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Two months!
A full, grueling two months!
It had taken the Shrek party two entire months to complete their journey from Spirit City back to Heaven Dou City. During that time, the group had been subjected to a relentless barrage of ambushes and assassinations. The frequency of the attacks was staggering, leaving the group battered and broken.
The cost of the journey was written in blood. Jing Ling had lost a leg, his internal soul power meridians shattered beyond simple repair. Tai Long's right arm had been so severely mangled that it was doubtful he would ever regain its full function. Even the likes of Dai Mubai and the others were riddled with internal wounds, the kind of deep-seated trauma that would require an indefinite period of recuperation to truly heal.
A hundred-thousand-year spirit bone—even the mere whisper of such a treasure—was enough to drive the world into a state of absolute madness. Along this treacherous path home, Tang San and his companions finally came to understand the true weight of that reality.
"Alright, it's over now. I'll arrange for Shao Xin to prepare Recovery Jelly Beans for everyone. Furthermore, the academy's healing-system Spirit Masters will be put at your full disposal to treat those internal injuries," Flender stated, his voice heavy and low.
This time, Shrek had truly suffered a devastating blow. Even Flender himself had sustained numerous injuries throughout the journey, several of which he was currently suppressing through sheer force of will. Now that they had finally returned to the safety of the academy, they could finally afford to focus on their recovery.
"Little San, come with me." Yu Xiaogang signaled to Tang San, leading him away from the group toward a private meeting room.
On the surface, Tang San appeared to be in the best condition of the lot. He had used the Mysterious Heaven Skill to regulate his internal breath and mend his inner injuries during the journey, leaving him with only minor superficial wounds. However, his mental state was a different story entirely—he looked utterly spent.
In his previous life, he had never known the warmth of family. In this life, he had finally gained parents, only to learn that his mother had been hounded to her death years ago, and then to witness his father being struck down right before his eyes. Had it not been for the constant threat of assassination on the road, he wouldn't have been able to maintain even a semblance of composure.
Now that the tension had finally broken upon their return, his mental wall crumbled. His gaze was vacant, his expression masked by a numb, hollow shell. It was precisely because Yu Xiaogang had noticed this psychological fracture that he had called him aside to offer guidance.
"Little San, the dead cannot be brought back to life. You and I both knew the extent of the Clear Sky Douluo's injuries; he was already living in immense pain. In a way, this might actually be a form of release for him. The only truly detestable element in all of this is Su Wen."
A flicker of light finally stirred in Tang San's eyes, though it was quickly swallowed by shadow once more.
Su Wen...
He was simply too powerful. Su Wen was only two years older than him, yet he possessed such overwhelming strength. What right do I, Tang San, have to even stand against him? he thought bitterly. Even with Twin Martial Souls, could he truly hope to bridge the gap between himself and Su Wen?
"Little San!" Yu Xiaogang's voice turned sharp and stern, cutting through the boy's self-pity.
"The secret technique Su Wen used back then was the Ring-Bursting Technique—a profound secret belonging to the Clear Sky Sect. You will learn it in the future as well. Your future spirit rings are destined to be stronger than his, meaning the boost you receive from the Ring-Bursting Technique will far surpass anything Su Wen can achieve!"
"Furthermore, Little San, have you really not noticed it yet? Su Wen's cultivation speed is far too abnormal!"
Yu Xiaogang looked at his disciple with a sense of frustrated disappointment, as if he couldn't believe Tang San's usually sharp mind had stalled so completely. Under his teacher's pointed prompting, a spark of realization finally flashed through Tang San's mind.
"Teacher, are you suggesting that... Su Wen's soul power cultivation didn't actually come from his own efforts?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head slowly. "He can control that explosive power with precision, so the soul power itself likely belongs to him through cultivation." He had to admit that much. "However, at the end of the Continental Tournament, he went public with an overwhelming number of cultivation methods—the so-called Internal and External Skills, as well as the Soul Ascension Method."
"Do you truly believe a single person could develop all of those 'Inner' and 'Outer' techniques, along with the Soul Ascension Method, entirely on his own?"
Yu Xiaogang refused to believe it. It was impossible for a single Spirit Master to develop so many inconceivable soul power circulation routes in a mere ten years. One had to remember that every major sect and power maintained dedicated research teams, filled with experienced scholars who spent generations studying these paths. Even after centuries, their refined circulation routes were only marginally more effective than standard high-level meditation methods.
Yet, the Internal and External Skills Su Wen provided—the concept of dual cultivation of the inner and outer self—offered a cultivation boost that was more than ten times more effective than a high-level meditation method! It was beyond ridiculous. To study theory, cultivate soul power, and develop such world-shaking techniques simultaneously...
"Then... where did his techniques come from?"
Tang San thought of himself, of the Tang Sect's secret techniques like the Mysterious Heaven Skill that he carried. Was it possible that Su Wen also hailed from another world and possessed a library of secret knowledge? But if that were the case, was the Tang Sect's Mysterious Heaven Skill truly so inferior to what Su Wen had?
Yu Xiaogang placed his hands behind his back, adopting an expression of one who had seen through all the world's deceptions. "Little San, remember the 'Great Myriad Law Manual' that Su Wen displayed during the tournament?"
"The manual that could directly guide a Spirit Master in learning techniques."
"Su Wen claimed the manual contained the various techniques and self-created spirit skills he had mastered. But... why couldn't it be that the techniques he mastered actually originated from a different, more ancient and 'Original' Myriad Law Manual?"
Following Yu Xiaogang's logic, Tang San's eyes suddenly brightened.
It made sense! Su Wen must have stumbled upon an original, ancient version of the Myriad Law Manual. He must have used it to learn those self-created spirit skills, the internal and external techniques, and the Soul Ascension Method. If... if only I could obtain it...
Reading the thought in Tang San's eyes, Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "The matter of the Myriad Law Manual is currently just a theory. Besides, we have no way of forcibly taking it from Su Wen's hands right now."
"Teacher, then what should we do?" Tang San asked. His mind was still sluggish, lacking the calm and calculated wisdom he usually possessed.
Yu Xiaogang could only sigh inwardly at this, hoping that Tang San would eventually find his own way out of this mental rut. "We cannot get our hands on the manual itself, but you must first master those Internal and External Skills, as well as the Soul Ascension Method."
Since Su Wen had made them public, Yu Xiaogang saw no reason not to utilize them. While the construction of the Academy of Sciences branches in other regions wasn't yet complete, Heaven Dou City already had a fully operational facility. It was currently the only place on the entire continent responsible for disseminating Su Wen's various techniques and theoretical data.
Two months had passed since the end of the Spirit Master Tournament.
After searching the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest for over half a month, Su Wen's group had shifted their focus toward the periphery. Finally, in the transition zone between the mixed circle and the outer forest, they discovered traces of the Dark Devilgod Tiger.
"Uncle Ning, when we engage this creature later, you must be extremely cautious of its spatial and temporal abilities," Su Wen warned.
"Temporal abilities? Time?"
Su Wen nodded solemnly and gave a brief description of the Dark Devilgod Tiger's time-based spirit skill.
"It can reverse time? Forcing an enemy back to their weakest state while the tiger remains unaffected?" Ning Fengzhi's expression shifted instantly. This was the first time he had ever heard of such a terrifying power. Was this truly something a spirit beast could possess? If that were the case, who could possibly kill a Dark Devilgod Tiger?
"I wouldn't say it's entirely unaffected. If we can shatter its defensive measures, it can also be regressed to its juvenile state by the temporal flow. But even so, a juvenile top-tier spirit beast is far stronger than a human child, especially a beast as apex as the Dark Devilgod Tiger."
Su Wen wasn't entirely certain if the tiger's ability would always revert a target to the state before they awakened their martial soul at age six, or if the time ratio could be adjusted or interfered with. Thus, he felt it necessary to warn Ning Fengzhi and the other two beforehand.
"Uncle Ning, the three of you must remain on high alert. Do not try to take that specific move head-on. Leave that to me."
(End of Chapter)