Two full days passed before Zhao Wuji and Oscar finally made up their minds. Both of them decided to leave the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy with Yang Xiong.
This choice wasn't all that difficult. Yang Xiong considered them good friends and offered them the best option, not just in terms of benefits, but also in terms of their future and how much they would be valued.
As Yang Xiong had anticipated, at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, they were merely teachers or students without any special treatment. No one would go out of their way to nurture them. But by leaving with Yang Xiong, their paths would become clearer, especially Zhao Wuji, who still had two spirit rings left to acquire, which were particularly difficult.
Flender didn't object to their plans. He and Zhao Wuji had been friends for decades, and he had originally come to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy with the hope of securing a better future for all the teachers. Leaving with Yang Xiong might be the best choice after all.
As for Oscar, being a food-type spirit master, neither Flender nor Yu Xiaogang had much experience training someone like him to become strong. Following Yang Xiong might allow him to realize his true potential.
With this, all the original members of Shrek Academy had essentially gone their separate ways. Tang San and Xiao Wu had already left; Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing planned to go on a training journey; and Yang Xiong had taken Oscar, Ning Rongrong, and Zhao Wuji with him. Only Ma Hongjun remained.
At this point, Ma Hongjun was only a Spirit Elder. He hadn't yet decided to go on a journey and planned to stay at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy to continue studying. He was also Flender's only student.
Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan, who had joined the Shrek battle team later, also planned to leave. Both of them were over twenty years old and no longer eligible to participate in the next Continental Advanced Spirit Master Tournament. They intended to return to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
The Shi brothers had also left the team. Both were now Spirit Ancestors and over twenty years old. Staying at the Academy no longer made much sense for them.
In the end, only Ye Lingling and Ma Hongjun remained at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Both were still eligible for the next tournament and were valued by Yu Xiaogang. It was likely that a new team would be formed with them as the core.
That day, under Yang Xiong's lead, Oscar, Zhao Wuji, and Qin Shuang returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Qin Shuang had originally been assigned to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy by Yang Xiong, so naturally, she followed Yang Xiong and Ning Rongrong when they left.
When the four of them returned to the clan, Ning Fengzhi took the matter seriously and personally welcomed Zhao Wuji and Oscar. Even though the two were just Yang Xiong's friends and not members of the clan, Ning Fengzhi treated them with the highest regard. He immediately arranged for them to have a small villa within the inner sect, right next to Yang Xiong's residence.
Yang Xiong brought them home to meet his parents and older brother. His brother, Yang Wei, would now be the focus of Zhao Wuji's training, leaving Yang Wei feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Although Yang Lin and Sun Yu didn't entirely understand Yang Xiong's decisions, they didn't say much. Yang Xiong had always been assertive since childhood. As a spirit master, having someone like Zhao Wuji, a Spirit Sage, as a mentor would greatly boost his progress.
Once Yang Xiong settled everything, he went alone to the inner sanctum of the clan to meet Ning Fengzhi.
Ning Fengzhi and the Sword and Bone Douluos were both present, as if expecting Yang Xiong's report.
After arranging for Yang Xiong to sit, Ning Fengzhi smiled and said, "Xiao Xiong, you've clearly grown a lot during your time with Shrek. You're more mature now and have brought a lot back to the clan. Rongrong's growth these past two years is also largely thanks to you."
Yang Xiong quickly replied, "Clan Leader, it's what I should be doing. But Oscar and Zhao Wuji prefer a more carefree life, so they may not join the clan officially."
Ning Fengzhi smiled, "That's not an issue. Since they're willing to follow you, it means they trust you. Even if they're not members, they'll always be our friends."
"Do you have plans for the two of them? Will they stay in the clan to train, or do you have other arrangements?"
After a moment of thought, Yang Xiong said, "Clan Leader, I want to obtain my fourth spirit ring first. After that, I'll plan their next steps. Zhao Wuji will likely stay here and help train my brother and me. I brought him here as my personal battle coach."
"As for Oscar and Qin Shuang, I plan to send them on a training journey. There's a lack of real danger within the clan. Given their talents, only true trials can help them grow. But I'll need the Clan Leader to assign someone to secretly protect them."
Ning Fengzhi nodded, "I trust Qin Shuang. She indeed needs to experience some real trials. I'll arrange for someone to protect them when they set out."
"By the way, how did you find your visit to Spirit Hall?"
Yang Xiong's relaxed expression turned serious. "Clan Leader, Spirit Hall's strength may be far beyond what anyone imagines. They sent seven Title Douluo to fight Tang Hao. Their ambition is great—we need to prepare in advance."
Ning Fengzhi smiled. "You're thinking ahead, but you should know that in both numbers and elite strength, we're still far behind Spirit Hall. That's one reason I've maintained good relations with the Clear Sky Clan and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Yang Xiong shook his head. "The Clear Sky Clan has been in seclusion for over ten years. I don't think we can rely on them anymore. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is also in a precarious state. We may need new allies."
Ning Fengzhi's interest was piqued. "New allies? Who would dare oppose Spirit Hall now? You should know that they've been drawing in small and mid-tier forces for years. Their reach in the spirit master world is deeper than you imagine."
Yang Xiong said, "Spirit Hall is powerful, but there are still factions willing to resist them. When I go to hunt for my next spirit ring, I may stop by the Star Luo Empire, there's something I need to take care of."
Ning Fengzhi nodded. "That's fine. The Star Luo royal family is very dominant, but there are plenty of independent sects. You might find some potential allies."
After their discussion, Yang Xiong was about to leave when Bone Douluo suddenly said coldly, "Yang Xiong, come with me."
Though surprised, Yang Xiong followed. Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo exchanged amused glances.
The four of them arrived at the training grounds, and Bone Douluo looked unusually stern. "Yang Xiong, I hear you've been calling yourself my disciple out there. I've never accepted any disciple—do you admit your guilt?"
Before Yang Xiong could reply, Bone Douluo released a terrifying pressure. Yang Xiong felt like his whole body was being crushed.
Gritting his teeth, Yang Xiong instantly summoned his spirit and spirit rings. His entire body turned silver, armor appearing all over him.
But Bone Douluo was a Title Douluo, a top-tier expert. Even just his aura was something Yang Xiong couldn't resist at this stage.
Yang Xiong felt like his bones were being crushed, a powerful force trying to make him kneel.
Still, Yang Xiong wasn't one to surrender easily. Though he'd used Bone Douluo's name before, it was as a sect disciple borrowing the name of a senior, not meant to deceive or bring consequences.
As the pressure grew, Yang Xiong's body started to contort. The aura ramped up from the Spirit Ancestor level to Spirit King level, something that surprised even Bone Douluo.
Normally, a spirit master's body couldn't withstand pressure matching their spirit power level. Only top battle-type spirit masters could do so.
Yang Xiong was only at level 40, yet Bone Douluo's pressure had reached level 50, which was highly unusual.
But Yang Xiong wasn't someone who gave up. His expression turned fierce, and his eyes suddenly glowed purple, shooting out beams of purple light directly at Bone Douluo. It was the Purple Demon Eye technique.
In terms of cultivation level, Yang Xiong was no weaker than Tang San. As his body and head were both part of his martial spirit, his mental power even exceeded Tang San's slightly.
Bone Douluo was caught off guard, but immediately responded with a radiant aura. The beams from Yang Xiong's eyes were stopped cold and gradually faded away.
"You've got a strong will, but your strength is still lacking."
As Bone Douluo spoke, the pressure on Yang Xiong increased again. Eventually, he dropped to one knee, using his Tai Chi techniques to barely hold on. The pressure had reached level 56.
Even Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo were surprised. They had seen Yang Xiong go all out against the Demonic Charm in Spirit Hall, but he now seemed even stronger than before.
Yang Xiong's bones felt like they were going to shatter. His hands began to tremble, on the verge of transforming, clearly, if the pressure increased any more, he wouldn't be able to hide his dragon claws.
At that moment, his body underwent a sudden change, his right hand turned red, and his left turned blue. With a powerful motion, he unleashed the Explosive Dragon Claw, a soul bone ability of his Ice-Fire Dragon Claws.
Even with Bone Douluo's formidable strength, he didn't expect Yang Xiong to attack so suddenly, especially with such powerful claws. The right burned like fire, the left froze like ice, creating a shockingly forceful strike.
But Bone Douluo was at the pinnacle of Title Douluo level. His physical resilience and strength were beyond comprehension.
Yang Xiong's sudden attack caught him slightly off guard, but Bone Douluo calmly countered with a light tap. Yang Xiong felt a terrifying force strike him and was sent flying.
At that moment, the overwhelming pressure vanished.
Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo were both stunned, eyes fixed on Yang Xiong's hands. They had seen him go all out before, but hadn't expected he was still holding back, his hands were equipped with two offensive-type external soul bones.
More shocking was the sheer power of his attack, it forced Bone Douluo to respond. This wasn't a normal strike. Bone Douluo was a master of defense, virtually unmatched in that area. The fact that he chose to respond directly showed that he acknowledged the power of Yang Xiong's strike.
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