T/N: Hello! I'm wondering if anyone here knows why my new fics aren't showing up in the rankings, they both have 15k+ words and should be on the release and collection rankings.
In an unknown forest filled with Blue Silver Grass...
Faint blue light shimmered quietly from every stalk of Blue Silver Grass in the forest.
A single stalk might emit just a tiny blue glow, but when billions of them shine together, they form a vast ocean of blue.
At the center of this ocean sat a seemingly ordinary-looking figure, cross-legged. His body resembled a devouring black hole, frantically absorbing the rushing sea of blue energy from the outside world.
Suddenly, three soul rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—silently emerged and arranged themselves in order around him at the heart of the blue ocean.
Countless blue light particles surged into the three rings, dyeing each of them with a faint blue glow.
Meanwhile, the surrounding Blue Silver Grass, each offering a bit of their essence, began to transform.
Originally crystal-clear, they became even more translucent—radiant like sapphire. In the center of every blade of grass appeared a golden vein running from root to tip.
In the next instant, the true royal bloodline awakened!
Immediately, under the influence of the blue-golden glow radiating from the figure at the center, the ocean of blue grew even more immense.
Each stalk of Blue Silver Grass on the ground became crystal clear, growing wildly and rapidly.
As the blue sea continued to wash over everything, the three soul rings on the figure's body shimmered with a blue-golden luster. Soon, that glow faded back into the soul rings, returning them to their ordinary yellow and purple hues.
However, the soul ring's owner could clearly feel that although the soul skills' types hadn't changed, the very nature of the soul rings had.
They were no longer from the three soul beasts he had originally hunted. They were now Blue Silver Soul Rings, perfectly compatible with his martial spirit!
Just then, a more visible change occurred.
The youth sitting cross-legged in the sea of blue had his muscles slightly shrink and become more streamlined. His short black hair gradually turned into long, crystalline blue strands, interwoven with faint golden highlights.
If he had once looked like an ugly duckling, now he had transformed into a noble, elegant white swan—undoubtedly the most dazzling presence among any crowd! Well, one of them.
As his hair color fully changed, a soft blue glow radiated from him, instantly expanding outward to cover dozens of meters around him.
The transformation wasn't over yet.
One by one, the original three soul rings vanished into his body. The countless blue light particles began to gather around him, gradually condensing into a massive blue halo.
That halo shrank continuously as it compressed, its color becoming deeper and darker.
Eventually, the blue light condensed into a soul ring of standard size—now deep purple in hue.
At the same time, his soul power level broke through the limit and officially advanced to Level 41 Soul Sect.
Slowly opening his hazy eyes, Tang San looked at the deep purple fourth soul ring on his body, tears streaming down his face.
"Great Your Majesty, please don't cry. The past is behind us. We need your protection now," called a giant Blue Silver King plant formed from thick vines in front of him.
Tang San nodded gently, his tear-filled eyes full of gratitude. "Thank you."
"Great Your Majesty, it is we who should thank you. Your arrival has awakened a stronger vitality in us.
This soul ring you now possess was condensed based on your physical limit. According to human terms, it's roughly equivalent to what a 7,000-year soul beast could provide.
More importantly, it doesn't come from an external source—it comes from within you. It will evolve alongside your own capabilities."
The Blue Silver King patiently explained.
Tang San memorized the King's words. Without rushing to leave, he quietly released his Blue Silver Grass martial spirit.
From his palm, a small stalk emerged—no longer marked by the signs of his previous three soul rings, just slightly thicker than a regular stalk, but dazzling like blue sapphire.
The golden vein threading through the blade added a breathtaking beauty.
This was no ordinary Blue Silver Grass—this was the Blue Silver Emperor, ruler among all plants!
Though Blue Silver Grass was typically deemed a useless martial spirit, the Blue Silver Emperor was a top-tier spirit, the only one carrying a royal bloodline.
As Tang San gently touched his Blue Silver Emperor, he seemed to feel his mother's presence.
Leaving the forest, Tang San saw his father, Tang Hao, sitting cross-legged on a boulder, deep in thought.
Sensing his son, Tang Hao slowly opened his eyes—but when he saw Tang San, he froze completely.
His lips trembled as he stared dazedly at Tang San's face, tears rolling down his rugged, weathered cheeks.
"Ah Yin..."
His voice quivered as he whispered the name, then suddenly lunged forward and tightly embraced Tang San.
"Ah Yin, Ah Yin... Do you know how much I've missed you? Why were you so foolish? Why…?"
Tang Hao's voice cracked with grief as he cried.
At that moment, Tang San, overwhelmed with emotion, clearly felt his father's burning tears soaking his clothes.
So... his mother's name was Ah Yin?
Unknowingly, Tang San also began to weep.
Father and son embraced, tears flowing silently. After a long time, Tang San finally choked out, "Dad..."
Tang Hao loosened his embrace, grabbed Tang San's shoulders, and stared at him, murmuring, "Xiao San, did you know your mother was beautiful? Incredibly beautiful. The most perfect woman in the world.
Gentle, kind, stunning… all the words for beauty were made for her.
Now you finally resemble her. I feel like I can see her waving to me again..."
Suddenly, Tang Hao looked up at the sky and shouted, "Ah Yin, do you see? Our son has grown up! He's grown up! AH YIN—!"
Tang Hao's grief struck Tang San deeply, his voice shaking the surroundings...
Until a trace of blood trickled from his lips, and he collapsed backward.
Tang San's expression changed instantly. He rushed to catch his father and pressed his palm against his chest, channeling Xuan Tian Gong into him.
The moment his internal energy entered, Tang San realized something was terribly wrong.
His father's powerful body was riddled with disordered meridians and displaced organs.
A chill gripped Tang San's heart—he had never imagined that his invincible father bore such devastating injuries.
His father's condition could collapse at any moment.
Taking a deep breath, Tang San steadied Tang Hao's body and sat cross-legged behind him. White, gentle energy poured from his palms into Tang Hao's back.
"Mm—"
After a while, the soothing power of Xuan Tian Gong brought Tang Hao back to consciousness.
Opening his eyes, he frowned slightly and said, "Xiao San, stop wasting your energy. It's no use. I can still hold on."
Tang San reluctantly withdrew his power, but his face was grim. He hesitated, then said, "Dad… your injuries…"
Tang Hao replied calmly, "It's fine. I've lived with it for years. Do you think a Title Douluo like me would be brought down by a few wounds?"
"No, Dad! Your condition is critical. If you don't rest properly, you could—"
"What? Die?" Tang Hao cut him off. "What's there to fear in death? If I die, I'll be reunited with your mother. Don't worry about me. You need to focus on your cultivation."
Tang San grew agitated, but before he could protest, Tang Hao interrupted again.
"Enough. No more talk. Xiao San, this is a relic your mother left behind. It's time I gave it to you."
He retrieved a long, black lead box.
"A relic from mother…"
There was no lock. Tang San opened the box on his lap.
In the next second, a powerful aura surged from the box, freezing the air around them.
After a long pause, Tang San finally recovered and looked inside.
There lay a flawless right leg soul bone.
Although the right leg was ranked lowest among the six soul bone types, even without comparison, Tang San could sense its extraordinary nature.
It was entirely transparent blue-gold, sparkling like it held starlight. Most astonishingly, it felt… alive, brimming with vitality.
"Xiao San, this soul bone… your mother left it for you," Tang Hao said gently, his eyes full of warmth.
Shocked beyond words, Tang San looked at his father, tears glimmering in his eyes.
All his guesses had come true—his mother was indeed the Blue Silver Emperor in human form!
"Refine your mother's soul bone. Every mother is willing to protect her child."
Tang Hao gently caressed his son's long blue hair.
"Mm!"
Tang San nodded heavily.
The fusion went smoothly. As if it truly held a mother's love, the 100,000-year right leg soul bone was absorbed quickly.
It didn't grant a massive soul power boost—Tang San remained at Level 41—but it drastically expanded his meridians, building a rock-solid foundation. His soul power quality had also greatly improved.
Even more, his newly awakened life-bound fourth soul ring, which had been deep purple, quietly turned black—a 10,000-year ring.
Originally, his body could only endure soul rings up to 7,000 years, but the 100,000-year leg bone boosted his physical limits to 10,000 years.
In Tang San's knowledge, only five-ring Soul Kings could normally possess black soul rings.
Moreover, he gained two 100,000-year soul bone skills.
As he quietly felt their powers, excitement suddenly filled his face. Joyfully, he turned to Tang Hao.
"Dad! I can heal your injuries!"
He knew his father's wounds ran deep.
But with his Xuan Tian Gong, a high-level Daoist internal art, he finally had the ability to treat them.
Because his soul power level was only at the four-ring Soul Sect stage, and his father, Tang Hao, was a Title Douluo, the gap in strength was simply too vast. That was why his internal Xuan Tian Gong energy couldn't fully heal his father's injuries.
Originally, Tang San had planned to wait until his cultivation was complete before treating his father's wounds. But everything changed.
After obtaining his mother's legacy—a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone—he gained two powerful soul bone skills. One of them happened to be a healing skill: Wildfire Can't Burn It Out, Spring Breeze Brings Life Again.
Unlike ordinary healing soul skills that merely treat symptoms, a healing-type soul bone skill with a hundred-thousand-year age could heal the root of the problem—even for someone as strong as a Title Douluo.
What's more, Wildfire Can't Burn It Out, Spring Breeze Brings Life Again had the ability to regenerate severed limbs.
With that, wouldn't his father's injuries be solved easily?
Though limited by his current soul power level, the healing effect of this soul bone skill on his father would be greatly reduced—almost negligible, even.
But negligible didn't mean nonexistent. Where an equal-level soul master might only need one or two uses to fully heal, now it might just take dozens—or even a hundred—uses to achieve the same result.
Time flew by, and four months passed in the blink of an eye.
The effects of the celestial herbs were extraordinary. And their true power wasn't just in the initial improvements seen after ingestion.
With continued cultivation, everyone—except for Xiao Wu, who didn't take Lovesick Heartbroken Red, and Dai Mubai, who didn't obtain a celestial herb—made dramatic improvements.
Thanks to the talent boost from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's herbs and the speed bonus from practicing the Nine Breaths Meditation Technique, Chu Chengzhou was advancing at a rate of nearly one level per month before hitting the four-ring Soul Sect stage.
After advancing to Soul Sect, the pace slowed slightly due to the higher requirements, but in just four months, he still reached Level 45.
That was partly because his fourth soul ring was from a Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear over 11,000 years old, which gave him a significant soul power boost beyond just reaching Level 42.
Even though Xiao Wu hadn't taken the rare herb, with the benefit of Nine Breaths Meditation, her cultivation was still rapid. She was now at Level 48.
With several months still remaining before the official start of the Soul Master Tournament, at this rate, Xiao Wu should be able to break through to the five-ring Soul King stage by then.
Though Xiao Wu and Chu Chengzhou's speed was exceptional, the others—Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun—also improved significantly.
Surprisingly, the first to hit Level 40 after Xiao Wu and Chu Chengzhou wasn't one of the four who had taken herbs. It was Dai Mubai, who hadn't even received a celestial herb.
It wasn't that his talent surpassed theirs, just that he was older and already close to Level 40.
A month ago, Dai Mubai broke through to Level 40.
Three days later, Flender planned to take him to Sunset Forest to hunt a soul ring. At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing—who had reached Level 37 right after taking her herb—also broke through to Level 40.
Since he was already planning a trip, Flender gave Zhu Zhuqing three days to stabilize her power and would take them both to the forest.
Then, another twist—Ning Rongrong informed Flender that she was also close to Level 40 and would soon break through.
Since finding a suitable soul beast could take days or weeks, it made sense to wait until more students were ready. Even Oscar was nearly there.
So Flender agreed.
After all, the ones leveling up were the students. The teachers accompanying them—Flender, Liu Erlong, or Zhao Wuji—could just go together when the time came.
Seven days after Zhu Zhuqing's breakthrough, Ning Rongrong reached Level 40. Half a month later, Oscar did too.
Now, aside from Ma Hongjun—who had the lowest base stats even after taking the herbs and was still at Level 37—six of the original Shrek Seven Devils had reached Level 40 or above.
Seeing everyone else reach Level 40 while he lagged behind, Ma Hongjun couldn't help feeling a little disappointed and envious.
But if Ma Hongjun only felt a little envious, then Dai Mubai was burning with jealousy and frustration.
After all, when Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing entered Shrek Academy, they were only at Levels 26 and 27, while he had been at Level 37—ten full levels ahead!
Now? Their soul power had caught up to his.
Even Ma Hongjun, whom he once looked down on, might soon surpass him with his rapid cultivation speed.
But what frustrated him most wasn't that—it was his top romantic rival: Chu Chengzhou.
Not only was he suspiciously close with Dai Mubai's supposed fiancée, but his strength had long since left Dai Mubai in the dust.
With all this, how could Dai Mubai not be filled with envy?
The night before the Sunset Forest hunt, in the Blue Tyrant Academy teachers' dorms, a troubled Flender knocked on Zhao Wuji's door.
Knock knock knock—
Inside, Zhao Wuji was just considering whether to "entertain himself" before bed when he heard the knock.
"Who is it?"
Annoyed at being interrupted, Zhao Wuji shouted toward the door.
"It's me, Flender. I need to talk."
Hearing his old brother Flender's voice, Zhao Wuji sighed and got up to open the door.
Creak—
The door opened.
"It's late. What do you want?" Zhao Wuji asked grumpily.
"Inside. We'll talk there."
Flender glanced around, making sure Liu Erlong wasn't nearby, then slipped inside Zhao Wuji's room.
After closing the door and pouring Flender a cup of water, Zhao Wuji waited quietly.
"Old Zhao, we're brothers, right?"
Flender adjusted his glasses, looking serious.
"Spit it out. Don't beat around the bush," Zhao Wuji rolled his eyes.
"Alright then—I'll say it. Old Zhao, tomorrow morning, you're having stomach problems. So for the soul beast hunt, you're staying behind at the academy."
Zhao Wuji blinked. "Stomach problems? Why the hell would I be sick?"
"Come on, Old Zhao. We're brothers. Just play along, okay?" Flender wouldn't spell it out—it was kind of awkward.
Zhao Wuji: "…"
T/N: For up to 20 chapters ahead on all my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle
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