First Ring, Hundred Thousand Years

A year passed. Notting College closed for the holidays, and Tang San took Xiao Wu to Holy Spirit Village.

Lan Yu went to the hill behind the college. A mushroom half as tall as a person stood there. If the spot had been any less secluded, someone would have found it long ago.

Lan Yu's Soul Power Level had reached ten some time ago. He had been waiting for this moment.

Hardly anyone stayed at the college during the holidays, so it was unlikely anyone would discover the sacrifice.

"Xiao Lu, what age of Spirit Beast are you equivalent to now?"

"A hundred thousand years."

"A hundred thousand years! How did you get that high?"

"I absorbed almost all the Soul Power gathered by the Mycelium Network. A hundred thousand years is only natural. The Mycelium Network has spread across all of Notting City now."

"That makes sense. Let's begin!"

"Okay!"

Red light rose from Xiao Lu and enveloped Lan Yu. The sacrifice began. Since it was evening, anyone who noticed the glow would mistake it for the sunset.

The sacrifice went smoothly. When it was over, the half-human-height mushroom had vanished completely. Lan Yu felt an inexplicable pang of sadness.

"Where's Xiao Lu's consciousness?"

"Huh? She's gone to sleep. She'll come out on her own when she wakes up."

"That's good. Let's see what I got. A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring with two Soul Skills: Hypnotic Spore and Restorative Mushroom.

"One support skill and one healing skill. Not bad.

"Oh, and a Left Arm Bone, also with two Spirit Bone Skills: Strength Amplification and Decomposition."

Strength Amplification needed no explanation. It simply boosted strength. Decomposition, on the other hand, was more interesting.

Lan Yu could release Fungal Threads to reduce things formed from Soul Power back into Soul Power. To a degree, it could nullify outwardly manifested Soul Skills.

"I like this skill. Mushrooms are decomposers, so it makes perfect sense.

"Now for my Soul Power Level. Around level eighteen. Having an unfair advantage feels great!"

Bifulong popped out. "Your plan's done. What about mine? Isn't it time we got started?"

"Yes, it is. Let's pack up and go."

Once he had packed, Lan Yu left Notting City. Rather than return to Mushroom Village, he headed somewhere even more remote.

The soil in those places was poor, and harvests were meager. With the empire's nobles squeezing them as well, the people there could barely get by.

Lan Yu had Bifulong make mushrooms sprout from the barren ground.

The villagers soon found the mushrooms, took them home, and ate them.

After eating the mushrooms, they too formed a mental connection with Bifulong.

"Hahaha! I am the God of Fungi, the Sage Lord of Fungi! These mushrooms are my gift. Be sure to thank me..."

Bifulong spent a good while singing his own praises before getting down to business.

Through the mental connection, Bifulong taught the villagers how to grow mushrooms.

When the villagers woke the next morning and compared their experiences, they were convinced the God of Fungi had truly descended and bestowed a gift upon them.

So the villagers began growing mushrooms as Bifulong had taught them.

"Will this really work? Humans will help me reproduce my other bodies without me doing a thing?"

"Of course. If you had half a brain, you wouldn't have ended up the weakest Demon God."

"I'm not! Don't talk nonsense. I'm not the weakest Demon God!"

"Come on. The plan continues. Plenty more poor people need the Sage Lord of Fungi's salvation."

"That's right! Hahaha! Suffering humans, the Sage Lord of Fungi has come to save you!"

Lan Yu traveled farther and farther, eventually leaving Farunos Province. Even if he turned back now, he would miss the start of term.

Besides, there was nothing more for him to learn at Notting College, so he decided not to return.

The Heaven Dou Empire had plenty of impoverished backwaters. If mushrooms were grown in all of them, the power his Martial Soul recovered would surely be considerable.

When classes resumed at Notting College, Xiao Wu noticed Lan Yu had not returned. She asked a teacher about him, but the teacher knew nothing either.

Seeing how concerned Xiao Wu was about Lan Yu made Tang San jealous. But then he thought Lan Yu had gone missing and might even be dead, and his mood improved.

Without Lan Yu around, he was sure he could keep Xiao Wu firmly in his grasp.

Half a month into the new term, Lan Yu still had not returned. The teachers figured he might have met with an accident. Such things were common, and few people paid much attention.

Xiao Wu went to the grove behind the college, sat on the ground, and began to cry. "Waaah..."

She was afraid. Though she and Lan Yu had barely spoken, she knew they were both followers of the Sage Lord of Fungi. That made them "companions."

Now her "companion" was gone, leaving her alone with a father and son who watched her like hawks. How could she not be afraid?

"Don't... cry..."

The sudden voice startled Xiao Wu.

"Who's there?"

"Don't cry..."

"A red mushroom? Could it be the Sage Lord of Fungi..."

"Yes... I am one of the Sage Lord's... people..."

"Then do you know Lan Yu? How is he?"

"He's... fine... Take care of yourself..."

"Xiao Wu!"

Tang San's voice carried over. When Xiao Wu looked again, the red Fungus Beast had turned back into a mushroom.

Xiao Wu wiped away her tears. Knowing Lan Yu was safe put her at ease. She still had the mushroom left by the Sage Lord of Fungi to keep her company, and that was enough.

"Tang San! That's enough! Can't you give me a little privacy?"

Xiao Wu gave Tang San a furious scolding, then turned and headed back to Dorm Seven.

Tang San looked around and saw the red and green mushrooms, but paid them no mind.

"Xiao Wu, wait for me..."

And so Tang San shamelessly chased after her again.

Time flew. Five years passed, and Lan Yu was now twelve. He had traveled to many places, and growing mushrooms had helped people in many of them get enough to eat.

As a result, Bifulong, the Sage Lord of Fungi, had gained many followers and recovered a good deal of strength.

Over those years, Lan Yu had eaten mushrooms that permanently increased his strength. His physical resilience and strength far surpassed those of ordinary Soul Masters.

Lan Yu was now in the Star Dou Great Forest. A whole stretch of the Periphery had become a sea of mushrooms.

This was where Lan Yu cultivated his Soul Rings, and his fifth Soul Ring was now ready.

After another sacrifice, Lan Yu broke through level fifty, reaching Soul Power Level fifty-five.

He also had Spirit Bones for all four limbs and his head. Only a Torso Spirit Bone was missing.

Lan Yu had just stood up to stretch when he heard Bifulong complaining.

"Why are you humans so greedy?"

"What happened now?"

"The mushrooms fill their bellies, but now they want me to give them more. Aren't mushrooms enough?"

"Ignore them. There's nothing wrong with wanting a better life, but they should work for it themselves instead of expecting a god to hand it to them for nothing."