Crystal Mysterious Turtle

"Third Spirit Skill: Demon Fox Transformation."

Hu Liena let out a sharp cry. The purple Spirit Ring around her flashed, and her entire body radiated pink light as her aura surged. Immediately after, her first yellow Spirit Ring flashed as well.

A ball of Fox Fire appeared in her hand, blazing with intense heat. She casually tossed it at an ancient tree nearby. The Fox Fire instantly engulfed the tree, and within moments, it had been burned into a charred stump.

"Teacher, my third Spirit Ring can increase mental strength by ?%, attack power by 150%, and speed and strength by 200%. While using the Third Spirit Skill, combining it with the First Spirit Skill can raise my attack power by more than three times."

"Nana, not bad."

Bibi Dong was quite satisfied with Hu Liena's Spirit Skill.

"Xiao An, isn't your senior sister amazing?"

Hu Liena looked at Shang An with proud anticipation.

"Senior Sister is amazing!"

As Shang An perfunctorily praised Hu Liena, he pondered how, if her Demon Fox Martial Soul evolved in the future, she might truly become a bewitching demon consort capable of bringing down a nation, no less than Daji.

As for how it would evolve, Immortal Herbs would naturally be the answer. In any case, Shang An would definitely visit the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well someday.

To be honest, Shang An did not hold much ill will toward Tang San. At least, Tang San had been alright in the first part. Though in his previous life, Tang San had been exposed for all kinds of hypocrisy and double standards, Shang An believed that aside from clearly knowing he was not a good person, he was no better than Tang San in other respects.

Thinking carefully, double standards were human nature. People always tried to justify their own actions. Tang San had merely fooled even himself.

Or perhaps, in his understanding, he truly was on the side of justice. After all, he had grown up in the Tang Sect, and the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record was the so-called code he lived by. He was rigid and stubborn by nature, so such a personality was hardly surprising.

As for massacring cities, it could be said that this slaughter had wiped out a great number of Spirit Hall Empire Spirit Master legions, laying the foundation for the victory of the Two Kingdoms Three Sects Alliance led by Tang San. Besides, what Shang An himself had done in a certain Eastern Ocean Small Country had been far crueler than Tang San's actions.

There was even less to say about favoritism. Did anyone really need to ask whether one's own family or strangers mattered more? As for fairness, where was there any fairness? Why should he wrong himself for the benefit of a group of strangers? Having survived a chaotic age, Shang An saw this very clearly.

It was only because the Divine Authorities of the various God Kings had once conflicted that Life Destruction and Goodness Evil, though lovers, had been unable to touch each other. Asura God was also a lonely bachelor and could not produce descendants. The several God Kings kept one another in check. Otherwise, what the God Realm would be like now was anyone's guess.

And even so, did Asura not often abuse his authority for personal gain? Otherwise, how could Tang San have been resurrected?

As for destroying the Capital of Slaughter and Spirit Hall, perhaps Tang San had destroyed the former because he did not want anyone else to obtain its inheritance. In Shang An's view, that was far too petty. As for the latter, taking revenge for his mother was nothing worth criticizing. Different positions led to different perspectives.

If he were Tang San, he would also have chosen to destroy Spirit Hall. The only difference was that he would have established a new force to replace Spirit Hall rather than leaving behind such a mess.

Other than the points criticized by netizens in his previous life, Tang San actually had his virtues. Because he had lacked love in his previous life, he treated his family well in this one and remained devoted to love. At the very least, Shang An admitted he could not stay with one person for an entire lifetime.

But since he was going to become Tang San's enemy, Shang An no longer cared what kind of person Tang San was. Even if he were Virgin Mary herself, anyone who blocked his path would be killed without mercy.

As for worrying about Tang San's future threat, Shang An had never believed Tang San could outplay him. This was the confidence of the only cultivator who had emerged from the End of Dharma Era.

In terms of talent, he possessed Twin God-Tier Martial Souls and innate twentieth-level Soul Power.

In terms of appearance, calling himself the most handsome man in the billions of years of the Douluo Universe would not be an exaggeration.

In terms of cultivation methods, his Great Freedom True Scripture utterly surpassed the so-called internal cultivation technique, Mysterious Heaven Skill.

In terms of talent and brilliance, he had astounded the ages and carved out his own path amid the End of Dharma Era, while Tang San still clung to a copy of Mysterious Heaven Skill even after becoming a god.

A complete advantage. The advantage was mine!

Tang San was nothing to fear.

He suddenly raised his head and looked toward Chrysanthemum Douluo, beginning to consider something.

There had been no Immortal Herbs in his previous life. There had been quite a few rare flowers and exotic plants, but they were completely different from those of Douluo Continent. If he wanted to obtain Immortal Herbs, it seemed he would have to rely on Chrysanthemum Douluo's family heirloom, the Immortal Herb Canon. There were still several years left, though, so there was no rush.

Chrysanthemum Douluo felt a little unnerved under his gaze and unconsciously quickened his pace. The group continued searching through the forest.

"Xiao An, your Martial Soul is a Gem-Tier Martial Soul. You can become either a control-type or Support-type Spirit Master. Teacher recommends that you follow the path of a control-type Spirit Master, but the choice is ultimately yours."

"Teacher, I'll take the path of a control-type Spirit Master."

Shang An naturally followed Bibi Dong's arrangement. Although Support-type Spirit Masters were highly sought after, Shang An preferred becoming powerful on his own.

"Very good. Then, Xiao An, do you have any thoughts about your Spirit Rings?"

Bibi Dong looked at Shang An.

"Teacher, I hope my first and second Spirit Rings will both grant enhancement-type Spirit Skills."

"Hm? Xiao An, tell me why you chose that."

Bibi Dong was somewhat surprised by Shang An's choice.

"Teacher, as far as I know, low grade attack-type Spirit Rings are of little use to high-level Spirit Masters. In the later stages, those low grade Spirit Skills are rarely used at all. Enhancement-type Spirit Skills, however, remain quite useful even for Title Douluo."

Shang An explained this, though there was another point he did not mention: he possessed the Daoist Magic Inheritance of his previous life and did not lack so-called Self-Created Soul Skills. Enhancement-type abilities were clearly more suitable for him.

Bibi Dong nodded in understanding. She would not interfere too much with her disciple's own choice. In certain respects, she was quite open-minded. As for the lack of offensive power in the early stages caused by such a Spirit Ring configuration, that was not much of a problem for Spirit Hall.

After all, Spirit City was filled with countless high-level Spirit Masters. There was no need for Shang An, a mere child, to go onto the battlefield and kill enemies.

The two discussed Spirit Ring acquisition for a while longer.

Five days later,

"Teacher, it turns out finding a suitable Spirit Beast is quite difficult!"

Shang An wiped the sweat from his forehead as he spoke to Bibi Dong.

At this moment, Shang An's clothes were ragged, and his adorable little face was streaked with dirt. Sweat still ran down his forehead. No matter how powerful Shang An had once been, he was now only a six-year-old child.

Even though he had cultivated the body-tempering technique, Taiyi Immortal Origin Body, from the Great Freedom True Scripture.

There had been no resources in the orphanage before, so he had only barely entered the beginner stage. After five straight days of traveling through the forest, he truly felt rather exhausted.

Hu Liena had easily found a suitable Spirit Beast before, and when he had read Douluo in his previous life, the protagonist group had also seemed to find Spirit Beasts easily. He had not expected it to become so difficult when it came to him.

It seemed he had been thinking too much from a god's-eye view. This was a real world, after all, and he could not simply make judgments based on a novel. Shang An promptly reflected on himself. That mindset would not do.

"Xiao An, finding a Spirit Beast is not an easy matter. Unlucky Spirit Masters may spend one or two months without finding a suitable Spirit Beast. Besides, your requirements are so high. Spending more time is only normal."

Bibi Dong took a handkerchief from her robes and gently wiped the sweat from Shang An's face. A faint fragrance from the handkerchief drifted into his nose, and Shang An's fatigue seemed to ease.

After putting away the handkerchief, Bibi Dong said,

"It's getting late. Rest here for the night, and we'll continue searching tomorrow."

"Yay!"

Hu Liena spoke before Shang An could. The past few days of searching had been hard on the children. Although Hu Liena was a Soul Elder, her body was not particularly strong, nor was her will sufficiently resilient.

Her condition was now even worse than Shang An's. Her face was filthy, making her look like a big tabby cat—no, a big tabby fox.

Afterward, Chrysanthemum Douluo took a tent from his Soul Tool and began setting it up. Shang An also stepped forward to help. As Title Douluo protected by Soul Power, Yue Guan and Bibi Dong remained spotless even after five days in the forest.

In truth, Bibi Dong had also intended these past few days of searching to temper her two disciples. After all, disciples could not live beneath their teacher's wings forever.

And now, Bibi Dong was quite satisfied with both of them, especially Shang An.

Although he was the weakest among them, he had not complained of being tired even once over the past few days. His toughness even made Bibi Dong feel a little distressed. She had truly acknowledged him as her disciple now. Otherwise, she would never have used her own handkerchief to wipe his sweat.

Next, they sat together and ate dry rations. Bibi Dong, Hu Liena, and Shang An sat together, while Chrysanthemum Douluo sat somewhat farther away.

In the Spirit Beast Forest, it was generally unsuitable to light a fire, lest it attract Spirit Beasts. Although Bibi Dong and Chrysanthemum Douluo had nothing to fear, they were using this method to teach their disciples by example.

"Awoo!"

A clear, resounding roar came from ahead.

"There's a Spirit Beast."

Chrysanthemum Douluo immediately set down his dry rations and flashed forward to investigate. Shang An and the others remained seated. After several days, they had grown accustomed to such things and continued chewing their rations.

When Chrysanthemum Douluo returned, he carried a blue turtle the size of a millstone in his hand.

The turtle was blue and gold all over, as though its body had been carved from crystal. Unlike an ordinary turtle's, its limbs were rather long, and it possessed a slender, powerful tail covered in scales. Its fierce head was still struggling, but Chrysanthemum Douluo's Soul Power suppressed it so thoroughly that it could not move.

"Crystal Mysterious Turtle!"