Ma Hongjun sidled up to Tang San and whispered with a grin, "Third Brother, looks like our age really does throw people off! No way—I need to cultivate to rank sixty as fast as I can. The feeling of having six Soul Rings is totally different from five. That Bai Chenxiang is actually pretty good-looking. You think, now that I'm the Vice Sect Master, there's a chance I could pull some strings?"
Tang San glanced at Ma Hongjun and patted him on the shoulder. "Fatty, if you want to truly win someone's love, you have to be willing to give your own first. Giving a lot doesn't guarantee an equal return, but if you're not willing to give anything at all, then you're guaranteed to get nothing. If you really want to pursue her, show some sincerity."
Ma Hongjun hadn't expected Tang San to lecture him on matters of the heart. When it came to dealing with women, he figured he had far more experience than Tang San.
It was true that Tang San had only ever had feelings for Xiao Wu. But in truth, what he understood about love ran far deeper than Ma Hongjun's experience. Ma Hongjun's interest in women stemmed from desire, whereas Tang San's was pure love. It was precisely because he had reunited with Xiao Wu today that he felt moved to say these words to Ma Hongjun.
The night passed without incident.
At dawn, Tang San woke from his cultivation as he always did before sunrise. He looked down at Xiao Wu, who was curled up beside him, fast asleep. Her plump little body looked like a small white ball. The golden hue at the roots of her fur seemed to have grown a bit more, giving her an almost shimmering blend of gold and silver at first glance.
He gently stroked Xiao Wu's fur, then stood and opened the window to let the fresh morning air flood into the room.
He chose not to look at Xiao Wu again, afraid he wouldn't be able to resist summoning her from the Soul Ring. Carefully, he placed Xiao Wu back into the Myriad Treasure Pouch, then climbed onto the roof to carry out his daily routine—the cultivation of the Purple Extreme Demon Eye.
In the far east, a pale sliver of white was gradually emerging along the horizon. The familiar purple qi came and went with Tang San's breath. Ever since absorbing the Wisdom Skull Bone formed from concentrated spiritual energy, the Purple Extreme Demon Eye had reached a bottleneck. Though Tang San continued to cultivate without fail, he could perceive no further progress. But he would never stop. Cultivating the Purple Extreme Demon Eye had long since become an inseparable part of his life. Moreover, absorbing that purple qi was beneficial to his Mysterious Heaven Skill as well.
With his Soul Power firmly stabilized at the sixty-sixth rank, Tang San had been training hard—not to accelerate his breakthrough, but to consolidate his foundation. He knew that reaching his current level at his age was already remarkable enough, and he must not push forward blindly, whether for his own sake or for Xiao Wu's.
"Possessing great strength is never just a matter of luck. Sect Master Tang, you are the most diligent young man I have ever met."
Tang San turned his head in surprise. He saw Bai He standing on a rooftop roughly twenty meters away, stretching his body leisurely. As expected of the clan chief of the Agility Clan—even without releasing his spiritual sense to detect anyone, his arrival had been completely silent; Tang San hadn't heard a thing.
"Clan Chief Bai flatters me. I'm merely in the habit of cultivating every morning."
Bai He had arrived while Tang San was cultivating the Purple Extreme Demon Eye. Though he didn't know the specifics of Tang San's method, the twin beams of purple-gold light that shot from his eyes during cultivation stretched nearly two feet long. Even from twenty meters away, Bai He could feel the invisible pressure they exerted. Twenty years old, a six-ring Soul Emperor. Bai He had thought long and hard last night, his mind filled with everything Tang San had demonstrated during the day.
Bai He smiled faintly, and his figure flickered—he was suddenly standing right beside Tang San. "How is your father?"
Tang San blinked, caught off guard. He hadn't expected Bai He to ask about his father. Hadn't all of them harbored deep resentment toward the Clear Sky School? After all, it was his father who had caused the original incident.
He let out a soft sigh. "Not well. To repay the Clear Sky School and atone for the sins he committed against the sect years ago, he severed two of his limbs and returned his Spirit Bones to the school."
"Ah!" Bai He exhaled softly. "He's always been so impulsive. It was that very flaw that, back then…"
Looking at Tang San before him, he seemed to see the young Tang Hao of years past—spirited, bold, unstoppable. Tang Hao had practically grown up under the watchful eyes of the four single-attribute clan chiefs. Among them, he had been closest to Titan, the chief of the Strength Clan. Outside of cultivation, he had spent most of his time clinging to Titan, pestering him to teach him the art of forging. And apart from Titan, Bai He himself had shared a rather close bond with Tang Hao.
"Xiao San—may I call you that in private?" Bai He said in a low voice.
Tang San nodded. "Of course. You are an elder."
Bai He sighed gently. "That old gorilla and that old rhinoceros both knew I would come around eventually. Your Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons are certainly remarkable, but they aren't the real reason I agreed. Do you know why I'm willing to join your Tang Sect—provided the Breaking Clan agrees?"
Tang San looked at the proud old man with surprise and shook his head.
Bai He said, "Because, by generation, you should call me Great-Uncle. Your grandmother was my elder sister."
"What?" Tang San was stunned. His gaze toward Bai He shifted immediately. His father had never told him about any kinship within the Clear Sky School. He could never have imagined that Clan Chief Bai He was actually related to him.
A glimmer of reminiscence appeared in Bai He's eyes. "My sister passed away young—your father was still just a child back then. Tang Xiao, Tang Hao—we watched those two boys grow up. They were both prodigies of the Clear Sky School. Your father in particular—his talent was extraordinary, his cultivation speed so fast that those of us in the vassal clans didn't know how to evaluate it. When the Clear Sky School declared its isolation, we vassal clans all departed of our own accord. But I never once blamed your father. I knew that despite his impulsiveness, he would never have done something so reckless without reason. There had to be some extraordinary circumstance that drove him to such enmity with Spirit Hall. Seeing that Tang Hao has a son like you… it truly makes me happy. The Breaking Clan will arrive this morning without fail. Before they get here, let me tell you about Yang Wudi. Oh—Yang Wudi is the chief of the Breaking Clan. He's half a year older than me."
Tang San listened with full attention. He had heard from Titan long ago that Bai He and Yang Wudi had a good relationship.
Bai He continued, "Yang Wudi has many faults—he's obstinate, even more arrogant than I am. His strength is the greatest among the four single-attribute clan chiefs. Don't let the fact that his Soul Power is roughly at my level fool you. If it actually came to a fight, I'm afraid even the old gorilla and the old rhinoceros wouldn't stand a chance against him. Their defenses simply cannot withstand Yang Wudi's 'Breaking' technique.
"Apart from cultivation, Yang Wudi has only one passion—the art of medicine making passed down through the Breaking Clan. He has an almost fanatical interest in refining all manner of pills and medicines. He'll go days and nights without sleep just to perfect a formula. So, medicine is his one and only weakness. If you want to convince him, neither emotional appeal nor force will work. Besides, there's still a considerable gap between your current strength and his. The only way to bring him around is through medicine. Take this."
As he spoke, Bai He produced a box from his Soul Guide and handed it to Tang San.
It was a pristine white jade box, roughly one and a half feet long and half a foot wide, its entire surface smooth and luminous—carved from the finest mutton-fat white jade.
"Great-Uncle, what is this?" Tang San had already adjusted his form of address in light of Bai He's identity.
Bai He smiled faintly. "I obtained this by chance. It could be called the heirloom of the Agility Clan. After I got it, I kept it hidden away—I was most afraid that Yang Wudi fellow would see it. But to convince him this time, I have no choice but to bring it out. I think, with its presence, at the very least Yang Wudi's attitude toward you will improve, and our chances will be greatly boosted. Obstinate as Yang Wudi may be, he still owes us three old fellows a bit of face."
Tang San carefully opened the jade box. Immediately, a refreshing fragrance wafted out, so delightful it seemed to penetrate his very heart. Inside the box lay, perfectly still, a ginseng root just over a foot long.
A ginseng root alone wouldn't have been enough to surprise Tang San. Though this one was impressively sized, such specimens were not unheard of. What truly shocked him was its color.
It was a ginseng root of vivid, crystalline blood-red—translucent and glowing, like rubied glass. Along its surface ran a series of raised ridges that connected to form a distinctive pattern. The pattern resembled a five-clawed dragon soaring through the highest heavens.
Tang San swallowed hard. When he looked up at Bai He again, the old man had already vanished—only his voice drifted back on the wind: "Don't refuse it. Xiao San, consider this a welcoming gift from your Great-Uncle. The future of the Agility Clan—I entrust it to your hands from now on. I believe I won't be disappointed. You are more outstanding than your father."
What surged through Tang San's heart was far more than a mere touch of gratitude. This extraordinary ginseng root—even back when he had explored the surroundings of the Ice and Fire Springs, he had never found one like it. He understood all too well how immensely valuable it was. This was a Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng. If the Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King was the emperor among ginseng, then the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng was its empress.
There was a saying about the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng: it was born at the eighth grade and required only ten thousand years of cultivation to evolve to the ninth. By contrast, the so-called Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King was essentially an immortal herb that had grown for over a hundred thousand years. The Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng, however, entered the world already at the eighth grade—needing merely ten thousand years to ascend to the ninth. Its rarity was self-evident. Tang San studied the slender, blood-red root tendrils and estimated that the fully formed Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng in his hands was at least five thousand years old. Though it was stored inside the jade box, it continued to absorb the essence of heaven and earth through the jade, growing ever so slowly. Compared to the Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Ginseng King he would eventually seek, this Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng was only half a grade lower.
Such a treasure could not possibly be measured in mere gold or silver. Even in the Agility Clan's most desperate times, Bai He had never taken it out—proof of how deeply he treasured it. And yet he had simply given it to Tang San. No wonder his Great-Uncle was so confident that this Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng could move the chief of the Breaking Clan. As someone who had also studied the art of medicine in depth, Tang San understood the properties of this herb all too well.
In terms of efficacy, it absolutely ranked among the immortal-grade herbs—even comparable to the Fragrant Cloud Immortal Herb that Xiao Wu had once consumed!
Just as Tang San stood on the rooftop, at something of a loss, he suddenly felt a squirming sensation at his waist. He looked down to see a cute little nose poking out of the Myriad Treasure Pouch, twitching ceaselessly. As it moved, the entire head emerged—two small red eyes blinking up at the jade box in Tang San's hand. The little creature stretched its neck, then gradually the rest of its body followed.
Tang San stared in astonishment as Xiao Wu's rabbit form revealed itself. The aroma of the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng was truly formidable—even the little rabbit, who had been fast asleep inside the Myriad Treasure Pouch, had been roused. Moreover, judging by the way she was practically drooling, she was extremely interested in this ginseng root.
It was worth noting that the Myriad Treasure Pouch contained no shortage of rare and superior herbs, yet Xiao Wu had never shown any interest in them before. To prevent her from eating them indiscriminately, Tang San had always kept a thread of spiritual sense connected to her body whenever she was placed inside the pouch. If she tried to snack on something, he could react at once. But ever since Xiao Wu had taken her rabbit form, this situation had never once arisen.
But now, the rabbit was different. The longing in those small eyes was almost nakedly transparent—the first time Tang San had ever seen such an emotion from Xiao Wu in her rabbit form.
Could she eat it? Tang San was not stingy about the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng—he would repay Bai He's kindness to the Agility Clan no matter what. But could Xiao Wu's rabbit body withstand the potency of the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng? The herb's power was famously overwhelming.
While Tang San hesitated, Xiao Wu suddenly surged forward from the Myriad Treasure Pouch with a burst of speed that was nothing short of astonishing.
This was the first time Tang San had seen this perpetually sleepy little rabbit move with such swiftness. By the time he reacted, Xiao Wu had already latched onto the main body of the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng with her teeth.
In truth, having once consumed the Lovesickness Heartbreak Red, this rabbit's physical condition was far beyond that of any ordinary rabbit—let alone the fact that Xiao Wu herself had once cultivated for a hundred thousand years. Her body was nothing a common rabbit could compare to.
"Xiao Wu!" Tang San's heart lurched as he moved to stop her. But at that very moment, he felt a sudden warmth surge through him. His Martial Soul, which he hadn't consciously activated, erupted from his body of its own accord. Six Soul Rings materialized around him simultaneously, and the blood-red ring condensed from Xiao Wu's essence instantly released its power. The phantom figure that had haunted Tang San's thoughts since the day before materialized before him once more.
The difference was that this time, Xiao Wu's soul-infused phantom had manifested not because Tang San was in danger, but because of the scent.
Tang San looked up at the phantom Xiao Wu and saw that her eyes were filled entirely with delight.
"Xiao Wu, can your body withstand the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng's potency?" Tang San asked anxiously. Even now, the ginseng's juices were being gulped down in huge mouthfuls by Xiao Wu's rabbit form.
The phantom Xiao Wu gazed at Tang San, her eyes brimming with joy, and nodded without the slightest hesitation. But even that simple nod caused her translucent form to flicker and fade.
Though Xiao Wu's soul was embedded within the Soul Ring, if she used her soul power to force this phantom into actions that went beyond her Soul Skills, it would consume a tremendous amount of her spiritual energy.
Sensing her soul slipping away, Xiao Wu quickly withdrew. Her spectral form flickered once and dove back into the Soul Ring on Tang San's body, vanishing without a trace.
Tang San stood there, dumbfounded, watching Xiao Wu's rabbit form claim his right forearm as her own, her little backside pointed skyward and her head buried in the jade box as she feasted on the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng without the slightest courtesy.
Having received that instant confirmation from Xiao Wu's soul, he felt much reassured. Come to think of it, with the Lovesickness Heartbreak Red having transformed her body and a hundred thousand years of prior cultivation, how could Xiao Wu's physical constitution possibly be inadequate? Judging by her expression just now, this Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng must be enormously beneficial to her. If that was the case, the hope of reviving Xiao Wu had grown even greater.
At this thought, Tang San felt a surge of excitement. He certainly couldn't remain on the rooftop any longer. Steadying himself, he jumped down and returned to his room to watch Xiao Wu enjoy her feast.
The Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng may have looked sizable, but it was mostly liquid inside. Under Xiao Wu's vigorous suction, it took only a short while before nothing but a shriveled skin remained. Even then, Xiao Wu didn't let it go—she ate the entire withered body as well.