In Spirit Hall, the members of the Golden Generation were also observing Li Si, Gu Yuena, and Xiao Wu.
To be precise, their focus was mostly on Gu Yuena, with Li Si being secondary.
After all, Li Si, while powerful, was still mortal. His aura and presence couldn't quite compare to Gu Yuena's.
Hu Liena's gaze toward Gu Yuena was filled with a peculiar intensity. For the first time, she encountered a woman whose beauty surpassed even that of her teacher, Bibi Dong!
To Hu Liena, Bibi Dong's looks and demeanor had always been the pinnacle of Douluo Continent's standards. Yet a single glance at Gu Yuena shattered that notion.
"Hiss..."
Hu Liena involuntarily drew in a sharp breath. A woman's sixth sense told her that this silver-haired woman was no ordinary figure.
Despite appearing to be in her early twenties, Gu Yuena might very well be a Titled Douluo—or even more. After all, Bibi Dong herself looked no older than thirty, yet her strength was unquestionable.
As for Li Si, he didn't seem all that young either, did he?
"Gulp."
"What was that noise?"
Hu Liena turned toward the source of the sound, only to see Yan and Xie Yue, both caught in a moment of admiration. The sight made Hu Liena's eye twitch in irritation.
Goodness, it was one thing for Yan to ogle a pretty woman—but even Xie Yue, with his usually aloof demeanor, had fallen for Gu Yuena's charm?
"Xie Yue! Yan!"
Hu Liena's sharp tone snapped the two out of their trance.
Xie Yue looked a bit embarrassed but wasn't too flustered—after all, he was Hu Liena's older brother. What was there to be embarrassed about? Yan, on the other hand, felt his head throb. The thought of Hu Liena misunderstanding him made him panic.
"Na-na! Let me explain!"
No matter how beautiful someone else was, they weren't Hu Liena! A dedicated admirer like Yan naturally felt the need to clarify his position.
"No need to explain, Yan," Hu Liena interrupted, her tone carrying an edge of annoyance.
She didn't have romantic feelings for Yan, but seeing him act like that toward another woman left her feeling uncomfortable—though she couldn't quite explain why. It wasn't love; it was more like the feeling of a pet running off to someone else.
"That woman is no ordinary person. Until we know more about her, don't provoke her," Hu Liena said seriously.
Her sixth sense had always been reliable, and she trusted her instincts in this matter.
"What?"
Xie Yue and Yan exclaimed in unison.
That seemingly delicate woman—was she actually a powerhouse? But she didn't look much older than they were!
"Since when did a spirit master's strength depend on their age or appearance?" Hu Liena sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"Oh, right… like Her Majesty the Pope…"
Yan started to say something but stopped when he noticed Hu Liena's murderous glare. The realization struck him like a thunderbolt.
It wasn't just Hu Liena's glare that startled him. Yan suddenly remembered the possible presence of Spirit Hall's strong figures nearby. For those individuals, no conversation was truly private. Yan broke into a cold sweat at the thought of his careless comment being overheard.
"Yan, be more mindful of what you say. Some things can be said, and some cannot," Hu Liena said coldly.
She didn't intend to fall out with Yan over this, but she needed to teach him a lesson. Otherwise, he might not even realize how he met his end someday.
"Got it, Na-na!"
Yan nodded quickly, eager to show he understood.
The atmosphere between the three of them grew quiet after that. A moment later, though, their gazes instinctively wandered back toward Li Si and Gu Yuena—under the pretext of "reconnaissance."
Meanwhile, Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and others also noticed Li Si's group.
However, they exchanged only a brief glance and smiled knowingly before moving on.
In the Shrek camp, the teacher accompanying the team was Zhao Wuji. Flender and Liu Erlong hadn't come, seemingly indifferent to this year's Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament.
Their lack of concern was due to Yu Xiaogang. Flender and Liu Erlong were entirely preoccupied with how to "deal with" him.
Yu Xiaogang was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Flender had taken his life's work—all the theories he had painstakingly recorded over years of relentless effort—and burned them to ashes right in front of him!
"Flender, I curse you to die a miserable death!"
Yu Xiaogang ground his back teeth in fury, his hatred for Flender overflowing.
"Hmph. Don't look at me like that. Did you really think you'd leave this place alive?" Flender said coldly, his expression unchanged.
"You might as well just kill me! Even if I become a vengeful ghost, I won't let you go!"
"And what could a trash-level spirit master at rank twenty-nine possibly do to harm me—even as a ghost?"
"Oh, wait… I almost forgot. I've already crippled your spirit power, so you're not even rank twenty-nine anymore!" Flender added mockingly. He couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Ah, revenge was sweet!
Yu Xiaogang fell silent, his face a picture of despair. Suddenly, a sly grin crept across his face as if he had thought of something.
"Flender, Flender… you and Erlong might only be 'nominally' together, but you must envy me, don't you? Hahaha…"
Smack!
A resounding slap echoed through the room. Flender, unable to suppress his rage, struck Yu Xiaogang so hard that it nearly killed him.
Even at his peak as a rank twenty-nine Grand Spirit Master, Yu Xiaogang wasn't on the same level as Flender. Now, he was utterly powerless.
"Congratulations, you've successfully pissed me off," Flender said icily. He called someone to heal Yu Xiaogang, though it was more to prolong the torment than out of mercy.
During that time, Flender had a sudden thought involving some acquaintances. But would doing this cross the line? He scratched his head, debating internally.
Smack!
Another slap rang out, this time self-inflicted.
"Why am I even debating morality with someone like him? Absurd!" Flender berated himself aloud.
When it came to dealing with someone like Yu Xiaogang, Flender didn't hold back—even on himself.
(Chapter Ends)