Chapter 83: Meeting Meng Shu (Patreon)

Zhao Wuji, who had been standing frozen like a clay statue, finally snapped out of his daze when Tang San spoke up. His bull-like eyes widened, and he almost blurted out, "How the hell should I know?"

But that kind of response was unbecoming of a teacher—especially with Madam Snake present.

With a heavy exhale, Zhao Wuji forced out, "Probably… just passing by."

"Passing by?"

Tang San didn't buy it. What kind of "passing by" involved turning tail and running?

Oscar, feeling like he'd narrowly escaped death, patted his chest in relief. "Passing by… thank goodness it was just passing by. Otherwise, we'd all be done for. With that kind of pressure, even if I ate my Mushroom Sausage, I wouldn't have had time to run."

"This is too bizarre. I've never heard of a ten-thousand-year soul beast appearing in the outskirts of Star Dou Forest—let alone the Forest Dweller King, the Titan Giant Ape…"

Chao Tianxing's gaze flickered subtly toward Lu Feng.

She'd seen it—the sheer fear in the Titan Giant Ape's eyes. It had even seemed to kneel briefly, its massive frame bowing in Lu Feng's direction.

In that direction stood only Lu Feng, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing.

There was no way the ape would fear the Netherworld Spirit Cat or Soft Bone Rabbit martial souls. Lu Feng's Starry Sky Tree might've been extraordinary, but not enough to inspire such terror.

Maybe it was just her old eyes playing tricks on her—a hallucination from the extreme pressure.

Even Zhao Wuji didn't believe the Titan Giant Ape was merely "passing by." He'd only said it to calm the students.

But the why gnawed at him.

Lu Feng, however, acted as if nothing had happened. "Seems the Forest Dweller King has more principles than some humans. It doesn't kill indiscriminately. We should do the same—only take what we need, and target the truly evil soul beasts."

"Yes! Exactly!"

Xiao Wu lit up at his words. Overjoyed, she threw her arms around Lu Feng and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Got it, Feng-ge," Oscar and Ma Hongjun chimed in.

Zhu Zhuqing, long used to their affection, didn't react—though she did squeeze Lu Feng's arm in silent support.

Ning Rongrong, raised with strict aristocratic decorum, felt a pang of envy at Xiao Wu's carefree boldness.

Tang San watched, jealousy simmering beneath a strained smile. He forced himself to appear unbothered, hoping to blend into the group.

Meng Yiran blinked her sapphire-blue eyes, studying Lu Feng and Xiao Wu with quiet curiosity.

After regrouping, they set out again, advancing cautiously.

Two hours later, Meng Shu arrived.

Chao Tianxing had her ways of contacting him.

The moment he saw Lu Feng, Meng Shu's excitement surged—though he kept it carefully hidden

The Legendary Dragon-Serpent pair, as elders of the Merchant Alliance, only involved themselves in major affairs and generally enjoyed considerable freedom. With Meng Yiran enrolling at the Beast Spirit Academy this year, they had remained in the Heaven Dou Empire to watch over her while also serving as Liu Erlong's backup. Several months had passed since they'd last seen their Alliance Master.

However, being core members, they were kept informed of all classified major events through the Commerce Alliance's intelligence network, and maintained occasional written correspondence with Lu Feng.

With the addition of Dragon Douluo, the team's strength increased dramatically, allowing them to venture deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.

That evening, the group found a dry, safe area to rest. A campfire crackled as they gathered around it, drinking lightly while eating preserved rations, wild fruits and roasted meat.

Zhao Wuji showed particular respect toward Dragon Douluo - not just because of his position as a Commerce Alliance elder, but also because his eighty-seventh rank soul power far surpassed Zhao's own. Dragon Douluo in turn respected Zhao Wuji for one simple reason: Zhao was the Alliance Master's teacher, and the Alliance Master held over half of Shrek Academy's shares.

This mutual respect and established trust allowed their conversation to flow pleasantly, with laughter occasionally echoing through the forest.

"Senior Meng, perhaps you could share some cultivation insights with us younger generation?" Zhao Wuji suggested with a smile.

Dragon Douluo nodded. "This old man wouldn't presume to teach, but one principle bears mentioning: mental clarity is paramount in soul power cultivation. After reaching the eighty-sixth rank ten years ago, my progress completely stagnated. It wasn't until last year, after joining the Pan-Continental Merchant Alliance and receiving our Alliance Master's invaluable assistance, that my mental block dissolved. That very day, I broke through to the eighty-seventh rank."

As he spoke these words, Dragon Douluo's eyes glistened with barely contained emotion, his gaze drifting subtly toward Lu Feng. Both Serpent Douluo and Meng Yiran understood this was his way of expressing eternal gratitude to Lu Feng.

After their son and daughter-in-law were brutally murdered, Dragon Douluo's all-consuming grief and hatred had become a spiritual bottleneck. Only after achieving vengeance could his soul power progress again.

Zhao Wuji nodded thoughtfully. "Mental clarity... a valuable lesson. You all heard that?"

"We did," Ma Hongjun, Tang San and others responded.

"Thank you for your wisdom, elder," Lu Feng said with a respectful smile. While he had indeed helped the Legendary Dragon-Serpent achieve their vengeance, they had in turn contributed tremendously to the Commerce Alliance's stability and growth through their formidable presence.

"Elder, I grow increasingly curious," Tang San interjected, probing carefully. "Your Alliance Master remains so mysterious. What kind of extraordinary figure could he be, to employ methods capable of recruiting a ninety-ninth rank Title Douluo as the Alliance's patron?"

"Our Alliance Master possesses heaven-defying capabilities," Dragon Douluo replied smoothly. "As he often says: all things are possible." He naturally wouldn't reveal more - this was the Alliance's most guarded secret.

Tang San pressed further: "Then might I ask, elder, where exactly is the Tang Sect located under the Merchant Alliance's banner?"

This was what concerned him most. Ever since the Sword Douluo had claimed affiliation with a Merchant Alliance-affiliated Tang Sect, Tang San had been desperate for details. Now that he had this rare opportunity to question an Alliance elder directly...

"The Tang Sect..." Dragon Douluo pondered for a moment before answering, "This isn't exactly a secret—it was mentioned in the Commerce Alliance's public notices. The Tang Sect is located at the Blazing Mountain in the far southern lands, about a million miles from here."

"The far south... Blazing Mountain... a million miles..."

Tang San silently committed this information to memory.

A million miles was an unimaginable distance, but his mind kept replaying the image of the Sword Douluo defeating his father, Title Douluo Haotian, with just a single flying dagger.

In his past life, he had managed to steal the Tang Sect's secret manuals—perhaps in this life, he could also find a way to learn the Sword Douluo's divine techniques.

The Sword Douluo was elusive, rarely seen, and unlikely to teach him even if they met. But if he journeyed to the Tang Sect in the far south, he might just find an opportunity.

It would also satisfy his burning curiosity about this Tang Sect of the Douluo World.

Lu Feng, observing Tang San's expression, smirked inwardly.

Of course, Tang San would be desperate for information about the Tang Sect. So, he had deliberately spread a fake location through internal documents.

A million-mile journey... Are you really going to go looking?

Between the trip there, the return, and searching for a nonexistent Blazing Mountain, who knew how many years it would waste?

"Feng-ge, could you... take a walk with me?"

Xiao Wu tugged lightly on Lu Feng's sleeve, her voice soft and hesitant.

Beside them, Ning Rongrong perked up. "I'm done eating—I'll join you!"

"N-no... I-I mean, there's something I wanted to talk about... privately..." Xiao Wu stammered, her face flushing a deep pink under the firelight, making her look even more enchanting.

Hearing this, Ma Hongjun and Oscar exchanged mischievous grins.

Tang San, however, darkened like a stormcloud.