"Hmph!"
Tang Hao's anger flared when Tang San addressed him by his full name, further intensifying his humiliation. His fury boiled over.
With a cold snort, Tang San was instantly knocked unconscious.
Crack!
A sharp sound followed, the sound of bones cracking, and a soul bone with eight spider legs—the Eight Spider Spears—was extracted.
Tang San's aura immediately plummeted, as if his soul power had been punctured like a deflated balloon. Fortunately, Tang Hao acted swiftly, using his strength to suppress it.
However, despite his intervention, Tang San's soul power dropped below level 30, severely damaging his foundation.
"Hmph!" Tang Hao snorted again, his anger evident. He slightly shifted his aura, and in the next moment, the Eight Spider Spears, now wrapped in his power, shot toward Li Yu.
Qian Renxue and the others' expressions shifted, their eyes narrowing. Tang Hao's action was clearly motivated by pride and anger. He had lost face and now sought to use the "bone removal" as an opportunity to teach Li Yu a lesson.
But Dugu Bo wouldn't allow it.
His power surged in, effortlessly nullifying the force Tang Hao had applied to the Eight Spider Spears. Dugu Bo then placed the soul bone in front of Li Yu, a smile on his face.
"Thank you for the treasure, Your Majesty Haotian!" Dugu Bo spoke jovially, even addressing Tang Hao as "Your Majesty Haotian."
Tang Hao's mood darkened further.
"I, Tang Hao, will remember this!" he said coldly. He paused, as if realizing that his words were too harsh. He added, "But after all, this is a bet between juniors. The matter will be resolved by them."
His gaze turned toward Li Yu. "I hope that when you meet Little San again, you'll still be able to stand against him."
"Heh." Li Yu caught the Eight Spider Spears with ease and smiled, replying, "With this external soul bone assisting me, I believe it won't be a problem!"
She paused, her gaze hardening as she looked at Tang Hao's fading phantom. "I also look forward to our next meeting, Your Majesty!"
The crowd was stunned. Her words—was the first part meant to provoke Tang Hao?
But the second part? That was a direct challenge!
How could Li Yu dare to declare war on a Title Douluo like Tang Hao?
Such confidence, such boldness! The crowd was in awe.
"Good, good! I'll be sure to witness it then!" Dugu Bo laughed heartily, clearly enjoying Tang Hao's repeated losses in the verbal exchanges.
"Hmph, this junior is too arrogant!" Tang Hao muttered under his breath. His aura shifted once more, and with Tang San in tow, he began to leave.
At the same time, Yu Xiaogang's token was taken as well. It was clear—Tang Hao had no intention of allowing Tang San to return to Shrek Academy.
In his mind, the teachers at Shrek Academy were just as responsible for today's events.
But now, the priority was stabilizing Tang San's injuries. Everything else could wait.
Tang Hao, however, was also deep in thought.
When he first arrived, his focus had been on two individuals. One was Tang San, naturally. The other was Xiao Wu.
Tang Hao had seen Xiao Wu before and knew of her soul beast identity. He had kept it secret and had even been using methods to conceal her aura. But now, when he looked at her, he realized her soul beast aura had completely vanished. She now seemed like an ordinary human!
He couldn't comprehend it.
Initially, his plan had been to let Tang San go through the bone removal and put Xiao Wu in a position to willingly sacrifice herself to save him.
This would solve Tang San's crisis and, in the process, boost his soul power to level 40 or maybe even close to level 50. With his current age, that soul power, combined with two yellow, one purple, and one red soul ring, would significantly increase his talents.
But now, Xiao Wu's soul beast aura had disappeared.
Tang Hao was confused. Sword Douluo and Poison Douluo were nearby, and he couldn't afford to probe too deeply. He couldn't expose Xiao Wu's secret just yet.
This is why, when he left, he didn't take Xiao Wu with him.
Title Douluos had undergone countless trials, and their experience made them extremely perceptive. If Tang Hao had insisted on taking Xiao Wu, it would have aroused suspicion, especially with Sword Douluo and Poison Douluo present. At that point, Xiao Wu's true nature might have been revealed.
So, Tang Hao had acted with caution, taking only Tang San with him.
Though he couldn't detect Xiao Wu's true form, Tang Hao knew that no one else would be able to uncover her secret either. He could wait for the right moment to harvest the opportunity.
He left quickly, without hesitation.
In the Soul Battle Arena, when everyone saw Tang Hao leave with Tang San, leaving behind the external soul bone for Li Yu, there was a mixture of astonishment and envy. Everyone stared at the Eight Spider Spears in her hand, yearning for the treasure.
If it weren't for the presence of so many top-tier soul masters, many might have rushed forward to claim it.
This was a priceless treasure!
But for Dugu Bo, detoxifying was the priority.
And because of the favor Li Yu had shown him and Dugu Yan, Dugu Bo would never let greed take over.
Sensing the rising tension in the crowd, Dugu Bo immediately snorted coldly and casually addressed Li Yu. "Miss Li Yu, the external soul bone is rare and precious. Absorbing it may cause unforeseen complications. Thankfully, with so many top-tier soul masters present today, you should absorb it right away while we watch. There should be no accidents!"
He paused, casting a cold glance over the crowd. "What do you all think?"
"Of course."
Sword Douluo was the first to respond. Although he had no fear of Poison Douluo, as a member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he had to be cautious.
After Sword Douluo spoke, Meng Shenji, Ning Fengzhi, Xue Xing, and others also agreed to help in case anything went wrong. But they all understood that Dugu Bo's words were merely formalities.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Li Yu understood the underlying meaning in Dugu Bo's words and was deeply grateful.
She paused, but didn't immediately begin absorbing the soul bone. Instead, she said, "Your Majesty has been calling me Miss Li Yu, and it feels a bit awkward!"
"I'm quite close to Dugu Yan. If you don't mind, you may call me Xiao Li... cough, cough, Xiao Yu from now on!"
"Haha, I've been too formal!" Dugu Bo laughed heartily, clearly pleased.
If he could have a granddaughter with Li Yu's immense talent, how could he not be happy?
Of course, he wasn't sure if Li Yu was implying that, so he tentatively said, "Then, I'll call you Xiao Yu from now on!"
"Good!"
Dugu Yan's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Li Yu smiled and then said, "Also, it seems everyone here is quite interested in my soul rings!"
"Since both my husband and Poison Douluo are present, feel free to ask if anyone's curious!"
With that, Li Yu sat down cross-legged, injecting her soul power into the Eight Spider Spears and began absorbing it!
The crowd stared, their expressions a mix of surprise and awe.
Is this even possible?
The people from Shrek Academy, especially Yu Xiaogang, appeared deeply unsettled.
Damn, it looks like we've been outplayed!