Seeing as Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing especially was wary of Tian Long's deception. Tang Wutong pushed forward to take the first series of the baths as she knew that the decoction was made with the freshest blood energy and would be the most potent.
And the moment her nude form sunk into the large barrel filled with roiling blood qi and medicinal energy. Even she, with her past life of living in the Tang Sect and being surrounded by cold assassins and poisons, had to sharply inhale at the sharp pain.
But mere pain woudn't stop Tang Wutong from using this powerful chance to enhance her meridians, enhance her body to accept stronger spirit rings. And most importantly, just make herself stronger at her core.
As she was well aware that being a hybrid of human and spirit beast. Taking in this powerful blood energy would enhance her Blue Silver Grass at its core... Allowing it to eventually evolve into a Blue Silver Grass King!
'I need to evolve my Martial Spirit before my mother is actually resurrected. Otherwise, if she is ressurected I won't be able to evolve my Martial Soul into a Blue Silver Grass Emperor!' She thought as she bit her lower lip.
"Are you ok, Wutong?" That stupid rabbit asked as she stood next to her own tub with a helpless expression. Having not gotten in yet, despite stripping down.
Tang Wutong just snorted and said flatly. "I am fine. If you can't handle it, Tian Long can just save his herbs in the future."
Xiao Wu made a sharp sniff of disdain before she said proudly. "Xiao Wu is not afraid of becoming soup, you nasty little shadow! Hmph, watch me use it all up even faster than you!"
Xiao Wu slid into the herbal bath, but unlike Tang Wutong, who only let out a sharp inhale at the pain.
Xiao Wu actually whined and shook in place as she slid down into the tub, down to where it reached her chin so all of her body would be enhanced.
She however, didn't pay attention to the stupid rabbit anymore. She was just a... Simp is what Tian Long called those men who tried entirely too hard to gain the approval of strong willed women.
Then a soft cracking noise rang out as Tang Wutong grunted as she broke through officially to level thirty with a sigh of turbid breath, leaving her as she began to consolidate the extra blood energy and soothing it with the Xuantian Gong to integrate with her soul energy.
'Hmm, I also reached level thirty. If I am lucky, I will be able to get Zhao Wuji to take Tian Long and me to get our third spirit rings. And doing it first and without that stupid rabbit will push her down, and if she is not shameless. She will just leave Tian Long alone!'
A cold light entered her eyes as she threw a glance at that annoying rabbit that was about to walk the path to death. Interfering with her and Tian Long's growth was purely just that! She was pushing back her mother's resurrection with each stupid action she took to make Tian Long indulge her!
Then Tang Wutong's face pinched as Xiao Wu let out a groan before a loud thrum rang out with her barrel vibrating as she likewise broke through to level thirty.
"How! You just broke through, not even a month ago to level twenty-nine!?" Tang Wutong hissed in annoyance.
And with an indulgent sigh, Xiao Wu said with comfort as all could see her body all but devouring the blood energy to fuel her body after the breakthrough. "This decoction is just too good for me. It just fits me perfectly. Tian Long must have made it for me especially."
That final bit made Tang Wutong's face pale as her inner energy roiled at the fury that built up in her gut at how that stupid rabbit was courting death with every word that came out of it's mouth!
A sharp. "Good!" Escaped Tang Wutong's mouth before she closed off her senses as any more nonsense from said rabbit would drive her into qi deviation... And in this world she coudn't even properly get qi deviation anymore with how it ran off of soul power!
-
Dubai and my own faces were matching helpless expressions as we both held down Oscar to keep his screaming and crying ass in his barrel.
As the simple fact was. Oscar despite having some of the best talent in Shrek with having maxed out Innate Spirit Power. He was still a food Martial Soul user. His physcial body, wasn't thaaat strong honestly.
So to say the least. His ass was getting cooked like a shrimp as his pale skin turned dark red as the roiling blood energy entered his far more frail form.
But although it was hurting him... Significantly more then probably one else in Shrek due to how weak his body and having more room to absorb said blood energy due to his body having said natural resistance.
He himself greatly grew in strength as he himself also broke through his level of cultivation hitting rank 29 before Mubai and I dragged his boiled shellfish colored body out of the barrel.
"Alright Mubai, while you help Oscar get some underwear on at least... I will make your personal bath." I said with a grimace at seeing Oscar's passed out form that was steaming with pink steam from the excess blood energy.
Mubai just looked at me and said in helpless disgust. "Little bro. You can't ask me to dress him can you? That's just so weird and ugh."
My face pinched at his refusal. After a moment I just shrugged and said. "Fine... Go get a blanket, wrap him up in it and then throw his ass into bed. We can't just leave him naked on the floor."
Dai Mubai considered my words... And then hurriedly nodded, going through Oscar's clothes to get his dorm key and all to soon he was back with a ratty blanket.
All the while as I was making Dai Mubai's even more potent Metal Vajra herbal bath. I watched out of the corner of my eye... As Mubai lightly flipped Oscar's form onto the blanket before then rolling him up like a corpse being hidden in a rug before then carring him out and assumedly to his room.
'Uhhh, he isn't going to just throw his ass into a ditch is he?' I thought with some worry.
But even as I finished the bath's I paused as a loud scream rang out... Sharp and feminine.
For a moment, I thought it was Xiao Wu. Then I crossed out the thought as these baths shoudn't cause her nearly as much issues as she was a transformed spirit beast with a stronger body.
Then I just laughed as the culprit was all to plain to my mind. "Heh. The princess of the Seven Treasure Sect isn't so used to a bit of pain huh." I muttered to myself before I likewise stripped down and threw myself into my own roiling bloody bath.
A couple minutes later Mubai came back with a grin as he looked at his own glowing golden bath that was likewise bubbling with golden and silver steam escaping it.
"Talked to Flender for a bit outside. He also checked Oscar and he said that his meridians are swollen from cultivating too quickly while his muscles were also refined!"
Which to say the least... Meant the energy was too rough and too 'filling' for him.
"Hmm, I may... Need to lower the spirit beasts cultivation level for him if he can't handle it." I said with a slight wince as even with my own special refined body cultivation technique.
This bath still fucking hurt in the most brutal way.
But... What Dai Mubai didn't know about his own bath was that it was going to hurt even more!
As the White Tiger inheritor growled deeply as he sunk into his bath before he hissed at me. "Tian Long... Why the fuck does it feel like I am standing in a desert storm with my bones being scraped by sand moving at great speed!"
And with a ruthless chuckle I said. "Dumbass... That is literally exactly what is happening with the roiling gold and metal energy. It's scraping the flesh energy of your bones and muscles to coat them in pure metal energy to make you much stronger."
Dai Mubai tried to snarl in agony at me... But, he was in so much pain it had the threatening energy of a kitten.
Still I said past my own pained expression. "Mubai... Instant improvement without side effects or harming your potential. Is never free. There is always a cost tied to it!"
Whether it be these painful baths that could strengthen the core of our beings and allow us to cultivate a bit better with said stronger bodies. Or even consuming an immortal herb, it was exactly the same.
There was always a cost to quick growth with no side effects. For the immortal herbs the cost was themselves. A treasure of heaven and earth that took countless years of accumulation to reach their current state.