Chapter 26: Liu Erlong Nearly Had Her Head Split Open by a Staff, Inviting Xu Yan to...

Chapter 26: Liu Erlong Nearly Gets Her Head Split Open, Invites Xu Yan to Shrek!

When Xiao Wu heard Xu Yan introduce himself and reach out a hand, she looked somewhat puzzled. Xu Yan, however, did not stand on ceremony; he pulled her hand over, shook it, and then released it. Xiao Wu was taken aback, as she had never had intimate contact with any man other than her "Third Brother." Observing him closely, she found that Xu Yan was actually quite handsome. Though she said nothing, she maintained a deliberate distance from him.

In truth, Xu Yan had no interest in Xiao Wu. His affections lay with Tang Yuehua, Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, and his most cherished goddess, Hu Liena. However, there was no point in killing Xiao Wu right now; it would ruin the fun for later.

Xu Yan activated his nine golden spirit rings and condensed a golden fruit in his palm, offering it to her. "I see you are about to break through to level forty. Give this a try."

"What is this?" Xiao Wu stared at his golden rings in astonishment, then at the fruit in his palm. It radiated intense spirit power, making her feel wary.

"Don't worry, it's a spirit power fruit. Eating it will increase your cultivation," Xu Yan said nonchalantly.

Xiao Wu took the fruit, her face lighting up with pleasant surprise. "Are you a food-type spirit master?"

"You could say that," Xu Yan nodded.

Xiao Wu took a bite, finding it tasted like a regular fruit—sweet and delicious. A warm current flowed into her body, and she felt as if her entire being had been sublimated.

"Focus on your meditation; you might just break through," Xu Yan advised. Xiao Wu nodded, closed her eyes, and began to channel her energy.

Just then, an anxious figure charged toward them and attacked Xu Yan without a word. Xu Yan was caught off guard by the sudden assault, but he quickly realized it must be Liu Erlong.

*Boom!*

A punch whistled through the air, but Xu Yan dodged it. Liu Erlong's fist struck a nearby towering tree, shattering it instantly. Seeing Xiao Wu in the middle of a breakthrough, she hesitated for a split second before preparing to strike again.

"If you attack again, I will strike back," Xu Yan warned.

Liu Erlong had a fiery temper; hearing this, she surged forward. Her martial spirit was a Fire Dragon, a mutation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Her nature was as volatile as her powers. A golden dragon manifestation roared toward Xu Yan.

Xu Yan refused to be bullied. He summoned his Golden Staff, and as the dragon bore down on him, he swung the staff in a horizontal sweep. A powerful hurricane of spirit energy whipped up, as if tearing the very space apart. Dealing with force using force, Xu Yan did not hold back. His strike shattered Liu Erlong’s offensive, and with a flick of his Rinnegan, a blast of repulsive force sent her crashing to the ground.

*Bang!*

Dust billowed as the impact shook the forest. Before Liu Erlong could recover, Xu Yan’s figure, composed of refined particles, appeared before her. He held the tip of his Golden Staff against her brow.

"You brought this on yourself," Xu Yan said, preparing to bring the staff down. One blow would have crushed her skull.

"Stop!" Xiao Wu rushed over, panting. Xu Yan stopped the staff just inches from Liu Erlong's head. The force of the wind had already made her hair dance and her skin sting.

"Yuhao, please don't hurt my mother!" Xiao Wu pleaded.

Xu Yan retracted his staff and slammed it into the ground with a metallic clang. "Who told her to try and kill me?" he said with a touch of arrogance.

"Xiao Wu..." Liu Erlong looked at her daughter anxiously and hugged her. "Where did you go? You scared me to death!" She had come to the Star Dou Forest to help Xiao Wu find a suitable spirit beast, only to lose sight of her immediately upon arrival.

"Mother, I'm sorry to have worried you," Xiao Wu said softly. "I've already obtained my spirit ring and reached level forty." She released her spirit rings to demonstrate.

Liu Erlong breathed a sigh of relief. "Mother, this is Huo Yuhao, a friend I just met. He helped me with all of this," Xiao Wu introduced him.

Liu Erlong looked at Xu Yan with a mixture of wariness and shock. Having just fought him, she knew how quickly he had defeated her. It was clear this young man was no ordinary talent—perhaps even more gifted than Tang San.

"Huo Yuhao, I apologize for earlier..." Liu Erlong said tentatively.

"It's fine. Since it was a misunderstanding, let it go," Xu Yan replied. "Big sister, your martial spirit is a mutated Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, isn't it?"

"Big... sister?" Liu Erlong felt a bit embarrassed.

"Yuhao, what are you calling her?" Xiao Wu asked, sounding unhappy. "She's my mother, and you're calling her 'big sister'?"

"Oh, I just thought she looked so young that you two looked like sisters," Xu Yan said smoothly. "If I called her 'Auntie,' it would be quite impolite given how youthful she is."

Liu Erlong, who had just been feeling the weight of his heavy hand, was charmed by his sweet talk. "You certainly have a silver tongue, kid. I like that."

"Mother, let's head back. We've been out a long time, and Third Brother and the others must be worried," Xiao Wu said.

As they prepared to leave, Liu Erlong turned back to Xu Yan. "Yuhao, why don't you come to Shrek as a guest? Which academy are you from?"

"I don't belong to any academy. I'm just a lone cultivator," Xu Yan replied naturally; he certainly wouldn't mention he was from the Spirit Hall or that he was Hu Liena's henchman.

"Yuhao, come to Shrek! I'm sure our principal would love to have you," Xiao Wu added.

Xu Yan considered this. It would be a good chance to see the protagonist, Tang San. They would clash eventually, so there was no harm in meeting now. He followed Liu Erlong and Xiao Wu toward Shrek.

Traveling at high speed, Xu Yan utilized his "Ascension Steps," a superior movement technique that proved faster than Xiao Wu's. If he hadn't been following them, they wouldn't have even seen his shadow.

The Shrek Academy was currently in the midst of intense training for the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament. By the time they arrived, it was clear this was the relocated academy near Heaven Dou City—the Shrek Academy that had merged with the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.