Douluo: Yu Hao is reborn, this Tang San is different

Chapter 94 The aftermath
The Titan Ape, carrying the Azure Bull Python on its back, rushed towards the Lake of Life with all its might. Its steps grew heavier and heavier, each step like a race against death.

The Azure Bull Python's aura grew weaker and weaker, its life force flickering like a candle in the wind, threatening to be extinguished at any moment. The Titan Ape felt its heart being torn apart; it had never been so afraid of losing its elder brother, who was the most important person in its life.

Just as the Titan Apes were almost exhausted, their legs were weak, and their eyes were filled with despair, a soft emerald green light descended from the sky like a shooting star and landed not far in front of them.

As the light faded, a graceful emerald swan slowly appeared—it was none other than Bi Ji, one of the Ten Ferocious Beasts. She exuded a gentle and holy aura, her emerald feathers shimmering in the dim forest light, like a guardian spirit of the forest.

A hint of shock and pity flashed in Bi Ji's bright eyes. She could tell at a glance that the Azure Bull Python's injuries were extremely serious.

Without the slightest hesitation, she slightly spread her wings, chanted incantations, and began to cast a healing spell. The emerald green light around her grew increasingly dazzling, gradually forming emerald green threads that coiled around the Azure Bull Python.

On the other side, Tang San had just stepped into Shrek Academy's residence and hadn't even stood still when he saw a familiar pink figure rush in like a whirlwind.

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Xiao Wu.

Tang San was slightly taken aback, a complex look flashing across his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. As a reborn person, he knew about the relationship between Xiao Wu and the Titan Giant Ape, so it was perfectly normal for the latter to be able to run back.

The others at Shrek Academy also noticed Xiao Wu's return at that moment.

Everyone, who was either sitting or standing, suddenly turned their attention to Xiao Wu, their eyes filled with shock and confusion.

"Xiao Wu, you're actually back!" Oscar was the first to come to his senses, his eyes widening in disbelief as he asked, "How did you escape from that terrifying 100,000-year-old soul beast, the Titan Giant Ape?"

Upon hearing the questions from the crowd, a hint of embarrassment flashed across Xiao Wu's face.

She lowered her head slightly, scratched her head, and looked around as if she was thinking about how to answer the question.

After a moment, she raised her head, forced a smile, and explained:
"Well... after the Titan Ape caught me, it just kept running and running. Then suddenly I heard a cow bellow. It seemed to be startled by something, and without saying a word, it abandoned me and ran into the depths of the forest."

After hearing Xiao Wu's words, everyone looked at each other in disbelief, their expressions growing increasingly shocked.

Dai Mubai frowned, his face full of doubt, and said, "Is that really true? What a coincidence!"

Zhu Zhuqing narrowed her eyes slightly, a hint of suspicion flashing in them, but she didn't say anything more.

Ning Rongrong covered her mouth and said in surprise, "Xiao Wu, you're so lucky! That was a Titan Giant Ape, and it let you go so easily."

Seeing the various expressions on everyone's faces, Xiao Wu was afraid they would delve deeper into the matter, so she quickly nodded vigorously again and emphasized, "Really, I was able to come back safely this time entirely because of good luck. If it weren't for that bull's roar, I don't know what I would have done."

As she spoke, she clasped her hands together, her face showing a look of relief as if she had survived a disaster, trying to make everyone completely believe her story.

Tang San stepped forward, his expression solemn, and slowly swept his gaze over the crowd before speaking in a deep voice:
"Just now, a tremendous explosion came from the depths of the forest. The force of that explosion could not have been caused by an ordinary battle between Soul Masters. Clearly, there was a fierce battle between Title Douluo-level experts."

"We shouldn't stay here any longer. Nobody knows if the battle will affect us. If there's nothing else, let's leave here quickly and go back to Shrek Academy."

Upon hearing Tang San's words, everyone's attention, which had been immersed in discussing Xiao Wu's experiences, was instantly pulled back. Worry appeared on their faces as they exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.

Dai Mubai waved his arm forcefully and said loudly, "Tang San is right, we have to leave quickly. The depths of the Star Dou Great Forest are already fraught with danger, and with a battle involving Title Douluo-level beings, we can't afford to get caught up in it."

Zhao Wuji stood at the front of the group, his gaze firm. After hearing Tang San's suggestion, he nodded heavily and his voice rang out like a bell: "Tang San is absolutely right. This place is fraught with danger. We can't delay any longer. We must take the students and evacuate to the edge of the forest as soon as possible."

He waved his hand, signaling everyone to follow, and walked steadily ahead, clearing a path for the students behind him.

Led by Zhao Wuji, the group hurried along the winding forest path.

The surrounding trees were becoming increasingly sparse, and the dangerous atmosphere in the air seemed to be gradually weakening. It looked like they were about to leave the Star Dou Great Forest safely.

However, fate always seems to love playing tricks. Just as they were about to step out of the forest's edge, a low roar came from all directions. A dense swarm of spirit beasts surged forth like a tide, including agile leopard-like spirit beasts whose eyes gleamed with bloodlust; and massive bear-like spirit beasts whose every step shook the ground.

Most of these soul beasts were at the level of a hundred or a thousand years of cultivation. They were clearly terrified and panicked by the earth-shattering explosion deep in the forest, and had lost their minds.

The Shrek Academy students were caught off guard by this sudden turn of events.

Zhao Wuji's expression instantly turned serious. He quickly turned around, protecting the students behind him. His soul power surged, his muscles bulged, and he entered battle mode.

"Everyone, stay calm! Don't panic!" he shouted, trying to quell the crowd's emotions. But there were simply too many of these low-level soul beasts, which quickly surrounded them like a dark cloud.

A century-old Gale Wolf was the first to attack, lunging at Oscar, who was closest to it, like a black lightning bolt.

Oscar's face turned pale, and he instinctively stepped back, nearly falling in his panic.

Ning Rongrong held Xiao Wu's hand tightly, her voice trembling, "What...what should we do?"

Dai Mubai roared, and his White Tiger Martial Soul manifested, instantly making him appear majestic. He charged forward, attempting to repel the approaching Soul Beasts, but after defeating just a few, even more Soul Beasts surged forward to fill the gap.

Zhu Zhuqing flashed into a black shadow, weaving through the horde of soul beasts, trying to find their weak points. However, she gradually found herself overwhelmed by the relentless attacks.

In an instant, chaos erupted as the numerous, albeit low-level, soul beasts plunged the Shrek Academy students into a predicament.

In this chaotic and critical moment, Tang San's mind raced.

His gaze swept back and forth between the anxious faces of the soul beasts and his companions. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and an idea struck him like lightning.

That's right! Hidden weapons!
The hidden weapons he carried might be the key to breaking through the predicament. Without the slightest hesitation, Tang San quickly took out his soul tool from his waist.

With a slight noise, his hand quickly searched through his soul tool, and soon he took out the hidden weapon, the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow.

Immediately afterwards, Tang San took out some hidden weapons that were poisoned. These weapons were small and exquisite, but they exuded a deadly aura.

"Everyone, come quick!" Tang San shouted as he distributed the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow and poisoned hidden weapons to everyone: "Use these hidden weapons to attack the vital points of the soul beasts!"

His voice was firm and powerful, exceptionally clear amidst the chaos of the battlefield, instantly giving the panicked crowd a much-needed boost of confidence.

Under Tang San's command, everyone launched an attack simultaneously.

The Zhuge Repeating Crossbow emitted a series of rapid, clattering sounds as bolts rained down on the horde of soul beasts.

The poisoned projectiles flashed through the air, striking the soul beasts with deadly accuracy. Some of the soul beasts hit by the crossbow bolts and projectiles collapsed instantly, losing their lives; others roared in agony, writhing and struggling on the ground.

The once surging horde of soul beasts was now in disarray, with some gaps appearing.

"Now's the time to break through!" Zhao Wuji roared, disregarding his dwindling soul power, and charged towards the breach.

The group followed closely behind, cooperating with each other, attacking the spirit beasts that tried to block their path with hidden weapons while struggling to break through the encirclement. Through their combined efforts, they finally succeeded in breaking through the spirit beasts' encirclement and headed towards the edge of the forest.

Once everyone had completely left the Star Dou Great Forest and reached a safe area, they all stopped and gasped for breath.

Zhao Wuji looked exhausted and sat down on the ground. He looked at the forest behind him, shook his head and smiled bitterly: "If I hadn't exhausted my soul power in several consecutive battles, how could these hundreds or thousands of years old soul beasts have stopped me, the Immovable King?"

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the Shrek Academy playground, bathing the returning group in a golden halo. Ning Rongrong walked at the back of the group, her slender fingers gently stroking the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow tucked at her waist, her eyes gleaming with an unusual light.

"Rongrong, what are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and catch up!" Xiaowu turned around and waved at her.

"They're here!" Ning Rongrong snapped out of her daze and jogged a few steps to catch up with the group, but her mind was still on the ingenious hidden weapon.

She clearly remembered that when those soul beasts surged in like a tide, it was this seemingly inconspicuous weapon that allowed her, a support-type soul master, to experience the thrill of battle for the first time.

The cafeteria was bustling with activity at dinner time.

Having experienced the thrill of the Star Dou Great Forest, everyone had a hearty appetite. Ning Rongrong, however, only ate a few mouthfuls of rice, her eyes frequently glancing at Tang San sitting opposite her.

"Third Brother, this is what you gave us." She finally couldn't help but speak up.

Tang San looked up, rice grains still clinging to the corner of his mouth: "What's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing." Ning Rongrong suddenly blushed and lowered her head to continue eating. She wanted to ask for advice immediately, but seeing so many people around, she felt it was inappropriate.

"I want to do business with you." Finally, Ning Rongrong couldn't help but speak up. Her voice was lower than usual, carrying a composure beyond her years.

"Business? Tell me about it."

Meanwhile, in the dean's office, the dim light cast flickering shadows on the walls. Flander, his fingers interlaced and resting on his chin, listened intently to Zhao Wuji's report with a furrowed brow.

His eyes behind his glasses gleamed with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, and his knuckles tapped unconsciously on the mahogany tabletop.

"So many things have happened." Flander's voice trembled slightly, only relaxing slightly when he heard the news that everyone was safe. He took off his glasses and slowly wiped the lenses with the corner of his shirt. "This time, we failed in our duty. Next time we hunt for spirit rings, I will personally lead the team and send two more instructors. These children are once-in-a-century geniuses; if anything happens to them..."

Zhao Wuji slumped into the leather sofa, his burly body looking extremely tired.

"Boss, this really isn't anyone's fault." He shook his head with a wry smile. "The Star Dou Great Forest has been acting strangely lately; anomalies have been appearing one after another in the outer areas." He swallowed hard. "Luckily, that beast didn't kill us, otherwise you and I would have been killed for nothing."

Flander put his glasses back on, the lenses reflecting a cold light: "But the Star Dou Great Forest is ultimately the closest gathering place for soul beasts to the academy. However, from your description, that Titan Giant Ape seemed to have some reservations? The most puzzling thing is Xiao Wu's escape. The bull's roar she mentioned, could it be..."

"It's a blue ox python."

A hoarse, metallic sound suddenly came from outside the door.

The office door slid open silently, and moonlight cast a long, thin shadow on the floor.

At the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Dugu Bo carried the unconscious Huo Yuhao and hurried along the forest path.

His expression was anxious, his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and his brows were tightly furrowed, like two deep ravines. Each step he took was filled with an undeniable urgency, as if the ground beneath his feet could not bear the weight of his inner anxiety, emitting a dull thud.

"Huff..." Dugu Bo panted heavily, muttering to himself as he hurried along, his voice filled with relief at surviving such a close call, "Luckily, I came to the Star Dou Great Forest with you this time, otherwise, I really can't imagine the consequences. Who would have thought that we would encounter the Star Dou King Titan Giant Ape in the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest? This is simply..."

His words came to an abrupt halt, a flicker of lingering fear crossing his eyes.

Following behind Dugu Bo, Dugu Yan also looked worried.

Her eyes were fixed on Huo Yuhao in her grandfather's arms. Her steps were unsteady, and she would quicken her pace from time to time, trying to get closer and see Huo Yuhao's condition clearly. "Grandpa, thanks to you this time, is Huo Yuhao alright? Why hasn't he woken up yet?"

(End of this chapter)