Six Years

Shi An set himself a deadline: within six years, he would accomplish this goal.

He did not need profound insights, nor did he need vast experience.

As long as he could find his true self and original heart, that would be his greatest gain.

One could say that he wanted to grow stronger to avenge his parents.

But was that truly what Shi An thought? He had no feelings whatsoever for his biological father and mother.

To put it coldly, he had never even seen them with his own eyes.

Revenge was merely an excuse to spur himself to grow stronger.

What he sought was the reason he wanted to become stronger, what he planned to do once he had grown stronger, and what kind of person he wanted to become.

Vast Sea City.

The air was thick with a damp, briny stench of the sea.

The buildings here all leaned toward sea-blue hues, giving the place a distinctive charm.

The streets bustled with people. Weathered by the sea wind year-round, their skin looked somewhat rough and dark.

A youth entered a shop and spoke familiarly to the shopkeeper.

"Old Zhang, have you received any top-quality whale glue lately?"

"Hey! It's you again, kid." The shopkeeper was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, his dark face worn by time. When he smiled, he revealed a mouthful of large yellow teeth.

"Yes, I saved some for you."

"I'm telling you, kid, you come to buy whale glue every time. You're still so young—you need to restrain yourself, or you'll have nothing but tears when you're old."

Shi An rolled his eyes and did not answer him.

Six years had passed, and he had grown into a youth. He was tall, handsome, and resolute. His skin had taken on a wheat-colored tan from years of wind and sun, making him look healthy and vibrant.

Over these six years, he had traveled through many places—Heaven Dou City, Star Luo City, Gengjin City, Martial Soul Hall, and more.

He had climbed mountains that pierced the clouds and dived into pitch-black depths of the sea.

He had seen wolf bandits murder, wound, and plunder. He had seen hunter groups turn on one another over unevenly divided spoils.

He had seen wealthy merchants wallow in excess and revelry night after night. He had seen villagers starve to death after soul beasts destroyed their fields.

He had hoped, pondered, despaired, and sympathized.

In the end, all of it became fuel for his desire to grow stronger.

Natural selection, survival of the fittest—the law of the jungle, where the strong ruled.

At last, he arrived in Vast Sea City, making it the first stop on his path to strength.

There was no other reason. High-quality whale glue here was practically dirt cheap.

Of course, Shi An was not buying this whale glue as an aphrodisiac.

Whale glue's greatest use was strengthening the bones, blood, qi, and physical body.

It was not merely a matter of making the body stronger.

As everyone knew, the age of soul rings one could absorb was closely related to one's physical condition.

The stronger one's body, the less pressure there was when absorbing soul rings below ten thousand years.

But for ten-thousand-year soul rings, physical condition was not the only factor. Mental strength mattered even more.

Feeling the soul power within him that had reached a bottleneck, as well as the fact that whale glue had recently done little for his physical condition, Shi An inwardly sighed. It's time to leave.

"Kid, what are you thinking about?" At that moment, the shopkeeper suddenly spoke and placed a wooden box before him.

Shi An lowered his head and examined it. After confirming that the whale glue was of acceptable quality, he smiled. "Nothing. May your business prosper."

With that, Shi An turned and left, vanishing around the corner.

"So mysterious." The shopkeeper watched Shi An's retreating back, shook his head, and shouted at the attendant beside him.

"What are you looking at? Not working anymore? No food unless you finish your work!"

After returning to his lodgings, Shi An made sure no one was following him before tightly shutting the doors and windows.

He took out the whale glue he had bought that day and lit a bonfire.

The firewood was no ordinary material, but a type of wood that burned exceptionally long and produced extremely high temperatures.

The flames gradually rose. Shi An picked up a piece of whale glue and roasted it over the fire.

A faint fishy odor drifted out, but Shi An's expression did not change. He had long since grown accustomed to the smell.

A moment later, the whale glue had turned into a jelly-like mass. Shi An picked it up and swallowed it in one gulp, heedless of its scalding temperature.

The instant it entered his mouth, an intense burning sensation slid down his esophagus and into his stomach.

Even the nauseating fishy odor was overwhelmed by the burning sensation.

After the scorching heat came a warm current that flowed like a trickling stream, washing through his limbs and bones and bringing a powerful sense of strength.

What came with it, however, was endless, merciless desire.

Shi An's eyes turned bloodshot, and his face reddened as though it would drip blood. White steam rose from his head, making him look like a boiled shrimp.

He hurriedly jumped into the ice water prepared beside him. The alternating cold and heat caused his complexion to shift constantly.

Who knew how much time had passed? Outside the window, the bright moon now hung high in the sky.

All of Vast Sea City had fallen silent. Only the crashing of waves against the shore echoed through the night. Everything was so tranquil and peaceful.

Shi An rose from the bathing barrel, soaked from head to toe, yet his eyes were especially bright.

He dried himself, looked at the moon outside the window, and murmured softly.

"Ordinary whale glue barely has any effect on me now. It really is time to leave."

"By now, Tang San should have already left Nuoding City and be preparing to go to Shrek Academy."

"Tang Hao definitely won't be at ease. He'll be following him in secret."

"Then... I should have a chance to get Ah Yin's hundred-thousand-year soul bone."

"Tang Hao, Tang San, Ah Yin—I'll take good care of you."

Within the Star Dou Great Forest.

Beside the Lake of Life, a giant ape more than ten meters tall crouched on the ground. Speaking in human language, it slowly addressed the human girl seated on its shoulder.

"Xiao Wu, are you really planning to leave the Star Dou Great Forest again?"

Sitting on its shoulder, Xiao Wu swung her long, straight legs. Her expression held anticipation and confusion, but above all, longing.

"A hundred-thousand-year transformed soul beast must cultivate in places where humans gather."

"My soul power has remained at rank 20 for too long. If I don't leave, I may be stuck at this rank for the rest of my life."

"But Da Ming and I can protect you. There's no need for you to leave and take such a risk."

"No. I still haven't avenged Mom. I have to leave."

"Don't try to persuade me anymore. I'll leave tomorrow morning. I'll come back to see you from time to time. If I don't return..."

"Xiao Wu, don't say something so discouraging!"

Er Ming spoke anxiously and rose directly to his feet.

"I know. I'll be careful when I go to the human world this time."

"Besides, I've already transformed into a human. If I don't increase my strength, I may only have a few decades left to live."

"Alright, I'm going to pack. I'll set off tomorrow."