Tang San mulled over his thoughts briefly but quickly dismissed them as he began absorbing the mutated Blazing Ape's spirit ring.
Promises and oaths from Tang San were often the most worthless things.
He had once assured his granduncle Bai He that he would take good care of his cousin Bai Chenxiang, yet he willingly let her end up with someone like Ma Hongjun.
That alone was questionable enough. Ma Hongjun lacked the ability to ascend to the God Realm with Bai Chenxiang, but could Tang San himself not achieve that?
Dai Mubai observed with a faint upward curl of his lips, his gaze as sharp as a pie chart revealing hidden truths.
Other disciples of the Clear Sky Clan had no trouble absorbing fire-attributed spirit rings, but Tang San, without consuming both the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot, would definitely face significant issues when absorbing a fire-attributed ring!
Tang San wasn't just any spirit master—he had twin spirits!
His first spirit was the yet-to-be-awakened Blue Silver Emperor.
For plant-based spirits, except for rare cases with strong fire resistance, nearly all were inherently afraid of fire.
A clash between spirit attributes and spirit rings, along with the collision of different elemental forces, meant that even if Tang San survived, he'd suffer immensely.
This was one of the inherent challenges faced by twin spirit masters, beyond merely their physical and mental endurance.
Take Bibi Dong, for instance: both her spirits were Spider Emperor types, and she had undergone the trials of the Rakshasa God. She naturally didn't face such conflicts.
Under normal circumstances, Tang San wouldn't need to worry about this issue, as his Clear Sky Hammer was absorbing the fire-attributed spirit ring, not his Blue Silver Grass spirit.
But the spirit power generated by both spirits coexisted within him!
"San, you can't blame me for this one," Dai Mubai mused with a subtle shake of his head. "This is your own greed at play."
"Weak for too long. It's either break out from the silence or die in it. You've already lost your original heart. To surpass those so-called 'peers,' you'll stop at nothing."
"A spirit bone over three thousand years old appears before you, and it becomes a priceless treasure in your eyes!"
Dai Mubai sighed inwardly, his eyes discerning the essence of Tang San's actions.
After winning the championship of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, Dai Mubai could upgrade all his spirit rings by ten thousand years. Yet, had he rushed to add spirit rings to his second spirit to increase his rewards?
No, he hadn't. Ten-thousand-year spirit rings? When one reached the height of Death God Hades, even a million-year spirit ring was little more than an aesthetic trinket. What good would it serve?
Tang San, unaware of Dai Mubai's thoughts, was deeply focused on absorbing the mutated Blazing Ape's spirit ring, his brow furrowed in discomfort.
The fire attribute within the spirit ring was causing some unrest in his body's spirit power.
But there was no turning back. The bowstring was already drawn, and there was no stopping midway.
"This is strange. Why does the fire attribute in this ring seem to ignite my spirit power?"
"And what's with this burning sensation in my body?"
Tang San wondered in confusion.
The Blue Silver Emperor bloodline, even as the royal lineage of Blue Silver Grass, was still ultimately a plant-type lineage inherently vulnerable to fire.
Tang San, carrying the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline, now experiencing ignition and burning due to fire attributes, was not all that surprising.
Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away, beneath a shadowy waterfall, a peculiar "Blue Silver Grass" with golden-edged blue patterns was swaying violently. It writhed madly in the air, leaving Tang Hao utterly baffled.
Speaking of the Blue Silver Emperor, its storyline was nothing short of bizarre.
Tang Hao had always known the location of the Blue Silver King. He was the one who led Tang San to the Blue Silver King.
The Blue Silver King was unwaveringly loyal to the Blue Silver Emperor and would never harm it.
So why had Tang Hao planted the Blue Silver Emperor here instead of alongside the Blue Silver King in the Blue Silver Forest?
"A'Yin, what's wrong?"
Tang Hao shouted in panic.
Ever since he thought he had misjudged things back at Shrek Academy, he had stayed here, guarding the Blue Silver Emperor.
For so long, the Blue Silver Emperor had remained calm and silent. So why this sudden outburst now?
The Blue Silver Emperor couldn't speak, and all it could do was shake furiously, occasionally whipping Tang Hao with its leaves.
Tang Hao twitched at the corners of his mouth. What on earth was going on? He truly had no clue!
After a long while, the Blue Silver Emperor seemed to tire and finally ceased its erratic movements.
Tang Hao breathed a sigh of relief—until the Blue Silver Emperor began thrashing about again.
"Could it be something's wrong with Xiao San?"
Tang Hao furrowed his brow, murmuring aloud.
At his words, the Blue Silver Emperor's leaves bobbed up and down in a human-like nod.
Tang Hao's face immediately darkened. Tang San was at Shrek Academy; there shouldn't be any danger there.
Flender and Zhao Wuji had already broken through to the Spirit Douluo level. Add to that the peak Spirit Sage Liu Erlong and their Fusion Material Master Oscar.
With the Golden Iron Triangle present, even an average Titled Douluo wouldn't gain much advantage at Shrek Academy!
How could Tang San possibly be in trouble?
Yet Tang San bore the Blue Silver Emperor's bloodline, and A'Yin, as the Blue Silver Emperor, couldn't be wrong in her perception. The implications were clear.
"A'Yin, don't worry. I'll head to Heaven Dou City at once!"
After speaking, Tang Hao left the waterfall and dashed toward Heaven Dou City.
"Judging by the timing, the preliminary rounds of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament should be taking place in Heaven Dou City. Could Xiao San have encountered a strong opponent and been seriously injured?"
Tang Hao speculated as he sprinted.
He had no way of knowing that Tang San was currently absorbing the Blazing Ape's spirit bone!
At first, the spirit ring absorption had only caused minor discomfort for Tang San. After careful examination, he hadn't identified any real issues.
His primary reason for absorbing this spirit ring was to obtain the spirit bone. Otherwise, he wouldn't have accepted a fire-attributed ring so easily.
Besides, hadn't Dai Mubai cast those reluctant, envious glances at it?
As Tang San absorbed the mutated Blazing Ape's spirit bone, he felt a similar discomfort, though he couldn't quite pinpoint the cause.
When it was all over, Tang San frowned deeply.
The spirit ability granted by the spirit ring was average—acceptable, but nothing remarkable.
The ability from the spirit bone, however, was thoroughly disappointing.
"When the spirit bone technique is activated, it boosts fire attributes by 80% for two minutes?"
Tang San had no other fire-attributed abilities apart from the skill derived from his Clear Sky Hammer's second ring.
What was the point of an 80% fire attribute boost?
Thankfully, the mutated Blazing Ape's skull spirit bone also enhanced his spiritual power to some extent. Without that, Tang San might have been consumed by regret.
For a fire attribute spirit master, this skull would have been a supreme treasure.
An 80% fire attribute boost! In Ma Hongjun's hands, his Evil Fire would instantly rival Ultimate Fire!
But for Tang San, it was simply useless, leaving his expression dark and gloomy.
(End of Chapter)