MTLNOVEL Chapter 60: Shackles
Wu Lan, Xiao Wu, Zhuqing, Bi Ji, and Zi Ji had spent the past three months traveling through the villages near Soto City, helping wherever they could. They healed the sick, reinforced defenses, and brought hope to struggling villagers. Now, their journey had finally brought them back to the academy.
As the academy came into view, Bi Ji and Zi Ji quietly slipped away into hiding, leaving only Wu Lan, Xiao Wu, and Zhuqing to walk toward the sherk academy dormitories.
"Xiao Wu, you're back!"
They froze at the sound of Tang San's voice. A moment later, Tang san came running toward them.
Wu Lan's expression immediately darkened. This bastard… always eyeing my women.
Then, suddenly, he remembered, he now possessed a domain that could plant seeds without anyone noticing. With it, he could heal anyone in secret by sending traces of vitality. There was no longer any need to hide his anger toward this bastard, nor to pretend to be friendly. On top of that, he now had two Limit Douluo guarding him. Aside from gods themselves, no one could touch him.
Realizing this, the invisible shackles Wu Lan had placed on himself when dealing with Tang San's shamelessness shattered.
He was free.
In the past, he had always been cautious when interacting with others. Now he understood that with his current backing, he could walk sideways through the world, unless a god stood in his way.
While Wu Lan was making this realization, Tang San, oblivious to it all, rushed toward Xiao Wu.
When Xiao Wu was away, Tang San felt empty, even though he had regained his genius status.
Even with his teacher's constant praise, the emptiness lingered.
Now, seeing Xiao Wu again, his heart swelled with strange happiness.
As for Wu Lan's closeness to Xiao Wu? Tang San had conveniently forgotten about it.
Seeing her return, he wanted to use this chance to show off his achievements, so she would realize his power and stay close to him from now on.
He firmly believed that as long as Xiao Wu knew his strength, she would stick with him.
Excitement overcame him, and he couldn't stop himself. To close the distance faster, he even used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps, shouting her name as he ran.
Xiao Wu was already irritated by the sound of her name coming from Tang San's mouth. Before she could say anything, he had already leapt toward her, expecting her to be as excited to see him as he was to see her.
Just as Xiao Wu closed her eyes to avoid looking at Tang San and prepared to sidestep his landing zone, two large sounds echoed in quick succession near her.
Opening her eyes, she saw… Tang San had vanished from sight. Confused, she glanced around, only to find everyone staring at Wu Lan in disbelief.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Oh, it was just a fly," Wu Lan replied flatly, waving his hand nonchalantly.
"Impossible… impossible…"
Before Xiao Wu could speak again, Yu Xiaogang's broken voice rang out.
A few moments earlier,
Yu Xiaogang had been basking in pride, convinced that he had brought geniuses under his control and that Tang San, under his training, had surpassed them all. He truly believed it was because of him that Tang San had become a genius again.
While he was drilling his achievements and importance into their heads, someone suddenly ran from the training area. Annoyed that someone would dare leave during his speech, he turned sharply.
"How dar.."
But when he saw it was Tang San, his face changed instantly. His anger vanished without a trace, his expression returning to normal as he watched his prized disciple with ugly smile.
Mubai and the others' mouths twisted at Yu Xiaogang's rapid change of expression, but he did not notice them; he only observed Tang San.
Tang San's speed blurred before his eyes as he rushed toward Xiao Wu. When he saw Tang San leap toward her, Yu Xiaogang was distressed. Why was his disciple chasing after a woman so desperately? If he spent more time training, he could reach the peak faster.
"After this, I'll speak to him," Yu Xiaogang thought. "What woman can he not get once he stands at the top? And if he reaches the top, his teacher will stand there as well… then I'll have my revenge on everyone who insulted me."
But before Tang San could reach Xiao Wu, Wu Lan casually slapped him away, just like swatting a fly, sending him flying even faster than he had arrived.
It happened so quickly that Tang San didn't even have time to react before slamming into a tree.
"Impossible… impossible…" Yu Xiaogang muttered in disbelief. How could his disciple lose so easily to a healing-type Soul Master?
While Yu Xiaogang struggled to process what he had seen, Dai Mubai and the others were just as stunned.
They had experienced Tang San's strength firsthand during training. In sparring matches, Tang San always gave them one-sided beatings without mercy. When they attacked, he used strange techniques to evade and then strike their faces, humiliating them. But now, Tang San had been swatted away by Wu Lan as easily as brushing off an insect.
They remembered Wu Lan's words before fighting Teacher Zhao Wuji:
"I am a healer with no combat power."
"No combat power, my foot," they thought. If this is no combat power, then what is their power worth?
They also recalled Ning Rongrong's mocking words:
"So basically, you are useless."
Their gazes shifted toward her, and they looked at her with strange expressions.
Realizing their stares, Rongrong's cheeks burned red as she also remembered her own words. She wished she could crawl into a hole and disappear.
Meanwhile, Tang San had finally peeled himself free from the tree. Dazed, with pain throbbing in his cheek, he stumbled to the ground, blinking in confusion.
"What happened?"