rising loudly.
"That Man-Faced Demon Spider was killed by my own ability, and I absorbed the soul ring myself. Why should I compensate you?"
Zhao Wuji's face turned green.
He wished he could slap this brat straight into the dirt.
Can't you see the situation right now?
The Soul Douluo-level expert is standing right in front of you, and you, a mere rank thirty soul elder, are still running your mouth here. Are you tired of living?
"Tang San!"
Zhao Wuji squeezed the words out through clenched teeth.
"Shut up!"
Dragon Duke Meng Shu's expression had already darkened.
The imposing aura surrounding the old man suddenly erupted, and the surrounding air grew heavy.
"What a sharp-tongued brat."
He spoke word by word.
"If I hadn't already severely wounded that Man-Faced Demon Spider, do you really think your insignificant cultivation could have killed it?"
Pressure like a mountain descended toward Tang San.
"Ugh!"
Tang San groaned, his face turning pale for a moment, but his back remained straight.
He refused to yield. Absolutely refused.
Zhao Wuji felt utterly miserable.
He quickly glanced at Lin Qingmo, then at Tang San, rapidly weighing the situation in his mind.
Fighting was impossible.
Running?
With so many students, they couldn't escape anyway.
That left only one option.
Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth and stepped forward.
"Senior Dragon Duke, please calm your anger."
He tried his best to sound sincere.
"My student is young and hot-blooded. His words were careless. How about this: whatever compensation the two seniors require, please feel free to say it."
At this point, he suddenly lowered his voice and transmitted a message through soul power.
"You two seniors may have heard of this student's father."
The words were deliberately vague.
But Dragon Duke Meng Shu's eyes narrowed.
Of course, he understood. Zhao Wuji was bringing out a backing.
A background powerful enough to make even a Soul Saint like Zhao Wuji so cautious, yet still compelled to protect it.
"Who is his father?"
Dragon Duke asked through voice transmission.
Zhao Wuji's expression grew serious as he replied in a deep voice.
"Tang Hao."
"!!!"
Dragon Duke's and the Serpent Lady's expressions changed drastically.
Clear Sky Douluo. Tang Hao!
That name had once shaken the entire soul master world!
The air fell silent for several seconds.
Dragon Duke stared at Zhao Wuji, then looked at the stubborn Tang San.
Finally, narrowing his eyes, he asked, "Boy, what is your martial soul?"
"Blue Silver Grass"
Tang San answered coldly.
"Hm?"
Dragon Duke was confused.
Tang Hao belonged to the Clear Sky Sect, whose martial soul was the world's number one weapon martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer.
If Tang San were his son, how could his martial soul possibly be the useless Blue Silver Grass?
At that moment, Zhao Wuji quickly transmitted another message.
"Xiao San has twin martial souls."
"What?!"
Dragon Duke was stunned.
The legendary twin martial souls!
Thinking rapidly, he realized it was indeed possible.
How could a useless martial soul like Blue Silver Grass cultivate to the Soul Elder rank? There was only one explanation: he possessed a second martial soul.
After considering this possibility, Dragon Duke restrained his hostility.
If the boy's father truly was Tang Hao, the Meng family could not afford to offend him.
Now he intended to follow the step down. At worst, he would simply spend more time helping Yiran search for another soul ring.
He stroked his beard and said, "Since Teacher Zhao has put it that way, then let us properly discuss how this compensation should be calculated."
His tone was still cold, but the oppressive pressure had relaxed slightly.
Zhao Wuji finally let out a breath of relief. At least negotiation was now possible.
He turned back and glared fiercely at Tang San, warning him with his eyes: If you dare say another word, I'll deal with you when we get back!
Tang San turned his face away and said nothing more.
Xiao Wu stood beside Lin Qingmo, watching the confrontation.
She quietly tugged at Lin Qingmo's sleeve.
"Ah Qing, what do you think will happen?"
Lin Qingmo shrugged.
"That depends on how Teacher Zhao negotiates. But…"
The corner of his mouth curved into a playful smile.
"Tang San has offended quite a few people this time."
During this soul hunt, Tang San had suffered quite a few losses, aside from obtaining his third thousand-year soul ring.
First, the Eight Spider Lances were gone. Second, his relationship with Oscar had deteriorated to the extreme.
Just as the atmosphere had grown so tense it nearly froze solid…
Lin Qingmo, who had already decided not to stay in the Star Dou Forest any longer, suddenly spoke.
"Senior Dragon Duke."
Everyone's gaze instantly turned toward him, including Tang San, who was still sulking.
Lin Qingmo raised his hand and pointed in a direction, his expression calm.
"About five kilometers in that direction, there's a nest of Phoenix Tail Crest Serpents. Their age should be around fifteen hundred years. The quality is decent. If you need it, you can go take a look."
As soon as those words were spoken, the scene fell silent for three seconds.
Zhao Wuji looked somewhat surprised.
Dragon Duke Meng Shu froze mid-motion while stroking his beard. The Serpent Lady Chao Tianxiang and Meng Yiran also stared at him blankly.
Phoenix Tail Crest Serpents?
And more than fifteen hundred years old?
What kind of joke was this?
The movements of such rare soul beasts had always been extremely mysterious. Even if one knew their approximate activity range, locating the exact nest still required luck.
Yet this kid spoke so confidently the moment he opened his mouth.
"Boy."
Dragon Duke narrowed his eyes, his gaze as sharp as blades as it scraped across Lin Qingmo's face.
"Are you certain about what you just said?"
His tone was filled with suspicion.
It wasn't strange for him to be doubtful.
Phoenix Tail Crest Serpents were top-tier agility-type soul beasts. Their speed was extremely fast, and their concealment abilities were strong.
Even hundred-year ones were hard to find, let alone thousand-year ones.
Even Zhao Wuji didn't know about such information. This youth was barely a teenager. How could he possibly know something like this?
End of Chapter