Chapter 195: I’m finally back

Five and half months later.

Heaven Dou City.

"Ah, I'm finally back." Xiao Tianyang gazed at the familiar surroundings and couldn't help but stretch his limbs.

It had taken nearly half a month to travel from the extreme north to this bustling Heaven Dou City. Of course, the journey had been a mix of stops and starts, with plenty of practice and leisure along the way, so it hadn't been particularly dull.

For Xiao Tianyang, however, this place wasn't much different from any other. After spending so much time in the Tidal Canyon, returning to the imperial city naturally evoked a different feeling.

"Shall we head back now?"

At that moment, Saber stepped forward, leaning close to him and asking, "Tianyang, should we return to Shrek Academy?"

Xiao Tianyang rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Let's wait a little longer. Grandmaster mentioned a while ago that we'd be heading to the Sunset Forest soon to help Tang San and the others obtain their fourth soul rings. We can meet up with them then."

"Alright, I'll follow your lead."

Saber, as always, was obedient.

"Then let's go. First, we'll help Zhou Cheng and Feixue find accommodations, and then we'll meet up with the others."

Xiao Tianyang quickly decided on their next steps.

As for Zhou Cheng and Feixue, they didn't accompany the group. After all, if they entered the city separately, they wouldn't need to conceal their appearances. They could freely roam the Heaven Dou City without restraint.

As the saying goes, "With money, things become easy."

In just ten minutes, Xiao Tianyang had secured a place for them to stay and left them with a sum of money. There was no helping it—when he left, Miao Zhenshan had made sure Xiao Tianyang understood what it meant to be "priceless." Moreover, Miao Zhenshan had justified it by saying that as a senior brother, it was his duty to take good care of his juniors...

Xiao Tianyang nearly fainted when he heard that excuse. He thought he was shameless enough, but his teacher had outdone him! To think that Miao Zhenshan could say such things with a straight face! After all, Xiao Tianyang was the junior here!

Unfortunately, no matter how much he protested, Miao Zhenshan remained unmoved.

Once these tasks were completed, Xiao Tianyang had some free time. As he had said, returning now would only mean meeting up with the others earlier, and there wasn't much else to do.

Of course, Xiao Tianyang hadn't forgotten about his long-term training mission, which was still hanging in his task list. But whether he had more or less time didn't matter much. Now that he was here, how much training could he really accomplish?

Moreover, ever since Xiao Tianyang noticed the progress bars behind these long-term tasks, he had discovered something fascinating.

Even if they weren't by his side, as long as they followed his training methods and adhered to his dietary plans, the final results would still count toward the progress!

Yu Xiaogang's training methods were derived from his own, with only minor modifications to some movements. The core principles remained the same, and in essence, they were still the product of his wisdom.

In short, even if Xiao Tianyang didn't return now and stayed away for three to five years, the Shrek Seven Monsters would continue to grow rapidly—and the credit would still belong to him!

However, just as Xiao Tianyang thought he could relax for a while, Yu Xiaogang's letter arrived...

In front of the hotel table, Xiao Tianyang opened the envelope, spread the letter out, and began reading it while eating. But within two or three seconds, the food he had just picked up fell back onto the table, his expression dazed.

"Tianyang, what's wrong?" Saber asked, concerned.

"See for yourself." Xiao Tianyang could only sigh. "Although I have great potential and strong abilities, they can't just use me like this, can they? Do they really think of me as free labor?"

Saber picked up the letter from the table and quickly scanned it before chuckling.

"Actually, this is a sign of trust," she said, a hint of mischief in her voice. "Besides, didn't you tell Dean Flender last time that you were a treasure trove, and it was up to them to see how much they could dig out of you?"

"I said that?" Xiao Tianyang looked incredulous. "How come I don't remember at all? Are you lying to me?"

"What do you think?" Saber smiled sweetly.

"Fine, I admit it," Xiao Tianyang said helplessly. "I'll have to fill the hole I dug myself. Who told me to boast so freely back then? Let's eat quickly, the food's getting cold."

As they ate, Shrek Academy, led by Yu Xiaogang, was already gathering Tang San and the others.

On the square, the seven of them stood in a horizontal line. Yu Xiaogang glanced around, nodding with satisfaction. His gaze lingered on Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, and his smile softened.

In fact, apart from Dai Mubai, Ning Rongrong was the first among the seven to reach level forty, followed by Zhu Zhuqing. Next were Oscar, Ma Hongjun, Tang San, and Xiao Wu. What's more, they had reached level 40 as early as three months ago!

However, at Xiao Tianyang's suggestion, Yu Xiaogang had agreed to let Tang San and the others further refine their soul power.

The reasoning was that their level were already far ahead for their age, and they were still young with relatively low soul power levels. Refining their soul power now would be easier than trying to do so in the future.

This was a way to pave the road for their future growth, and Yu Xiaogang was truly invested in training these children. That's why he chose the mildest and most beneficial approach for them.

This was also the reason why, even after five months of consuming highly effective herbs, the Shrek Seven Monsters were still at level 40.

"Our mission today is to head to the Sunset Forest to obtain the fourth soul rings for everyone of you," Flender announced in a deep voice. "The rules remain the same this time. You'll decide who leads the team, how to proceed, and the characteristics of your own soul rings. We won't intervene."

But before anyone could fully process this, Flender added, "However, we're adding an extra layer of difficulty for you."

At these words, everyone's hearts sank. They could sense that in such a serious environment, the original rules were bound to be intensified.

"Teacher, are you planning to test us yourself?" Ma Hongjun asked nervously, his throat dry.

"No," Flender shook his head, then continued with a sly smile, "But if you interpret it that way, it's fine."

"What do you mean?" Oscar froze in place.

Flender's lips twitched slightly, revealing a cunning grin. "Because I've invited two individuals to join this trip in my name. Once the seven of you enter the Sunset Forest, these two will launch continuous attacks on you—whether you're sleeping, eating, or hunting soul beasts, they could appear at any moment."

"So, you'll either stay vigilant or get beaten. Do you understand?"

Everyone: "..."

Tang San and the others could already imagine just how grueling this trip to the Sunset Forest would be...

…

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