Li Si took the map with a puzzled expression.
Was Tang Hao so afraid he'd spill the beans in front of Ah Yin that he was rushing him away this blatantly?
"Hmph, you might dodge the first, but can you dodge the fifteenth?" Li Si muttered inwardly, his lips curling in disdain.
Wait a second, something wasn't adding up.
"Old man, if you wanted me to have this map and find my own way, why didn't you give it to me when I left last time?"
Tang Hao waved dismissively.
"Forgot."
Li Si: "..."
The two locked eyes for a long moment. Tang Hao clearly had no intention of letting Li Si meet Ah Yin. From his expression, it seemed he couldn't wait to see Li Si leave.
"Let's go, Xiao Wu," Li Si said at last.
"Ah?"
Xiao Wu blinked in confusion. She hadn't said a word throughout the entire exchange and found the dynamic between these two utterly baffling.
"Goodbye, Uncle!"
"Hmm, goodbye."
As Li Si and Xiao Wu left the Sunset Forest, Xiao Wu couldn't help but ask.
"Li Si, that man's your father, right? Why is your relationship so… strange?"
"You've seen what I was like when I was younger. He wasn't exactly the model father. He's just scared I'll tell Mom about it."
"What's your uncle's strength?"
"Titled Douluo. You already guessed, didn't you?"
"Oh, right…"
As Li Si and Xiao Wu made their way to the Blue Silver Forest, elsewhere in the Douluo Dalu (Anime) Universe, the qualifiers for the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament were nearing their end. Only two days of matches remained.
The second-place qualifier had already been decided without needing a draw.
"Today's opponent is Godwind Academy. Tomorrow's is Thunderclap Academy."
"We don't even need to participate in these two matches. We've already secured a spot in the advancement round."
Currently, the points leaderboard stood as follows:
Shrek Academy: 25 points (undefeated).Godwind Academy: 24 points (lost to Blazing Academy).Thunderclap Academy: 24 points (lost to Godwind Academy).Tianshui Academy: 22 points (lost to Shrek, Godwind, and Thunderclap Academies).Blazing Academy: 22 points (lost to Shrek, Thunderclap, and Tianshui Academies).
With a total of 27 matches, Shrek Academy's 25 points ensured their top position, even if they skipped the last two matches.
Both Tianshui and Blazing Academies could only achieve 24 points at best, even if they won all their remaining matches.
Thus, Shrek Academy had already secured their ticket to the advancement round.
When Flender announced this, Dai Mubai and the others showed no particular reaction, but Tang San immediately felt uneasy.
"We can clearly take first place. Why settle for second or third?"
"Dean, even second place is still a loss!"
"We can't abandon any match just because we've qualified!"
"Have you forgotten your dream? Winning the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament championship and making Shrek Academy shine!"
"We should take first place in the qualifiers, first place in the advancement rounds, and then the championship in the finals! Only then will the world remember Shrek Academy!"
"If we withdraw from the matches, people will think we're afraid of Godwind Academy or Thunderclap Academy."
"Dean, please reconsider!"
Tang San's words left everyone in silence. Although many disliked Tang San, his reasoning sounded convincing.
But was it really about Shrek's glory?
In truth, Tang San's motive was self-serving. He wanted to leave his mark on the Douluo Continent, leveraging the Haotian Clan's reputation to create his own sect—the Tang Sect of another world.
However, his plans had already hit a snag. By killing Tai Long and Tai Nuo, he had alienated the loyal Titan and the Four Single Attribute Clans, who had no intention of supporting him.
Even though Bai He, Tang San's great-uncle, might have wished to help, he couldn't drag the other clans into it. Only Titan, as a staunch follower of Tang Hao, would have unconditionally recruited allies for Tang San.
Back on the Shrek Academy training field, Flender fell into deep thought after Tang San's speech.
After a moment, he said, "Tang San, your suggestion has merit. If no one has objections, we'll proceed with the next two matches as planned."
The others merely shrugged—they didn't mind either way. If they could rest for two days, that would've been ideal.
Seeing no opposition, Flender activated his martial spirit and disappeared with a flash.
As a Rank 80 agility-type Spirit Douluo, Flender's speed was among the fastest on the continent.
Zhao Wuji, watching Flender's retreat, scowled in annoyance.
Flender could run off with ease, but now he had to take the students to the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena himself.
Still, there was a silver lining. The public's perception of him as the leading teacher of Shrek Academy had grown stronger than their recognition of Flender as its dean.
Over the past half month, Liu Erlong had been conspicuously absent, leaving Zhao Wuji to handle the team entirely on his own. Although she still held the title of vice dean, she had focused solely on her cultivation, letting go of all other responsibilities.
While this should have been a good thing, Zhao Wuji felt increasingly burdened by the workload.
Shrek Academy was founded by Liu Erlong, with Flender as its dean. Liu Erlong didn't care about management, and Flender barely bothered. This left Zhao Wuji—the salaried vice dean—as the de facto decision-maker!
He barely had any time to train anymore.
"If I don't start focusing on my cultivation after the tournament, I'll never reach Titled Douluo! Flender can manage his academy however he wants!" Zhao Wuji vowed silently.
The qualifiers were nearing their conclusion, but the audience's enthusiasm was only growing.
The upcoming matches promised intense battles between the top three teams.
Shrek Academy would face both Godwind Academy and Thunderclap Academy.Godwind and Thunderclap Academies were tied on points, but Godwind's victory over Thunderclap placed them higher in the rankings.Similarly, Blazing Academy and Tianshui Academy were tied, but Tianshui's win over Blazing placed them higher.
At that moment, Feng Xiaotian, wearing his mask, approached the Shrek team.
"Feng Xiaotian, shouldn't you be preparing for the matches? What brings you here now?"
"Relax, I just came to discuss something with Brother Dai…"
(Chapter Ends)