Sea God Tang San's expression turned solemn. "Even compared to the Running Great Method, created by that teacher of all ages thirty thousand years ago, this method is several times more powerful."
"Wow!" Tang Wulin's eyes lit up. He wouldn't have to leave his Brother Luo, and he could still grow stronger through a powerful cultivation method.
His heart swelled with boldness. "With the secret method you gave me, Grandpa, I can become even stronger."
"Heh heh."
"Xie Xie, Gu Yue, if I become stronger than both of you, who do you think Brother Luo will choose?"
For once, Tang Wulin dared to be arrogant in his heart. Who else but me?
He quickly suppressed his excitement and asked, "Grandpa, please tell me quickly. What's the cultivation method?"
"And how do I cultivate it?"
His eyes were full of longing.
Getting the cultivation method meant getting his Brother Luo.
How could he not be eager?
Seeing Tang Wulin's reaction, Tang San wore a look of satisfaction.
The boy could still be taught.
His son, the son of the Sea God, had the bearing of a Golden Dragon.
"This method is called the Sterilization Cultivation Method. Ordinary people are weighed down by worldly attachments and can't let go of the mortal world. Once put into practice, this method can help someone cultivate more efficiently and prevent unnecessary emotional entanglements."
"As your cultivation speed increases and your strength grows, you'll be able to break the Eighteen Seals faster."
"Then you'll be safe."
Tang San slowly unveiled his peerless method.
At first, Tang Wulin listened very attentively. But by the time he heard the latter part, he was completely dumbfounded.
When Tang San finished,
Tang Wulin asked blankly, "So, Grandpa, you want me to get sterilized and never have any descendants?"
"You... you!"
"Grandpa, when did I ever offend you? Why would you hurt me like this?"
Tang San scolded him sternly. "Nonsense! When did I ever say I wanted you to be left without descendants? I want you to have a house full of children and grandchildren even more than you do!"
"Since I proposed this method, I'm naturally completely confident in it."
"I once had a friend. I helped her daughter undergo a similar treatment, splitting her into two."
"She even found herself a reliable partner because of it."
"In the end, the girl became whole again—and terrifyingly powerful."
Tang Wulin looked close to tears. "Grandpa, I may be slow, but I'm not stupid. Please stop trying to hurt me."
Ah, being stern all the time wasn't good, either.
Tang San softened his tone and tried to reassure him. "Don't worry. My knife skills are excellent, and I'm very quick."
"I guarantee you won't feel any pain."
"You'll enjoy every moment."
Tang Wulin said, "I..."
"Grandpa, I think I'll pass. Let's not talk about this anymore. I'm leaving."
After saying that, Tang Wulin vanished in a flash.
Only Tang San remained in the Soul Sea of Consciousness, sighing,
"Ah, child. I'm doing all this for your own good."
"Why can't you understand?"
Tang San shouted at the top of his lungs, "Child, if you change your mind, you can come back to me anytime."
"I'll be right here waiting."
"I'll wait a hundred years, if I have to."
Tang Wulin didn't reply.
Sea God Tang San was like a lonely old man in an empty nest, all alone in the Soul Sea of Consciousness.
He faced the same problem Gu Yue had once faced.
He had lost his freedom.
His power had faded considerably.
Especially after encountering that mysterious powerhouse, Tang San had become little more than a stray dog by the roadside...
Without Tang Wulin's permission to let him out,
he couldn't get out.
Li Luo returned to his dormitory. Like Gu Yue, he had a single room.
There was no one else there.
Li Luo sat cross-legged on his bed, pondering. The Seven-Colored Mushroom planted by the Goddess of Life had become his second Soul Spirit.
But this Seven-Colored Mushroom was genuinely poisonous.
"Of the four people who were in close contact with me back then, Xie Xie, Tang Wulin, and Gu Yue have all been affected."
"If nothing unexpected happens, even the noble Spirit Pagoda Master Leng Yaozhu won't be able to escape it."
"What a headache."
"I'll probably have to find some time and an excuse to visit the East Sea Spirit Pagoda and deal with Leng Yaozhu's problem."
"I just don't know what will happen to her after she's infected by the spores."
At the East Sea Spirit Pagoda, Leng Yaozhu lay limp on her bed.
The mushrooms growing on her had already reached the size of her thumb.
It itched!
It itched terribly!
But that wasn't the most fatal part for her.
The most fatal thing was that every time she closed her eyes, she entered a World of Alms filled with Li Luo.
On the grassland, in the fields, on the mountain,
in a ruined temple,
amid crowds of people and bustling traffic,
she was giving alms.
Every time she escaped that world, she was drenched in sweat.
Leng Yaozhu could already sense that the very essence of her body was flowing away like water. She had grown weak to the extreme.
It was hard to say whether she could make it through the night.
But she was simply too tired.
She closed her eyes again and fell into that dream once more.
Giving alms~
Li Luo pushed his thoughts aside. "But no matter what, I've successfully absorbed the Seven-Colored Mushroom Soul Spirit."
"Whoosh!"
A purple light rose up.
"I wonder if it's because my mental power is only one hundred and ninety-nine, just an ordinary Spirit Connection Realm, that the Soul Ring granted by the Seven-Colored Mushroom Soul Spirit has only barely reached twelve hundred years."
"And my Soul Power Level hasn't increased by much, either."
"After absorbing the Seven-Colored Mushroom Soul Spirit, my Soul Power Level rose from twenty to twenty-two."
"Ah, the Goddess of Life really knows how to grow mushrooms."
"She doesn't have a shred of divine dignity."
"More importantly, the Soul Skill granted by absorbing the Seven-Colored Mushroom Soul Spirit still hasn't appeared."
"I suppose the abilities granted by the Seven-Colored Mushroom Soul Spirit won't manifest until I've dealt with Leng Yaozhu's problem."
Li Luo briefly took stock of himself, then prepared to go to sleep.
"Ding-dong, ding-dong!"
The Soul Guidance Communicator beside him rang. Li Luo picked it up and saw that the caller ID read Leng Yaozhu from the Spirit Pagoda.
He answered.
Before he could greet Leng Yaozhu,
her voice came through. "Is that Li Luo? I need your help with something."
"Can you come to the Spirit Pagoda now?"
Li Luo glanced outside. It was pitch-black.
It was already very late.
He had a feeling that something had gone seriously wrong with Leng Yaozhu.
Still, he confirmed, "Her Excellency Heavenly Phoenix, you're sure you mean right now?"
"Yes," Leng Yaozhu replied, her voice sounding somewhat urgent.
"East Sea Spirit Pagoda, top floor. I've already authorized you, so you can come straight up."
"All right, Her Excellency Heavenly Phoenix."
Li Luo ended the call, left the academy, and took a Soul Guidance taxi.
Soon, he arrived at the East Sea Spirit Pagoda.
Then he went up to the top floor.
The metallic door was shut tight. Li Luo walked up to it. "Beep."
The facial recognition system scanned him.
The door opened.
Li Luo walked inside.
He had thought the decor would be as futuristic as the metallic door outside, but once he entered, he found the interior was warm and cozy.
The hall was spacious and simply furnished.
Li Luo looked around. Leng Yaozhu wasn't in the hall. His gaze traveled farther in, to a room at the very back. Its door was half open, and he could just make out the translucent gauze curtains hanging over the bed.
On the bed lay a graceful figure.
Before you continue