"Rongrong, be good, don't cry. Grandpa Sword simply wasn't good enough — how could I blame you? We agreed we were testing the Hidden Weapons. You didn't do anything wrong! These Hidden Weapons really do have the element of surprise." As he spoke, his gaze turned to Ning Fengzhi beside him. "Clan Master, if it's possible, do everything you can to recruit the young man who made these Hidden Weapons into our clan."
Sword Douluo's final words were spoken with great gravity, and he had addressed Ning Fengzhi as "Clan Master" — a clear sign of how seriously he took the matter.
Ning Fengzhi nodded earnestly. Consider: a young man had used external weapons to force a Titled Douluo to release his Martial Soul — and even get the worst of the exchange. Just how powerful were these Hidden Weapons? True, Ning Rongrong's use of them had put Sword Douluo in a difficult position. But at the same time, they had known beforehand that Ning Rongrong intended to use such weapons, so they had some measure of preparation. If it were an enemy instead, and given that direct disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had always lacked offensive ability — if Hidden Weapons were suddenly unleashed against an unsuspecting opponent, what kind of scene would that create?
Ning Fengzhi was, without question, a wise Clan Master. He made his decision immediately and said to Ning Rongrong, "Rongrong, don't tell anyone in the clan about this for now. Tomorrow I'll go with you to Shrek Academy. I'd very much like to meet this Third Brother of yours."
Ning Fengzhi's heart burned with excitement. The surprises his daughter had brought home today were simply too many to count. Setting aside the Hidden Weapons for the moment, the mutation — or rather, the evolution — of her Martial Soul into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was of incalculable importance to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. He eagerly anticipated meeting the young man who had given all of this to Ning Rongrong. Regardless of anything else, as a father, he needed to express his gratitude. Based on Ning Rongrong's Martial Soul alone, Tang San had already rendered a monumental favor to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Moreover, another thought lingered in Ning Fengzhi's mind. If he could truly recruit this genius youth under his banner, then perhaps in a few decades, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would gain yet another Titled Douluo as its guardian.
A Titled Douluo's lifespan was certainly longer than that of an ordinary person, but it was still finite. Whether Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo, both were already past eighty. There might be no cause for concern in the coming decades, but what about after that? He had to pave the way for his daughter's future succession.
While the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was undergoing these changes following Ning Rongrong's return, Tang San had been quietly cultivating in meditation.
The injuries to his body had been quite severe. After returning to the dormitory, Tang San had cultivated continuously until the early hours of the next morning before finally regaining awareness.
He slowly opened his eyes. Through the window, he could faintly see the light outside — it was already dawn.
Taking a deep breath, he assessed the condition of his body and was gratified to find that the pain in his internal organs had vanished entirely. Everything had returned to normal. The Eight-Pointed Frost Ice Grass and the Passion Spring Apricot Delicacy, through the effects of the Yin-Yang Spring, had utterly transformed his body. Not only had they made his outer skin far tougher, but his internal organs were also now far beyond those of an ordinary person.
Just as Tang San himself had said, none of the Heaven-Sent herbs had trivial effects. Two extreme herbs merged together produced an effect approaching that of what was known as the supreme among supreme herbs — the Love-Lost, Heartbreak Red. The only reason was that the ice and fire powers contained within were too violent, requiring slow and gradual absorption. That process might continue for the rest of Tang San's life.
His gaze naturally fell upon the dormitory table. There, he found a piece of paper, and on top of it, one of Oscar's signature large sausages. Across the room, Oscar was sitting cross-legged in meditation — it was unclear when he had returned.
Tang San picked up the paper and sausage from the table. Written on it in elegant, delicate script were the words:
"Brother, Oscar came back, so I headed out. When you wake up, eat one of his sausages. I'll come see you again tomorrow morning. — Xiao Wu."
Looking at the note on the table, warmth filled Tang San's heart. He devoured the sausage in a few bites, feeling the warmth spread throughout his body until every last trace of discomfort had completely faded.
With the increase in his Soul Power, Oscar's various sausages had also improved in function. Beyond serving as food, this recovery sausage's restorative abilities had strengthened considerably.
Folding the note carefully and tucking it into his robe, Tang San quietly slipped out of the room and exited the dormitory building. Using handholds on the building's exterior, he leaped up to the roof in a few agile bounds.
At this moment, the sky was just beginning to lighten, with a faint trace of white appearing on the distant horizon.
The Mysterious Heaven Skill circulated naturally within his body. After having opened the Chong Meridian, the Mysterious Heaven Skill now flowed far faster than before. A layer of soft, white luminescence gradually appeared around Tang San's body. Gathering his power in his eyes, the Purple Extreme Demon Eye, supported by the Mysterious Heaven Skill, began to release its radiance.
The white glow on the eastern horizon gradually grew clearer, and the purple in Tang San's pupils steadily intensified. Beyond its original hue, an additional layer of faint golden light had joined it. As the fish-belly white at the horizon began to emit a purple qi, the radiance in Tang San's eyes surged abruptly.
Purple-golden light poured from his eyes like two blazing pillars, projecting a full foot outward. The light pulsed in rhythm — contracting, expanding — as though effortlessly drawing in the purple qi drifting in from the east.
Under the effects of the Looking Through Autumn Waters Dew, the Purple Extreme Demon Eye had undergone a qualitative leap. Although to outside observers Tang San's eyes appeared to be emitting purple-golden light, from his own perspective, everything around him had become extraordinarily clear. His Purple Extreme Demon Eye had officially entered the third realm, Mustard Seed. Under its full activation, the world before him was one of rich layers and brilliant color. Even the invisible air — he could now distinguish the faint motes of dust floating within it.
After entering the second realm, Microscopic Insight, Tang San had continued daily practice, yet the Purple Extreme Demon Eye had made only marginal progress. Now, with the help of the Looking Through Autumn Waters Dew, his dawn practice session gave him the sensation of advancing a thousand miles in a single day. He felt as though he could actually see the purple qi from the horizon streaming into his eyes. And deep within his gaze, that purple-golden radiance was filled with an aura that could captivate the soul.
The purple qi came swiftly and departed just as quickly. As the violet hue faded from the horizon, the purple-golden light in Tang San's eyes did not retreat. He discovered that through conscious control alone, he could see everything clearly up to a thousand meters away — not even the morning mist could obstruct his gaze, so penetrating had it become.
After consuming the Looking Through Autumn Waters Dew that day, Tang San had sensed that his Purple Extreme Demon Eye had gained something new, but until now he still had not fully figured out what it was. What he could be certain of was that it was far more than a simple enhancement to his vision.
Taking a deep breath, the white mist surrounding his body was drawn back into his abdomen as though rivers were converging into the sea. The Mysterious Heaven Skill circulated three times through his meridians before slowly settling into his dantian. A night of cultivation combined with the elevation of the Purple Extreme Demon Eye — his Mysterious Heaven Skill as a whole seemed to have increased yet again.
A faint smile appeared on his face. At this rate, he might truly be able to reach the highest tier of the Mysterious Heaven Skill. And it should not take too long, either. After all, he was not yet fourteen.
When Tang San returned to the dormitory, not only had Oscar woken up, but Xiao Wu had already arrived. Seeing that Tang San looked completely normal, Xiao Wu immediately showed an expression of visible relief.
Oscar said with a rueful grin, "Xiao San, your injury has made my life miserable. The moment Xiao Wu showed up, she shook me awake in a panic and demanded to know where you'd gone. Doesn't she know you go out every morning to train?"
Xiao Wu's pretty face flushed red. "What do you know? It's called worrying about someone you care about. Brother, you're completely fine now, right?"
Tang San nodded. "I'm all healed."
Xiao Wu smiled. "Then let's go get breakfast together. Uncle Big Sausage, you can just keep training."
Oscar shot back, "Train my foot. I'm coming with you to eat. Oh, right — Xiao San, I heard you took down a fifty-eighth rank Soul King yesterday? That's insane."
Tang San smiled. "It wasn't as easy as you think. First, my opponent underestimated me — he didn't take me seriously at all. Luck played a huge part in my victory. He was a pure strength-type Soul Master, which happened to be countered by my Control Type abilities. Even so, I only managed to gain a slight advantage by relying on my poison and the Eight Spider Lances. If we fought again, I'm almost certain I wouldn't be able to beat him. The real power of Hidden Weapons lies in their surprise factor. Once someone is prepared, and with a twenty-level gap in Soul Power, I wouldn't have a single chance."
Oscar chuckled. "Win's a win, no matter how you slice it. You really brought glory to us Shrek Seven Devils. Once we take the championship at that Advanced Academy Tournament, we Shrek Seven Devils might just become one of the most famous Soul Master groups on the entire continent. We need to step up our game too. With those herbs you gave us, I think all of us have a shot at breaking through to the fortieth rank before the tournament. Come on — let's eat."
The Heaven-Sent herbs had given the Shrek Seven Devils an extraordinary opportunity. They were already geniuses, and with the aid of these treasures of heaven and earth, they had become beings who were simply insurmountable among their peers.
The three headed out of the dormitory. As they walked, Tang San said, "That Advanced Soul Master Tournament won't be easy either. Our strength has gotten pretty good, but we'll be competing against Soul Masters under the age of twenty-five. Who knows how many geniuses are out there on the continent? Setting everything else aside, just the Royal Fighting Team alone is roughly on par with us. By the time the tournament comes around, they'll probably all have reached the fortieth rank too. This time, I doubt they'll give us the chance to launch a sneak attack. If Yu Tianheng and those two Black Tortoise Soul Masters can unleash their full power, they'll be incredibly difficult to deal with."
(End of Chapter)