Although Tang Hao regarded both the Clear Sky Hammer and Blue Silver Emperor as top-tier martial souls, he still considered his Clear Sky Hammer superior. Tang San, now aware that his Blue Silver Grass could evolve, felt a surge of motivation. If his martial soul evolved into the Blue Silver Emperor and he raised his level, he might stand a chance against Su Ming!
Tang San eagerly asked, "Father, can you awaken the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline for me now? I want to grow stronger!"
Tang Hao shook his head regretfully. "Little San, I can't awaken it for you. You'd need to reach the ancestral land of the Blue Silver Emperor and find the Blue Silver King to help with the awakening."
"Ah Yin is still recognized as the ruler of the Blue Silver Grass, but in her current state, she can't help you awaken your bloodline. And even with her influence, you'll need the approval of most Blue Silver Grass plants for the awakening to succeed."
"Right now, your level is too low for that. Wait until you reach level fifty; then we'll discuss it. At that level, your bloodline will activate automatically, giving you a spirit ring with growth potential. As you become stronger, that ring will evolve along with you."
Hearing this, Tang San was disappointed. Level fifty seemed so far away, and he wasn't sure when he would reach it.
Tang Hao hadn't mentioned that it was technically possible to attempt the awakening now, but the risk of failure was high. For the Blue Silver Grass to evolve into the Blue Silver Emperor, it required the approval of the majority of the Blue Silver Grass, the Blue Silver King, and the previous Blue Silver Emperor.
Ah Yin's approval wouldn't be an issue, but Tang San's current strength wouldn't garner widespread acceptance. Additionally, as a human in a world where humans and spirit beasts were natural enemies, the difficulty was even greater.
Tang Hao dismissed the thought for now. "Let's go, Little San. We'll return to the academy and see if your teacher knows anything about this."
Tang San could only hope his teacher had answers. This spirit bone was too strange—it carried the aura of a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone, yet seemed useless in every other aspect.
A few days later at Thunderclap Academy, Yu Xiaogang was surprised to see Tang San and Tang Hao return so soon. "Little San, Lord Haotian, why are you back?" he asked.
Unlike before, only the three of them were present, so Tang San and Tang Hao could speak openly. Tang Hao recounted everything that had happened and had Tang San show the spirit bone.
Yu Xiaogang was shocked, not only to learn that Tang San's mother was a hundred-thousand-year-old spirit beast but also that Tang San's spirit power hadn't increased after absorbing her spirit bone. Moreover, the bone granted only one useless skill.
Yu Xiaogang pondered the theories he knew, finding it perplexing. No such case had ever been recorded. He knew Bibi Dong possessed a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and most likely a corresponding spirit bone, yet no reports indicated any issues like this.
He made up his mind. Yu Xiaogang had already planned to go to Spirit Hall to gather information on training dual martial souls for Tang San. Despite their strained relationship, he was confident that Bibi Dong still harbored feelings for him. He was certain he could obtain the dual martial soul training techniques and subtly inquire about Tang San's situation without mentioning his name, of course.
Feeling optimistic, Yu Xiaogang reassured them, "I'm not sure what's going on either, but don't worry. I'll look into it thoroughly in the coming days."
Tang San's heart sank at this. If his teacher didn't know, what if the spirit bone remained useless even after his bloodline awakening? Wouldn't that mean he had wasted a spirit bone slot?
Tang Hao said, "Let's go, Little San. At least we know it has a hundred-thousand-year aura. For now, don't worry too much about it. Let's focus on your training."
"If we can't increase your training speed through the spirit bone, we'll push harder with regular practice. You don't want to face Su Ming in the upcoming Spirit Master Tournament and lose again, do you?"
Tang San clenched his fists, determination flashing in his eyes. "Father, I can endure anything. I want my spirit power to reach at least level forty by the start of the tournament. Whatever it takes, I'll withstand it!"
Tang Hao considered his options. One way to accelerate Tang San's progress was to attach a spirit ring to the Clear Sky Hammer, but he wouldn't let Tang San waste the potential of his rare twin martial souls.
He decided to let Tang San rest less and train harder. He was confident his son could handle it.
At the same time, Su Ming and his group finally returned to Heaven Dou City after several days of travel.
Ning Rongrong stretched lazily, her figure gracefully outlined as she said, "Finally, we're back! I'm exhausted. Spending over forty days just to get a spirit ring—now it's time to buckle down and really train!"
Xiao Wu teased her, "Rongrong, you say that, but I don't quite believe it! You were just complaining about how tired you were. Will you really work hard?"
Ning Rongrong replied, "Xiao Wu, I'm a support-type spirit master! I'm genuinely tired. It's not just the physical exhaustion; it's the mental strain as well."
Hearing her mention mental exhaustion, Zhu Zhuqing stole a glance at Su Ming, which he noticed, prompting her to quickly look away.
Su Ming merely smiled. Since the trip to Star Dou Forest, he had sensed Zhuqing's occasional, shy glances. Helping her absorb the ten-thousand-year spirit ring had certainly raised her regard for him. He hadn't even thought of that at the time; he simply hadn't wanted to deny the strength in her eyes.
Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong didn't notice Zhu Zhuqing's glances at Su Ming, but Dugu Bo did, and a subtle, knowing smile crossed his face. Ah, the sweetness of youth.
Dugu Bo then spoke up, drawing everyone's attention, "With your current strength, there shouldn't be any team other than Spirit Hall that could pose a real threat. So, take a break and balance your training with some rest."
Dugu Yan jumped in first, "Grandfather, why only Spirit Hall? We're strong enough as it is! Even Spirit Hall's team might not be our match."
She continued, "Right now, Xiao Wu and I are both at level forty-nine, and Su Ming is at forty-eight. In ten months, we'll all be at Spirit King level. Zhuqing and Rongrong will be high-level Spirit Elders by then, and our team will be solid. Could Spirit Hall's team possibly be stronger?"
"In the history of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, no one has brought a Spirit King to the competition!"
Dugu Bo shook his head and lowered his voice, "Actually, I've recently heard some reliable rumors. Spirit Hall's Bibi Dong has a disciple, Hu Liena, who reached Spirit King status a while ago. Her brother and another teammate also broke through to Spirit King in the last few months, forming what's known as the Golden Generation of Spirit Hall."
"It's said that Hu Liena's strength is terrifying. Her two teammates can't last more than three moves against her. She may even reach Spirit Emperor before the tournament!"
Dugu Yan was shocked. "Grandfather, where did you hear this?"
Dugu Bo gave an awkward smile, choosing not to elaborate.
The others each had their own thoughts. Su Ming had initially thought Dugu Bo's warning about Spirit Hall's team was a bit exaggerated. He believed he could handle the Golden Generation. But Hu Liena's strength seemed… different. She was on track to reach Spirit Emperor? And both Xie Yue and Yan had progressed faster than he recalled from the original story?
Su Ming was most surprised by Hu Liena's talent. At her age, achieving that level of power was impressive—especially without the benefits of immortal herbs.
The four girls exchanged glances. They knew from Su Ming's diary that Hu Liena had received rewards several times. Her impressive power was likely due to those rewards, and being Bibi Dong's disciple didn't hurt either. They now understood that both Bibi Dong and Hu Liena, as diary holders, likely shared a closer bond than in the original story, and Bibi Dong would be fully invested in her disciple's growth.
Dugu Bo then turned to Su Ming, "So, Little Monster, hypothetically, if Hu Liena reached Spirit Emperor level by the time of the tournament, could you defeat her with just your martial spirit?"
Su Ming feigned uncertainty, "Old Monster, you're only telling me her rank, not her martial spirit or abilities. How am I supposed to know if I can beat her?"
Dugu Bo replied, "They say her martial spirit is a fox, specializing in charm and illusion."
The four girls exchanged a look, thinking, Sure, play dumb, Su Ming. As if you don't know Hu Liena's abilities. Your Fire-Eye is her perfect counter!
Su Ming shook his head. "If I can only use my martial spirit, honestly, I don't think I could beat her. I'd likely be defeated right away."
The four girls: …
Dugu Bo was taken aback, expecting Su Ming to boast instead. He thought Su Ming would say, "It's just a Spirit Emperor. I could take her on easily!"
Intrigued, Dugu Bo pressed, "Oh? That doesn't sound like you, Little Monster."
Su Ming waved him off, saying, "Old Monster, you limited me to using only my wood-element martial spirit, but Hu Liena's specialty is charm, which means her mental power is high. I'd probably fall under her spell before I could do anything."
"Setting aside my mental resilience, I'm a guy—and I like beautiful women. If she can charm me, she must be very attractive. No matter how disciplined I am, I'd likely fall for it. The power gap can't be bridged by sheer willpower."
Dugu Bo: …
"But in a real battle, I wouldn't just rely on my martial spirit. My mental power is high enough that unless Hu Liena's mental power has reached a peak level, her charms and illusions would be ineffective against me. And my eyes? They can see through all illusions."
"So, even if her mental power exceeds mine, her charm and illusions would still be useless against me."
Dugu Bo thought to himself that he shouldn't have asked whether Su Ming could defeat Hu Liena—he had just given Su Ming a chance to show off.
"Hmph, Little Monster, don't get too cocky. I know your abilities are exceptional, but be cautious about using your Susanoo and your other skill in the tournament. Many powerful figures will be watching, and if someone from a rival faction sees you as a threat, they may try to take you down before you grow stronger."
"True, you're strong enough not to fear them, but you have teammates. Sometimes it's better to stay under the radar."
Su Ming gave him a disdainful look, "Old Monster, now you're underestimating me. Not even Spirit Hall's team would warrant my using Susanoo or Kamui. Don't worry; I'm cautious."
Seeing Su Ming's confidence, Dugu Bo realized his concern was misplaced. Su Ming was astute and wouldn't miss something so critical. Besides, taking down the opponents in this tournament wouldn't require him to use his hidden techniques.
Given that Su Ming could handle Hu Liena, Dugu Bo thought, the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy stood a strong chance of taking first place this year. The prize was always bountiful—sometimes even including spirit bones. If there were a spirit bone up for grabs, Su Ming's team would be in for a big reward!
"Well, then, head back to the academy and rest for a few days. Rushing ahead isn't always best."
Su Ming, meanwhile, remembered that Qian Renxue had previously invited him to meet under the guise of apologizing for Xue Beng's rudeness. He didn't quite believe her intentions and was curious to find out what she was really up to.
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