Tang San Reaches Level 30, So Desperate He'll Take Anything-Absorbing a Thousand-Year Solitary Bamboo Spirit Ring? Zhao Wuji Was Dumbfounded!

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Meng Yiran slowly opened her eyes and let out a long breath. The third purple Spirit Ring around her had finally stabilized completely.

"Grandpa, Grandma, I did it!

My Soul Power has successfully broken through to level thirty-one."

Meng Shu nodded with satisfaction:

"Not bad. How is the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's Soul Skill?"

"It's an extremely powerful burst-speed skill, and it makes my Serpent Cane even more poisonous."

Meng Yiran replied excitedly.

Chao Tianxiang smiled and patted her granddaughter's head:

"Good. With this Soul Skill, your ability to escape danger and pursue your targets has improved by leaps and bounds."

After confirming that her granddaughter was safe and sound, Meng Shu's expression turned serious, and he changed the subject:

"Now that Yiran's Spirit Ring has been taken care of, old woman, what do you think of the terms Poison Douluo senior offered us?"

Chao Tianxiang pondered for a moment, a glint of shrewdness in her eyes:

"Old man, to be honest, I'm tempted.

Though the Peerless Dragon and Serpent are well known, we still don't have a true Titled Douluo to support us.

If we're going to establish a sect, relying on the two of us old bones alone won't give us enough of a foundation."

Hearing this, Meng Yiran couldn't help chiming in:

"Grandpa, Grandma, I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity too!

If Poison Douluo senior could lead our family in establishing a sect,

with a Titled Douluo like him backing us, our future would surely be bright!"

As she spoke, Meng Yiran's eyes brimmed with longing:

"With Poison Douluo senior's prestige and strength, combined with the foundation of our Dragon and Serpent Family,

perhaps one day we might even have a chance to join the ranks of the Upper Three Sects!"

"The Upper Three Sects..."

Meng Shu drew a deep breath. Those three words seemed to hold a kind of magic, setting an ambitious flame alight in his eyes.

He turned to Chao Tianxiang, and the two exchanged a resolute glance.

"Yiran's right."

Meng Shu slapped his thigh and said in a deep voice.

"In this dog-eat-dog Soul Master World, it pays to shelter beneath a mighty tree.

Since Poison Douluo senior thinks highly of us and is willing to direct resources our way, we absolutely can't let this opportunity slip by!"

Chao Tianxiang nodded solemnly:

"Good. Then it's settled."

Meng Shu rose to his feet, his tone leaving no room for doubt:

"Let's go!

We'll have Yiran consolidate her cultivation a little, then immediately report back to Poison Douluo senior.

From this day on, our Dragon and Serpent Family will officially submit to him!"

The scene shifted to Tang San.

The group looked especially sparse now.

With Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing gone, and Ma Hongjun, who should have been traveling with them, having mysteriously disappeared,

only Tang San, Oscar, Dai Mubai, and Zhao Wuji remained in the entire group.

"Phew..."

While they were on the road, Tang San suddenly stopped. Soul Power rippled around him as he let out a long breath of stale air.

"Little San, did you break through to level thirty?"

Zhao Wuji sensed the disturbance and turned to ask.

Tang San nodded, but his expression remained grave. His thoughts were still consumed by Xiao Wu, who had been taken by the Titan Giant Ape.

Seeing this, Oscar spoke up beside him:

"That's great!

Little San, if you can absorb your third Spirit Ring now and quickly get your injuries and Soul Power back to their peak,

maybe we can catch up to Xiao Wu!"

Oscar had spoken without thinking, but Tang San took his words to heart.

At that, Tang San's heart jolted, and his gaze instantly grew urgent.

That's right. Once I have my third Spirit Ring and recover my strength, I can go rescue Xiao Wu right away!

Just then, Dai Mubai, walking ahead, suddenly stopped and pointed toward a bamboo grove in the distance.

"Look up ahead. How did a Solitary Bamboo this thick grow in that grove?"

Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing.

A Solitary Bamboo far thicker than an ordinary bamboo stood quietly in the grove, radiating vigorous life.

Tang San hurried over and examined it for a moment before saying gravely:

"This is a three-thousand-year-old Solitary Bamboo!

And it contains an exceptionally abundant vitality."

Zhao Wuji came over and rubbed his chin, remarking casually:

"This Solitary Bamboo certainly has plenty of vitality.

If it could serve as your third Spirit Ring, Little San,

then absorbing it would let that immense vitality instantly restore your injuries and depleted Soul Power."

Zhao Wuji had only meant it as an offhand remark. After all, three thousand years was far beyond the limit for a third Spirit Ring.

But Tang San, desperate to save Xiao Wu, instantly took his words seriously.

"Teacher Zhao is right. What I need most right now is to recover my strength and rescue Xiao Wu!"

"Little San, wait—"

Before Zhao Wuji could finish speaking, a flash of cold light gleamed in Tang San's hand. He swung his blade and chopped the three-thousand-year-old Solitary Bamboo clean in half!

Specks of light gathered, and a purple Spirit Ring slowly rose into the air.

Without the slightest hesitation, Tang San dropped straight to the ground and sat cross-legged.

He drew the purple Spirit Ring toward himself, guiding it down over his body, and began absorbing it right there on the spot!

"Holy crap!

Little San, have you lost your mind?

That's three thousand years!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes widened as he cried out in shock.

But Tang San had already closed his eyes, his brows tightly furrowed as he entered a state of forcibly absorbing the Spirit Ring.

"He's gone mad!

Little San has really gone mad!"

Oscar clutched his head with one hand, his face full of disbelief:

"That's a three-thousand-year Spirit Ring!

The limit for a third Spirit Ring is only a little over seventeen hundred years. How could he dare absorb it?!"

Dai Mubai sucked in a sharp breath as well. Staring at Tang San, now shrouded in purple light, he spoke in a trembling voice:

"And it's a Solitary Bamboo, too!

Even if he wants to save Xiao Wu, how can he be this desperate—taking whatever he can get?"

Zhao Wuji, standing nearby, regretted it so much he could have kicked himself.

He was pacing like an ant on a hot pan, practically going out of his mind.

"My big mouth!

Why did I have to go and make some stupid remark?!"

Zhao Wuji grabbed at his hair in frustration and wailed:

"I was only saying it offhand! Who could've guessed that a perfectly sane person would actually absorb the Spirit Ring of a three-thousand-year-old Solitary Bamboo?!"

Watching Tang San's tightly shut eyes and pained expression,

then catching sight of Tang San's incomplete hand, missing a finger,

Zhao Wuji's heart lurched, and a chill shot straight to his head.

"Smack!

Smack!"

Zhao Wuji raised his massive, fan-like hands.

Without mercy, he slapped himself twice across the face, leaving his cheeks red and swollen.

"Teacher Zhao, what are you doing?!"

Dai Mubai and Oscar jumped in fright.

"I deserve it!"

Zhao Wuji's face crumpled, his voice full of despair and fear:

"Not only has Tang San yet to avenge his severed finger, now he's forcibly absorbing this deadly three-thousand-year-old Solitary Bamboo Spirit Ring because of one stupid thing I said!

If anything happens to him, when we get back to Shrek Academy...

If Tang Hao, that old menace, finds out, he'll smash me to death with his hammer!"