Departure, Sunset Forest!

The night was deep. Two figures slipped silently into Nuoding City like ghosts, landing precisely outside the window of Tang San's shabby dormitory.

Tang Hao gently set Tang San down. Father and son exchanged a glance, each seeing unprecedented confidence and resolve in the other's eyes.

"After you ask for leave tomorrow, meet at the usual place."

Tang Hao was concise, his voice low yet carrying unquestionable force.

After breaking through Level Ninety-Five, not only had his strength greatly increased, but some of the sharpness worn away over the years by old injuries and despondency had returned as well. He seemed far more spirited.

"I understand, Dad." Tang San nodded solemnly.

The reason they had returned was to go through the proper leave-request process.

That would avoid unnecessary trouble later on.

Tang Hao said no more. With a flicker, he vanished into the night as though he had never appeared.

Tang San took a deep breath, suppressing the surging blood and energy within him that still faintly boiled from the Whale Rubber's power. He silently flipped through the window and landed on his bed.

His roommates were still sound asleep, completely unaware of what had just happened outside the window.

Xiao Wu was sleeping soundly as well.

He checked the time. It was already nine o'clock.

Without realizing it, an hour had passed.

Tang San did not immediately go to sleep. Instead, he sat cross-legged and began circulating the Mysterious Heaven Skill once more.

The medicinal potency of the Five Hundred Year Whale Rubber had not been completely absorbed. Some of it still remained deposited throughout his limbs and bones, requiring continued refinement.

With the aid of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, he looked inward. He could clearly "see" his meridians becoming tougher and broader under the nourishment of the energy, his bones glossy and lustrous, and his muscle fibers tightly woven like coiling dragon tendons.

Just as his father had said, his current Physical Body Strength had already far surpassed that of most Soul Grandmasters and had even touched the threshold of a Soul Ancestor.

And this was only Five Hundred Year Whale Rubber.

The nine-hundred-year piece, the Thousand Year one, and the Ten Thousand Year Whale Rubber his father had absorbed—their effects were even harder to estimate.

Keep your head down and develop. Never get reckless.

Tang San silently repeated this principle to himself.

In the Original Work, it was precisely because he had exposed himself too early to Spirit Hall that he had drawn countless pursuits and hardships afterward.

In this life, he would never repeat the same mistake.

Shrek Academy, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament—those empty honors and risks could all be discarded.

Before he possessed absolute self-preservation strength, concealment and improvement were the true path.

And so, he continued meditating and cultivating.

Time passed quickly.

The next morning, at First Light of Dawn, Tang San rose as usual and began cultivating the Purple Demon Eye.

After absorbing the rising purple qi from the east, he felt that his Spiritual Power had become slightly more condensed. It seemed that the Whale Rubber's strengthening of his Physical Body had also indirectly benefited his Spiritual Power's capacity and growth.

His soul had already become very strong because it had devoured the original body's soul, and now his Purple Demon Eye had reached the Subtlety Stage.

However, if he only cultivated like this, his Spiritual Power would have difficulty improving.

After all, raising Spiritual Power was even more difficult than strengthening the body.

According to his estimate, as long as he could find a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure or Spiritual Medicine that could slightly increase Spiritual Power during this trip, it would be more than enough for him to withstand the Spiritual Impact of a Ten Thousand Years plant.

His Spiritual Power was actually stronger than his body!

It had probably already reached the range of a Four-Ring Low-level Soul Ancestor or even a Four-Ring Mid-level Soul Ancestor.

After waking from meditation, Xiao Wu, Wang Sheng, and the others came over. "Tang San, are you going to breakfast?"

"Sure." Tang San nodded. After washing up, the group headed to the Cafeteria for breakfast.

When the Noble Students saw Tang San and Xiao Wu, they obediently bowed and called them Boss Tang and Sister Xiao Wu.

This greatly satisfied both of their vanity, and it felt rather nice.

Tang San's expression remained fairly calm, but Xiao Wu was delighted.

Because Tang San had money, everyone went straight to the Second Floor and ordered the most expensive food.

During the meal, Xiao Wu ate Tang San's Blue Silver Grass. The others were curious and tried some as well. They found that the grass really did taste quite good. No wonder Xiao Wu loved eating it so much.

However, they were not rabbits and did not like it as much as Xiao Wu did. They also had no idea that what Xiao Wu truly consumed was the Life Essence within the Blue Silver Grass, not merely its outer appearance.

Xiao Wu asked, "Tang San, what are you planning to do next?"

Tang San said, "Next, I'm going to take some time off and go somewhere with an elder from my family."

"Do you need my help?" Xiao Wu's eyes darted around.

"No. We can handle it." Tang San shook his head.

"Alright." Xiao Wu nodded.

After eating and drinking their fill, Tang San went alone to find the dean of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy and submitted a leave request on the grounds that "an elder in his family had business to attend to."

His expression was earnest, and his tone carried just the right amount of concern. The dean had no reason to doubt him and readily approved the leave, merely reminding him to be careful on the road and return soon.

Most importantly, Tang San possessed Innate Full Soul Power and was also the one who had forged peace between the academy's Noble Students and Work-Study Students. The dean liked Tang San very much.

With the leave slip in hand, Tang San walked out through the academy gates. After confirming that no one was watching, he flashed into a nearby alley, twisted through several turns, and arrived at an abandoned courtyard in the city. This was the "usual place" he had arranged with Tang Hao.

Tang Hao was already waiting there. He stood with his hands behind his back, his aura even more solemn and restrained than the night before. If one had not seen him with one's own eyes, it would have been nearly impossible to sense the volcanic power within him.

Level Ninety-Five was a qualitative transformation. Within the realm of Titled Douluo, every additional level meant an earth-shaking increase in strength.

"Let's go."

Seeing Tang San arrive, Tang Hao kept it brief.

He reached out and grabbed Tang San by the shoulder. This time, Tang San clearly felt that his father's movements were even more effortless. Supported by Soul Power, he barely felt any jolting or discomfort.

The two of them shot into the sky, crossed over Nuoding City's walls, and galloped toward the Soul Beast Forest to the Northeast.

High in the air, the fierce wind was naturally pushed aside by Tang Hao's immense Soul Power, forming an invisible barrier.

Tang San looked down at the mountains and rivers flashing past beneath them, and a surge of boldness rose in his heart.

"Dad, where is our destination this time?" Tang San shouted into the wind.

"Sunset Forest."

Tang Hao's voice reached Tang San clearly. "It is closer to Heaven Dou City than the Star Dou Great Forest. There are relatively fewer High-Level Soul Beasts there, but its depths are likewise rarely visited by people, so the chances of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures growing there are not low. Its environment is also complex, making it suitable for concealing our tracks."

Tang San understood.

Sunset Forest was also an important Map in the Original Work. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye was located there.

However, he was not certain whether they could find it now. After all, that was Poison Douluo Dugu Bo's territory, and provoking a Titled Douluo at this point was obviously unwise.

Their primary goal was to find Spiritual Medicine that could enhance Spiritual Power, as well as other treasures that could strengthen the foundation, replenish vitality, and speed up cultivation.

Then, at Level Twenty, he would absorb a Ten Thousand Years Second Soul Ring and thoroughly lay a solid foundation for his future Extreme Life sublimation.

Thinking of this, he could barely wait.

What kind of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures would they encounter on this journey through Sunset Forest?