45 Tang Hao

"Flender, Zhao Wuji…come!" The voice suddenly echoed in Flender's and Zhao Wuji's minds, startling them awake from their slumber.

"Hmm… Flender, what's wrong?" Liu Erlong, who was sleeping next to Flender, asked, her voice filled with concern as she stirred from her sleep.

"It's nothing, Erlong. Go back to sleep. I need to go do something" Flender reassured her, his tone gentle as he caressed her sleepy face. Ever since they made their relationship official two years ago, Liu Erlong had been a constant presence by his side, offering support and comfort whenever he needed it, unless there were pressing matters to attend to at the Blue Tyrant Academy.

With a soft sigh, Flender slipped out of bed and made his way out of the building, his expression solemn as he flew towards the forest. His mind was filled with a sense of apprehension as he complained silently to himself at the sudden influx of 'visitors' today.

…

Arriving at the designated location, Flender and Zhao Wuji regarded the cloaked man before them with solemnity, their senses on high alert.

"Who are you and what do you want from us?" Zhao Wuji questioned warily, his eyes narrowing as he studied the mysterious figure standing before them.

In response, the cloaked man raised a massive hammer, its weight evident even from a distance, as spirit rings began to materialize and float around him. Two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red! They shimmered in the air, a testament to the man's formidable power.

"Hundred Thousand-Year-Old Spirit Ring!? Titled Douluo!?" Zhao Wuji exclaimed in shock, his voice tinged with disbelief and a hint of fear. The presence of a Titled Douluo in this place was too unexpected and unsettling,

"I greet the Clear Sky Douluo, may I ask what your Excellency wants from us?" Flender inquired humbly, his demeanor respectful despite the shock of the man's identity. Meanwhile, Zhao Wuji remained stunned by the revelation.

The man nodded in acknowledgment at Flender's greeting. "Flender, the Flying Corner of the Golden Iron Triangle, a Level 79 Spirit Saint, and it seems you are about to break through to Spirit Douluo. You should be the Dean of Shrek Academy" he remarked, his tone filled with recognition as he appraised Flender before him.

After a slight pause, he continued, "What I am here for is to ask for a favor…" His words trailed off momentarily before he let out a smile, his gaze shifting towards a dark corner not far away. "Since you are already here, why don't you come out?" he called out, his voice carrying a hint of invitation as he addressed whoever lurked in the shadows.

After a moment, a shadow nearby trembled, revealing two figures within, a man and a woman. The woman immediately dropped to her knees, her expression fraught with guilt as she incessantly apologized to the man standing before her. If this Titled Douluo had harbored ill intentions, her incompetence could have endangered her Young Master's life.

Observing the kneeling figure in front of him, the man waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need to apologize. You've only just recently learned to take others into the shadows with you. It's already commendable that you've managed to evade a Titled Douluo detection for this long" he reassured the woman before walking towards Flender and Zhao Wuji with light steps.

"Xiao Jun? What are you doing here?" Flender exclaimed, his surprise evident in his voice.

"Greetings, Teacher, Vice Dean" Sheng Jun replied with a smile before explaining, "My Prophecy ability had some reaction, so I decided to come and take a look"

He then turned his attention to the cloaked man before them and greeted respectfully, "Esteemed Clear Sky Douluo, or should I call you Uncle Hao? Are you here to ask for a favor or to warn us?" Sheng Jun's question was direct, his knowledge of the man's identity evident. With his company's rise, investigating the connection between Grandmaster, Tang San's Second Martial Soul, and the man before them was not difficult.

"Uncle? You have a lot of nerve" the man in front of them retorted, though he couldn't hide a silent smile, acknowledging Sheng Jun's familial connection to his son. Sheng Jun, undeterred, responded with a slight smile of his own, "You are my Fourth Brother's father, what else would I call you than Uncle?"

He continued, addressing Tang Hao directly, "Uncle, you are here to ask us to take care of Tang San, right? But, you should know that we would have done that regardless, so your true intention of being here is to warn us, correct?"

Hearing Sheng Jun's question, Tang Hao scoffed slightly. "Since you already know, then there's nothing to talk about" he said dismissively, turning around and vanishing, leaving his final message hanging in the air "Just remember that he's my son"

After Tang Hao's departure, Flender and Zhao Wuji bombarded Sheng Jun with questions, seeking clarification about their conversation. Sheng Jun patiently answered each query, providing them with the information they sought.

"So he's Tang San's father, Tang surname... No wonder, no wonder" Flender mused aloud, his thoughts racing. "How come I didn't realize this before? And to think it was his badge that we have been using all these years"

With all their questions answered and the situation now clear, Flender naturally dismissed everyone, instructing them to go rest.

…

As the sun rose, casting its warm glow over the surroundings, everyone received a notice to gather at the central square by Flender.

Standing in line, Tang San and the others couldn't help but voice their curiosity. "First Brother, where are the other students?" Tang San asked, scanning the area for any sign of additional students.

"Haha, Tang San, there are no other students. Including you guys, there are nine of us in total" Ma Hongjun answered in Sheng Jun's place, chuckling slightly at the question.

"No other students? Then how would the Academy generate any income?" Ning Rongrong asked, surprised by the revelation.

"Hmph, so what? Don't you know the meaning of Shrek and why our academy is named after it?" Ma Hongjun said proudly, explaining their origin to the group, which earned shocked exclamations from Tang San and the others. "Shrek is an extremely peculiar spirit beast, a monster among monsters. The Dean always said that they would rather shut down than accept trash"

"As for the fear of having no income to keep the academy going? Well, five years ago, that might have been the case. But after our good brother Sheng Jun single-handedly started the company and used it to support the academy, there's no fear about that anymore" Ma Hongjun continued proudly, glorifying Sheng Jun's contributions. This caused the others to turn their heads toward Sheng Jun with curiosity and amazement, making Sheng Jun cough slightly in embarrassment at the sudden attention.

As their conversation continued, two figures suddenly walked towards them, catching the attention of Tang San and Sheng Jun.

At that moment, Xiao Wu's voice sounded, "Is there anyone who is a Spirit Douluo or Titled Douluo in the academy?" she asked carefully.

Hearing her question, Oscar couldn't help but answer with disbelief, "Xiao Wu, how can there be Spirit Douluo everywhere? There are only about 100 of them in total, not to mention Titled Douluo. There are only 10 known from both the Star Luo and Heaven Dou Empires" Oscar explained calmly before continuing, "The closest one to being a Spirit Douluo here is our Dean Flender. Not only is he a Level 79 Spirit Saint, but he's also an Agility Attack System spirit master capable of flying, which is rare among spirit masters. But beware, not to anger him, not only is he greedy and stingy, but he also holds grudges!"

As Flender and Liu Erlong approached, Oscar who finally noticed their presence could only cough awkwardly and swiftly returned to his place, offering a sheepish smile.

"Greetings, Teacher. Greetings, Mistress," Sheng Jun and Ma Hongjun greeted them respectfully, followed by Dai Mubai and the others.

Flender nodded and then addressed Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing in front of him. "As the Dean of the Academy, I welcome you to the academy. Fill out this paper, and you will officially become a student of our academy" Flender said, tossing them a paper, which each of them signed swiftly.

With a nod, Flender announced, "You need to pay 100 gold coins as a tuition fee within a year. The first class will start tonight. Sheng Jun, you go take the new students to get familiar with the rules and facilities of the Academy" Flender instructed before adding, "Oscar and Ning Rongrong, stay behind"

Oscar's sigh of relief turned into a frozen stance as he walked back with an uneasy smile, wondering if punishment awaited him.

"Oscar, tell me how Auxiliary System spirit masters should protect themselves on the battlefield" Flender inquired.

Without hesitation, Oscar replied, "By hiding behind your allies, using your surroundings to your advantage, and most importantly, knowing when to run away!"

Flender nodded in approval. "Good, Now, take Ning Rongrong for some physical training. Run 20 laps around the village" he ordered.

Oscar initially thought the task seemed light, but then he realized it was meant as training for Ning Rongrong, not punishment for himself. "Understood" he acknowledged, gesturing for Ning Rongrong to follow him. He chuckled inwardly, pleased to be alone with Ning Rongrong as they began their run.