In the real world, Xiao Lin and the other three were on a carriage heading back to Heaven Dou City.
But this time, the atmosphere inside wasn't as relaxed as before.
None of them were the kind of people content with falling behind—especially Tang San and Tang Ni.
Both of them were already calculating how powerful their fifth spirit rings should be.
Thirty thousand years?No… that still felt too weak.
Even though Xiao Wu didn't seem as driven as Tang San and Tang Ni—still appearing carefree and playful on the surface—she too loved fighting.
After all, no matter how fierce Xiao Lin's attacks were, he still couldn't break through her Invincible Golden Body.
Besides, Xiao Wu's fighting style relied heavily on technique and timing.In a team battle, if she played her cards right, her contribution could easily surpass Xiao Lin's.
Just by thinking for a bit, she'd already come up with a whole combo chain for her next spirit ability.
Inside the carriage, the three of them each sank into their own thoughts.
Left with nothing to do, Xiao Lin started theorizing again.
After the Thunder Emperor Dragon's sacrifice, several new ideas and theories had begun forming in his mind.
The first was the Soul Bone Feigned Death Theory.The second was something he called the False Sacrifice Invincibility Theory.
The Soul Bone Feigned Death Theory
This one sounded insane, but it was simple at its core—make the soul master pretend to die, tricking the soul bone into thinking its host was dead.
Then, at the exact moment the soul bone "lets go," sever the connection and remove it without damage.
Yes, it sounded unreliable.
But Xiao Lin was ninety percent sure it could work—if the soul master practiced it dozens of times.
In Xiao Lin's eyes, only someone like Tang San, who specialized in vitality and life energy, could pull it off safely.
With such a powerful life force, there was no need to fear getting hurt.
After a few tries, Tang San's extraordinary talent would probably allow him to master it quickly.
That way, Xiao Lin could let him keep both the Wind-Chasing and Fusion soul bones for emergencies.
If Tang San ever faced a truly unbeatable enemy,he could fuse with a soul bone, boost his power by several levels, and fight back—then later remove the bone safely.
The False Sacrifice Invincibility Theory
The second idea was even bolder.
The act of sacrifice—when a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast offers its life—was something close to a law of heaven and earth.
When a beast began to sacrifice,the entire area around it would fall into a brief pause in time.
A moment of absolute stillness.
If time itself stopped… wouldn't that mean invincibility?
This was what sparked Xiao Lin's "false sacrifice" idea.It came from realizing that, through his Qiu Long Staff, his consciousness could still move and act independently.
So he thought—if he ever faced an enemy too strong to confront directly,and a soul beast started to sacrifice to him,couldn't he use that moment of time-stop to kill the opponent?
Then, if he could somehow escape the sacrificial field in time,the beast's sacrifice might even be prevented.
If this worked, Xiao Lin would have nothing left in the world to fear.
All he'd need would be someone like Xiao Wu or Tang Ni nearby.
Of course, this was all hypothetical.Xiao Lin would never actually let Xiao Wu or Tang Ni sacrifice themselves.
It was a theory he'd have to test and perfect on his own.
Back in the carriage, Xiao Lin decided to share his first theory.
Under the influence of his "crazy" reasoning, Tang San's curiosity was instantly piqued.
"Brother Lin, according to your theory, I might need an even stronger life force—ideally something like limb regeneration."
Tang San quickly grasped the key point—the emphasis wasn't on playing dead, but on having immense vitality.
With regeneration, you wouldn't even need to fake death—you could simply remove the bone directly.
He brightened up, excitedly discussing with Xiao Lin how much vitality would be required.
"Your fifth spirit ring should do it," Xiao Lin said confidently."With that, you'll have the life force you need."
He knew exactly what Tang San's fifth ring would be—a gift from his mother.
The Blue Silver Emperor's regenerative power was terrifying.
Once Tang San awakened that ability in this life, he would definitely gain limb regeneration.
"Really, Brother Lin? But I was only planning to find a thirty- or forty-thousand-year soul beast for my fifth ring."
Tang San frowned. "I wanted a stronger one, but you never told me which spirit beast would suit me best."
Ah, right.Xiao Lin had forgotten—he already knew Tang San's fifth ring would come from his mother,so he'd never bothered to plan for it.
Thankfully, he kept a calm face, betraying nothing.
"You're still a ways from your fifth ring," Xiao Lin said smoothly."Even by the time of the Advanced Academy Tournament, you might not have reached level 50."
That reason was enough to cover for his slip.
He continued casually,
"But don't worry—I've already thought about your fifth ring.You should look for a Blue Silver King.
Beasts with such powerful life energy are rare,but a thirty- to forty-thousand-year Blue Silver King should be possible to find—maybe even one around fifty or sixty thousand."
Once he laid out the plan, Tang San relaxed.
He knew exactly how powerful a Blue Silver King's vitality could be.
"If I find one above forty thousand years," Tang San said earnestly,"I'll definitely try out your Feigned Death theory."
He agreed without hesitation—his trust in Xiao Lin's theories was absolute.
"Good," Xiao Lin nodded, then added with a warning tone,"But keep in mind—once a soul bone fuses with your body, it becomes one with you.Forcibly removing it will drain a huge amount of soul power."
"Got it, Brother Lin. I'll be careful."
Tang San wasn't reckless; he etched Xiao Lin's advice deep into his mind.
"There's one more thing," Xiao Lin said after a pause."My second theory—the Sacrifice Invincibility Theory."
Because of his unique position, when he talked about this theory, he was thinking mainly about the sacrificer—for example, Xiao Wu.
"Say you and Xiao Wu faced an unbeatable enemy.If she started a sacrifice during the fight, she might use that frozen moment to counterattack and defeat them."
Tang San's expression instantly darkened.
"Brother Lin, you know me—I'd never let Xiao Wu get hurt in front of me."
The thought of her being injured was more painful than death—let alone her sacrificing herself.
Even when she used her Invincible Golden Body, he always worried.
"I'm just saying if," Xiao Lin replied quickly."Besides, I've been studying ways to revive soul beasts, remember?If Xiao Wu's sacrifice left her consciousness intact, her soul barely damaged,you wouldn't have to worry at all."
He sounded completely confident.
If Tang San in the original timeline could do it,why couldn't he—a transmigrator—do the same?
And even if he failed, weren't the two Dragon Kings still around?They were literally planning to resurrect him!
Tang San lowered his gaze.
"I know, Brother Lin. You just worry about us—that's why you said it."
He understood, but that only made him hate the idea of Xiao Wu's sacrifice even more.
Silence fell again in the carriage.
"Um… what if becoming a god means you can resurrect someone one hundred percent of the time?"
That was Tang Ni's voice, breaking the silence.
She remembered Xiao Lin saying the same thing before—it was how he'd persuaded the Thunder Emperor Dragon, after all.
"Yeah," Xiao Lin said, nodding,"once you become a god, resurrection is guaranteed. So don't stress, Tang San."
But mid-sentence, he suddenly realized something off.
Wait a second—since when did they all trust Tang Ni this much?
They'd even discussed Xiao Wu's true identity in front of her.
Even if he had the "omniscient player" perspective,this still showed how much he subconsciously trusted Tang Ni.
Had their days training together in the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well brought them that close already?
When exactly had that trust begun to form…?
(End of Chapter)