"No way." Xiao Wu and Oscar cried out in unison.
Tang San's duel with Tai Long was, after all, merely a conflict between two students within the academy. Though Tai Long had taken a beating, Tang San had still shown restraint—he hadn't inflicted any lasting injuries. His victory over Tai Nuo the previous day had also been followed by an immediate antidote. Although Tai Nuo had lost a great deal of face, there was no deep-seated enmity between them.
Tang San's mind stirred, and he turned to Xiao Wu beside him. "Xiao Wu, go find Vice-Principal Zhao Wuji. Xiao Ao, come on—let's go take a look."
Flandre and Liu Erlong had both gone with the Great Master and Dai Mubai to hunt Soul Beasts. With them gone, the affairs of the academy naturally fell to the former vice-principal of Shrek Academy—the Immovable Bright King Zhao Wuji, who was currently the strongest person on campus.
While it wasn't necessarily true that Soul Masters grew more powerful with age, judging from the Martial Soul passed down through Tai Long's family line, Tang San guessed that Tai Long's grandfather was very likely a formidable expert—possibly beyond level seventy. Facing a level-seventy opponent, he wouldn't stand a chance. This was something the teachers would need to handle. At the same time, Tang San wanted to see just what Tai Long's family intended. Were they truly targeting him specifically?
Xiao Wu hurried off. Tang San and Oscar, surrounded by a crowd of students, exited the dining hall and made their way swiftly toward the academy's main gate. Many students inside who hadn't finished breakfast abandoned their meals—watching the spectacle was far more important.
Outside the main gate of Shrek Academy, Tai Long and Tai Nuo each stood beside an elderly man. The old man's beard and hair were white, and his short locks stood erect atop his head like steel needles. His build appeared similar to that of the God of Strength Tai Nuo, but his gaze was far more profound. Standing there, he radiated an aura of authority that commanded respect without anger. One need only look at the reverence in the eyes of the father and son, Tai Long and Tai Nuo, when they gazed upon him to understand the position this elder held in their family.
"Grandpa, I'm begging you—please just go back. If this goes on, I won't be able to show my face at the academy anymore." Tai Long's face was a mask of bitter pleading as he implored his grandfather.
The old man standing between Tai Long and Tai Nuo was none other than his own grandfather, Tai Titan—the patriarch of the family.
Tai Titan stood with his hands clasped behind his back and cast a cold glance at his grandson. "Shut up." Just two words, and Tai Long was completely silenced.
Forget Tai Long—even Tai Nuo had no idea why the old man had insisted on coming to Shrek Academy with them today. After returning home the previous day, Tai Nuo hadn't dared hold anything back and recounted the whole affair. The result had been a slap across the face from Grandfather Tai Titan and the single word: "Embarrassing."
Early that morning, the father and son Tai Nuo and Tai Long, whose injuries from before hadn't fully healed, had been planning to sleep in—only to be dragged out of bed by the old man and brought straight to the academy. The patriarch hadn't said what he intended to do, but his thunderous demeanor had been enough to leave even Tai Nuo trembling with apprehension.
Tai Nuo knew his father all too well—the man did not have a gentle temperament, and his protective stubbornness surpassed even Tai Nuo's own. There was a very real chance he might do something impulsive. If it hadn't been for that temperament all those years ago, the family wouldn't have... At that thought, Tai Nuo couldn't help but sigh inwardly, silently praying that the old man wouldn't be too rash. After all, that Tang San was just a teenager—at least the old man wouldn't take him seriously, would he?
Just then, Tang San and Oscar emerged from the academy gates, surrounded by a throng of students.
The moment Tang San laid eyes on Grandfather Tai Titan, his heart clenched involuntarily. With his Purple Extreme Demon Eye elevated to the Mustard Seed realm, he could perceive far more than surface appearances. At a single glance, he could tell that this old man was even more formidable than he had imagined. Though the old man stood alone, his presence was like an immovable mountain—towering and unshakable.
"Which one of you is Tang San?" Tai Titan asked mildly. Though his voice carried a hint of age, it had a resonant, metallic quality. Each powerful syllable seemed to send vibrations rippling through the surrounding air.
"That would be me." Tang San stepped forward at a measured pace, simultaneously raising the Soul Power within his body to its optimal state, ready to respond at any moment.
"So it was you who injured my son and grandson yesterday?" Tai Titan asked, his tone still calm.
Tang San gave a single nod. "It was." He saw no need for lengthy explanations. When a Soul Master of such overwhelming power came looking for you over something like this, further words were meaningless.
"Good." Tai Titan's eyes suddenly blazed with light, and an incomparable wave of force erupted from his body in an instant. Tai Nuo and Tai Long, standing at his sides, were shoved backward four or five steps before they could steady themselves. Every Shrek Academy student present, Tang San and Oscar included, collectively retreated a single step. In that split second, the air itself grew thick and viscous.