The three newcomers were none other than Master Yu, Liu Erlong, and Flender, the dean of Shrek Academy, collectively known as the Golden Iron Triangle.
Sensing their presence, Fang Chang immediately activated his "Stealth" skill and poked his head out of the cave he was hiding in, carefully observing the trio.
Two Soul Sages and one... Soul Grandmaster? Fang Chang quickly calculated the combat power of both sides. Given his current strength, dealing with these three shouldn't be a problem.
But then he remembered that the trio had a powerful martial soul fusion skill. Once activated, their combat power would rival that of a Soul Douluo, posing a significant threat to him.
Moreover, they were too close to the Poison Douluo's lair. If the commotion of a battle alerted him and he noticed something...
Forget it. Better to hold back for now. Fang Chang had initially wanted to test his current strength against these three, but after considering the risks, he decided to give up. He simply watched quietly as they passed by.
Master Yu looked deeply troubled, his brows furrowed so tightly it seemed like a copper spirit coin could fit in the crease. His hands fidgeted nervously, scratching here and touching there.
Seeing Master Yu in such a distracted state, Liu Erlong approached him with concern. "Xiaogang, are you worried about Xiao San?"
Master Yu nodded, his hands clasped together. He didn't speak, only letting out a soft "Mm" in response.
"You..." Liu Erlong hesitated, feeling that her initial thought might not be appropriate, so she quickly changed her tone. "Don't worry, Xiao San will be fine."
"With Dugu Bo's strength and temperament, if he really wanted to harm Xiao San, he would have done so back at the academy. He wouldn't have waited until now."
Liu Erlong was straightforward by nature. She had wanted to tell Master Yu to relax, as worrying wouldn't help. But considering the situation, she decided it was better to comfort him. This was one of the rare moments when she showed concern for others.
Flender, standing nearby, was also worried, but his concerns were entirely different from Master Yu's.
Master Yu's worry was purely for his disciple, while Flender's concern was mostly about how to face "that man."
"What if—just what if—something really happens to Xiao San? How are we going to explain it to that man?"
Perhaps because he was too nervous, and with Liu Erlong and Master Yu discussing Tang San, Flender accidentally let slip.
Liu Erlong shot him a glare, then asked with some confusion, "That man? Who? Does Xiao San have any relatives?"
Flender quickly glanced around, then leaned closer to Liu Erlong, covering his mouth with one hand.
Just as he was about to speak, a loud roar erupted from a cave near the valley, shaking the entire Sunset Forest.
Under the night sky, the trio immediately went into combat mode, forming a circle with their backs to each other. Liu Erlong and Flender stood in front, shielding Master Yu.
As the roar faded, a hunched old man emerged from the cave. From a distance, the trio recognized him as the Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo, the very person they had come to find.
Despite his age and bent posture, Dugu Bo exuded an intimidating aura that made people wary of approaching him.
Seeing this figure, Fang Chang instinctively ducked his head further, leaving only his eyes visible as he watched the trio, careful not to let his gaze linger on Dugu Bo.
Those who had reached such a level of cultivation usually had extremely sharp senses. If Fang Chang stared at him too long, he might be detected.
Master Yu, seeing Dugu Bo, immediately became agitated. He tugged at Liu Erlong's sleeve, signaling her to take him up there.
Without hesitation, Liu Erlong grabbed Master Yu and flew toward the cave. Flender, left behind, gritted his teeth and sighed before following.
"Stop!" Master Yu shouted from a distance as Dugu Bo was about to leave.
Hearing the voice, Dugu Bo paused mid-step and turned his head slightly, looking at the trio who were struggling to climb the mountain.
"What do you want?" His voice was icy. Two Soul Sages and a mediocre Soul Grandmaster dared to tell him to "stop"?
Before he even finished speaking, his oppressive aura spread toward the trio.
Master Yu, being the weakest, immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood. Fortunately, Flender and Liu Erlong quickly stepped in front of him, shielding him from the pressure and preventing serious injury.
Master Yu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes growing more determined. "Where's Xiao San? Give him back to us."
Hearing this, Flender's face darkened. He pulled Master Yu back and spoke in a much more polite tone.
"Senior Dugu, we are Tang San's elders. We heard that you 'invited' him here and came to inquire about his situation."
"After all, he's just a thirteen-year-old child. If he's done something wrong to offend you, we beg you to be merciful and let him go."
Dugu Bo, however, wasn't having any of it. At his age, he had heard enough flattery to last a lifetime, and it only annoyed him now.
Moreover, a few days ago, he had left for Tang San's sake, only to return and find his decades-long herb garden completely destroyed. He was already seething with anger and had no outlet for it.
"Oh, that kid who knows a bit about poison? I fed him to the dogs. If you're unhappy, come and take revenge."
Hearing this, Master Yu's vision went black. When he came to, his eyes were fixed on Dugu Bo like a predator staring at its prey, filled with hatred.
Flender, on the other hand, was stunned. "You... you killed him? Do you know whose son he is? This is bad, really bad!"
"I don't care whose son he is. If his father has a problem, let him come find me. If he dares, I'll feed him to the dogs too."
Dugu Bo was completely unfazed by Flender's "threats." With his strength as a Title Douluo, who in the world could threaten him?
Then he turned to the trio. "As for you, since you've come today, you might as well stay. Go keep that kid company."
Finally, he had some punching bags to vent his anger on, and they had the audacity to act so arrogantly. Dugu Bo had no intention of letting them go.
He released his soul power without restraint, and nine soul rings appeared simultaneously. His aura surged, overwhelming even Flender and Liu Erlong.
Facing him, the trio exchanged glances and immediately activated their martial soul fusion skill. A golden triangular halo appeared around them, connecting their auras.
Their power skyrocketed, almost reaching the level of a Soul Douluo.
Then, all sixteen of their soul rings attached to Master Yu's martial soul, "Luo Sanpao."
Luo Sanpao let out a series of painful howls, growing louder and louder until it transformed into a resounding dragon's roar.
As the roar faded, a majestic, golden dragon with sharp claws appeared behind the trio, glaring down at Dugu Bo.
A fierce battle was about to erupt, but Fang Chang quietly left the cave, hiding further away to observe from a distance.
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Sorry for the late update, there was a blackout.