The Price of Getting Stronger is Actually White Hair?!

Xue Mingqing's pupils constricted. Instinctively, he pulled out a small mirror and cast his gaze within!

He saw that his originally thick, jet-black short hair had turned a grayish-black color!

Seeing this anomaly, Xue Mingqing instinctively looked up at Xue Ningxian.

"Mother, I... what happened to my hair?"

Hearing Xue Mingqing's slightly panicked voice, a beautiful arc curled upon Xue Ningxian's pink lips.

"What? Only just noticed? I thought you wouldn't be afraid."

She was teasing the child on purpose.

Hearing this, Xue Mingqing instinctively swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

"Mother, what exactly happened to me?"

With a light chuckle, Xue Ningxian crossed her arms and spoke.

"I told you not to absorb a thousand-year spirit ring, but you wouldn't listen. Look at you, aging before your time."

"Sigh~ don't make me, an old woman with white hair, have to bury you, a boy with gray hair..."

Hearing this, Xue Mingqing looked at Xue Ningxian, whose long white hair reached her waist, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Setting aside whether there were side effects to exceeding the limit for a first spirit ring, his physical constitution was already at a level capable of absorbing a thousand-year ring.

Besides, even if there were side effects, they wouldn't manifest as premature aging!

He finally realized he was being teased like a child!

Pouting slightly, Xue Mingqing turned to leave the City Lord's Hall.

"If you won't tell me, I'll go read for myself. I don't believe the City Lord's Mansion Library can't resolve my confusion."

Seeing that Xue Mingqing was truly about to leave, Xue Ningxian coughed hurriedly.

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. This is a normal phenomenon in the Far North. All living beings here are subjects of the Ice God. As long as they are spirit masters from the Far North, they will gradually turn white-haired like me as they obtain spirit rings and grow stronger."

As she spoke, Xue Ningxian grabbed a strand of her white hair and shook it.

"As for why your change is so drastic, it's because your first spirit ring was a thousand-year one. It's normal for the change to be more significant, isn't it?"

After understanding the cause of the matter, Xue Mingqing's brows twitched.

In his past life, people on the internet often said they would trade their hair turning white overnight for powerful strength. Whenever Xue Mingqing saw such comments, he would mock them for wanting to have their cake and eat it too.

Well, now he was the one who had both.

It was one thing for people on the internet to complain that white hair didn't look good, but in reality, who wouldn't want a head of white hair?

Noticing the shifting expressions on Xue Mingqing's face, Xue Ningxian shook her head with a light laugh.

She composed herself, leaving only a serene smile on her face, and reached out a jade hand to gently stroke Xue Mingqing's grayish-black hair.

"So, my little monster, tell Mother, what are your plans for the future?"

Being petted by Xue Ningxian, Xue Mingqing did not resist. He quietly accepted her caress, though he understood exactly what she was asking.

Steadying his mind, Xue Mingqing smiled and spoke.

"I want to go to Shrek Academy."

Hearing this, Xue Ningxian paused, her hand stopping its stroking of his hair.

She didn't ask why.

After all, she had heard of the prestigious number one academy on the continent, and she had even visited it in her youth.

Exhaling a gentle breath, Xue Ningxian looked at the child, whose frame still appeared somewhat thin.

In her emerald eyes, she seemed to see the bedraggled child from a month ago, kneeling before a tombstone and making a grand vow.

Although they hadn't spent much time together—only a month—Xue Ningxian had long since come to view this diligent and resilient child as her own.

Ruffling Xue Mingqing's hair, her cold, clear voice softened significantly.

"You have always been strong-willed and independent. Mother knows you won't stay in this Far North, and you shouldn't stay here either."

"Since you have made your decision, then... Mother won't nag you with a bunch of nonsense. As long as you don't regret it yourself, that is enough."

Hearing Xue Ningxian's words, Xue Mingqing fell silent for a moment.

This was a decision he had made long ago. It wasn't because he valued Shrek's reputation as the best on the continent, nor was it for their resources.

What he wanted was Shrek's intelligence network.

Yes, that was it—the intelligence network!

The Evil Soul Master had slaughtered his village and killed his parents. Such a deep blood feud was something he could never forget!

Even though that Evil Soul Master was already dead, the hatred in his heart had not subsided. This hatred could only be extinguished by the blood of Evil Soul Masters.

As for why he, a transmigrator, wouldn't go straight to the Holy Spirit Cult headquarters?

Give me a break; he was only carrying the burden of hatred, not some sudden surge of power. Given his current strength, what did people expect?

Was he supposed to march into the Holy Spirit Cult headquarters and challenge Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui?

Setting aside whether Xue Mingqing could even do it, even if he succeeded, that wouldn't be called revenge; that would be called delivering his head on a platter—a heavy sentiment for such a light gift.

Therefore, for Xue Mingqing, revenge had to be taken, but he couldn't be reckless.

Before he grew strong enough, Xue Mingqing would most likely just take on the evil-purging missions assigned by Shrek Academy. Collecting a little interest along the way, right?

This was also the reason why Xue Mingqing chose Shrek Academy.

With his resolve set, Xue Mingqing raised his eyes to meet Xue Ningxian's beautiful gaze.

His eyes were filled with nothing but determination.

"Mother, I have already made my decision."

Seeing that Xue Mingqing's mind was made up, Xue Ningxian closed her eyes for a moment and gave a gentle nod.

"Since that is the case... you may withdraw. I will make the arrangements for you. In a few days, you can prepare to set off."

Nodding, Xue Mingqing didn't say anything more and turned to leave.

Watching Xue Mingqing's retreating figure, Xue Ningxian let out a soft sigh.

"There always comes a time when a child must leave home and grow on his own."

Turning around, Xue Ningxian stopped dwelling on it and went to clean up the aftermath in the City Lord's Hall.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Having left the City Lord's Hall first, Xue Mingqing walked a distance alone before ducking into a deserted corner.

Only after confirming there was no one else around did his expression turn peculiar.

Frowning as he recalled the anomaly, Xue Mingqing spoke up.

"Old Feng, what exactly is going on with that rune on my back?"

Yesterday, after the Hurricane Body Tempering concluded, Feng Qingyang had infused a wisp of his soul fragment into Xue Mingqing's body.

That soul fragment had left a mysterious rune on Xue Mingqing's back.

He had called it a stroke of fortune for Xue Mingqing, yet Xue Mingqing couldn't feel what use it had at all.

Xue Mingqing had almost forgotten about it, but—

Just a moment ago, while he was absorbing that thousand-year spirit ring, the soul fragment had acted as if it had come to life.

It had actively siphoned the spirit power contained within the thousand-year spirit ring, draining away more than half of it!

It was precisely because of this that Xue Mingqing had managed to completely refine the thousand-year spirit ring in less than a moment.

At this moment, Xue Mingqing was already level 13.

However, the spirit power provided by the thousand-year spirit ring accounted for a pitifully small one level.

The remaining two levels were clearly the result of the talent unleashed by the earlier Hurricane Body Tempering.

For a first thousand-year spirit ring to only provide one level of spirit power was, by any measure, abnormal.

It was obvious that the mysterious rune on his back had siphoned off more than half of the spirit power!

Faced with such an anomaly, how could Xue Mingqing not be suspicious?

And what of Feng Qingyang?

Hearing Xue Mingqing's confusion, he, residing within the depths of Xue Mingqing's mind, merely curled his lip.

He had no intention of clearing up Xue Mingqing's confusion directly.

Not only did he fail to answer Xue Mingqing's questions, but he even temporarily severed his connection with him—

Ignoring him completely, no matter how much Xue Mingqing called out!

Laughable. If I just did whatever you asked, wouldn't I lose all my face?