Chapter 171: Ye Hao is Ye Ritian?

"Teacher!"

"Xiaogang!"

Under the shouts of Flender and Tang San, Yu Xiaogang was forcibly taken away by two Temple Knights right before their eyes.

At first, the Grandmaster refused to comply no matter what. He firmly believed he was innocent, convinced that this was all a scheme orchestrated by Ye Hao and Salas to disgust and dismantle Shrek Academy.

But in the face of overwhelming force, Yu Xiaogang's face turned ashen as he was dragged away. His legs kicked frantically—his final act of defiance.

"Injustice! This is injustice! I am innocent!"

Watching Yu Xiaogang being taken away, Salas couldn't help but sneer, "A self-righteous fool who even dares to steal the Pope's Decree and impersonate a Spirit Hall elder—he truly has no regard for his own life."

"Lord Ning, I'll be taking him now. A thief like this must be interrogated personally by me."

With that, Salas let out a cold snort and cast a disdainful glance at Tang San and Flender, who were still kneeling on the ground, struggling in vain. He had nothing but contempt for them.

As Salas departed, the chaotic scene finally came to an end.

Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly and turned to Ye Hao, saying, "Ye Hao, Sword Douluo and I will be taking our leave. Now that the truth behind Canghui Academy's incident has been revealed, I must return to the palace and report to His Majesty."

Ye Hao nodded and smiled. "Sect Master Ning, Your Eminence Sword Douluo, safe travels."

After Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo left, Ye Hao chose not to stay any longer. Remaining here while being glared at by two infuriating people did little to improve his mood.

"Ye Hao, I will never forgive you in this lifetime!" Tang San struggled to his feet, his gaze venomous.

Ye Hao remained indifferent. He glanced at Tang San and chuckled, "Yu Xiaogang brought this upon himself. Since he dared to take out the Pope's Decree, he should have been prepared for the consequences of being interrogated."

"Elder Yu?"

"Heh…" Ye Hao let out a cold laugh. "He's not even worthy of that title."

Flender choked with emotion. "Ye Hao, what do you even gain from doing this? Xiaogang only had Shrek Academy's best interests at heart. That Pope's Decree was given to him by Tang Hao—he didn't steal it. If anything happens to him, even if it costs me my life, I will make sure you pay for it!"

Ye Hao scoffed disdainfully. "Make me pay? Flender, you're not even qualified."

"What did you say?!" Flender suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure crushing down on him. His body trembled, and he slowly sank to his knees.

A Title Douluo with a hundred-thousand-year soul ring—such a presence was too much for a mere Soul Sage like him. Before Ye Hao, he was nothing more than an ant.

"Ye Hao, what exactly do you want?" Tang San gritted his teeth.

"What do I want?" Ye Hao smiled faintly. "I don't want anything. Yu Xiaogang was flaunting the Pope's Decree, even publicly claiming to be a Spirit Hall elder. Don't pretend you didn't witness what just happened. Any soul master would understand the significance of the Pope's Decree to the Spirit Hall."

"Don't challenge the rules of this world with your ignorance. Yu Xiaogang brought this upon himself. He has no one to blame but himself."

With those words, Ye Hao turned and left with Zhu'er without looking back.

After Ye Hao and Zhu'er departed, Tang San weakly pounded the ground, his eyes brimming with tears.

To him, the Grandmaster was more than just a mentor—he was like a father.

"Dean, what should we do?" Tang San looked at Flender helplessly, completely lost.

Flender sat paralyzed on the ground, cold sweat forming on his forehead.

"It's over… Xiaogang is finished."

"The Pope's Decree was indeed given to him by your father, Tang Hao, to avoid unnecessary trouble. But now, Xiaogang used it in this situation, giving Ye Hao the perfect excuse to act against him."

"As of now… Xiaogang's chances of survival are slim to none. The Spirit Hall is ruthless—anyone who falls into their hands rarely makes it out alive."

Flender seemed to have aged more than ten years in an instant. His mind was in turmoil, unable to find a way out of this situation.

"Xiao San, where are you going?!" Flender called out, trying to stop him.

"I'm going to kill Ye Hao!" Tang San roared, his fury uncontrollable.

At this point, he could no longer tolerate Ye Hao's actions.

Regardless of who Ye Hao was, Tang San had made up his mind—he would kill him.

Ye Hao had already sealed his fate!

"Stop right there!" Flender barked.

"Xiao San, you're walking to your own death! Didn't you see? Ye Hao is protected by a Title Douluo. If you go alone, you'll be killed instantly. Besides, the tournament strictly forbids killing—do you want to drag all of Shrek Academy down with you?"

Despite Flender's repeated warnings, Tang San was deaf to reason. His only focus was to rescue his teacher and personally take his revenge.

"And what about Ye Hao?!" Tang San gritted his teeth. "He conspired with Salas to have my teacher taken away! Is that within the tournament's rules?"

"Tang San, you need to face reality," Flender sighed heavily. "This tournament is co-hosted by the Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou Empire, and the Star Luo Empire. Just like how Ye Hao suddenly joined the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team—he has the Heaven Dou Empire backing him. To him, handling something like this is effortless."

"More importantly, Xiaogang didn't provoke the Heaven Dou Empire—he provoked the Spirit Hall! The Pope's Decree is a privilege reserved exclusively for Spirit Hall elders. The reason your father had one was because it belonged to the Clear Sky Clan."

At that moment, Tang San's eyes lit up. "Dean, why don't we just expose the truth? That way, Teacher can be freed!"

Flender rolled his eyes in frustration. Does this kid learn nothing from his mistakes?

"Tang San, your Twin Martial Souls have already been exposed. I suspect the Spirit Hall will take action against you next. For now, let's return to the academy. We'll figure out how to deal with Xiaogang's situation later."

With that, Flender grabbed Tang San and started heading back to the academy. No matter what, he wouldn't let Tang San do anything reckless.

"Dean… what if—I'm just saying, what if—"

Tang San hesitated before asking, "What if Ye Hao… does something to Teacher?"

"There is no 'what if'!" Flender suddenly roared, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Xiaogang is tough! He has survived so many hardships before—this is nothing! Stop saying such nonsense, understood?!"

Flender's sudden outburst caught Tang San off guard.

Right now, all Tang San could do was pray that the Grandmaster was safe.

Meanwhile, in the Heaven Dou City palace…

Prince Xue Xing stormed back to the Heaven Dou Palace, seething with rage. He was determined to have Emperor Xue Ye revoke Shrek Academy's qualification for the tournament.

"..."

"..."

"Royal Brother, how can an academy like this be allowed to participate in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament? If these people proceed to the finals at Spirit Hall, our Heaven Dou Imperial Family will become a laughingstock."

After hearing Prince Xue Xing's account, Emperor Xue Ye was enraged. Shrek Academy had indeed gone too far this time.

Just as Emperor Xue Ye was about to issue his order, Ning Fengzhi suddenly arrived.

"Your Majesty, the matter has already been thoroughly investigated."

"..."

"I see…" Emperor Xue Ye's eyes flickered with understanding as the truth became clear to him.

However, Ning Fengzhi did not reveal the secret of Tang San's twin martial souls, assuming that it would eventually come to light in the battles ahead.

From today's situation, it was evident that peace between Tang San and Ye Hao was impossible.

One was the son of Tang Hao.

The other was the young master of Spirit Hall.

This tournament was becoming increasingly intriguing.

Emperor Xue Ye nodded. "Sect Master Ning, your timing is perfect. Prince Xue Xing and I have decided to revoke Shrek Academy's qualification. Do you have anything to add?"

At this, Ning Fengzhi shook his head with a meaningful smile.

"Your Majesty, Shrek Academy cannot be withdrawn from the tournament just yet."

His words left both men puzzled.

Prince Xue Xing asked in confusion, "Sect Master Ning, what do you mean? You know exactly what kind of academy Shrek is. Do they deserve to compete in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament?"

Emperor Xue Ye was equally perplexed and gestured for Ning Fengzhi to elaborate.

"Your Majesty, Shrek Academy is currently in the limelight, and that student, Tang San, has already reached the Soul King level. With that, their chances of advancing to the finals are quite high."

Ning Fengzhi was a shrewd man, and Emperor Xue Ye pondered his words carefully.

"Sect Master Ning, please speak plainly." Emperor Xue Ye was eager to understand why an outsider like Ning Fengzhi would speak in defense of Shrek Academy despite their transgressions.

Ning Fengzhi smiled. "Your Majesty, as you may have heard, the rewards for this year's tournament are the highest in history."

"Soul bones… three soul bones," Emperor Xue Ye said.

"Exactly! Three soul bones. With the qualifiers more than halfway through, the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's second team has been performing outstandingly—especially Ye Hao, who is undoubtedly the key to their victory," Ning Fengzhi said with confidence.

"What does that have to do with Shrek Academy?" Prince Xue Xing was still puzzled.

"Prince, don't be so hasty." Ning Fengzhi chuckled. "Shrek Academy has been gaining momentum lately, and with a Soul King among their ranks, why not let them serve as a stepping stone for Heaven Dou Imperial Academy?"

"A stepping stone?" ×2

Both men spoke in unison.

"Yes, a stepping stone," Ning Fengzhi's eyes gleamed.

—

As Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo sat in their carriage after leaving the palace, the latter sighed.

"To think that Tang San is Tang Hao's son… A twin martial soul prodigy, yet what a waste," Sword Douluo said regretfully.

Ning Fengzhi gazed out of the carriage window toward Shrek Academy and signaled for the driver to stop.

"If my guess is correct, the Pope's Decree that Yu Xiaogang had was given to him by Tang Hao. And Tang Hao's decree was originally one that belonged to the Clear Sky Clan."

Sword Douluo thought for a moment. "So… Spirit Hall didn't capture the wrong person?"

"No," Ning Fengzhi smirked. "They got the right man."

"Why?"

"Just as Ye Hao said, Yu Xiaogang may have the Pope's Decree, but he is not an elder of Spirit Hall. Just that alone is reason enough for Spirit Hall to arrest him," Ning Fengzhi's eyes darkened.

"What surprised me most wasn't Tang San, but the girl beside Ye Hao. She looks no older than seventeen or eighteen, yet she possesses the Soul Devouring Spider Emperor martial soul and is a titled Douluo with a hundred-thousand-year soul ring."

Ning Fengzhi sighed. "Spirit Hall is growing stronger by the day. After this tournament, who knows what storms will rise across the continent?"

With that, he lifted the curtain of the carriage as it rolled off into the distance.

—

Deep within the pitch-dark dungeon, a sinister and eerie atmosphere filled the air. The flickering torches cast ghostly shadows, as if burning with the fires of hell itself.

Squeak, squeak…

Yu Xiaogang was bound to a crucifix, his limbs locked tightly by thick iron chains. Fat, filthy rats occasionally crawled across his face, sending shivers down his spine. He was still bewildered by what was happening to him.

"Speak! Where did you get the Pope's Decree?"

Salas sat across from him, his voice cold and interrogative.

Yu Xiaogang was momentarily stunned before his face twisted in terror. He repeatedly shouted, "I'm innocent! I'm innocent!!!"

Salas sighed in frustration and rubbed his ears before giving a signal with his eyes.

Immediately, a shirtless Spirit Hall disciple stepped forward and delivered a resounding slap to Yu Xiaogang's face.

A distinct handprint emerged, and Yu Xiaogang spat out a mouthful of blood—along with a few broken teeth.

"Everyone who comes here claims they are innocent. But in the end, none of them are."

Salas stood up, his sharp gaze piercing into Yu Xiaogang's soul.

"I'll give you one last chance. Where did you get the Pope's Decree?"

Yu Xiaogang swallowed his blood, trembling as he replied, "I… I really am… innocent…"

Salas: "..."

His patience had worn thin.

Without another word, he leaned back into his chair, leisurely sipping his tea as he observed the pitiful man before him. I really don't understand… what is so special about this loser?

"Break his bones." Salas ordered coolly.

"Yes, sir."

The Spirit Hall disciple's martial soul manifested into a long, purple whip crackling with electricity. Three soul rings slowly rose beneath his feet—his whip was his martial soul.

Without hesitation, the Spirit Hall disciple lashed out, the whip cutting through the air before landing harshly on the Grandmaster's body. His skin split open, his eyes bulging as if they would pop out of their sockets.

"A man can be killed but not humiliated! If you have the guts, just kill me!" The Grandmaster, drenched in sweat, gritted his teeth, his face pale as he spoke.

Salas sneered, "Kill you? No, I won't let you off that easily. But I will make sure you suffer. The one whipping you only has a soul power of thirty—his martial soul is the Thunder Whip."

"A twenty-ninth-level disgrace. I really don't understand how the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan produced a freak like you."

Yu Xiaogang fell silent, clenching his teeth in fury.

Seeing his continued resistance, Salas waved his hand, and another lash fell, harder than the first. Within moments, Yu Xiaogang's eyes rolled back as he passed out from the pain.

"So weak." Salas clicked his tongue. "Wake him up with cold water. Keep whipping him until he confesses where he got the Pope's Decree."

Hell on earth—there was no other way to describe it.

-----

Upon learning that Yu Xiaogang had been taken by Spirit Hall, Liu Erlong felt as if the sky had collapsed.

She immediately wanted to storm Spirit Hall and rescue him, but thankfully, Flender stopped her.

"Flender, what do you mean by this?" Liu Erlong frowned.

"You going won't change anything. Xiaogang has committed a serious crime this time," Flender said wearily. So much had happened in recent days that even as the academy's headmaster, he had thought about disbanding Shrek Academy entirely.

"Isn't it just impersonating a Spirit Hall elder? Xiao Gang is immensely talented, and he even has ties to that despicable woman! He's more than qualified to be an elder!" Liu Erlong seethed, her rage suffocating the room.

Just then, Zhao Wuji walked in, holding a piece of paper.

"Uh… am I interrupting something?" Zhao Wuji scratched his head awkwardly, sensing the tension.

Liu Erlong's glare could kill. She had once massacred an entire spirit beast forest, earning her the title Slaughter Queen.

Flender sighed deeply. "Wuji, what's the matter?"

Zhao Wuji swallowed nervously and handed the paper to Flender.

"The tournament committee has issued their punishment for Shrek Academy."

Flender took a deep breath, bracing himself for the worst. So what if we're disqualified? I don't care anymore.

"Huh? The committee didn't revoke our qualification?" Flender was momentarily stunned before joy spread across his face. His lips curled into a grin before he even realized it.

"Boss, check the last part…" Zhao Wuji said weakly.

Flender froze. Then, suddenly, he coughed up blood and collapsed.

"Zhao Wuji! You did this on purpose!" Liu Erlong shouted.

Zhao Wuji raised his hands defensively. "Vice Headmaster Liu, just read the last part yourself."

"What's in the last part?" she muttered, picking up the paper.

After reading it, her lips twitched uncontrollably.

"In light of Shrek Academy's actions, the tournament committee has decided to fine the academy 100,000 gold soul coins as punishment. If another offense occurs, the punishment will be severe."

Liu Erlong sighed.

Flender had many strengths, but his greed was his fatal flaw.

The fact that the tournament committee hadn't revoked their qualification was already merciful. But the 100,000 gold soul coin fine? That was like stabbing Flender in the heart.

For him, this was worse than losing a limb.

"Prepare 100,000 gold soul coins and send it to the tournament committee," Liu Erlong ordered.

With that, a sizable sum vanished from Shrek Academy's funds.

Shrek Academy, formerly Blue Tyrant Academy, had managed to establish itself in the costly Heaven Dou City. A fine like this was nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Flender, however, lay on the ground in tears, sobbing like a child.

"Being headmaster is too hard…"

-----

In the deepest part of Shrek Academy's back mountain, Tang Hao lived in seclusion.

"Father, can't you just break Teacher out?" Tang San asked directly.

Prison break?

Tang Hao shook his head. "Do you think I'm invincible? First of all, do you even know where Yu Xiaogang is being held? And even if you do, how will you get him out? Where would you hide him afterward?"

"Xiao San, you need to learn to think." Tang Hao's tone was serious.

But Tang San was already lost in his emotions. All he could think about was rescuing his teacher and personally exacting revenge.

"Think? How can I think right now?"

Tang San was overwhelmed with guilt.

"My most respected teacher is suffering, and I'm just sitting here doing nothing! Father, I beg you—please, save him!"

Despite his son's desperate pleas, Tang Hao remained unmoved.

"Xiao San, if I go, I won't make it back alive," Tang Hao said grimly.

"But you're a Titled Douluo! You're unbeatable!"

"Unbeatable my ass!" Tang Hao cursed.

"If I were truly invincible, would I be hiding here like a rat? Not only am I heavily poisoned, but Ye Hao has at least four or five Titled Douluo protecting him. Do you really think I can just walk in and out unscathed?"

Tang San was shaken. Four or five Titled Douluo?

His mind immediately recalled the terrifying woman by Ye Hao's side.

If there's one, there could be more…

Tang San swallowed nervously, a trace of fear creeping into his heart.

His earlier bravado disappeared completely.

Reality was cruel. Even a reincarnated soul like him had to face it.

"Father… is there really no way?" Tang San refused to give up.

Tang Hao sighed.

"This is all because of me. I gave the Pope's Decree to Yu Xiaogang, and he used it for Shrek Academy's sake. But I never expected Ye Hao to be working with Salas. Despicable!"

"Your twin martial souls are no longer a secret. I can guarantee that if you set foot in Spirit Hall, you'll walk straight into a trap."

"You want to kill Ye Hao? Well, he wants to kill you just as badly."

Tang San frowned. "If he really wanted to kill me, he's had plenty of chances. Why hasn't he done it?"

Tang Hao's expression darkened. "Think carefully—everything Ye Hao has done so far… hasn't it all been aimed at you?"

"Father, are you saying…" Tang San narrowed his eyes, a deep fear rising in his chest.

"Ye Hao is tormenting you—breaking down everyone around you, one by one," Tang Hao said, his voice resolute.

"Psychological warfare is the most effective."

"I'm starting to believe… Ye Hao is actually Ye Ritian!" Tang Hao declared with certainty.

Tang San: "!!!"

"Father, you're saying… Ye Hao is Ye Ritian?!" Tang San's eyes widened in shock.

"Do you have proof?"

Tang Hao shook his head. "No, just a suspicion."

Tang San: "…"

"Forget about the Grandmaster for now," Tang Hao said, standing up and patting his son's shoulder.

"Tomorrow, I'm taking you to meet someone. Hopefully, he can help us…"