Tang San clenched his fists tightly.
The weight of Flender's pause hung over him like a blade.
Wu Lan, laughing inwardly, finally spoke."Little San cultivated Blue Silver Grass to level 21."
Hearing this, everyone looked at Wu Lan and realized he was helping Tang San.
But they still remembered how Tang San stayed silent when Wu Lan was being insulted, so their opinion of Tang San dropped even further.
Flender, hearing this, nodded. "Yes."
Tang San didn't feel any gratitude at all. All he saw were the mocking expressions of those around him.
Meanwhile, Rongrong, after finding out Oscar's true nature, ran off crying.
Flender turned to Oscar and said,"Go comfort her later."
Wu Lan was amazed by how smooth Flender's schemes were.
After that, Flender asked them to follow and left.
Everyone followed, except for Wu Lan and Xiao Wu, who remained behind.
"Brother, aren't we going?" Xiao Wu asked curiously.
"Why rush? Let's take it slow," Wu Lan replied casually.
"Yeah! Finally some alone time with Brother," Xiao Wu said brightly, leaning closer.
"I'm always with Master. You're the third wheel," Orchid suddenly declared, her voice echoing directly in Wu Lan's mind.
Xiao Wu's eye twitched in irritation."You annoying weed, get lost!"
"Try me, rabbit!"
And just like that, the two started bickering again as they made their way toward the Spirit Arena.
Wu Lan chuckled.His Orchid was gaining more consciousness with every spirit ring. Though its shape hadn't changed, its awareness was clearly growing. With enough rings, perhaps it could even transform one day.
Finally, they reached the arena.
"Rabbit, let's go watch," Wu Lan said, gently holding Xiao Wu's hand and guiding her toward the spectator stands.
Xiao Wu blushed lightly at the contact but followed without complaint, her ears slightly red.
Soon, Mubai entered the arena.His opponent was a level 36 attack-type soul master.
They exchanged powerful blows, but thanks to Mubai's superior attributes, he ultimately secured the win.
Next came Zhuqing.Her opponent was Tang San, just like in the anime.
Both took their stances. The battle began.
Tang San, knowing his martial spirit would be useless in this matchup, chose not to use it. He relied solely on Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and Purple Demon Eyes.
Even then, he struggled to hold his ground. Zhuqing, being an agility-type, pressured him hard in close range. His stamina quickly depleted, and he slowed down.
Zhuqing saw her chance and attacked with her claws.
She won cleanly.
She left the arena in deep thought about the battle, while Tang San stood slowly, dazed and broken. He walked toward the exit like a lifeless puppet, unable to accept his defeat.
"Brother..." Xiao Wu whispered, staring at his back. "Why is this trash so weak?"
Wu Lan almost burst out laughing.If Tang San heard that, he might actually commit suicide.
Tang San, who was supposed to shine in his fight against Zhao Wuji, had now become a joke, and was seen by everyone as ungrateful.
Seeing the drastic shift, Wu Lan patted himself on the shoulder."You did a good job," he thought smugly.
That double-standard dog deserved it.
He always hides his power until Xiao Wu is hurt, then shows off like he's taking revenge. I seriously don't know what this idiot is thinking.
After Ma Hongjun's match, everyone returned to the academy.
This time, the scene of Rongrong berating Dai Mubai didn't happen.
Mubai was too exhausted and injured from his match to say anything to Zhu Zhuqing, let alone argue with her.
As they returned, Mubai looked toward Wu Lan with a pleading expression.
"Wu Lan… can you help me out? My arm's really bad."
Wu Lan's eyes gleamed with joy."No problem."
He raised his hand, and a soft white glow enveloped Mubai's body.
[White Tiger's Essence] appeared as a prompt.
Wu Lan was surprised, but didn't hesitate. He accepted it instantly.
As Mubai closed his eyes and enjoyed the soothing relief, Wu Lan was ecstatic inside.
This isn't just healing, this is progress.
The essence would improve his control over destruction, boost his physical strength, and bring him one step closer to evolving his bloodline.
"If any of you get injured," Wu Lan said with a warm smile, "come to me. I'll heal you."
Everyone nodded. After witnessing his healing ability firsthand, they understood how powerful Wu Lan's support truly was.
After that, everyone left to rest.
Wu Lan scanned the area briefly, then left to absorb the [White Tiger's Essence], which enhanced his physical strength and destruction control even further.
It brought him closer to a bloodline breakthrough.
After adjusting to his newfound power, he went to sleep with a smile on his face.
The Next Morning
When everyone gathered, Zhuqing looked at Wu Lan, momentarily dazed.
Wu Lan noticed this and understood.It must be related to the White Tiger's Essence I absorbed.
He also sensed that his connection to Zhuqing had grown stronger.
Zhuqing snapped out of her daze and stood beside Wu Lan.
Xiao Wu became jealous at the sight and immediately stood between them.
Wu Lan chuckled at her actions. Which made her pout.
Oscar announced that he had broken through to level 30.
Flender was overjoyed.
"Hahaha! Good! Then it's time for your third ring. You're heading to Star Dou Forest tomorrow!"
Everyone cheered.
Well, except for the girls, whose faces turned sour as Flender added:
"Today's lesson is… eating Oscar's sausages!"
Oscar proudly summoned his food-type soul ability and handed out sausages.
The girls immediately grimaced.
"Gross…"
"Not a chance..."
Wu Lan calmly stepped forward, took three sausages, and handed one each to Xiao Wu and Zhuqing, then ate the third himself.
"It's just a soul curse," he explained. "The sausages are formed from soul power, not... actual meat."
Seeing him eat so casually, Xiao Wu hesitated for only a moment before munching hers down.
Zhuqing followed shortly after, taking a bite while watching Wu Lan out of the corner of her eye.
Eventually, even Rongrong, unwilling to be left out, gritted her teeth and ate hers too.
Afterward, Flender gave them instructions to prepare for the hunt and dismissed them.
Later That Day
As Wu Lan and Xiao Wu were getting ready to explore the city, they noticed Zhuqing alone.
Wu Lan said softly,"Rabbit, go invite her. She looks a little lonely."
Xiao Wu obediently walked up."Zhuqing, do you want to come with us?"
Zhuqing paused, then stood and nodded.
She walked beside them, occasionally glancing at Wu Lan.
Xiao Wu noticed and quickly took Wu Lan's arm, strolling through the city with a proud smile.
Meanwhile, Wu Lan was deep in thought.
Star Dou Forest... Tang San's big opportunity lies there.
The external soul bone from the Man-Faced Demon Spider it has the potential to evolve into god level.
Since it's so incredibly valuable no no no I mean dangerous, I'll confiscate it for safekeeping.
I'll return it to him once he's grown up.
Tang San will definitely thank me for my kindness.