At first, no one paid much attention to this clown. Even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan dismissed his antics as mere nonsense. However, as Yu Xiaogang continued with his schemes, his true identity was gradually revealed to those familiar with him.
Because he was Tang San's teacher and had Tang Chen, an Ultimate Douluo, backing him up, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan could only endure their anger and remain silent about this scoundrel. As a result, they semi-abandoned Blue Tyrant Academy, leaving it under Yu Xiaogang's control.
Originally, Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Luomian, the two brothers of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, planned to withdraw clan members like Yu Tianheng and Liu Erlong from Blue Tyrant Academy, effectively treating the academy as a concession due to their inability to contend with the Clear Sky Clan.
However, not only did Liu Erlong refuse to leave, but Yu Tianheng, for reasons unknown, was also persuaded by Yu Xiaogang to stay at Blue Tyrant Academy.
Over time, some opportunistic individuals began to see the Clear Sky Clan as a potential ally worth clinging to. They introduced the Clear Sky Clan's influence into Blue Tyrant Academy, hoping to gain more sway within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. They even secretly supported Yu Xiaogang, creating signs of internal strife within the clan.
Of course, Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Luomian could deal with these fools, but they saw value in letting things escalate. They used this chaos as an opportunity to get rid of some troublesome elders who opposed them.
Even though Yu Xiaogang was a worthless individual, his connection to Tang Chen and the Clear Sky Clan gave him a strong backing. However, if the Clear Sky Clan ever intended to interfere with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Luomian were prepared to expose their alliance with Spirit Hall and Qian Daoliu.
In reality, almost everyone already knew that the androgynous Yu Xiaogang, with his foul stench of arrogance, was the infamous Huang Sanguai. The only one oblivious to this fact was Yu Xiaogang himself, who believed his identity was perfectly concealed and that everyone was awed by his knowledge.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu and Dai Mubai resided at Blue Tyrant Academy, which had essentially been taken over by Shrek Academy, under the guise of students. They had successfully joined Blue Tyrant Academy's team for the upcoming Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.
One day, as Xiao Wu chatted with Tang San about recent events, she pulled out a gift she had prepared for him from her storage soul tool—a large basket of peeled, boiled eggs.
Ever since the medicinal properties of the Nine Dragons Grass had been activated, Tang San found his appetite growing exponentially, especially his craving for meat. On an average day, he could eat enough food for seven or eight grown men just to feel barely satisfied. However, eating too much at once would still push his digestive system to its limit, unless he activated his devouring skill.
To cope with this, Tang San discovered a compromise: in addition to his three daily meals, he snacked on boiled eggs throughout the day to sustain his energy and muscle consumption.
Although Xiao Wu was fiery and unruly by nature, she had grown up as a spoiled young lady under Tang San's care, to the point of not even lifting a finger for basic chores—a privilege usually reserved for nobles. Despite her lack of cooking skills, she wanted to support Tang San in her way. Upon learning about his fondness for boiled eggs, she began bringing him a full basket every time she visited. It was the only edible thing she could manage to prepare.
This time, however, Xiao Wu realized in embarrassment that the eggs had somehow gotten dusty during her rush to prepare them. She tried to pick out the dirty ones to wash later, but before she could act, Tang San grabbed the dusty eggs and started eating them without hesitation.
As he chewed, he gave Xiao Wu a pure smile and said, "Clean and hygienic!"
Staring at Tang San, who wasn't thinking straight, Xiao Wu—who wasn't exactly a genius herself—began to seriously worry about his intelligence. She glanced at his unique hairstyle, with its single upward braid, and couldn't help but wonder if it had drained all the wisdom from her Third Brother.
...
Time passed, and soon, the first day of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament arrived.
Held every five years, the tournament was a grand event on the Douluo Continent, drawing attention from across the land. This year's tournament was especially significant due to a wager between Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu, making it even more anticipated.
Over the years, many changes have occurred. Major soul beast habitats like the Star Dou Forest and Sunset Forest had experienced upheavals. The high-ranking combatants of Spirit Hall had been exposed. The two peerless experts, Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen, had reemerged. These events had stirred many previously hidden or semi-hidden soul master clans, prompting them to seize this opportunity to showcase their strength.
Even clans that couldn't realistically compete for the championship wanted to leave their mark and remind the continent of their existence. After all, Spirit Hall had recently revealed more than twenty Title Douluo in one go, making the title appear almost cheap. Hidden clans no longer found it worthwhile to maintain their detached stance.
Rumors even circulated that Spirit Hall planned to use this tournament as a prelude to reestablishing the Seven Great Clans. As a result, clans like the Black Tiger Clan, which had gained strength amid recent turmoil, eagerly prepared to use the tournament as a stage for their ambitions.
While Heaven Dou Empire originally had only a dozen or so advanced soul master academies, the sudden establishment of academy-style offshoots by various clans had nearly doubled this number. Despite the clear irregularities, no one dared challenge these influential clans.
This year's tournament thus boasted the largest number of participants in history, with the number of competitors reaching 2.5 times the usual figure.
Amid this chaos, Chen Ming returned to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy and was added to the roster. Meanwhile, the Blue Tyrant Academy team—nominally Blue Tyrant Academy but actually Shrek and secretly affiliated with the Clear Sky Clan—had fully assembled. After months of being confined to Clear Sky Peak, Tang San finally re-entered the human world and returned to the bustling cities.