Dugu Bo's Titled Douluo-level pressure bore down relentlessly on Flender and Zhao Wuji. Their faces were pale as they struggled to remain upright.
Behind them, Tang Yin stood firm, shielding the girls with his body. Not even a tremor passed through him as he faced the residual pressure head-on. The three girls, watching his unwavering stance, couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
Just as Flender and Zhao Wuji were on the verge of collapsing, the three Board of Education elders released their own Contra-level pressure. With the added support, they barely managed to preserve their dignity.
Nearby, Tang San quickly woke Yu Xiaogang, who was sprawled awkwardly on the floor. The young man saved his teacher from further embarrassment—but frankly, no one was paying attention to the clown.
Although Dugu Bo was a Titled Douluo, he was infamous for being the weakest among them. So when the three Contras retaliated, he was immediately overwhelmed. Yet, in typical fashion, he tried to save face by pretending he'd gone easy on them. He snorted arrogantly.
"Hmph! You three old fossils better not meddle in my affairs! Don't say I didn't give you face," he snapped.
Tang Yin, watching from behind, couldn't help but find it amusing. This arrogant geezer reminds me of Dugu Yan. He really is the weakest Titled Douluo… How the hell did he ever hold his own against Yue Guan?
At that moment, Xue Beng poked his head out from behind Dugu Bo and sneered. "You little Soul Saint, where did you get the guts to insult the prince of the Tian Dou Empire?" His arrogant tone was undermined by his cowardly posture, making the whole act unintentionally comical.
Meng Shenji, still trying to maintain some decorum, stepped forward. "Esteemed Dugu Bo, you know His Highness can be… willful. There's no need to indulge his unreasonable demands. We invited Shrek Academy here because we value their talent."
Dugu Bo scoffed. "I'll do whatever I want. Why should I listen to your suggestions?"
Bai Baoshan interjected, his round cheeks wobbling with each word. "But the Shrek students are all geniuses! They can bring honor to our empire in the Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament!"
With Dugu Bo present, Xue Beng grew bolder. He turned to the Board of Education with mockery dripping from his words. "These pathetic losers only bring shame to our empire. They dared to strike the prince! What prestige are you talking about?"
The three elders hesitated. Even if the prince was in the wrong… they struck a member of the royal family. Can we really offend a Titled Douluo over a few promising kids? They might not even reach that level one day.
And just like that, the support for Shrek Academy evaporated.
(Unlike the original timeline, Zhi Lin no longer saw Tang San as a control-type genius, nor did he notice an external soul bone worth investing in. Without that interest, their attitude was indifferent at best.)
Flender and Zhao Wuji noticed the shift immediately. The repeated insults and cold shoulders were too much.
"Heh… If the Tian Dou Academy wants us gone so badly, then let's leave," Flender said bitterly.
Tang Yin, Oscar, and the girls nodded in agreement. Tang San and Yu Xiaogang hesitated, but seeing the disappointment on their friends' faces, they eventually followed.
As they were walking out, Xue Beng sneered and turned to Dugu Bo. "Uncle Dugu Bo, stop them! They humiliated the empire—they must be punished!"
Xue Beng was already plotting how he'd humiliate the Shrek students further. But then his eyes landed on the three girls—Zhuqing, Yiran, and Rongrong— he started to drool.
Wearing a disgusting grin, he pointed toward them. "Give me those three girls, and I'll forget this little incident. You can go back to your pathetic academy in peace."
Tang Yin's gaze turned ice-cold.
Zhuqing bared her teeth. "You beast in human skin."
Tang Yin stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Zhao Wuji. "You'll have to go through our dead body first."
Furious, Xue Beng jabbed a finger at them. "Uncle Dugu Bo! Kill them for me!!"
Dugu Bo frowned. As the grandfather of a beloved granddaughter, the idea of letting these girls become Xue Beng's playthings sickened him. He may have been arrogant, but even he had a bottom line. He remained still.
Tang Yin glanced at Dugu Bo with a hint of respect. This old man might be annoying, but he's not without principles.
Ning Rongrong had finally had enough. She exploded in fury. "You perverted prince! Dare to act so arrogantly—I'll have my Sword Grandpa kill you!"
At those words, the expressions of the three Board of Education elders changed dramatically. Dugu Bo stiffened.
"S-Sword Grandpa?" he stammered, his voice trembling. "You mean… Sword Douluo?"
Ning Rongrong raised her chin proudly. "Scared now, aren't you?" She gave Tang Yin a sideways smile, clearly fishing for praise.
Tang Yin smiled warmly back. It feels great to have powerful backers.
Thoroughly rattled, Dugu Bo turned a cold glare on Xue Beng. "Clean up your own mess. Hmph!" With that, he stormed out of the hall.
Did that old man just run away? Tang Yin mused.
Flender and Zhao Wuji exchanged a glance of relief and promptly followed suit, ignoring Meng Shenji and the other elders calling after them.
"Apologies," Flender said sarcastically. "We've been insulted enough. Your grand empire clearly doesn't need poor folks like us. You have a Titled Douluo—we humble Soul Saints are far too beneath you."
Qin Ming watched the scene unfold, a conflicted look on his face. Finally, he made up his mind.
"Dean Flender, wait for me! I'm leaving too. I don't want to teach at an academy that insults my mentors."
As the group headed toward the exit, Tang Yin caught sight of a familiar purple-haired figure rushing toward him.
It was Dugu Yan. She had been eagerly anticipating his arrival ever since she'd snuck that bold kiss on him. Whenever she felt lonely, she daydreamed about Tang Yin—and realized her feelings for him had quietly blossomed.
Ning Rongrong and Zhuqing raised their eyebrows suspiciously. Why is this vixen running toward Tang Yin? Is she planning on bullying him again?
Tang Yin smirked. Time to pay her back for that stolen kiss.
When Dugu Yan reached him, she asked, slightly confused, "Why are you leaving? Didn't they assign you a dorm?"
The girls narrowed their eyes even more. Since when were they this familiar?
Tang Yin motioned her aside to a quiet corner, face unreadable.
"Your grandfather didn't exactly roll out the welcome mat for us," he said dryly. "So how could we possibly stay?"
Dugu Yan froze. At first, she thought he was joking. But seeing Qin Ming's grim expression, her doubt vanished.
"Why? Why would Grandpa act like that?"
Tang Yin recounted the entire story, sighing dramatically. "Looks like your grandpa has a low opinion of poor folks like me. How could I possibly be friends with you now? Guess… this is goodbye." He clutched his chest dramatically, like a bad actor on stage.
Dugu Yan's heart twinged painfully. But then, before she could respond, Tang Yin leaned in and pecked her cheek.
"That's revenge for your sneak attack last time," he said smugly. "Debt repaid. We're strangers now. Farewell, Dugu Yan." He turned to leave, rubbing his eyes in mock sorrow.
Dugu Yan stood frozen. Then, realizing she'd been played, she grinned.
"You!!" she shouted, chasing after him and punching his shoulder. "Where do you think you're going? Back to Shrek?"
Tang Yin shrugged. "Who knows?" he said mysteriously—though in truth, he already knew exactly where they were headed.