Douluo Dalu 1: The Tang Family Rebel

Watching Tang Hao flee in a hurry, Yun Chuan pretended to control his Thousand-Hand Guanyin to chase after him for a short distance before stopping.

"Clear Sky Douluo... actually ran away."

In the distance, Flender and Zhao Wuji, who had been watching the battle, were utterly stunned. They didn't know the actual circumstances, so from their perspective, all they saw was Yun Chuan using a martial soul fusion technique to create an enormous, seemingly powerful entity. Then, after a brief fight, the mighty Clear Sky Douluo retracted his martial soul and fled.

Fled?

The great Clear Sky Douluo actually fled?!

This unbelievable scene shook their understanding of reality to its core!

"Withdraw!"

The thirty-meter-tall Thousand-Hand Guanyin shone with light before gradually disassembling and dissipating... Yun Chuan's figure reappeared on the spot. He gazed in the direction where Tang Hao had disappeared, thinking that tonight's harvest was quite good. A battle with a titled Douluo had given him enough insights to absorb and digest for a long time.

"Snap out of it. Come back to your senses."

Yun Chuan waved his hand in front of the still-dazed Flender and Zhao Wuji, finally snapping them out of their shock. Only then did they stammer, "J-just now, you—you made Clear Sky Douluo retreat?!"

At this moment, the two of them were at a complete loss for words.

"You're overthinking it." Yun Chuan rolled his eyes. Beat Tang Hao? How was that even possible?

Even though he had multiple external cheats, he hadn't yet fully tapped into their power. Right now, he was still confined within the framework of the Douluo system, so it was naturally impossible for a Soul Saint like him to defeat a Titled Douluo.

Especially since Tang Hao wasn't just any ordinary Titled Douluo—when he first became a Titled Douluo, he was already capable of hammering several higher-level Titled Douluo into retreat.

"Then why did Clear Sky Douluo..." Flender hesitated, unable to bring himself to say "flee in panic."

"You guys didn't notice that the incense stick's time was already up? He probably got tired of fighting and didn't want to bother anymore." Yun Chuan casually made up an excuse.

"So that's how it is..." Flender and Zhao Wuji both sighed in relief. If Yun Chuan, a Soul Saint, had really been able to force a Titled Douluo to flee, it would have completely overturned their worldview.

"Alright, it's already past midnight. Let's go back and sleep."

With a flash, Yun Chuan bypassed the two of them and quickly headed toward the dormitory.

Left behind, Flender and Zhao Wuji stared at each other, wide-eyed. They exchanged glances before also turning around and heading toward the academy.

—

Early Morning

Tang San had already risen early. Practicing the Purple Demon Eye had become a daily routine he couldn't skip.

Stepping out of the dormitory he shared with Oscar, he found that the sky was still dark. After a night's rest, his internal energy had recovered.

He leaped onto a rooftop, facing the east where the purple aura of dawn was gradually emerging, and began his training.

Pressure was also motivation. After yesterday's battle with Yun Chuan, even though he had been completely overwhelmed, being defeated was still a form of combat experience. He could faintly feel that his soul power was on the verge of breaking through from level 29 to level 30.

Once he reached level 30, with some additional cultivation, he could fill up his soul power and go hunt for his third spirit ring. At that time, his strength would undergo another qualitative leap.

When the sun finally rose, Tang San returned to the dormitory. Inside, his roommate Oscar was still sound asleep, even drooling on his pillow.

"Xiao Ao, wake up." Tang San gave Oscar a push.

"Mmm... what is it? Let me sleep a little longer..." Oscar mumbled in his sleep.

Tang San frowned slightly. "Come on, get up. It's already late. Haven't you heard the saying: 'The morning hours are the best time of the day'?"

Oscar reluctantly opened his eyes and looked at Tang San. "You and the others are Battle Spirit Masters, but I'm a Tool Spirit Master—specifically, a Food-type one. I don't need to train as rigorously as you guys. Bro, please, just let me sleep a little longer..."

Tang San sighed helplessly. "Fine. At least tell me where Xiao Wu is staying. I want to check if she's recovered."

Oscar replied, "Go left after leaving our dormitory, about thirty meters ahead. There's a wooden cabin—that's where Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong live. But let me warn you, the academy has strict rules: male students aren't allowed to harass female students. If you break the rules, the consequences will be serious. Our Shrek Academy occupies about one-third of this village; the rest is where the villagers live. Try not to wander over there too often."

Shrek Academy was indeed poor. The entire campus was just a section of a rented village, with its so-called dormitories being repurposed wooden houses once owned by villagers. Fortunately, it was close to Soto City, making it somewhat convenient for buying supplies.

Tang San left the dormitory again. By now, he was already feeling a bit hungry, but compared to checking on Xiao Wu, food was a secondary concern.

Before long, he arrived at the girls' dormitory. Should he just walk in? If it were just Xiao Wu, it wouldn't matter since they had been roommates for a long time and were practically like siblings. But with another girl inside, it might be inappropriate.

After a brief hesitation, he decided not to enter and instead called out from outside, "Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu..."

It wasn't long before the door opened. Xiao Wu stepped out, still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Seeing her, Tang San breathed a sigh of relief. "Xiao Wu, are you feeling better?"

Xiao Wu gestured for him to be quiet. "Rongrong is still cultivating. Don't disturb her. Let's talk elsewhere."

For some reason, Tang San felt that Xiao Wu was looking at him differently today, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what had changed.

He reached out and ruffled her hair. "It was my fault yesterday. I didn't protect you well."

Xiao Wu shook her head and stuck out her tongue playfully. "I already told you, that teacher was just too strong. How can you blame yourself? This place is completely different from Notting City—everyone here seems incredibly powerful. Good thing we didn't run into a Spirit Douluo-level expert!"

Tang San asked curiously, "How do you know there aren't any Spirit Douluo-level experts here? The teachers are at least Soul Saints—maybe the headmaster is a Spirit Douluo?"

Xiao Wu was momentarily stunned before covering up with an excuse. "Just a guess. I mean, why would a Spirit Douluo choose to live in such a small place in peace?"

Tang San didn't doubt her and didn't press the issue further. Taking her hand, he said, "Let's find something to eat. You must be hungry too."

"Yeah, I'm starving," Xiao Wu replied, regaining her usual lively demeanor as she clung to his arm.

Since they were unfamiliar with the academy, they had no idea where meals were served. Their only option was to look for rising smoke and search for food.

As they wandered through the village, they unknowingly stepped out of the academy's boundary.

While the academy was quiet, the villagers were already up and working—living by the principle of "rising with the sun." They relied on farming to feed their families.

Just as they were about to approach a farmhouse to buy food,they noticed a boy and a girl arguing not far ahead.

The pair looked young—the girl seemed to be around fourteen or fifteen years old. She had an ordinary appearance but was full of youthful energy. Dressed in simple village attire, she was most likely a child of the local villagers.

The boy arguing with her looked even younger, seemingly around the same age as Tang San and Xiao Wu. He wasn't tall, but he was round and chubby, giving off a sturdy impression. He had short hair, small eyes, and a face full of baby fat, making him look somewhat adorable.

The funniest part was the two tiny mustache-like patches of hair on his upper lip, seemingly the result of early puberty. No matter how one looked at them, they resembled two little mouse whiskers.

The girl looked at the chubby boy with a hint of fear in her eyes. "Ma Hongjun, stop looking for me. I won't be with you anymore."

Ma Hongjun immediately whined in an exaggerated voice, "Cuihua, haven't I treated you well? Why do you want to break up with me?"

Tang San and Xiao Wu exchanged glances, both seeing the amusement in each other's eyes. Kids nowadays were really into early romance—talking about breakups at such a young age. They couldn't help but stop and watch the scene unfold with interest.

Cuihua's face suddenly turned red. "You've been good to me, but I really can't stand it anymore. We're not right for each other. You should find someone else. Besides, I'm a few years older than you. Please, just stop looking for me."

Ma Hongjun growled in frustration, "What do you mean you can't stand it? I don't understand what you girls are thinking. Fine, we can break up, but you have to be with me one last time. If you do that, I'll agree to the breakup. Otherwise, no way!" As he spoke, he reached out to grab Cuihua's arm.

Like a frightened rabbit, Cuihua quickly stepped back, but the chubby boy was surprisingly fast and still managed to grab her wrist.

Cuihua pleaded, "No, please don't. Just let me go. Are you even human?"

Xiao Wu couldn't stand it anymore. She leaped forward in an instant and shouted, "Stop!"

Both Ma Hongjun and Cuihua froze and turned to look at her. The chubby boy's small eyes blinked, his little mustache trembled, and his eyes sparkled with excitement. "Wow, what a beautiful girl. So, do you want to take her place as my girlfriend? Sure, no problem. I accept."

"Bullshit!" Xiao Wu was furious. She kicked his hand away from Cuihua and snapped, "You little scoundrel! You're already this young and up to no good. Are you trying to snatch a girl in broad daylight?"

Hearing Xiao Wu's accusation, Ma Hongjun's expression darkened instantly. "This is our business. Mind your own damn business, you nosy little rat! If you're not here to be my woman, then get lost."

"You—!" Xiao Wu was about to attack when Tang San suddenly stepped in front of her. "Your name is Ma Hongjun, right? Please stop bothering this young lady."

Having learned from yesterday's lesson, Tang San didn't want Xiao Wu to act recklessly. Besides, he had a feeling that this chubby boy wasn't as simple as he looked.

—(Chapter End)