Chapter 133 - 25

! Chapter 25: Spirit Bone and the Ambush on the Road!Watching Fu Shiyan's plant incarnation seize control with a wave of his hand, toying with the Spirit Saint Shi Nian as if he were a puppet before finally handing his fate over to Tang San, the spectating Tang San felt waves of emotion in his heart.This master's style—decisive in slaughter yet extremely protective—made him deeply feel once again the warmth and security of being unconditionally shielded by an elder. This was an emotion he had rarely experienced in either his past life in the Tang Sect or his childhood in this life.In the simulation, Tang San's eyes were now completely icy. He looked at Shi Nian, who was thoroughly bound by the Illusory Domain of Reality and Fiction like a lamb to the slaughter; there was no pity in his gaze, only the indifference one has for a dead object.He did not intend to use any fancy or cruel methods to torture the man. For such a sinister villain who intended to murder geniuses, he chose the most direct method, and the one most consistent with the characteristics of his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul."You like murdering geniuses, do you?"Tang San's voice was terrifyingly calm as he slowly raised his right hand."Then let yourself become the nourishment that sustains life."Before his voice had even faded, and without him even appearing to circulate his spirit power, countless deep blue Blue Silver Grass vines suddenly sprouted autonomously from the tightly bound body of Shi Nian!These vines were thicker than those before, filled with a hunger for devouring and growth.They coiled and tightened around Shi Nian like giant pythons, then suddenly took root within this illusion controlled by Fu Shiyan!"No—!!!"Shi Nian let out one final, shrill scream, filled with endless terror and agony.Under the shocked gaze of the spectating Tang San, those deep blue vines used Shi Nian's body as a core, frantically absorbing everything—his spirit power and his flesh!The vines rapidly expanded, intertwined, and lignified... in just a few breaths, a strange tree several meters tall, eerie and deep blue, grew in his place!The branches of the tree faintly formed the twisted outline of a human face, as if recording Shi Nian's despair before death.A powerhouse of the Spirit Saint level had been completely transformed into nourishment for this monstrous tree, his body and soul utterly destroyed!However, at the base of the tree, a speck of seven-colored light quietly lit up, dispelling the surrounding gloom.With a thought, Tang San controlled a vine to flexibly reach into the roots and pull out an object.It was a circular bone, about three inches in diameter, shimmering all over with a soft and dreamy seven-colored light, shaped like an exquisite miniature skull.A powerful spiritual fluctuation emanated from it."Master, is this... a Spirit Bone?"Although the Tang San in the simulation had his guesses, he still turned his gaze with a hint of surprise toward Fu Shiyan, who stood nearby with his hands behind his back, looking as calm as a light breeze.Fu Shiyan glanced at the seven-colored skull, his eyes as still as ancient well water, as if he were looking at an ordinary stone."Yes, a relatively rare head spirit bone. It contains some illusionary abilities and seems to have some fate with you. Keep it."Tang San originally wanted to decline; he felt such a precious Spirit Bone should be offered to his master instead.But Fu Shiyan did not give him the chance to speak. With a light wave of his sleeve, his body, formed from plant seeds, gradually became transparent.Finally, it turned into specks of crystalline blue light and dissipated into the air, leaving only a faint instruction echoing in Tang San's heart:"Practice diligently, do not be slack."The Tang San in the simulation could only offer a deeply respectful bow toward the direction where his master had vanished, then carefully tucked the precious seven-colored head spirit bone into his robes.The spectating Tang San was also deeply moved. He knew how rare and powerful a head spirit bone was, yet his master had gifted it to his disciple so casually. This unreserved love and trust made him say silently in his heart:'Thank you, Master.'As Fu Shiyan's body dissipated, the illusion also gradually faded, revealing the real scene... In the days that followed, the simulated images flashed rapidly before Tang San's eyes.The qualifiers and ranking matches of The Continents Elite Soul Master Academy Grand Competition took place one after another.In the battle against Blazing Academy, Tang San once again demonstrated his core role, dominating the battlefield with his exquisite control and explosive power. Although Blazing Academy put considerable pressure on Shrek, they were ultimately unable to withstand his brilliance.Then, facing Canghui Academy, the opponent's carefully prepared Seven-in-One Fusion Skill—an illusionary attack—truly taught the proud members of Shrek a profound lesson, momentarily throwing the team into chaos.But at the critical moment, it was still Tang San who, relying on his powerful spiritual force and insight into the battle, led the team to stabilize their footing. He eventually found the flaw in the illusion and crushed it in one go, breaking that troublesome fusion skill.In the subsequent matches, Tang San encountered an extremely impressive and powerful enemy—Shui Bing'er of Tianshui Academy.The Spirit Fusion Skill 'Ice and Snow Drifting: Ice Phoenix' performed by her and her teammate Xue Wu possessed earth-shattering power. That extreme cold and destructive storm was the greatest pressure Tang San had faced since joining the competition, even pushing him to the brink of defeat at one point.In the end, he had to use every trick in his arsenal to barely eke out a victory.This battle also caused Tang San to develop a sincere recognition and respect for Shui Bing'er, a calm and powerful opponent.Of course, the journey was not all smooth sailing.In a fierce duel against an Innate Full Spirit Power Spirit Master named Feng Xiaotian, who used a self-created Spirit Skill called 'Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes of the Gale Demonic Wolf,' the immense pressure forced Tang San to use his second Spirit—the Clear Sky Hammer—to finally secure a difficult victory.The exposure of the Clear Sky Hammer undoubtedly caused a massive sensation both inside and outside the arena, bringing him more attention and potential trouble.Having overcome numerous challenges, Shrek Academy finally emerged victorious, earning the qualification to go to Spirit City for the finals!At the beginning of the journey, everything seemed peaceful.The convoy, escorted by five hundred members of the Heaven Dou Empire's Royal Knights, traveled grandly along the official road, encountering no trouble for the first ten days.The stipends and excellent treatment provided by the imperial family even caused everyone to relax their guard slightly.However, on the eleventh day of travel, as the convoy passed through a narrow stretch of road flanked by mountains on both sides, an accident suddenly occurred!First, a thunderous roar echoed from the hills on both sides!Countless massive falling rocks poured down like a rainstorm, clearly aimed at the advancing convoy below!Fortunately, the Royal Knights reacted quickly and coordinated well, using shields and Spirit Abilitys to construct a defensive line, barely blocking this first wave of attack."Enemy attack! All academy members, get out of the carriages immediately! Follow the lead teachers and break out quickly!"The shout of the Royal Knights' commander rang out.