Three Years Later

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

On a hillside behind Notting Academy, a young girl in a light pink dress sat cross-legged. Morning light pierced through the thin mist, laying a soft golden edge along her profile.

Xiao Wu slowly opened her eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.

Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment.

Over the past three years, she had already mastered the Moon Palace Jade Rabbit Medicine-Pounding Heart Sutra inside and out. The terrifying aptitude of her Heavenly Spiritual Root made every breakthrough come as naturally as water flowing downhill, without the slightest obstruction. After reaching Foundation Establishment, her spiritual power had condensed into liquid, and every thread of it flowing through her meridians contained might far surpassing Soul Power.

She rose to her feet, stretched her limbs, and looked toward the familiar cluster of buildings below.

Notting Academy.

Without realizing it, she had already spent three years here.

Xiao Wu still remembered how, when she had first entered the academy three years ago, she had been a little girl who knew nothing and found everything fresh and exciting. Now, she was twelve years old and had grown much taller. Her scorpion braid still hung down her back, but her large eyes now held more composure and less childish innocence.

Of course, in front of Xiao San, she was still the bossy little madam who always got her way.

At the thought of Tang San, the corners of Xiao Wu's lips lifted unconsciously.

Xiao San had changed quite a bit over the past three years as well. After the Mysterious Heaven Skill broke through to the second level, his internal energy became increasingly deep and powerful. Combined with the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, he was nearly unmatched among those his age. Although his Soul Power had only risen from level thirteen to level nineteen, with his thousand-year first soul ring and Blue Silver Grass's control abilities, even ordinary Soul Grand Masters were no match for him.

But no matter how much he changed, in front of her, Xiao San was still Xiao San.

That thought put Xiao Wu in an especially good mood.

She brushed the grass clippings from her skirt and headed down the mountain. Today was the day Xiao San would attempt to break through to level twenty, so she had to go watch.

A young man in a green robe was already waiting on the mountain path.

Three years had passed, and Tang San had grown considerably taller. Though he was still lean, his shoulders were broad and his waist narrow, and he had begun to look like a proper young man. His face was more composed than it had been three years ago, and his dark blue eyes were calm as water, revealing no emotion.

But Xiao Wu knew that those eyes concealed more than anyone else's.

"Little madam." Tang San bowed slightly.

"Mm, let's go." Xiao Wu skipped ahead, her braid swaying behind her. "You're attempting level twenty today. Are you confident?"

"Eighty percent."

"Only eighty percent?" Xiao Wu glanced back at him, her brows knitting slightly. "The last time you attempted level nineteen, you said you were ninety percent confident, and then..."

Tang San's mouth twitched.

"It won't happen this time." Tang San lowered his head, unwilling to let Xiao Wu see his expression.

"It had better not."

Xiao Wu snorted and turned around to continue walking.

"Oh, right." Xiao Wu suddenly stopped and turned back to face him. "Big Brother said we should go back in a few days."

Tang San stopped short. Over the past three years, they had returned to Holy Soul Village every few months. Each time, they cultivated beneath that purple bamboo for a while.

That Innate Purple Bamboo had grown ever more lush, the violet-gold patterns between its joints becoming increasingly distinct. The spiritual energy it gave off was countless times richer than it had been three years ago. Cultivating beneath it for one hour was equivalent to cultivating outside for dozens of days.

But every time Tang San saw that purple bamboo, his heart would ache faintly.

It should have been his.

If he had recognized its true nature back then, if the system had not mistakenly identified it as a ten-year Lone Bamboo, if he had persisted just a little longer...

He did not dare think any further.

Whenever he thought of it, he would take a deep breath, force all his regret and anger back into his heart, and continue cultivating. Because he knew there was no use dwelling on it.

The purple bamboo had already acknowledged Tang Ling as its master. It no longer had even the slightest connection to him.

The only thing he could do now was cultivate desperately and use effort a thousand times greater to make up for that mistake.

"Xiao San?" Xiao Wu's voice pulled him back to reality.

Tang San came to himself and found Xiao Wu tilting her head at him, her large eyes filled with scrutiny.

"Daydreaming about that bamboo again?"

Tang San fell silent for a moment before nodding.

Xiao Wu sighed, walked over to him, stood on tiptoe, and patted his head.

"Enough, enough. It's been three years, and you're still hung up on it? Big Brother said that the greatest taboo for cultivators is obsession. The less you can let go, the more it becomes your inner demon. If you get trapped by an inner demon, then you'll never..."

Tang San stared blankly at Xiao Wu, at his reflection in her clear, limpid eyes.

Inner demon.

Did she even know what she was talking about?

This little girl was actually teaching him how to deal with an inner demon?

Over the past three years, whenever he thought of that purple bamboo, cracks would appear in his state of mind, affecting his cultivation. He had always avoided facing that fact, but Xiao Wu had pierced straight through it with a single sentence.

"I understand." Tang San lowered his head, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"It's good that you do." Xiao Wu withdrew her hand, turned around, and continued skipping away.

Tang San followed after her. One in front and one behind, they headed toward the academy.

Notting Academy, the Master's private little building.

Yu Xiaogang sat at his desk with a notebook before him, its pages so well-thumbed that their edges had frayed.

It was densely filled with writing: theories on martial souls, research on soul beasts, and most of the material added in the past three years concerned cultivation methods of the immortal path.

Ever since consuming the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma and breaking through level thirty, Yu Xiaogang had devoted all his energy to researching this new cultivation system.

He had cultivated the immortal path technique Tang Ling gave him with exceptional diligence. Although his spiritual root aptitude was mediocre, his comprehension was first-rate. Over three years, he had forcibly cultivated the technique to the fifth level of Qi Refinement.

The fifth level of Qi Refinement was negligible in terms of strength for a Soul Elder. Yet under the combined influence of the immortal path technique and the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, the Soul Power within his body had climbed all the way from level thirty to level thirty-six.

"Teacher."

Tang San pushed open the door, entered, and respectfully bowed.

Yu Xiaogang raised his head, his gaze sweeping across his two students before settling on Tang San.

"You're attempting level twenty today?"

"Yes, Teacher." Tang San sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion opposite him, while Xiao Wu expertly dragged over a chair and sat beside them, looking as though she were ready to watch a show.

Yu Xiaogang closed the notebook, walked over to Tang San, and took a crystal ball from his Soul Tool.

"Let's test your current Soul Power first."

Tang San did as instructed, placing his hand on the crystal ball. Soul Power light rose from it and stabilized at the peak of level nineteen, only one final step away from level twenty.

"Mm, not bad." Satisfaction flashed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes. "You've accumulated enough. Break through here. I will stand guard for you."

Tang San nodded without another word. He sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion in the small building and closed his eyes.

Over the past three years, nearly every one of his breakthroughs had been completed beneath the purple bamboo in Holy Soul Village. The spiritual energy it emitted nourished him like spring rain, making breakthroughs come naturally. But this time, he was at Notting Academy, four hundred li away from that purple bamboo.

Even without the purple bamboo's protection, he could still break through.

Tang San took a deep breath and sank his consciousness into his body. The internal energy of the second level of the Mysterious Heaven Skill flowed slowly through his meridians, while his peak level nineteen Soul Power surged within his dantian like water on the verge of boiling.

Xiao Wu sat in the chair with her chin propped in both hands, idly fiddling with her scorpion braid.

"It's only level twenty. Why are you taking so long?"

Xiao Wu yawned.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Tang San's forehead, while a faint blue glow circulated around his body. His Soul Power accelerated through his meridians, once, twice, three times.

He could sense the bottleneck directly ahead. All he needed was one more push—

"Crack."

A soft sound, audible only to him, exploded within his dantian. His Soul Power burst through the obstruction like floodwaters breaking a dam, rushing and roaring through his meridians.

Level twenty.

Tang San abruptly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them before vanishing.

He could feel that the Soul Power within him had grown stronger once again. Though it was only a minor level increase, level twenty meant he had reached the threshold for obtaining his second soul ring.

"You did it?" Xiao Wu sat up straight.

"Mm." Tang San stood and stretched his limbs. "Level twenty."

"Not bad. You didn't embarrass your little madam. Now that you're level twenty, I can use a little more strength the next time I beat you up."

Tang San's mouth twitched, and he wisely chose not to respond.

Yu Xiaogang stepped forward and pressed a hand against Tang San's shoulder. Feeling the abundant, stable Soul Power within his disciple, the tension in his face finally eased. He did not offer much praise, merely nodded before turning to remove a frayed notebook from the bookshelf.

It was densely filled with his insights from years of studying soul beasts. Every page contained records left behind after his field investigations in the forests.

"At level twenty, you can absorb your second soul ring." Yu Xiaogang turned to a particular page and tapped the notes on it. "Under normal circumstances, the limit for a second soul ring is around seven to eight hundred years. But you already possess a thousand-year first soul ring, and your physique far surpasses that of Soul Masters at the same level. I estimate that between fifteen hundred and eighteen hundred years should be the limit you can presently endure. This is only my speculation. You will need to judge the actual situation yourself."

Tang San listened attentively and nodded. He knew that the "theoretical limit" his teacher spoke of was merely a deduction based on ordinary circumstances. Beyond the ordinary, there were always variables.

"Teacher, what soul beasts are we targeting this time?"

Yu Xiaogang turned to a page in the notebook, where the characteristics of several soul beasts had been densely recorded. "This time, I have selected two options best suited for Blue Silver Grass's second soul ring."

Tang San leaned closer. The notebook contained simple drawings of two very different soul beasts, with detailed annotations beside them regarding suitable age ranges, attributes, and estimated soul skills.

Yu Xiaogang pointed to the first. It was a wolf-type soul beast with a powerful build, covered entirely in silver-gray fur.

"The Netherworld Wolf is a speed-type soul beast. One between fifteen hundred and eighteen hundred years old would be most suitable. Its soul ring would grant Blue Silver Grass faster attack speed and a broader range of coverage. Your Blue Silver Grass has strong control abilities, but its casting speed and coverage area still have room for improvement. A Netherworld Wolf soul ring would make up for that weakness perfectly."

He pointed to the second. It was a bizarre vine, pitch-black all over, with dark red patterns covering its body.

"The Ghost Vine is a mutated plant-type soul beast, between fifteen hundred and eighteen hundred years old. It is an extremely rare soul beast. There is a high chance its soul ring will grant Blue Silver Grass a blood-draining ability. Enemies entangled by Blue Silver Grass will have their Soul Power and life force continuously drained and converted into your own strength. This is one of the highest-tier abilities among plant-type martial souls."

Tang San's gaze shifted back and forth between the two soul beasts.

The Netherworld Wolf was the safest choice. Its age was appropriate, the risk manageable, and the speed increase could compensate for Blue Silver Grass's current weakness. But a speed increase was merely a quantitative improvement, not a qualitative transformation.

The Ghost Vine. Blood draining. The longer the enemy fought, the weaker they would become, while he would only grow stronger.

It was an ability capable of bringing a qualitative transformation to the Blue Silver Grass martial soul.

"Teacher, I want to choose the Ghost Vine." Tang San looked up, his gaze firm.

Yu Xiaogang did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked into Tang San's eyes. There was no impulsiveness in those dark blue eyes, only a decision made after careful consideration.

"I expected you would choose the Ghost Vine." Yu Xiaogang spoke slowly, his tone carrying a trace of complicated emotion. "But I must also tell you some bad news. A Ghost Vine of an appropriate age is extremely difficult to find."

He turned to another page in the notebook, which recorded the routes he had surveyed across Douluo Continent over the years.

"I have conducted no fewer than a hundred surveys over the years, yet I have never found any trace of a thousand-year Ghost Vine. This type of soul beast has exceptionally demanding requirements for its habitat. It must be dark, damp, and home to large numbers of soul beasts at the same time. Very few places meet all these conditions. Even if such a place exists, the Ghost Vine may be hidden in the deepest part of a swamp, making it extremely difficult to discover."

The light in Tang San's eyes dimmed slightly for an instant.

"So, my suggestion is—" Yu Xiaogang shifted his gaze to the first option, "make the Netherworld Wolf our primary target. We will venture into Star Dou Forest. If we are lucky enough to encounter a suitable Ghost Vine, we can adjust our plan then. But if we cannot find one, the Netherworld Wolf will still make your second soul ring perfect."

Tang San was silent for a moment before nodding. "Understood, Teacher. We'll do as you say."

Xiao Wu had been listening with her chin propped in her hands for quite a while before she finally could not help interrupting. "Is that Ghost Vine really so hard to find? I'll ask Big Brother to help later. He can definitely find one."

Tang San's expression stiffened slightly.

"There's no need." His voice was several degrees colder than before. "I'll handle this sort of thing myself."

Xiao Wu shrugged and said nothing more.

Yu Xiaogang closed the notebook and stood. "Then it is settled. The Netherworld Wolf will be our primary target, but if we encounter a suitable Ghost Vine along the way, we will hunt it first. We leave early tomorrow morning. Make your preparations."

"Your little madam will go with you." Xiao Wu patted Tang San's shoulder and said with a smile, "That big snake last time was beaten half to death by your little madam. It'll be the same this time. Just wait in the back and land the finishing blow."

Tang San's mouth twitched, but he said nothing.

Yu Xiaogang glanced at Xiao Wu, as though he wanted to say something but stopped himself. He knew Xiao Wu's strength was unfathomable, and having her along would indeed make the journey much safer. But each time he saw his most prized disciple being ordered around by a little girl, he could not help feeling somewhat uncomfortable as his teacher.