Chapter 55 — Tang Hao, You Chickened Out Again
A few days earlier, Gui Mei and Yue Guan had moved into a hotel on the outskirts of the city.
They would be staying there for the duration of the Soul Master Tournament.
After leaving the arena today, Gui Mei headed toward the hotel at an unhurried pace.
He knew very well that Tang Hao had been hiding in the shadows all along, secretly monitoring Tang San's every move.
And since he had injured Tang San on stage today, given how much Tang Hao doted on his son, the man would definitely lose control and come looking for him.
If Tang Hao dared to show himself… then Gui Mei would seize that chance to eliminate him.
Sure enough, he had barely walked a short distance when he sensed a familiar, powerful aura.
Tang Hao.
"Perfect timing."
Gui Mei's lips curled into a faint, disdainful smile.
He deliberately slowed his pace, changing direction and heading toward the forested outskirts.
The wind outside the city was fierce, rustling the trees with a continuous whisper.
Gui Mei stood in an open clearing, quietly waiting for Tang Hao's arrival.
"Humph! Boy, you dare injure my son? I'll make you pay ten—no, a hundred times over!"
Tang Hao was furious. The moment he saw his son's injured face, his heart burned with pain and rage. He wanted nothing more than to tear Gui Mei apart.
But just as he prepared to continue his pursuit—
He suddenly felt an overwhelming aura surge into his perception.
A presence so powerful… it made his heart clutch in fear.
This aura—he knew it too well.
It was Yue Guan.
Tang Hao's face instantly went pale.
With his current physical condition, he had absolutely no way of dealing with Yue Guan.
Gui Mei and Yue Guan were always together. If Yue Guan were here, then Gui Mei must be nearby as well.
The countless defeats he had suffered at their hands flashed through his mind like a nightmare, filling him with dread.
'Damn it! Why are they here at this critical moment?! Did they come specifically for me?!'
Terror filled Tang Hao's heart.
Tang San had warned him many times—do not fight any more Title Douluo, or the consequences would be unbearable.
He didn't want to die here.
Without a second of hesitation, he turned and fled—his figure flickering into a streak of shadow before disappearing beyond the horizon.
Gui Mei sensed Tang Hao's aura vanish.
Soon after, a familiar figure appeared—Yue Guan.
"Old Chrysanthemum, you scared Tang Hao away."
"I got a little impatient and exposed myself," Yue Guan said with a small smile as he approached.
Gui Mei chuckled. "Just as I expected. As long as we don't threaten Tang San's life, that mysterious power won't appear to protect him."
"Mm. I've already ruined Tang San's face. Tang Hao definitely won't let this go. He backed down today… next time, we will kill him."
Gui Mei knew Tang Hao would always lurk in the dark, watching over Tang San.
Today's defeat would deal a heavy blow to Tang San and his team.
But with their overall strength, securing a top-five finish in the Heaven Dou division and advancing to the finals was still completely within reach.
Meanwhile, the Shrek team had returned to their academy.
The atmosphere was suffocating—like the stillness before a storm. Every face was filled with frustration and unwillingness, each student walking with their head lowered.
The dim yellow lighting in the room cast long shadows, reflecting the heavy mood within.
Yu Xiaogang scanned the group slowly.
"Children, I know this loss is hard to accept. But this is only the first match—we still have more chances."
Ma Hongjun frowned, his voice filled with anger.
"Grandmaster, Dean… Boss Dai and Xiao San are hurt this badly—are we just going to let it go?"
"Of course not!"
Flender's eyes flashed with murderous intent.
"That bastard struck with such cruelty—he did it on purpose. He must pay the price!"
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath and said—
"Everyone, calm down. Although Wuming is strong, we won't run into him again during the upcoming preliminaries. Once we enter the advancement rounds, we'll have time to adjust. It's not certain we'll lose to him again."
"Xiaogang, you already have a strategy in mind?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head slowly.
"Not yet. But I'll keep looking for his weaknesses. I hope none of you let today's defeat affect your mindset. Every match from now on must be taken seriously."
Tang San nodded firmly.
"Teacher, rest assured. We'll pull ourselves together."
Just as they were speaking, footsteps sounded from outside the room.
The visitors were Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo.
"Father! Grandpa Sword! Why are you here?"
"We came to check on you."
"Father, great timing! Look at Brother San and the others—their faces are injured. Can you heal them?"
"Rongrong, don't worry. Your Uncle Sword and I came precisely for this."
Everyone exchanged glances, surprise and hope lighting up their faces.
Yu Xiaogang smiled politely.
"Sect Master Ning, you also possess healing abilities?"
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda gains healing power after reaching the Seven Treasures Wishing Realm."
"I see… as expected of the world's number-one support-type martial soul."
"With my current strength, healing fractured bones or damaged tendons is no problem. However…"
The words caught in Ning Fengzhi's throat as his gaze swept over Tang San and the others.
"Let me give it a try first."
Under everyone's expectant gazes, Ning Fengzhi released the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Radiant, multicolored light enveloped Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others.
They could clearly feel their pain fading bit by bit.
Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and the rest visibly brightened.
They hoped Ning Fengzhi could remove the scars on the boys' faces and help them regain confidence.
But reality proved disappointing.
Moments later, Ning Fengzhi withdrew his martial soul and shook his head helplessly.
"Just as Uncle Sword predicted. I can ease your pain, but I cannot erase the sword scars left behind by that mysterious black sword energy."
Tang San and Dai Mubai's anticipation crumbled instantly, disappointment clouding their expressions.
Ning Rongrong asked anxiously:
"Father, Grandpa Sword—why is this happening? Does this mean the scars on their faces will never disappear?"
"No," Sword Douluo replied. "There is still hope."
He explained:
"The black sword in Wuming's hand is neither a normal weapon nor a soul tool. It is condensed entirely from soul power. That sword aura carries an extremely sinister power—almost like a curse—leaving marks that cannot be easily removed. Only a "Light Attributed" healing-type Titled Douluo might have enough power to dispel the evil residue still lingering in their wounds."
Yu Xiaogang and the others fell into deeper despair.
They had seen golden scepter healers before.
But healers progressed slowly and rarely reached high ranks.
In the entire Douluo Continent, not a single healing-type Titled Douluo existed—let alone one with Light Attribute.
Ning Fengzhi comforted them:
"Don't lose hope. There might still be other solutions. I'll do everything I can to help."
"You have our thanks, Sect Master Ning."
"Oh, and I managed to learn something about Wuming. He was recommended to the Royal Academy by Dugu Bo. He kept his identity hidden and only returned to the team today. The three Education Committee members only know he possesses a Body Martial Soul and is seventeen years old. His soul rings, and his true level remains unknown."
Yu Xiaogang and Flender exchanged a heavy look.
So Wuming actually knew that sinister poison master, Dugu Bo.
This youth's background was even more mysterious than they thought.
After offering a few more words of comfort to Tang San and the others, Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo finally took their leave.
The match results weren't Ning Fengzhi's biggest concern—he needed Tang San to craft hidden weapons for him, so he would help them as much as possible.
—
End of Chapter