"So,"
Tang Wu summoned his Martial Soul and showed Tang San the Blue Silver Emperor he had just awakened into.
In truth, the concentration of Blue Silver Emperor bloodline in him was far higher than Tang San's.
You could tell from the fact that his hair had been blue since birth.
His first three Soul Ring choices had also replenished the Blue Silver Emperor's essence. Its awakening was now only one step away.
Breaking through at the last moment during his battle with the Vine Scale Turtle had been perfectly natural.
"So this is what Blue Silver Grass looks like after evolving? It's certainly changed a lot."
Tang San could feel that the Blue Silver Emperor in Tang Wu's hands was much stronger than his own Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.
And the fresh breath of life washed over them the instant it appeared...
Tang San could also feel that the Blue Silver Emperor before him was more than ten times stronger than before, both in toughness and vitality.
"Heh, the benefits of a Martial Soul Second Awakening don't stop there..."
Tang Wu was quite pleased with Tang San's astonished expression. He continued:
"My Soul Power broke through five levels in a row, jumping straight to level 38. I'm not far from level 39, either."
That was because of his independent awakening.
Tang Wu's Blue Silver Grass and Tang San's Blue Silver Grass were still slightly different.
Namely, Tang Wu's Blue Silver Seed Martial Soul was in a state that was part plant, part living creature, and part tool.
From the seed stage onward, it had begun to evolve in a different direction.
If you put it this way...
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had followed the old route. He hadn't started as a seed; he'd begun as a Blue Silver Grass sprout.
His evolutionary path had been set from the very beginning: Blue Silver Grass → Blue Silver King → Blue Silver Emperor.
But Tang Wu was different.
His Martial Soul had started as a seed. His First Soul Ring had absorbed an Explosive Burning Chili, granting him the ability to produce offshoots from a mother plant.
His Second Soul Ring had come from a Strangling Banyan, known as a "plant killer."
As for his Third Soul Ring, the seed's mimicry ability let it transform into other plants and take on all kinds of plant traits.
With all these advantages, it had evolved into what it was now, with both plant and living-creature traits.
According to Tang Wu's thinking,
if his Fourth Soul Ring could come from a Soul Beast with all kinds of animal abilities,
then there was a good chance his Blue Silver Seed could gain the traits needed to transform into various Soul Beasts.
For example, if Tang Wu wanted to fly, he could grow a pair of wings on his back.
He wouldn't need to borrow the Flying Wing Flower Soaring Grass anymore; he could soar freely through the sky.
Or, when fighting underwater, the Blue Silver Seed could transform into fins to adapt to all kinds of situations.
Damn, it really was turning into an all-purpose cheat!
Even though Tang San had been prepared for it, Tang Wu's idea still startled him.
But following the other's reasoning, he had to admit that the idea had real potential.
After all, even now that Blue Silver Grass had become the Blue Silver Emperor,
the essence of Tang Wu's Martial Soul was still the Blue Silver Seed.
It was just that its vitality and other qualities had advanced from the strength of Blue Silver Grass to that of the Blue Silver Emperor.
"Even when it was Blue Silver Grass, the Blue Silver Seed in Little Wu's hands was already terrifying. Now it's become the Blue Silver Emperor, too."
"Brrr... I hope that day never comes."
Remembering the terror of having been at Tang Wu's mercy, Tang San couldn't help shivering.
A chill surged from the soles of Tang San's feet to the base of his spine, and his whole body shuddered.
Just as Tang San was lost in his memories, Xiao Wu finally finished condensing her Soul Ring and slowly opened her eyes.
As soon as Xiao Wu opened her eyes, she saw Tang Wu right up in her face. She hadn't been prepared for it.
She jumped in fright.
"Goodness, Brother Wu, why are you so close? You scared me."
"Xiao Wu, tell me: what does it feel like when you condense a Soul Ring?"
"What does it feel like? It... it feels like breaking through."
"That doesn't tell me anything."
Tang Wu rolled his eyes at the silly rabbit, speechless at her answer.
Given Xiao Wu's limited ability to explain things, he could only break the question down and spell it out for her.
"When you Self-Condense a Soul Ring, is there a necessary prerequisite?"
"How much Soul Power do you need to use to start condensing it? And how do you keep it from dissipating once you shape it into a ring?"
"Finally, do you choose the Soul Skill from your abilities as a Soul Beast, or does it form on its own based on your human identity?"
Tang Wu fired off a string of questions, overwhelming Xiao Wu's single-core processor.
For a moment, she had no idea which one to answer first.
"Yeah, Xiao Wu, hurry up and tell us..."
Tang San stared intently at Xiao Wu, also very interested in the subject.
"To condense a Soul Ring, I have to draw out some of my hundred-thousand-year essence before I can start."
Xiao Wu shook her head and came around.
"As for the Soul Power output, I don't know. It took shape naturally as I condensed it, so I didn't have to worry about it at all."
"As for choosing a Soul Skill, I can do that myself. I draw on the abilities my true form possesses and merge one into the Soul Ring, and it becomes a Soul Skill."
Condensing a Soul Ring was practically foolproof. Xiao Wu didn't understand how it worked herself, let alone how to teach Tang Wu.
Still, it wasn't as if they'd gained nothing.
At least
Tang Wu could now confirm that the question he'd raised earlier—
whether the choice of a Self-Condensed Soul Ring was up to him—
had a definite answer: yes.
Just as Tang Wu was opening his mouth to ask something else, the bushes ahead rustled. The three of them immediately turned to look, on guard.
They saw a group of people on the other side. It turned out that several members of Shrek had caught up with them.
"Tang Wu, Tang San, Xiao Wu! Thank goodness—we finally found you."
Ning Rongrong's skirt had acquired a few holes. She no longer looked as composed and elegant as the young lady she'd been before, and seemed rather bedraggled.
But at that moment, she didn't care at all. Her face was full of joy.
Zhao Wuji scanned their surroundings. Only after confirming that the Titan Giant Ape wasn't there did he secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Then he asked in confusion:
"Xiao Wu, how did you escape from the Titan Giant Ape?"
"Uh, well..."
Hearing Zhao Wuji's question, Xiao Wu gave the explanation she'd prepared in advance.
"When I was carried off, I suddenly heard a roar that sounded half dragon, half ox. After that, I didn't know anything."
"When I woke up, I followed the tracks back. On the way, I also found a dying Soul Beast, which let me break through level 30."
Though Zhao Wuji was a little suspicious of Xiao Wu's luck, he couldn't find anything wrong with her story, so he decided not to dwell on it.
When they'd left, there had been only two Soul Elders in the group. On the way back, there were three.
This Soul Hunting Operation could be called a complete success.
And after what had happened in the Star Dou Forest, the group had shared life and death as comrades. Their relationships had grown much closer.
The conflict between Ning Rongrong and Dai Mubai had also been laid to rest for good.
After two days and one night on the road, the group finally made it back to Shrek Academy.
The Soul Hunting Operation had lasted nearly a week, and Zhao Wuji knew how hard they'd worked. Their bodies were already utterly wrecked.
So he simply waved a hand and gave the students two days off to rest properly.
Amid a chorus of cheers, Tang Wu returned to his dormitory and slept soundly, restoring his energy.
However.
Something he'd already unconsciously overlooked was happening at the same time: someone had arrived at Shrek Academy.
After everything Tang Wu had done to Gangzi, would someone as petty as him pass up such a golden opportunity to complain to Flender?