Chapter 67 - 67: I promise...

Red, hundred thousand year old spirit ring. The number one sought after treasure in the entire continent that even all Titled Douluos in the world dreamed of having.

And right now, it appeared in the yard of the Shrek Academy surrounding the body of Grandmaster. It's oppressive and bloodthirsty like aura leaked all around, causing even Spirit Sages like Flender and Zhao Wuji to nervously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

While most of the students was completely being overwhelmed. They had stopped moving, fear and despair grasped their beings as the aura let out by the hundred thousand year old spirit ring pressured down on them.

Xiao Yan, Xun Er, Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Ma Xiaotao are the only students that weren't much affected by the passive spiritual attack by the red spirit ring.

Grandmaster raised an eyebrow, impressed at the five students that were able to withstand his hundred thousand year old spirit ring.

A couple weeks prior to this day before the day of the Shrek Examination, he was in a secluded place so he would brokethrough to the sixtieth rank. After he did, he had asked Yao Lao to take him here to the academy, as the latter was planning to go said academy to take a look at his surrogate grandson, to both continue the unfinished lessons for his students and needed help from his old brother to go find a suitable spirit ring for him.

What Grandmaster didn't know, he would be accompanying Yao Lao in a spirit beast hunt of a hundred thousand year old spirit beast.

Worse of all, Yao Lao had decided that he had to fight to fight it one on one after the former fought it easily. Grandmaster shivered as he remembered that evil grin on the alchemist as his figure was bathed in the flames of both hot and cold, while nine imposing spirit rings rose underneath him.

Oh sure it was severely injured and all, lacerations and gaping holes on it's body, but Grandmaster knew that even at that state it could easily kill a peak Spirit King like him.

As a logical and normally calm Grandmaster that he is, he would have never gone along with the alchemist, despite the enticement of having a hundred thousand year old spirit ring. In fact, he was just about to walked away if he weren't so easily triggered by what Yao Lao had said.

"So you're just going to be the old useless Grandmaster? Even with the changes that you undergo, your just going to return to be the old useless piece of shit that left his wife? The person that easily gave up on his first love?"

Grandmaster gritted his teeth, those words had easily severely stung his already cold and broken heart, but he stubbornly stood his ground and took a step away–

"Ha... Poor old Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong, both silently being tortured of the harsh world while still waiting for the person they loved, while said loved is frivolously enjoying a carefree life–"

Grandmaster didn't remember much when he heard those words coming of Yao Lao's mouth, except red had completely blurred his vision.

The next thing he knew, he was missing his right arm, his entire figure was disheveled and completely bathed in blood of both his and the spirit beast, and a red spirit ring appeared right in front of him.

That spirit beast was the Overlord Earth Dragon, a hundred thousand year old spirit beast that normally resided in the core area of any wild forest. It's a rare land dragon, a dragon with no wings, that specializes on both all physical abilities and earth attributed attacks. It is also ruthless spirit beast that dosen't discriminate on what race he hunts and eats, whether they be humans or his fellow spirit beast kin.

Yao Lao had easily encountered this spirit beast on the Star Dou Great Forest when it was hunting for it's prey. Safe to say, it was the last hunt the dragon could have.

Back to Grandmaster. It was a fortunate blessing for him that every hundred thousand year old spirit beast would dropped a spirit bone, this one was not a exception as well, and coincidentally it was a right arm bone.

What he knew next, Yao Lao decided that he were to absorbed the spirit bone first to regrow his arm, to which the alchemist would give him a strange pill to regenerate his lost muscles, tendons, ligaments and skin as it uses the spirit bone as a catalyst to regenerate the said lost limb. To which then the spirit bone insures that he would have a easier time of absorbing the hundred thousand year old spirit ring.

It did not make it any easier, Grandmaster pained screams and agonizing yells could attest to that. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#..._52799943794016559">#..._52799943794016559</a> for visiting.

But he could say that the pain was worth it, now that he fully analyze his spirit ring set. Purple, purple, black, black, black, and red. A set of spirit rings that he never thought he would have.

But compared to that monster of a alchemist, Grandmaster wouldn't dare be arrogant.

The moment Yao Lao had showed his spirit rings out to the world, the entire sky was bathed in the color of red, as if the sky was ripped apart and turned into a sea of blood.

Grandmaster could only estimate that Yao Lao's spirit power, was over the ninety-six rank. A spirit rank that was thought to be impossible by the masses.

How could such a monster be created into this world?

He shook his head and snapped back to reality as he heard an angry and pained yell from Flender.

"YU XIAOGANG!! YOU BASTARD!"

Grandmaster's body was then blown back away as Flender tackled him forward with his body, his spirit transformation activated as his seven spirit rings was shown. The two flown and rammed into dozens of large trees in the area they went through.

*BOOOM!*

The trees broke and blown away towards the shocked group. Trees went towards the teachers, but Zhao Wuji easily blocked them all.

As the trees was about to hit students, a yellow lightning barrier appeared, flashed, and destroyed all the incoming trees.

All of them turned towards Xiao Yan, his body completely covered in yellow arcs of lightning. His eyes seem to flicker with silver and golden lightning. Three spirit rings shown, his third was blackened for a moment before his spirit rings all disappeared back into his being. He let out a breath of relief and a bit of exhaustion, as this was the first time he was carefully using a portion of his third spirit ring ability while controlling it to be a barrier around him.

"What the hell is Flender thinking?" Zhao Wuji muttered as he and everyone else stared at the carnage their dean and Grandmaster made.

He was about to stepped in and stop the fight, but a arm appeared before him, causing him to halt.

Zhao Wuji turned to see Xiao Yan, shaking his head saying.

"No teacher Zhao, you can't b.u.t.t in into this fight."

"And why the hell not?" Zhao Wuji impatiently asked.

Tang San was the one to reply to his demand.

"Because it is not our place to. This is a fight between best friends, brothers in all but blood. Something tells me that this is important for them to do, a conversation long passed."

At that, Zhao Wuji, the other teachers and the students quieted down as they glanced at each other then went to watched the quarrel of two brothers.

*Boom!*

All the while ignoring the collateral damages thrown towards them.

....

"You f.u.c.ker!" Flender yelled, his entire body is covered by a layer of feathers, his eyes had turned orange yellow, his pair of feet had turned into claws and he sported two black wings on his back.

He clenched his hands into fists as he let out a barrage of punches towards the unflinching and very bruised face of Grandmaster.

Yu Xiaogang's once jade white face skin turned black and blue, his perfect nose bended, one of his eyes turned swollen and a tooth was missing from his once perfect teeth. Ruining his pretty boy face.

Despite all that, he didn't moved nor retaliated. He let Flender continue on his attacks.

'But goddamn does Flender have a mean punch.' He inwardly thought, as he now felt the pain of his punches.

Flender continued on his crusade while cursing Grandmaster until his fists turn slackened, until slowly his attacks ceased.

Flender was sitting on Grandmaster's c.h.e.s.t, his pair of arms now on his sides as he stared at the eyes of the latter, who's entire face was now deformed and completely covered in blood.

"...When were you going to tell me?" Flender muttered.

"Today actually, wanted to show off a bit to my brother and his friends after all." Grandmaster replied, chuckling.

"..." Flender was silent but he did undid his spirit transformation and moved away from Grandmaster's body and sat besides the latter on the ground.

Silence reigned between the two for a few moments before it was interrupted by Flender, saying with a expressionless voice.

"...Well congratulations jackass, you finally brokethrough your lifelong pain and also now on the way of catching up to me."

"Heh, yeah. Never thought I would actually caught up to you..." Grandmaster let out a chuckle as he now sat up as well, his face was still deformed but a strange glow of white light seemed to be covering his face, unexpectedly, his face was now slowly reforming and healing itself as the glow covered his face.

Dragon's Light Body, a ten thousand year old spirit ring that came from a reptilian type spirit beast that had a bloodline from a dragon. This spirit ring ability gives Yu Xiaogang a passive high-speed regeneration and Luo San Pao a increased of 75% defense and speed.

As Grandmaster's face finally recovered to it's previous state, Flender, looking towards the bright blue sky, said.

"When did you brokethrough? And how?"

Grandmaster let out a sigh and explained that he brokethrough a few years ago with the help of Xiao Yan and his hundred year old refined purification fruit.

Flender frowned and scowled as he turned towards Grandmaster, saying.

"Xiaogang, let me ask you something. When you finally brokethrough, what did you first think about? Was it returning to your clan? Was it getting revenge on those that belittle you? Or, have you thought about going back to her? Xiaogang you–" As Flender's voice rose, Grandmaster interrupted with a shake of his head and said.

"No. I didn't think any of those. What I had thought, felt, was sheer utter relief and joy. Finally achieving the dream that I once thought to be impossible to be breached, I just only thought pure happiness." Then his eyes then turned hazy as he continued. "It was only when I watched a pair of elderly couple holding hands that I remembered, that I had someone. Someone to hold, to care, to love, to cry, to share my everything with. She was the one that made me realize, that there was another reason for my existence. She was the one that gave me strength and courage to continue walking the path of a spirit master."

Flender watched with startled amazement, as tears started to streamed down Grandmaster's face. Something that was near impossible for him to ever see his old brother in this sort of state.

The only time he remembered him crying, was the day he left...Liu Erlong.

"She was the one, that made my once hopeless and broken heart to beat crazy. She was the one, who made me once more fall in love. She's the first reason, why I still continue this life. For without her, how could I still walk? Talk? Heck, even eating was worthless if she's not here."

"... Then why don't you go to her, right now?" Flender asked with narrowed eyes.

"Because I'm currently too weak." Grandmaster retorted. "Flender, you know the reason why I left her. Due to my inferiority complex, I had left her to the notion of not wanting her to be a laughing stock by everyone we walked by. I don't want the woman I love to be ashamed and saddened. But alas, being the idiot that I am, I was too late to realize that she was a stubborn, loyal, faithful, headstrong and thick skinned woman that can't be easily kicked by the masses."

Flender's eyes narrowed, he had already known about all this, so why is Yu Xiaogang narrating his stupidity? He then said.

"I don't hear the reason why you're not going back to her side right now Xiaogang..."

"...The clan, Flender." Grandmaster let out a sigh. "Do you think that my clan would let the union of Erlong and I, be? Don't you remember how my uncle came at the right moment of our wedding and revealed Erlong's real identity? Don't you think that's suspicious?"

Flender's eyes widened in startled realization.

"Wait! You mean, that was a intentional move from your clan to separate you two?!"

Grandmaster nodded his head and explained.

"I'm once the number one known trash of the clan, even in the entire continent, and Erlong is someone with a great amount of talent that if she wasn't feeling grief within her heart, I wouldn't be surprised that she would have already brokethrough towards the Titled Douluo realm long ago. Moreover, we're both from the same clan with blood ties. Do you really think the clan would accept that kind of embarrassment of having one of their most talented be wed to the most useless? Worst of all, blood relatives.?"

Flender nodded then said.

"But you've changed. Your already at Spirit Emperor realm with a hundred thousand year old spirit ring and spirit bone to boot! I'm sure no one would talk shit anymore about the two of you, well, besides behind your backs that is."

Grandmaster nodded in agreement but then shook his head.

"True, with my newfound spirit rank, the pressure of both Erlong and I will be tremendously lessen. But there are still old foggies within the clan that still hold on to the rules and would do anything to reinforce said rules. Regardless of how much of a powerhouse I may be now."

"In the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan, the clan master, my brother, is not the most influential and powerful within the clan but the five elder seat, two guardians and grand elder. But even then, they would still need the permission of the clan master to do anything of seriousness. I think less than half of those seats of power are still remained to be dissatisfied with the union of Erlong and I, don't be mistaken with that low percentage Flender." Grandmaster said with narrowed eyes.

"Despite having less than half, those seats of power are both very powerful and influential than most. Those elders are very powerful Spirit Sages or Spirit Douluos and probably one Titled Douluo. I'm sure that even by now, they are still monitoring Liu Erlong to see if she would ever divorced our marriage and find another, probably someone who's more talented and powerful than me as I'm confident that they hadn't known about my current situation."

"Then, what are you going to do?" Flender asked.

"... I'll continue increasing my spirit rank until it reaches the Spirit Sage rank, hopefully even Spirit Douluo, while at the same time training the students to become real monsters that would shake the entire continent. With that much leverage, I hope to believe that the clan would finally let us off and..." Grandmaster stopped as a feeling of reminiscent hit him.

A beautiful young lady that once strung his heart strings, one whose talents were beyond him but still they were able to meet and talk to each other to the point of falling in love with one another.

But that time has long passed, she's already married and had child from what he had last heard of her. Besides, he's already a married man as well. There's no way she would still care about him and be petty.

"Xiaogang? What's wrong?" Noticing his sudden silence, Flender asked in concern.

Grandmaster snapped out of his senses and shook his head.

"I'm fine. Just, recalling the past." Flender rubbed his beard and nodded.

"Alright Xiaogang, promise me as your friend and brother. That you will no longer run."

"I promise Flender. As your friend and brother, I promise, I will no longer run from her. I will stay by her side till the end of our days. Till our breaths, the beats of our heart and the essence of our lives finally dispersed from this world. I promise, for I owe you, and most of all Liu Erlong the most, in this world. Just, give me more time..."

Flender stared at the determined, unflinching hard eyes of Yu Xiaogang. The man that once stood alongside him and Liu Erlong against stronger opponents in their journey across the continent. The man who's entire life was full of misery and despair. The man who had his entire life went from heaven to hell everywhere he goes.

This is a man, who's eyes were that of true conviction and determination to finish what he left behind.

Flender smiled, thinking.

'So, you've really changed Xiaogang? If it were the former you, you would have still remained a coward and brushed off Erlong, but now? Now you have the eyes of a true man. I hope this path of yours won't break you once more.'

"Okay enough with the drama." Flender said, standing up from the ground and brushing of any dirt and grime on him. Turning towards Grandmaster, with a raised eyebrow, he asked.

"Well? Are you going to get up? Didn't you say you were going to trained those little brats into monsters or was that all bark?" Flender then turned and walked away.

Grandmaster blinked at his friend for a moment before smiling and followed after him.

As they returned back, the duo noticed that they have questions for them but before they got interrogated, Grandmaster opened his mouth and said with a cold commanding tone that made everyone straightened up.

"Xiao Yan, what the hell are you doing there being all dumb?! Didn't I say choose between beat the shit out of your classmates or sparing against me? Well?! Choose!"

As he said that, his six spirit rings flared up and the gigantic golden dragon head of Luo San Pao appeared on top of Grandmaster.

Safe to say, Xiao Yan chose the former than the latter today. Though he would get to spar against Grandmaster, along with his friends, once in a while in the coming couple of months.

Xiao Yan would go beat up the students, which was said easier than done, then the entirety of students would run from the Shrek Academy then towards Suotuo City without using spirit power while being both monitored and crushed by teacher Zhao's gravity control spirit ability, because some of the students had f.u.c.k.e.d up during training.

Once in a while, Xiao Yan and Tang San would teach the other students some of their techniques that are well suited for them as well.

This was the entire routine of the students, getting beat up, learning techniques, given some lessons from the teachers, refining their skills and abilities for the entirety of three months.