Douluo; Zhongli Adventures in Mortal World with Paimon

"Crown Prince Xue Qinghe?"

Dai Mubai felt a wave of dizziness and nearly collapsed to the ground.

If it had been Zhongli, he could have grudgingly accepted it. After all, Zhongli's demeanor was untouchable. Even if Zhu Zhuqing had tried anything, it was practically impossible to affect someone of his stature.

Dai Mubai firmly believed this. Zhongli, with his otherworldly demeanor, seemed like an elder who had transcended mortal desires.

Thinking about it, anyone who had reached Zhongli's level of cultivation would have developed such detachment. Zhongli might enjoy visiting music halls, but his behavior was strictly proper—simply appreciating the art.

But the Heaven Dou Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe?

"This shameless woman! Has she forgotten who she is?" Dai Mubai roared furiously, releasing the imposing aura of a Soul Ancestor.

Even disregarding the fact that Zhu Zhuqing was his fiancée, her identity alone made her unfit to mingle with the Heaven Dou Crown Prince.

"Boss Dai, you're already cursing her without even knowing the full story," Ma Hongjun said, blinking in confusion.

Dai Mubai took a deep breath and looked at Ma Hongjun. He was right—how could he blame Zhu Zhuqing without knowing the details?

The others also turned their attention to Ma Hongjun, eager to hear the rest of the story.

Ma Hongjun, seeing everyone's curiosity, hesitated no longer and said, "Well, after that, the Crown Prince took Zhu Zhuqing and Paimon to the Crown Prince's residence. They haven't come out since."

Everyone: "…"

Dai Mubai's face turned black as he clenched his fists tightly. "Fatty, do you think you're funny?"

At that moment, Dai Mubai was ready to strangle Ma Hongjun.

The constant emotional swings—first one outburst of rage, then forced calm, and now another—were driving him mad!

Ma Hongjun blinked in confusion. "Boss Dai, what do you mean? I thought you already knew and that's why you were mad at Zhu Zhuqing!"

Indeed, that was exactly his reasoning.

The others recalled Ma Hongjun's earlier words and nodded in agreement—his assumption wasn't wrong.

With anger boiling over, Dai Mubai was left fuming helplessly. After all, this was Heaven Dou City, the royal family's stronghold.

As a Star Luo Prince, Dai Mubai already faced inherent risks being here. Shrek Academy's current circumstances offered him no support, so storming the Crown Prince's residence was out of the question.

Zhu Zhuqing might be shameless, but Dai Mubai couldn't afford to be reckless.

"Fatty, did you just say that Paimon was with Xue Qinghe?" Tang San interjected, catching a critical detail.

"Yes, Brother San."

Ma Hongjun nodded thoughtfully and added, "It's strange, though. Paimon has always been inseparable from the Martial God Douluo. Why would she be under Xue Qinghe's care now?"

He understood Dai Mubai's pain—bro code mattered, after all. Still, Tang San's question was a welcome diversion.

As for Zhu Zhuqing, if she had "betrayed" Dai Mubai, she was no longer their Seventh Sister.

Tang San fell into deep thought. Ma Hongjun's doubts mirrored his own. Moreover, he had an inexplicable feeling, as if something important was slipping away from him.

The sensation was strong, almost unsettling, and left him momentarily disoriented.

"This strange feeling again…"

Tang San mused.

It wasn't the first time he had experienced this; the last time had been two and a half years ago.

Unable to figure it out, Tang San decided not to dwell on it further. Ruminating over it would only bring more frustration.

"We've lost Zhu Zhuqing now. What about the competition?"

Currently, both Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing had left Shrek Academy, albeit under different circumstances.

Even Tai Long, the grandson of Tai Tan, had quietly slipped away from the academy.

Due to Tang San's past actions, the Strength Clan had nearly been wiped out. Tai Tan himself had been killed by Tang San's revered master with a single strike.

Tai Long had wanted to avenge his father, grandfather, and clan, but his meager strength offered no chance of success. Left with no choice, he returned to what remained of his clan, leading the survivors to flee Heaven Dou City and seek refuge with the other three clans.

When Tang San mentioned the competition, a heavy silence fell over the group.

Two main team members were gone, and one substitute had vanished as well.

With just eight members left, their team was running thin.

Additionally, Tang San needed a few days' rest after the injuries he sustained in the previous match.

Tang San glanced at the seven companions around him, his lips parting slightly as if to speak, but he hesitated.

"Do we really still have a chance in this tournament?"

Ma Hongjun mumbled softly under his breath, but everyone present, being at least at the Spirit Elder level, could clearly hear him.

"We still have a chance!"

After a long pause, Tang San broke the silence, his voice resolute. "Dai Mubai has already reached the Spirit Ancestor level, and his White Tiger martial spirit is comparable to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon among beast spirits."

"Oscar can provide the best support. And if needed, we can also rely on Teacher Shao Xin..."

"Xiao Wu has her teleportation spirit ability, which can take opponents by surprise..."

"And Fatty's Evil Fire—honestly, even I need to tread carefully around it…"

Tang San enumerated everyone's strengths one by one. Hearing his words, the group couldn't help but feel a surge of renewed determination.

"That's right! We can win!"

"We cannot let down the expectations of the teachers, nor can we let down ourselves..."

While Tang San and the others were lifting their spirits with a hearty pot of soul beast soup, Flender and the other teachers were not idle either.

For Flender, simply surviving was already a blessing amidst the tragedy. However, what weighed on him most heavily was his regret—his inability to avenge Qin Ming.

Having lost both his legs, his path to strength had been severed. Forget about achieving the rank of Titled Douluo; even advancing to the Spirit Douluo level was now impossible.

"Erlong, I think it's time I return the position of academy dean to you. From now on, I'll just rely on you for food and shelter in my retirement."

Flender sighed deeply. Compared to the day before, he seemed much older—not only physically but also spiritually.

Liu Erlong looked at the bedridden Flender. She opened her mouth as if to speak but hesitated.

She wanted to refuse the suggestion, but seeing Flender's current state, she simply couldn't muster the words.

She didn't mind taking care of Flender in his old age, but the truth was, she no longer had the heart to continue leading the academy either.

"Let Zhao Wuji take over the academy. Once the tournament is over, I'll focus entirely on cultivating..."

As she spoke, a flash of murderous intent briefly flickered in Liu Erlong's eyes before vanishing, leaving her words unfinished.

Flender was momentarily stunned. He looked at Liu Erlong's determined expression and suddenly understood her intentions.

"Why did it all come to this?"

"This is all my fault..."

Whether it was because of Yu Xiaogang or the establishment of Shrek Academy, Flender blamed himself for everything.

"Erlong, I understand."

Flender didn't have the heart or strength to stop Liu Erlong from her resolve.

Meanwhile, lying in the adjacent room, Zhao Wuji was blissfully unaware that he had just been inexplicably appointed as the new dean of Shrek Academy!