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Ah Yin watched the young man with a look of pure confusion. She did not understand why everyone was making such a big deal out of the current situation. "Why do you care so much about him?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine curiosity.
"If he does not have a breakthrough and reach the next level, then he just doesn't, right? Why is it so important for him to reach Level 30 right now?" Ah Yin still did not understand the deeper meaning behind the events unfolding before them.
Dugu Yan, who used the name Yanzi is not a Swallow in their communication group, shook her head. "You don't get it," she explained patiently. "If Tang San doesn't have a breakthrough and reach Level 30, then our group will have to leave this part of the forest. If we leave now, he won't have the chance to encounter the Man Faced Demon Spider. If he doesn't meet that specific beast, he won't be able to get the external Spirit Bone that comes from it."
Another person, known as Group Member Number Nine, added to the explanation. "Exactly. If he doesn't find and absorb that external Spirit Bone, what is Su Yan supposed to snatch from him later? If that doesn't happen, wouldn't we have come all this way for absolutely nothing?"
Far away in the Supreme Pontiff Palace, the atmosphere was quite different. Bibi Dong sat on her throne, looking at the events with an amused expression on her face. A small smile played on her lips as she watched the young boy's antics. "Is that so?" she murmured to herself. "This little bastard is truly too wicked for his own good.
His mind works in such strange ways." She paused for a moment and then laughed softly. "But I have to admit, I like him. He has a certain style." Bibi Dong was very pleased with what she was seeing. She realized that Su Yan had been waiting for Tang San to reach this point all along.
Hu Liena, who was standing nearby, looked at her teacher with a puzzled expression. She couldn't quite see the full picture yet. "Teacher, is Su Yan really just after this one external Spirit Bone? Is that his only goal?" she asked.
Bibi Dong nodded slowly, thinking deeply about the boy's character. After a short silence, she added, "It might be more than just the bone! He likely has other plans that we haven't seen yet."
In the chat group, a member named I Am an Orphan chimed in with a question for Su Yan. "Are you worried that if Tang San doesn't find the external Spirit Bone right now, he will find it later? Like, he might secretly encounter it some other time when you aren't around to take it?"
Su Yan responded quickly, "Yes! That is exactly what I am thinking."
Ma Xiaotao joined the conversation as well. "I think I finally understand your plan. Even though you changed the original events, you then replaced Meng Yiran and steered the plot back to where it should be. You even managed to beat Tang San up in a way that seemed reasonable to everyone else. You are quite clever."
Bo Saixi, the high priestess, offered her own perspective. "While your operation is mostly the same as what was supposed to happen, it is still a change to the original path. Are you really sure Tang San can encounter the external Spirit Bone after everything you have done?"
The member known as I Am a Little Bird expressed some doubt. "That is really hard to say for sure. An external Spirit Bone is incredibly precious and rare. How can something like that appear so easily just because you want it to?"
Bibi Dong replied to the doubt, "That is true, they are very rare. But don't forget one important thing. Tang San is the protagonist of our world! Things tend to go his way eventually."
Tang Yuehua felt that something was still off. "I still feel like something isn't quite right here. Weren't we just talking about how Su Yan beating Tang San up was the reason he broke through to Level 30? How does that fit into the destiny of a protagonist?"
Cat in the Shadows replied with a sigh. "Why don't you understand yet? Tang San's opportunity is right here and now. Today, it doesn't matter who he fights or what happens. He was destined to reach Level 30 today. He might have even reached it by being chased through the woods by a random Spirit Beast."
Group Member Number Nine agreed. "Tang San's breakthrough happened because his cultivation had already reached a bottleneck. It was the natural result of all his hard work and training. Su Yan beating him up was just a random event that happened at the same time. It wasn't the actual cause. Do you understand now?"
Liu Erlong laughed loudly at the situation. "I am really going to die laughing! Yuehua was so worried about him a moment ago. She even asked if it was okay to hit him as long as Su Yan didn't hit his face. She is way too soft on that boy."
Tang Yuehua could only respond with dots, feeling a bit embarrassed by her earlier concern.
In the world of Douluo Dalu 2, specifically at Shrek Academy, Ma Xiaotao was also stunned by what she was seeing. "What the heck?" she shouted. "Is Su Yan really that wicked? I can't believe he thought of all this." She then sent another message to the group. "Good, good, good. So you knew Tang San would have a breakthrough anyway, and you just used it as an excuse to beat him up? Does he have to thank you now for 'helping' him reach Level 30?"
Bai Chenxiang noticed something else about Su Yan's behavior. "When Su Yan was beating Tang San, he looked as happy and excited as a child playing with a new toy. How could he find so much joy in doing something like that?"
Seeing Su Yan's attitude, everyone in the group felt a mix of amusement and frustration. They couldn't help but laugh at his boldness, even if his actions were a bit extreme. "Is this what you meant when you called everyone 'all buddies'?" someone asked.
Su Yan replied casually, "We are all buddies. Whether he thanks me or not doesn't matter a damn bit to me. I just did what felt right at the time."
The members of the group could only respond with "666," a sign of their respect for his shamelessness and skill.
Later that afternoon, the group continued their journey through the dense trees of the Star Dou Great Forest. Tang San walked with a dark expression on his face. His eyes were full of resentment, and he would occasionally glare at Su Yan.
He really did not want to believe that Su Yan was sincerely trying to help him. In his mind, he thought, "Damn little bastard! Yesterday I was worried about becoming like Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun, but today you beat me until I look like this? It is so annoying. I am certain he did this on purpose just to mess with me."
Su Yan looked back at him and smiled. "Now you don't have to worry about your level anymore. When you go back, remember to share my special secret method for breaking through with Yu Xiaogang. I'm sure he would love to hear about it."
"Hmm?" Zhao Wuji suddenly stopped walking. He narrowed his eyes and frowned, looking into the thick bushes ahead. "Something is coming this way. Everyone, be careful and get ready for a fight."
Hearing the warning, the students immediately reacted. They activated their spirits and took up defensive positions to protect one another. However, Su Yan just waved his hand dismissively. "Don't be nervous," he said calmly. "Little Monkey is finally back from his trip."
"Hmm?" Everyone looked at Su Yan with confused expressions. They didn't understand what a little monkey could do to cause such a commotion. But in the next second, they were completely shocked.
From a distance, heavy sounds began to echo through the forest. Thump, thump, thump. The ground seemed to shake with every step. A massive rhinoceros appeared, galloping toward them with incredible speed.
"Damn it!" Zhao Wuji yelled. "You... that Little Monkey led a ten-thousand-year Iron Armored Rhinoceros right to us! This is bad! Everyone, hide behind me!" Zhao Wuji felt completely numb with shock. He quickly rushed to the front of the group and activated his spirit avatar. He used his spirit abilities and crossed his arms, preparing to take the full force of the charging beast.
Tang San and the rest of the Shrek students entered combat mode, readying their own abilities. The rhinoceros was huge, standing three to four meters tall. It charged toward them like a living mountain of muscle and armor. But then, it suddenly screeched to a halt right in front of Zhao Wuji.
The wind from its sudden stop blew against them, and everyone jumped back in fright. Zhao Wuji, who had braced himself for a massive impact that never came, looked up slowly. The Iron Armored Rhinoceros was standing perfectly still. And there, sitting right on top of its large head, was the Little Monkey.
Su Yan spoke in a very calm voice, "I told you, don't be nervous. We are all buddies here!" He pointed to the beast. "This is a very kind Spirit Beast. It doesn't like to hurt people. It is just a new subordinate that Little Monkey recruited to be our ride through the forest."
"What did you say?" Zhao Wuji looked at Su Yan, his eyes wide with disbelief. His jaw almost hit the ground. A ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast was acting like a pet? "You must have drunk some fake alcohol to say something so crazy!" he muttered.
Dai Mubai and the others stood there with frozen expressions. Just looking at the rhinoceros's dark, thick hide made them feel weak. They knew that even if the beast stood perfectly still and let them hit it, they probably wouldn't be able to leave a single scratch on its defense.
Dugu Yan and her friends also looked at Su Yan with confusion. They knew the Little Monkey had run off to play earlier, but they never imagined it would return with a ten-thousand-year-old rhinoceros as a mount.
Su Yan remained calm and spoke softly to the beast. "Squat down."
The Little Monkey sat on the rhinoceros's head and gave it a gentle pat. To everyone's amazement, the Iron Armored Rhinoceros obeyed instantly and lay down on the ground.
Su Yan then looked at the girls in the group. "Ning Rongrong, Ye Lingling, Ah Yin, you guys should go up and rest on its back. Who knows how much longer we will be searching for a spirit ring today. You might as well be comfortable."
Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling looked at Su Yan in a daze. They looked at the beast again and noticed its eyes. Instead of being wild and angry, the rhinoceros had very clear, docile eyes. It really did seem like a trained mount. Ah Yin was also confused. She knew that this species of rhinoceros was usually very temperamental and aggressive because of its high strength and defense. This one was behaving very strangely.
The three of them jumped onto the back of the Iron Armored Rhinoceros, finding it quite steady. Su Yan then turned to the rest of the group. "Zhu Zhuqing, and the rest of you, if you get tired, you can all go up and rest too. Let's keep moving forward!"
"Uh..." Zhao Wuji opened his mouth to say something, but he found that he had forgotten what he was going to say. He was simply too stunned to speak. The Iron Armored Rhinoceros was known for being a pure block of muscle. It was famous for being fiery-tempered and nearly impossible to tame. But now, this beast had eyes as clear as a young student. It felt completely wrong to him.
Tang San's brows were tightly furrowed. He felt a deep sense of discomfort rising in his chest. "Damn it," he thought. "Is it possible that Su Yan's spirit, that Little Monkey, also has the ability to communicate with Spirit Beasts? This is so unfair!" He felt a surge of anger. Su Yan was constantly showing off and doing things that seemed impossible.
Su Yan looked at the stunned faces of Zhao Wuji and the others. "Let's continue helping Tang San find his spirit ring. Big Ox here will lighten its steps and hide its aura so it doesn't scare away the other beasts. It won't affect our search at all."
"Hmm." Zhao Wuji could only nod in agreement. The group continued their walk through the Star Dou Great Forest. Just as Su Yan had promised, the giant rhinoceros moved with surprising quietness. It didn't make a sound as it followed them.
After walking for a while, Zhao Wuji finally couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer. He turned to Su Yan and asked, "You... can you please tell me how you actually did that?"