Tang Xiao handed the token to Tang San, then raised the little emerald-green plant.
"This is a three-thousand-year ink leaf lotus. It can increase Soul Power and strengthen your foundations and vitality. I heard you primarily cultivate Blue Silver Grass, so this should be useful to you."
Tang San accepted the token and the ink leaf lotus, deeply touched. "Uncle, this is too valuable..."
"Too valuable? What nonsense!"
Tang Xiao glared at him. "You're my own nephew. What's wrong with giving you a few things? Take them! If you refuse, you're refusing to acknowledge me as your uncle!"
Helpless, Tang San could only accept the gifts. "Thank you, Uncle."
"That's more like it." Tang Xiao nodded in satisfaction.
Beside them, Xiao Wu gazed longingly at the treasures in Tang San's hands and shamelessly spoke up. "Uncle, what about mine?"
Tang Xiao paused, then burst out laughing. "Don't worry, everyone gets a share!"
He turned his hand over, and a silver token and a small purple flower shimmering with radiant colors appeared in his palm.
"This token identifies you as an inner disciple of the Clear Sky Sect. Although it doesn't compare to Little San's core disciple token, it's more than enough within the sect."
"As for this thousand-year purple cloud ganoderma, it can stabilize the soul and nourish the meridians. It's just right for a girl."
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly accepted them. "Thank you, Uncle! You're the best uncle in the whole world!"
Tang Xiao laughed at her words. "You little lass, you certainly have a sweet tongue."
"All right. Since Tianlin personally agreed to let you join, you're one of us in the Clear Sky Sect now. If anyone bullies you in the future, just come to me."
"Okay!"
Xiao Wu nodded in agreement and happily stepped aside, clutching the token and purple cloud ganoderma.
She tilted her head to glance at the little emerald-green plant in Tang San's hand, then looked down at her own little purple flower, her eyes rolling:
"Little San, how about we trade?"
The corner of Tang San's mouth twitched. "...In your dreams."
Xiao Wu pursed her lips. "Tch, cheapskate."
Meanwhile, inside the young lord's residence.
Tang Tianlin finished taking stock of the pile of treasures the elders had sent him, the corners of his mouth lifting uncontrollably.
Ten-thousand-year fire lotus stamen, ten-thousand-year blood jade ginseng... and a heavy bag of Gold Soul Coins.
"Tsk, tsk. Those old men might usually be stingy, but they're pretty reliable when it comes to getting things done."
Tang Tianlin picked up the ten-thousand-year blood jade ginseng and sniffed it.
Rich blood energy washed over his face, making even the Golden Dragon King Bloodline within him stir slightly.
"Good stuff. It should be enough to replenish my blood energy once."
After putting all the treasures into his Storage Soul Tool, Tang Tianlin stretched his limbs and sat cross-legged on the bed.
With a thought, a dark gold Soul Bone floated before him, radiating a savage, overbearing aura.
It was none other than the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Left Palm Bone.
"The dark gold terrorclaw bear, an ancient ferocious beast, an overlord among its peers... I just wonder whether absorbing this will be troublesome."
He remembered that Tang Wulin had suffered terribly while absorbing it in the original story.
If the Golden Dragon King's power hadn't kicked in, that frail Blue Silver Grass body of his would probably have ended up cosplaying Yang Guo.
Tang Tianlin shook his head with a chuckle, reached out to take the Soul Bone, and slowly pressed it against his left palm.
The instant the bone palm fitted completely against his own, Tang Tianlin mobilized his Soul Power and slowly guided the Soul Bone to fuse with his left palm.
The next second, a violent surge of power erupted from his left arm!
Tang Tianlin felt as though an ancient colossal beast had clamped its jaws around his left arm, his bones giving off sharp cracking sounds.
Dark gold light spread along his arm like dark gold vines, winding around his bones, meridians, and muscles.
That power was overbearing to the extreme, exactly like when he had swallowed the Dragon Origin Fruit!
Suddenly, a deep dragon's roar sounded from within Tang Tianlin.
His golden Bloodline Power began circulating on its own, surging toward his left arm like an awakening dragon.
The Golden Dragon King Bloodline collided with the power of the Dark Gold Dreadclaw bone, producing sizzling sounds as though locked in a fierce tug-of-war.
"What's going on?"
Tang Tianlin froze, then hurriedly circulated his Life Force.
An emerald-green glow spread through his body like a pair of gentle hands, slowly harmonizing the two powers.
If he didn't stop them and both powers erupted in his left palm at once, he would probably end up cosplaying Yang Guo himself.
Fortunately, he intervened in time, and under the harmonizing influence of his Life Force, the two powers slowly began to fuse.
The dark gold light gradually merged into the bones of Tang Tianlin's left palm, as though branding dark gold patterns onto them.
Time ticked by, second after second.
Several hours later.
Tang Tianlin suddenly opened his eyes, a gleam of dark gold flashing through them.
He lowered his head to look at his left hand and spread his fingers slightly.
The next second, five sharp claws, each two feet long and gleaming with a cold dark gold light, abruptly sprang out!
The edges of the claws were incredibly sharp, as though they could tear through even the air.
"Pretty cool-looking."
Tang Tianlin raised his hand and lightly swiped at the air before him.
Riiip!
A dark gold claw mark appeared out of thin air, and even the air twisted slightly at that moment.
He studied the claw mark and nodded in satisfaction.
A swipe like that could probably kill a Soul King instantly.
Not to mention the two additional effects, Rend and Armor Break, as well as the skill Limit Burst.
With this, he had gained another trump card.
Meanwhile, after crossing mountains and rivers, Yu Xiaogang finally reached Shrek Academy, which Flender had introduced in his letter.
Feeling the searing pain in the soles of his feet and his thighs, Yu Xiaogang's gaze darkened:
"Damn that Tang Tianlin. If it weren't for him, I, the Grandmaster, would never have fallen this low!"
If he hadn't lost everything in that wager, he wouldn't have had to walk all the way here.
Fortunately, it was all over now.
When Yu Xiaogang spotted Shrek's sign in the distance, a flicker of delight crossed his eyes.
But when he saw the full view of Shrek's entrance, that delight instantly vanished, replaced by disdain.
Flender was a Soul Saint, after all. How could the academy he founded be so shabby?
If he hadn't seen the academy's sign, he would have thought it was an impoverished village.
It seemed his old friend urgently needed the help of a theoretical grandmaster like him.
At that thought, Yu Xiaogang straightened his robes, drew himself upright, clasped his hands behind his back, and strode toward the academy gates with a swagger that acknowledged neither kith nor kin.
"You beggar over there, stop right there! This is Shrek Academy, not a place for you to beg!"
The gatekeeper was an old man. Seeing Yu Xiaogang's unkempt, sour face and his shabby, filthy clothes, he mistook him for some wandering beggar and immediately barked a reprimand.
"Beggar?"
At that form of address, Yu Xiaogang's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and he panted like an ox.
He, a dignified theoretical grandmaster, had actually been called a beggar by a lowly watchdog?!
He could let Tang Tianlin's insults slide; after all, he couldn't withstand even a single look from him.
He could let Tang San's insults slide too; after all, his skills were inferior.
But now even some gatekeeping dog dared to provoke him. Did he really take him, a grandmaster who had broken past fifty years of age while still at rank twenty-nine, for trash?!
"You gatekeeping dog, open those dog eyes of yours and take a good look!"
Yu Xiaogang roared furiously, "I am Yu Xiaogang, the theoretical grandmaster, one of the foremost figures in the field of theory! You dare call me a beggar?!"
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