Chapter 119: The Agreement with Xiao Wu
"You... you must be mistaken," Xiao Wu's voice trembled. Being exposed in front of someone with her greatest secret made it difficult for her to control her emotions, even with a century of cultivation.
Of course, this foolish rabbit had no schemes of her own.
A hundred thousand years old and still clueless about what she had done—just entering the human world, and falling in love with a human!
Sister, you're a soul beast! Falling in love with a Soul Master is like a prey falling in love with the hunter. It's truly hard to comprehend.
Dai Yao snorted coldly, his voice cold as he spoke:
"Then what should I call you? The Hundred Thousand Year Soft Bone Rabbit?"
Upon hearing Dai Yao's words, Xiao Wu's heart trembled. She didn't dare to meet his gaze and lowered her head.
Dai Yao sneered:
"Are you planning to summon that Titan Ape called Er Ming to kill both me and Zhu Qing? That way, no one will know your secret of being a hundred thousand-year soul beast?"
Xiao Wu's pupils contracted. This person actually knew about Er Ming! Her eyes filled with wariness as she trembled, her voice shaking as she asked:
"Wh... who exactly are you?"
Dai Yao didn't answer her question. Instead, his demonic-like voice rang out again:
"Do you really think I wouldn't have prepared defenses, knowing that the Titan Ape is not far away?"
"The people from Shrek will be here soon. When they see how close you and the Titan Ape are, do you think they won't have inappropriate thoughts?"
"At that point, would you be willing to kill them to cover up your identity?"
Seeing the fear on Xiao Wu's face, Dai Yao smiled, but his smile looked terrifying in Xiao Wu's eyes.
"If you don't want me to reveal your identity to Tang San, then come with me for a little stroll in the woods."
Xiao Wu's expression was full of struggle, but after seeing the unconscious Tang San, she gritted her teeth and agreed, "Fine."
Dai Yao revealed a victorious smile.
"Zhu Qing, take care of Tang San and stay alert. If you notice anyone from Shrek, immediately let me know."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded.
Xiao Wu, with a complex expression, reluctantly followed Dai Yao into the woods.
Looking at Dai Yao's malicious smile, Xiao Wu felt a deep unease in her heart. "What do you want to do?"
Dai Yao eyed Xiao Wu's long, shapely legs and a greedy look appeared on his face.
"A hundred thousand-year soul beast. Any Soul Master would know what to do."
"Do you want to kill me?" Xiao Wu sneered.
Dai Yao didn't avoid the subject. "Naturally. A hundred thousand-year soul beast is every Soul Master's dream."
"If I tell Zhao Wuji and the others, it might not just be me trying to kill you. Tang San might not spare you either."
Xiao Wu froze. She wasn't even sure if her words were firm.
"No... he wouldn't, my Big Brother wouldn't do that."
Seeing Xiao Wu struggle so much because of his words, Dai Yao felt no sympathy.
He couldn't be sure whether his actions were righteous or evil.
Righteous? Xiao Wu is a soul beast. It's only natural for Soul Masters to hunt soul beasts, no one could criticize that.
Evil? Without considering Tang San's character, Dai Yao was using his knowledge of the story to force two lovers apart for his own gain, so his actions couldn't really be called righteous either.
But Dai Yao could confidently say that he was using his knowledge of the plot to get the greatest benefit for himself!
To grow stronger, he would use any means necessary!
Whether righteous or evil, as long as it made him stronger, he would use it!
Stealing the Eight Spider Spears, forcing Xiao Wu—he'd do whatever it took!
Seeing Xiao Wu struggle and despair more and more, Dai Yao thought, 'The timing is right.'
He spoke:
"Of course, if you don't tell Tang San or anyone else about what I've done, I won't expose your identity as a hundred thousand-year soul beast."
Dai Yao's words were like a beam of hope shining into Xiao Wu's despairing heart. She looked at him incredulously, muttering:
"What did you say?"
Then, she snapped back to her senses and, with some doubt, asked:
"Why would you be so kind?"
Dai Yao chuckled lightly and continued to tempt her:
"Think about it. As long as you keep quiet, Tang San won't abandon you, and the people from Shrek won't look at you with greedy eyes."
"You can still live peacefully. You can have all the joys and sorrows of being human, and the sweetness of being with Tang San."
"Until you reach the 70th rank in soul power, when you truly become a human, not even a Title Douluo will be able to see through your true identity."
"As long as you don't speak of what I've done to Tang San, everything that now seems like a fleeting dream, you can grasp in your hands."
Dai Yao's words were full of temptation, and Xiao Wu almost fell into the illusion he was weaving.
Suddenly, she seemed to snap out of a trance. Her body went limp, cold sweat soaking her back. She panted heavily, her gaze filled with suspicion as she stared at Dai Yao, as if seeing a devil who could lead her to ruin.
"What do you get out of this?"
She gritted her teeth and asked, her voice full of suspicion.
Yes, hiding her identity as a hundred thousand-year soul beast—what did that do for Dai Yao?
Dai Yao saw Xiao Wu's inner conflict and smiled lightly, turning his head away as he casually answered:
"Just think of it as me coveting your hundred thousand-year soul ring."
"You're so despicable," Xiao Wu spat.
In her mind, Dai Yao was the only one who knew her true identity as a soul beast. When he could absorb a hundred thousand-year soul ring, he would directly kill her to obtain the coveted red soul ring that every Soul Master dreamed of.
But still, she felt some doubt. "But from the way he's speaking, it doesn't seem like he cares about my hundred thousand-year soul ring."
She immediately shook her head in disbelief:
"Impossible, this person is so despicable. He might be trying to make me let my guard down!"
In reality, Xiao Wu's soul ring wasn't that important to Dai Yao.
Although he had twin martial souls, his second martial soul didn't require hunting soul beasts for soul rings. His Holy White Tiger martial soul was the one that needed to carefully consider every soul ring.
Therefore, like any other Soul Master, each soul ring had to be chosen with care.
Xiao Wu, despite being a hundred thousand-year soul beast, had many beasts more powerful than her.
For instance, the million-year Deep Sea Demon Whale in the ocean, or even the two brothers, Da Ming and Er Ming, whose soul rings could easily surpass hers in quality.
Her soul ring was tasteless to him—it was something he would keep but wouldn't mind discarding.
Of course, he was still interested in Xiao Wu herself, after all, those long legs were every man's dream.
Wrapping around his waist, draped over his shoulder—the thought alone was enough to make him smirk.
But this foolish rabbit was just too foolish. In the original story, she fell in love with the wrong person, despite the difference between humans and beasts, and remained devoted to him.
If it weren't for Tang San's cheat-like abilities, overturning the Spirit Hall, Xiao Wu's fate would've been as tragic as Tang Hao and Ah Yin's.
The ending was always destined to be sad.
Dai Yao even felt like the original author had branded her with an iron stamp in her mind, making it impossible to tempt her away from Tang San.
So, he never really expected to get Xiao Wu for himself.
But, using his knowledge of the plot, perhaps his next move would become an unexpected advantage later on.
Just then, Tang San, still lying unconscious, began to stir. Upon waking, he felt a soreness in his neck for some reason.
Rubbing his neck and checking his body, he found that he had successfully absorbed the Man-Faced Demon Spider's soul ring. He sighed in relief:
"This Man-Faced Demon Spider's soul ring must have been over two thousand years old. If it weren't for my strong willpower, I would've exploded by now."
Seeing Tang San wake up, Xiao Wu quickly gathered her emotions and rushed to his side:
"Big Brother!"
The voice was gentle yet filled with sorrow, moving those who heard it.
"Xiao Wu! You're alright, that's such a relief!"
Seeing Xiao Wu return unharmed, Tang San showed an expression of joy and quickly embraced her.
As the two shared heartfelt words, figures gradually emerged from the woods. The one leading them was Zhao Wujie. Upon seeing Tang San safe and sound, he let out a sigh of relief. After all, Tang San's father was the Haotian Douluo, and if anything had happened to him, Zhao Wujie, as the leader of the group, would have been held responsible.
However, when Zhao Wujie saw Xiao Wu returning safely, he paused for a moment, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. He couldn't believe the scene before him.
Oscar, shocked, said, "Xiao Wu, you... you're not dead?"
Xiao Wu, slightly annoyed, responded, "What, do you really want me to be dead?"
"No, no, no!" Oscar quickly waved his hands, trying to explain.
Zhao Wujie asked in a deep voice, "Xiao Wu, it's not that anyone wishes you harm, but for you to survive after being captured by the Titan Giant Ape—it's truly unbelievable. Could you tell us how you managed to survive?"
This was a question on everyone's minds, not only for the newly arrived Shrek and the people from the Oakland Academy, but even Tang San was looking at her with curiosity.
Xiao Wu showed a fearful expression, still a little shaken. She patted her slightly heaving chest and said, "I don't know exactly how it happened. That Titan Giant Ape grabbed me and started running deep into the forest. But it didn't get far before I heard a cow's roar coming from the depths of the forest. The Titan Giant Ape seemed to get nervous and immediately threw me aside before running off."
"What?" Everyone exclaimed in shock, except for Dai Yao, who stood off to the side, admiring Xiao Wu's acting skills.
"A cow's roar? What kind of cow could scare a Titan Giant Ape?" Zhao Wujie frowned.
He then shook his head slightly and said, "Forget it. For now, let's focus on helping Little San hunt his third soul beast. After that, we'll leave the Star Dou Forest. The sudden appearance of the Titan Giant Ape near the outskirts of the forest makes me uneasy."
Tang San, with a calm demeanor, proudly stated, "Zhao Teacher, I've already obtained my soul ring."
"What?" Zhao Wujie stared wide-eyed. "Don't tell me you just casually absorbed a soul ring while saving Xiao Wu. That could be very detrimental to your future!"
Zhao Wujie's voice drew the attention of everyone, and Dai Yao couldn't help but shake his head. He knew Tang San was about to show off again.
Tang San smiled faintly and said, "You don't have to worry, Teacher Zhao. My third soul ring is the very rare Human Face Demon Spider soul ring."
"The age of it seems to be around two thousand years."
"Two thousand years?" Everyone exclaimed in astonishment.
Oscar, ever the professional at boosting morale, immediately chimed in, "The maximum age for a soul master's third soul ring is around 1,700 years. You absorbed a soul ring beyond the limit—amazing!"
Tang San gave a bitter smile, his ordinary face shining with an almost golden light in the eyes of the others. "It was just luck. I never want to experience absorbing a soul ring beyond the limit again."
Upon hearing that Tang San had absorbed a soul ring beyond the limit, Xiao Wu couldn't help but cover her mouth, deeply moved.
Everyone was reminded of Dai Yao's shocking thousand-year second soul ring when they fought the Titan Giant Ape.
Dai Mubai cleared his throat and, with an unusual glint in his eyes, turned to Dai Yao and asked, "Dai Yao, three years ago I asked you about your second soul ring's age. Now, what's the age of your third soul ring?"
Dai Yao smiled lightly, and it was his turn to show off. He casually replied, "My second soul ring is over a thousand years old, and my third soul ring is six thousand years old."
Upon hearing "six thousand years," the Shrek group was struck by the force of a thunderbolt. They were all speechless, their faces showing incredulity.
Zhao Wujie, the Unmovable King, widened his eyes, blinking repeatedly.
Dai Mubai, the Evil Eye White Tiger, seemed to temporarily lose control of his pupils, staring with wide eyes.
Oscar's sausage dropped to the ground.
Ma Hongjun nearly tripped, almost falling.
Ning Rongrong covered her gaping mouth with her hand, staring at Dai Yao in shock.
Zhu Zhuqing had a stunned expression on her face.
Tang San's mind was shaken, and he immediately used his Purple Extremity Eye to observe Dai Yao.
Xiao Wu had a complicated look as she gazed at Dai Yao, a mixture of admiration and fear in her eyes.
Dai Mubai bitterly smiled, "Dai Yao, your talent... I'm ashamed of myself. I'm afraid it will be impossible to find anyone who can compare to you in this world."
Seeing everyone's reactions, Dai Yao smiled with satisfaction.
"Since Xiao Wu is safely back, it's time for us to leave. Farewell."
With that, everyone waved their hands and said their goodbyes. "See you again!"
Tang San expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Dai Yao, for guarding me while I absorbed my soul ring."
Looking at Tang San's thankful expression, Dai Yao gave a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
"No need for thanks. You should thank that cow's roar instead. Otherwise, you'd still be out there searching for Xiao Wu."
Hearing this, Xiao Wu's heart jumped. She nervously looked at Tang San's face and, upon seeing nothing unusual, she sighed in relief.
"That's true," Tang San said thoughtfully.
"The mountains are high, the waters are long; we will meet again."
With that, Dai Yao nodded at Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan, then walked toward the edge of the forest.
The group from Shrek silently watched as the Oaklan group departed.
Dai Mubai, looking at Zhao Wujie's regretful expression, teased, "Zhao Teacher, I thought you might extend an invitation to Dai Yao to join Shrek Academy."
"Go, go, go!" Zhao Wujie grumbled impatiently.
"Don't bring up things like that! Didn't you see the Soul Douluo following Dai Yao? If I showed even the slightest interest, I'd be slapped to death by that Soul Douluo."
Then, as if struck by a thought, he looked at Ning Rongrong and asked, "Rongrong, you know Dai Yao. Can you tell us which academy he's from? Maybe we can try to recruit him."
When they fought the Titan Giant Ape, Ning Rongrong, without a second thought, released two amplifying lights from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, which left everyone amazed and changed their impression of her.
Ning Rongrong smiled sweetly and explained, "Dai Yao is from Oakland Academy, and he is the absolute core of the Oakland battle team. Even the team from the Tiandou Royal Academy isn't their match."
"Tiandou Royal Academy?" Fatty and Oscar both exclaimed.
"The Tiandou Royal Academy is directly under the control of the Tiandou royal family, and its faculty is incredibly strong. Yet, the Oakland battle team, which isn't well-known, actually defeated the Tiandou Royal Team?"
Tang San's eyes flashed as he spoke in amazement, "The Tiandou Royal Academy's team was beaten by them?"
Ning Rongrong nodded, remembering the battle three years ago. Her face grew slightly pale with awe as she continued, "It wasn't so much that the Tiandou Royal Academy team was beaten by Oakland, but more accurately, it was Dai Yao alone who defeated them."
"One person defeated them? Then the Tiandou Royal Academy's team must have been weak," Fatty Ma Hongjun sneered.
Ning Rongrong shook her head slightly, her face serious as she said, "Actually, the Tiandou Royal Academy team's strength is far from weak. I'll just say this: their captain is the heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family, the number one Beast Martial Soul in the world."
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon?!" Everyone exchanged astonished glances.
The terror of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul was unimaginable just from the title of the "number one martial soul in the world." Dai Yao, however, had defeated the Tiandou Royal Academy team with his own strength.
Just how powerful was Dai Yao?
And Dai Mubai, who had fought against Dai Yao, felt the most deeply affected. Dai Yao hadn't even used his soul rings or soul skills but had easily defeated him. Faced with Dai Yao's overwhelming strength, it felt like trying to climb an insurmountable mountain.
He bitterly thought, "Dai Yao, Dai Yao, I can only be glad that you've left the Xingluo royal family. Otherwise, I would have no chance at the throne. I'm sure, even if it's Davis, who's nine years older than you, he wouldn't be your match now."
The Shrek members, all geniuses of the same age, felt like ordinary people when they heard about Dai Yao's feats.
"Is he even human?" Fatty remarked with amazement.
And that was the general feeling of everyone.
Only Tang San, looking at his left hand, his eyes shining with determination, clenched his fist. The self-confidence that Dai Yao had shattered seemed to come back again.
"So what if he's amazing? Can he compare to my twin martial souls?"
(End of Chapter)
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