Douluo Continent: The Peerless Hunting Heavenly Lord, Huo Yuhao!

"Tang San, the 'San' in 'one, two, three'," Tang San corrected calmly.

"People from the Haotian Sect?" Yan Shaozhe asked, his gaze falling on the illusory Haotian Hammer that he had put away.

"No." Tang San shook his head, his tone flat. "I'm an orphan."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Yan Shaozhe's eyes lit up instantly, and he said "good" three times in a row, his smile becoming more genuine.

Orphans are great! They have no affiliation, no ties, and are the easiest to control.

Twin martial souls, a level 26 Great Soul Master—he's practically a gift from heaven! Perfect for keeping that troublemaker Huo Yuhao in check.

Tang San: "..."

What's so great about orphans? Are you crazy?

Tang San was internally ranting, but remained outwardly calm.

“That’s not what I meant.” Yan Shaozhe cleared his throat and put on a kind expression. “Tang San, you have outstanding talent. Would you like to join the Martial Soul Department of Shrek Academy?”

"I came here to enroll in the school," Tang San nodded.

"Alright! From today onwards, you are a formal student of the Martial Soul Department." Yan Shaozhe immediately made the decision.

"Wait! Hello, Dean Yan."

A clear, crisp female voice suddenly came from outside the crowd, carrying a hint of urgency.

Yan Shaozhe frowned and looked over, only to see a blue-haired girl being pulled by the arm by Bei Bei as she quickly squeezed in. It was Tang Ya, the leader of the Tang Clan.

Tang Ya rushed to Tang San, her eyes sparkling with unbelievable excitement: "What you just used was the Tang Sect's Ghost Shadow Step and Purple Demon Eye, right?"

"Who are you?" Tang San frowned, looking the girl up and down.

Blue hair, handsome features, looks somewhat familiar... Wait, could this be the current leader of the Tang Sect? Is this all the Tang Sect has become after ten thousand years?

"Tang Sect Leader, Tang Ya!" Tang Ya raised her chin slightly, with a hint of pride, and then tugged at Bei Bei beside her, "This is Bei Bei."

Bei Bei stepped forward, nodded apologetically to Yan Shaozhe, then looked at Tang San with a scrutinizing and unfriendly gaze: "What you just used was a secret technique of the Tang Clan. May I ask where you learned it?"

It was just a coincidence. In previous years, Tang Sect couldn't even recruit a single person for its recruitment drive. This year, taking advantage of Huo Yuhao's club system, Tang Ya simply repackaged Tang Sect as "Tang Society" and set up a small stall to join in the fun. While browsing around, she bumped into Tang San making a move.

At a glance, the Ghostly Shadows and the Purple Demon Eyes were pure and unadulterated.

"I learned it from old books at home when I was a child," Tang San lied without batting an eye. "My father used to be a disciple of the Tang Clan, but he passed away a long time ago."

In his heart, he silently added: My father is Tang Hao, the biological father of the Tang Clan's patriarch. It's not wrong for him to be a disciple of the Tang Clan.

Tang Ya's eyes lit up even more. She stepped forward and asked eagerly, "Then are you willing to return to the Tang Clan? I can teach you the Mysterious Heaven Skill, as well as all the core secret techniques of the Tang Clan!"

The surroundings instantly became quieter.

All eyes were on Tang San.

Chapter 57 First Encounter with Tang San, Return

"I am willing."

Tang San nodded, answering crisply and decisively.

As the founding patriarch of the Tang Clan, revitalizing the sect was an obsession ingrained in his very being.

Ten thousand years later, the Tang Clan had fallen to the point where only a handful of members remained. Tang San had long lamented in his heart the wastefulness of his unworthy descendants. Now, he could use this identity to enter the game and personally pull the Tang Clan back to its peak.

"That's wonderful!" Tang Ya was so excited she almost jumped up. She grabbed Tang San's arm, her eyes shining like stars. "The Tang Sect can finally have a genius! And one with twin martial souls!"

“Since Tang San has joined the Tang Sect, let’s use the Tang Sect’s exemption from entrance exams.” Yan Shaozhe finalized the decision, his gaze falling on Tang San with undisguised recruitment intent. “After you enter the Martial Soul Department, I will personally introduce you to a Title Douluo senior who will personally guide your cultivation.”

"Thank you, Dean Yan." Tang San bowed slightly, his manners impeccable, but his eyes remained largely unmoved.

Titled Douluo? In the eyes of the God King, he was nothing more than a pawn with a slightly higher starting point.

"It's settled then." Yan Shaozhe waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the Lionheart Club booth in the far corner of the square. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly before he turned and left.

He had previously harbored some intention to recruit the Lionheart Society, but as the organization grew larger, his fear of them had long since outweighed his admiration.

With Ning Tian and Lionheart Industries in charge, funds flow in continuously; Huo Yuhao's established system covers everything from cultivation to missions, and people's hearts are firmly gathered.

Most importantly, Moon has already approved the Lionheart Society's decision to form a patrol team to undertake peripheral missions for the Shrek Inspection Group, and they will also receive corresponding rewards.

This is what Yan Shaozhe finds most offensive.

The Shrek Supervisory Corps' missions are always voluntary, a "honor and responsibility" for the trainees. Why should the Lionheart Society dare to openly demand payment?

Shouldn't a group of students who work for the college make selfless contributions?

Since Mu En nodded in agreement, he couldn't openly object. If this continued, once Huo Yuhao was promoted to the inner academy, the Lionheart Society would completely take over the affairs of the supervisory committee. The academy would have no use in using moral blackmail anymore; besides gaining a good reputation, they wouldn't get any real power.

Thinking of this, Yan Shaozhe's expression darkened further. Tang San, this pawn, must be used well; ideally, he should be able to suppress Lionheart so much that they can't raise their heads.

……

In a corner of the square, in front of the Lionheart Club's recruitment booth.

Cao Jinxuan withdrew his gaze and lightly tapped the table with his fingertips.

Just as Tang San made his move, Wu Meng wanted to get up and stop him, but he stopped her with his hand.

"Cao Jinxuan, why are you stopping me?" Wu Meng frowned, still clutching the publicity department's registration book in her hand. "Fighting at the registration point is something that should be handled according to the club's rules."

“Something’s not right.” Cao Jinxuan shook his head, his brows furrowed. “There’s something wrong with the aura around this person.”

"What's wrong?" Wu Meng was taken aback. She had also cultivated the "Qi Absorption Technique," but her perception was far less acute than Cao Jinxuan's.

Having spent almost a year together, the core members of the Lionheart Society were already as close as family, and she trusted Cao Jinxuan's words.

“I can’t quite put my finger on it.” Cao Jinxuan’s fingertips caressed the jade tablet, his tone grave. “It’s incredibly sinister, vast, chilling, and bloody. Several auras are intertwined and deeply hidden, definitely not something an ordinary freshman should have.”

Although the "Qi Absorption Technique" is the most basic breathing method, in a low-level fantasy world like Douluo Continent, it is essentially a dimensional reduction attack.

His spiritual energy was balanced and peaceful, making him exceptionally sensitive to unusual energies. The aura that Tang San possessed was deeply hidden, undetectable to others, yet it could not escape the keen senses of someone who had cultivated the Qi Absorption Technique.

"Then what should we do?" Wu Meng also became serious.

"No rush, the boss will be back soon, let me ask him." Cao Jinxuan picked up the jade tablet, took a side profile photo of Tang San in the crowd, and casually sent it out, along with his name and his judgment.

"I hope our leader comes back soon." Wu Meng sighed and looked towards the direction outside the city.

The Lionheart Society's daily operations are the same whether Huo Yuhao is there or not; Ning Tian and Gu Yue manage them perfectly.

But the soul of the Lionheart Society is Huo Yuhao!

Just like the lion king of a pride, he is the spiritual leader of everyone. Without him, the group may not fall apart, but it will lose its upward momentum.

Just like now, Ning Tian and Gu Yue can manage internal affairs and finances, but when it comes to truly challenging Yan Shaozhe and the academy, it still takes Huo Yuhao. Only when he's there can everyone feel at ease.

……

On the official road outside Shrek City, Huo Yuhao was walking briskly when the jade pendant at his waist suddenly trembled twice.

Huo Yuhao stopped and opened the message.

"Time Management Master: Image.jpg"

"Time Management Master: Boss, a new student named Tang San enrolled today. He has twin martial souls and fought with Dai Huabin. I sensed something was off about him; he seemed very sinister. I didn't dare recruit him. Can you take a look?"

In the photo, a boy with short gray-blue hair stands in the square. His profile is ordinary, but his eyes reveal an arrogance etched into his bones.

Huo Yuhao stared at the photo for two seconds, and his lips twitched.

Tang San? The "San" in "three"?

Someone else might be fooled by this pseudonym, but he knows it all too well.

His divine consciousness descended to the mortal realm, changed identities, and went into hiding, even playing the trick of using the same name with different characters—a classic skill indeed. The Tang God-King truly knows how to play the game; his main body is imprisoned in the divine realm while his avatar descends to the mortal realm to cause trouble, never idle for a moment.

"Eternal Illumination Master: I understand, I'll be right back."

Huo Yuhao put away the jade tablet, looked up at the outline of Shrek City in the distance, and a hint of amusement and seriousness flashed in his eyes.

Another variable has emerged.

The Abundant Pharmacist, the Destroyer Nanuk, and now even Tang San's clone has arrived. The small Douluo Continent is becoming more and more lively.

"Let's go back and meet this 'new student'."

He chuckled softly, quickened his pace, and headed towards the city gate.

……

Huo Yuhao kept a low profile when he returned to school. He only met with Ning Tian and Gu Yue briefly, explained a few club matters, and then focused on preparing for the entrance exam. As for Tang San, he didn't cause any trouble, so he just kept an eye on him.

Therefore, it didn't cause much of a stir outside, but the two pieces of news about the start of the new semester spread like wildfire throughout the School of Foreign Languages.

One is that "Extinction Master" Zhou Yi has made a comeback.

Last year, she was in charge of the first class of freshmen, but Huo Yuhao publicly berated her, leaving her inactive for a whole year. Yan Shaozhe intended to reinstate her, but instead of having her lead the top class, he assigned her to the second class of freshmen.

Another thing is that a new student named Tang San appeared in Class Two. He has twin martial souls and dared to go head-to-head with Dai Huabin on the day of registration.

In the classroom of Class 2 of the new students, the atmosphere of the first class of the semester was as cold as an ice cellar.

Zhou Yi stood on the podium dressed in gray, her white hair neatly combed. Her gaze swept across the audience, and even the breathing of those below seemed to soften.

Tang San sat by the window, listening to the freshman next to him trembling as he explained Zhou Yi's "frightening reputation," saying that she was dismissed from get out of class last year by a genius freshman named Huo Yuhao, and that her comeback this year would definitely be even more ruthless.