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*****
On the second day, persuaded by Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing decided to go and see Shrek Academy for herself.
She had a completely negative impression of Dai Mubai, but at this point, she felt as though she had no other path to take.
If Shrek Academy turned out to be a decent place, then staying there to improve her strength would be a viable option.
Of course, the most crucial factor was that Xiao Tian was also planning to go.
After they enrolled, she could find an opportunity to seek guidance from Xiao Tian. She was determined to become stronger!
At the same time, although it felt somewhat improper to think this way, she still held some reservations about Dai Mubai. Having been born into a ducal family, she was well aware of the messy nature of noble circles; it was impossible for powerful and influential men to be monogamous.
The primary reason Davis didn't have other women at the moment was that he was focusing his attention on their compatibility and the competition for the throne.
This was precisely what angered Zhu Zhuqing the most. She wasn't opposed to the idea of a man having multiple wives and concubines, as she knew such things were unavoidable in her world.
But for Dai Mubai to be so debauched during the royal selection period—did this not signify that he had already given up?
Davis, on the other hand, likely understood this well. Although his current strength surpassed Dai Mubai's, he always maintained an attitude of outward contempt while inwardly taking him seriously. This was evident from the fact that he had not yet taken any concubines and did not indulge in excessive revelry.
Naturally, this was a conclusion Zhu Zhuqing had drawn from her own observations and what she had heard. That was why she had been so frigid when she saw Dai Mubai and the pair of twins beside him.
Yet, she was currently helpless. With her present strength, she couldn't possibly confront Davis and Zhu Zhuyun alone, so she could only pin her hopes on Dai Mubai.
Considering his current strength, although he couldn't defeat Xiao Tian, he was at least at the thirty-eighth level. As long as he trained diligently from now on, perhaps they could close the gap between themselves and Davis. It wasn't as if they had no chance of winning.
(Zhu Zhuqing having such a mentality at this point is quite reasonable, right? It's impossible for her to completely kill Dai Mubai's chances just because of a fleeting curiosity; it's a gradual process.)
Following Yu Xiaogang's lead, Xiao Tian and the rest of the group gradually walked out of Suotuo City and arrived at a nearby village.
"Grandmaster, are you certain Shrek Academy is located here?"
Xiao Wu furrowed her brows and spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction.
Yu Xiaogang had promised that Shrek Academy would not disappoint them, but what was the deal with this environment?
This place looked even worse than Nuoding Academy. At least Nuoding Academy was still within a city; this is practically the suburbs outside the city walls. Besides seeing a few villagers, there seems to be nothing else here.
Yu Xiaogang, however, maintained a confident expression as he explained, "Xiao Wu, haven't you ever heard that some of the most formidable experts prefer places with fewer people?"
Xiao Wu didn't grasp Yu Xiaogang's underlying meaning, but Xiao Tian and Tang San certainly did.
Tang San was somewhat curious about this, whereas Xiao Tian simply gave a disdainful smile.
The meaning Yu Xiaogang was trying to convey was simply that Shrek Academy was undisturbed by worldly affairs, a so-called reclusive academy, and that all the teachers within were hidden masters.
Xiao Tian truly wanted to laugh.
"Oh? So, according to your meaning, Grandmaster, the teachers at this Shrek Academy are all exceptionally powerful? Can I take that to mean that while the strongest person on the surface is Dean Flender, a Spirit Sage, there is actually a Titled Douluo powerhouse within its hidden depths? Otherwise, what would even qualify them as powerful experts? According to the information you previously provided, Grandmaster, Titled Douluos are exceedingly rare on the continent. I suppose it must be just as you say; unless absolutely necessary, they would much rather focus on their training to advance toward higher realms."
As soon as Xiao Wu heard Xiao Tian mention the words "Titled Douluo," her body instantly stiffened.
Xiao Tian calmly took Xiao Wu's small hand, squeezing it gently to signal her not to panic.
However, this intimate gesture was noticed by both Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing, and a flicker of emotion appeared in both their eyes.
Tang San also turned a curious gaze toward Yu Xiaogang. Could there really be a Titled Douluo expert at Shrek Academy?
Yu Xiaogang's expression froze. But seeing everyone's eyes gathered on him, he could only brace himself and say, "There is! But you won't be able to meet him. He is not usually at the academy. He only returns if the academy encounters danger."
Hearing Yu Xiaogang confirm that Shrek Academy truly had a Titled Douluo, her face turned pale, and her body unconsciously moved closer to Xiao Tian, trembling slightly.
Even Xiao Tian hadn't expected Yu Xiaogang to be so shameless. Since when did Shrek Academy have a Titled Douluo? Could this dilapidated academy even afford to support one?
"Wow, Grandmaster, so what is this Titled Douluo's title? Can you tell us?" Xiao Tian asked directly.
He was eager to see which title Yu Xiaogang would come up with.
Simultaneously, he slowly infused a gentle stream of his spirit power into Xiao Wu's body to soothe her, and he sent a telepathic message telling her to trust him and not to worry about her identity being exposed.
This was not a good time to tell Xiao Wu that her identity had already been exposed right under Tang Hao's nose. It would be better to tell her after Tang Hao had left.
Yu Xiaogang felt that this group of people was not so easy to fool. He suddenly recalled Tang Hao's abrupt appearance before him several years ago.
Now, he was Tang San's teacher, Tang Hao was Tang San's father, and they were all about to join Shrek.
Therefore, didn't that make Tang Hao a member of Shrek Academy? The equation worked out perfectly!
Once Yu Xiaogang figured this out, his eyes lit up instantly!
However, upon thinking of Tang Hao's current status, he immediately adopted a serious tone and said, "His identity is special. Your current power levels are too low for me to tell you. This is because his appearance alone would cause a massive sensation across the entire continent. The only thing I can say is that he is incredibly strong, so much so that even the two Titled Douluos of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School are not his match!"
Yu Xiaogang thought to himself: Your Majesty Tang Hao, if you are nearby right now, please do not blame me for this!
At this point, Xiao Tian finally knew who Yu Xiaogang was talking about. Wasn't it Tang Hao? What a clever scheme this was. He wondered if Tang Hao was listening in right now, hahaha.
Hidden in the shadows, the corner of Tang Hao's mouth twitched slightly. He had the sudden urge to smash Yu Xiaogang to death with a single hammer strike, but remembering that he was Tang San's teacher, he restrained himself.
The others were quite astonished. Someone who was no weaker than the two Titled Douluos from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School—who could that possibly be?
Tang San, however, was lost in thought, racking his brain. Very few individuals matched that description, and none of them seemed to have any connection to Shrek Academy. He was instantly filled with doubt, yet seeing his teacher's confident expression, he couldn't bring himself to believe that his teacher would deceive him.
(End of Chapter)