In the annotations of the Hundred Hidden Weapons Manual, the Dragon Whisker Needle was described thus: it was designed to pierce internal martial energy, required sufficient internal strength to activate, caught enemies off guard, and inflicted tremendous pain upon them. However, the materials were difficult to obtain, and it consumed a great deal of internal energy, requiring ample reserves to sustain continuous use.
With Tang San's current level of internal strength, he could only guarantee that the Dragon Whisker Needles would maintain their full penetrating power within a range of three meters. Beyond that distance, the needles would retract before reaching the enemy due to insufficient energy. As the attack range increased, the demand on internal energy grew correspondingly higher. This devastatingly powerful and domineering hidden weapon was by no means easy to wield.
Still, it was the first-ranked inner-sect hidden weapon among the top ten. Tang San was confident that within a certain range, even Dai Mubai's White Tiger Diamond Transformation would be unable to withstand the piercing force of the Dragon Whisker Needles.
Tang San's nails were not long, but concealing one Dragon Whisker Needle within each nail posed absolutely no problem. In close combat, this made them the killer among killers.
Of course, the Dragon Whisker Needles were not the hidden weapon he most yearned for. The top three ranked inner-sect hidden weapons in the Hundred Hidden Weapons Manual all required the Mysterious Heaven Skill to reach the seventh stage or beyond before they could be used, and that would still demand prolonged and dedicated cultivation.
"Xiao San, do you know what I'm thinking about?" Xiao Wu blinked her large eyes at him, making Tang San feel a touch uneasy.
"Thinking about what?"
Xiao Wu giggled. "I was wondering whether I should voluntarily cripple my Soul Power and learn your hidden weapons instead. Those things of yours are so bizarre and varied — they really do look like fun."
Tang San was momentarily speechless. Fun? Those were instruments of death. The Tang Sect's hidden weapons could hardly be described with a word as trivial as "fun."
Seeing the helpless expression on Tang San's face, Xiao Wu burst out laughing. "Come on, Brother, put away that sour face. I'm just teasing. I could never bear to waste all the Soul Power I've worked so hard to cultivate."
"Worked hard? You?" Tang San looked her up and down as though he had discovered an entirely new continent.
Xiao Wu flushed with embarrassment and irritation. "What are you looking at? You think I don't train hard? It's just that you never noticed."
Watching her adorable expression, Tang San couldn't help but laugh aloud. Having obtained the precious Slab Crystal and thus acquired his first inner-sect-grade hidden weapon had put him in an excellent mood.
The next morning, the two of them left the Rose Hotel after staying for two days, passing through the southern gate of Sotuo City and heading toward their destination.
The Rose Hotel had left a fairly good impression on Tang San, though the prices were undeniably steep. When they departed, the damaged areas in the hotel lobby had already been fully repaired.
Neither Tang San nor Xiao Wu knew much about Shrek Academy. The Great Master had simply told Tang San to come here and continue his studies, offering little else in the way of explanation. But judging from the Great Master's expression at the time, Tang San vaguely sensed that this academy shared some unusual connection with him.
In terms of age, Tang San and Xiao Wu should have been attending an intermediate-level Soul Master academy. But given their current strength, they were far beyond the intermediate level — even at an advanced Soul Master academy, they would be close to graduation. If this Shrek Academy was merely an intermediate institution, then what would be the point of coming here?
Tang San believed the Great Master would never do anything without purpose. Since he had sent them here, there had to be a reason.
"Xiao San, do you know where Shrek Academy is?" Once they exited Sotuo City and headed south along the road, vast stretches of farmland spread out on both sides of the thoroughfare. Sotuo City's reputation as the granary of the Balak Kingdom was well earned.
Yet aside from the endless fields, as far as the eye could see, there was nothing resembling an academy.
The address the Great Master had given Tang San stated that Shrek Academy would be visible not far south of the city's southern gate.
"I'm not entirely sure of the exact location either. Let's keep heading south — we'll find it eventually. If Dai Mubai is truly a student at Shrek Academy, that proves the place does exist."
"Brother," Xiao Wu suddenly called out in a sweet, clingy voice.
Tang San seemed to understand what she meant right away and said with resignation, "You're not exactly little anymore, and your legs aren't broken."
Xiao Wu grinned. "I don't care — who asked you to be my brother?" Even as she spoke, she took a running start and launched herself onto Tang San's back.
Tang San was long accustomed to this. His hands came up to support her, his upper body tilting slightly forward, and he settled her comfortably on his back without a second thought.
Xiao Wu's body was very light — for Tang San, she posed absolutely no burden. And since Xiao Wu's cultivation was no weaker than his, she was hardly exhausted from walking. Yet she still delighted in having Tang San carry her, riding on his back and pointing things out in every direction, her silver-bell laughter ringing through the air.
Whenever this happened, a warm feeling would swell in Tang San's heart — the warmth that belonged to a home. The contact between their bodies carried a heart-to-heart closeness, and he would feel his heart grow full. At the very least, it proved that he was not entirely alone.
Six years had passed since he first left Sacred Soul Village to study at the Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy. In all that time, Tang San had not seen his father once. Tang Hao had left and simply never returned — not a single visit, not even a word of news.
Late at night, when silence fell, Tang San would think of his father, and a quiet ache would throb in his heart. Though he had lived two lifetimes, the longing for familial love burned within him just as fiercely.
Xiao Wu had come to fill the void Tang Hao's departure had left in Tang San's heart. He doted on her immensely, as though she were his own younger sister. Back in Nuoding, Tang San's only form of rest had been watching Xiao Wu. No matter what she did, he would quietly watch her, savoring the warmth in his heart.
Xiao Wu's radiant, sweet smile and her genuine joy infected Tang San's spirit at every turn. No matter how tedious cultivation became, one glimpse of Xiao Wu's beaming face would chase away any restlessness in his heart instantly.
(End of Chapter)