Inside the laboratory.
At a certain moment, Jiang Ci'an slowly opened his eyes on the meditation cushion.
The brief confusion in his eyes faded into clarity. Recalling his experience in the Virtual World, he couldn't help letting out a soft laugh.
He was a little curious about how Angel Lady would react the next time she saw him.
It would probably be quite amusing.
Shaking his head, Jiang Ci'an didn't waste any more time. He quickly organized the data he'd obtained about the Angel Divine Set while turning to look at the gray figure not far away, who was carefully examining a white Soul Ring.
"Elder Yi, I've had another inspiration."
In the distance, Electrolux's fingers paused slightly. His gaze left the Soul Ring and settled on Jiang Ci'an's face.
He didn't immediately ask for details. Instead, he set down the white Soul Ring in his hand and walked straight over.
By now, Electrolux had grown accustomed to what Jiang Ci'an called his "inspiration."
After meditating, the boy would always come up with strange and unusual ideas, often accompanied by a great deal of data precise to an almost terrifying degree.
Electrolux had no idea where the boy's inspiration came from, but he had no intention of probing into it.
Everyone had secrets. The boy had his own exceptional qualities; there was no need to pry.
What interested him more was the "inspiration" itself.
Without holding anything back, Jiang Ci'an laid out the data he'd obtained about the Angel Divine Set in the Virtual World, one set after another, all before Electrolux.
The spiritual magic Electrolux had taught him came in handy now, helping them avoid wasting time to the greatest extent possible.
Electrolux studied the clearly organized data before him, his eyes lighting up. He immediately got down to business, asking questions about various details.
Jiang Ci'an answered them with ease.
Discussion filled the laboratory.
The two of them went back and forth, gradually building a complete framework for the methods of "Self-Condensing Soul Bone" and "Acquired Spirit Aperture."
Time flew by, and the seasons turned.
In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
The afternoon sun in Shrek City was warm and lazy, bathing the entire city in soft, golden light.
A seemingly ordinary carriage slowly entered through the city gate and proceeded along the main road at an unhurried pace.
Inside the carriage, two girls sat close together, chatting in low voices.
Wang Dong'er's blue-and-pink hair fell loose around her shoulders. She was a little taller than she had been half a year ago, and the slight curl at the ends framed her increasingly delicate face, giving her a lively air.
At that moment, she stood with her hands on her hips and chin raised, her slender, snow-white neck on display as she leaned against the carriage wall with an exceptionally smug air.
"Heh heh, my Second Soul Ring is two thousand five hundred years old! Once we're back, I'll definitely cut that guy down to size!"
Dong'er's proud Big White Goose side was on full display.
Over the past six months, spending every day with Xiao Xiao had changed her attitude toward cultivation completely.
She no longer slept in during morning training or slacked off during meditation. She'd even started paying attention to getting a balanced diet.
Of course, there was another very important reason. One day, on a whim, she'd asked a certain someone to spar with her—and he'd pinned her to the ground in a single move.
It had been a thoroughly undignified scene.
All these factors had spurred her to work hard. Her former laziness had vanished without a trace.
In half a year, she'd successfully reached level twenty.
It was true that Soul Power Level tended to rise more easily at the Soul Grandmaster stage, that she'd had a good foundation despite being lazy before, and that a certain someone had never once stopped providing her with customized cultivation supplements each month.
But no matter what, she'd reached level twenty!
After successfully hunting a Soul Beast and absorbing her Second Soul Ring beyond the usual limit, her Soul Power had shot straight up to level twenty-two. She wasn't far from level twenty-three, either!
Now, she was brimming with confidence!
Beside her, Xiao Xiao blinked at her best friend, who wore an expression that said she was already invincible. There was a strange look in her eyes.
"Are you sure? Last time you sparred with Ci'an, he gave you a whole ten moves' head start, and you still couldn't even touch him. Once those ten moves were up, you couldn't withstand even one of his attacks."
Wang Dong'er's expression froze. Then her cheeks puffed up, and she gave Xiao Xiao a slightly aggrieved look.
Don't bring that up when I'm feeling proud!
Xiao Xiao blinked back at her innocently.
Then, in the next moment, Dong'er looked at Xiao Xiao as if she'd suddenly thought of something, her eyes lighting up.
She leaned in, wrapped both arms around Xiao Xiao's waist, and pressed herself against her like a koala.
"Dear Xiao Xiao, let's take that guy down together!"
Xiao Xiao glanced at the face pressed against her shoulder and promptly replied, "No."
Between her best friend and her childhood sweetheart, she decisively chose the latter.
Dong'er's expression didn't change, but deep down, she'd expected as much.
Her best friend had long since been wrapped around that guy's little finger. No matter what he said, Xiao Xiao wouldn't refuse him.
But...
A gleam of astonishing wisdom flashed in Dong'er's blue-and-pink eyes!
She leaned close to Xiao Xiao's ear and murmured, "Don't you want to beat your Ci'an soundly and then bully him as much as you like?"
Xiao Xiao's eyes flickered despite herself.
She lowered her gaze. Strange images instinctively began to surface in her mind, and her throat bobbed before she could stop it.
"...It seems a little wrong to bully Ci'an together, doesn't it?"
Her voice was somewhat guilty, but there was also a hint of eager anticipation.
"What's wrong with it?" Wang Dong'er said solemnly. "It's just an ordinary spar!"
Xiao Xiao pressed her lips together, her eyes full of indecision. In the end, she couldn't resist turning to Dong'er and tentatively asking, "Then... just a little spar?"
Wang Dong'er narrowed her eyes, the corners of her mouth lifting high. "Mm. Just a spar."
She'd never known exactly how strong that guy was, but surely he was only in his twenties at most.
Now both she and Xiao Xiao had broken through level twenty, and both had absorbed their Soul Rings beyond the usual limit. With the two of them working together, she refused to believe he could still win!
The thought of finally making that guy lose for once made her give a pleased little huff.
Plan successful.jpg
The carriage rolled on, soon stopping outside Ping'an Pharmacy.
From outside came Er Ming's gruff voice. He'd been in charge of taking Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao to hunt their Soul Rings.
"Dong'er, we're here. Get down with your friend."
"All right, Second Dad!"
They pulled back the curtain and jumped down one after the other, then made their way through the front hall, past the screen wall, and into the backyard.
Though they hadn't seen it in half a month, the backyard training ground looked just the same: green bricks underfoot, bamboo in the corner, and training equipment neatly stacked along the side.
Wang Dong'er eagerly searched for a certain someone's figure, ready to put her brilliant plan into action as soon as possible.
Then, at a glance, she spotted the young man seated on a meditation cushion at the very center of the training ground.
And...
The layers of mistlike, blood-red energy surrounding him, forming a terrifying aura.
Before you continue