Suddenly!
A warm, surging energy swiftly filled his meridians.
Turning around,
Oscar saw Tang Lan place a single hand on his shoulder, pouring an unending stream of pure Nine Yang Divine Skill internal force into his body.
"Sect Master!" Oscar was deeply moved. "We're almost at the Star Dou Forest, you—"
"Cut the nonsense," Tang Lan said domineeringly. "Tang Sect Rule No. 2: Never abandon, never give up!"
Oscar was even more touched!
At this moment, Tang Lan was glowing in his eyes!
"Bro, where did you get that rule?" Tang San asked faintly. "Why haven't I heard of it before?"
You're making me look bad here!
Tang Lan pretended not to understand the subtext and grinned—
"Just came up with it on the spot."
"…"
Tang San's mouth twitched. So casual?!
—Why do I feel like he's targeting me?
But looking at Tang Lan's smiling face, Tang San dismissed the thought as mere illusion.
—My brother treats me so well, how could I doubt him?
Nearing the Star Dou Forest
Tang Lan had the group take a brief rest and eat some recovery sausages to ensure they were in peak condition.
Then came battle formation planning—
"Old Zhao, you take point and clear the path for the team."
"Xiao Wu, Zhuqing, patrol the flanks. If you encounter an attack, don't get entangled—return to the formation first."
"Ning Rongrong, Oscar, stay in the center. Tang San and Dai Mubai, protect one each."
"I'll cover the rear to guard against soul beast ambushes."
"Any objections?"
Of course, no one had any.
Only Zhao Wuji looked like he had something to say but held it in with difficulty.
"Old Zhao, if you've got something on your mind, just say it. Holding it in isn't your style," Tang Lan teased.
"Well, if you insist!" Zhao Wuji said bluntly, "I don't mind taking point, but doesn't this defeat the purpose of training? At least let a few thousand-year soul beasts through?"
Tang Lan chuckled.
Just as expected.
Looking around, he found that most people agreed with Zhao Wuji's view.
Tang Lan felt helpless.
"You guys… all of you are at least innate soul power level 7 geniuses. There are plenty of ways to train yourselves—why must it be in the Star Dou Forest?"
"Shrek had 64 students, yet 80% of them died because of this kind of thinking!"
"Oscar's third soul ring's theoretical limit is 1,700 years, and with three pieces of whale glue, we pushed it to 2,900 years."
"The outer perimeter mainly consists of ten-year and hundred-year soul beasts, so we must enter the mixed zone, where even ten-thousand-year soul beasts are common. Who wants to take point there?"
Tang San instinctively turned to the only Power Attack Spirit Master present.
Dai Mubai's face twitched!
The hell are you looking at me for?!
A ten-thousand-year soul beast is equivalent to a Soul King (five-ringed Spirit Master)—if I go in as a three-ringed Soul Elder, isn't that just suicide?!
Zhao Wuji also fell silent.
Now that he thought about it…
Shrek's death rate really was ridiculously high!
If they wanted to gain combat experience, there were Spirit Arenas, academy exchanges, and Spirit Master tournaments.
There was no need to do it in the Star Dou Forest.
"Good, looks like I've made myself clear."
Tang Lan nodded and added—
"One more thing: If a soul beast isn't a threat, don't kill it unnecessarily."
"If we don't need its spirit ring, leave it for those who do."
Since none of them were bloodthirsty killers, they naturally had no objections.
Xiao Wu, on the other hand, smiled sweetly.
She had always been against hunting soul beasts, but she understood that humans needed them to break through.
Still, minimizing unnecessary killing was a good thing.
Entering the Star Dou Forest
Following Tang Lan's formation, Zhao Wuji took the lead, stepping into the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Forest.
As his seven-ringed Soul Sage aura spread out, lower-ranked ten-year and hundred-year soul beasts instinctively sensed danger and fled in the opposite direction.
Occasionally, thousand-year soul beasts that weren't afraid of death would appear, but none of them chose Zhao Wuji as their target.
More Stealth Attacks—They're All Just Delivering Themselves
Most of the spirit beasts didn't attack head-on.
Instead, they circled around for a sneak attack, trying to grab Tang Lan, the "small fry," and carry him off.
And then—
They all got tied up.
Are you kidding me?!
What's the most common thing in the Star Dou Forest? Spirit beasts?
Wrong!
It's the everywhere-present Blue Silver Grass!
These spirit beasts thought they were stealthy, stepping on Blue Silver Grass to ambush their emperor?
And with the tenacity of the Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor, even low-level ten-thousand-year soul beasts would struggle to break free.
These thousand-year soul beasts?
They were just delivering themselves on a platter.
Tang Lan was not polite about it.
He immediately activated his heavy pupils, unleashing Life Burial—gulp, gulp, gulp—devouring in massive amounts!
The soul power absorbed was once again stored inside his heavy pupils.
His spiritual power was fed into the heavy pupils, increasing the age of his soul abilities.
As for the extra life force, since he couldn't absorb it internally, he casually gave it to Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing to restore their stamina.
Both had been expending energy fending off spirit beast harassment, so this boost was more than welcome.
Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong, who remained in the center, kept a close eye on the two and provided long-range support as needed.
As for the rest of the team...
They actually had nothing to do.
Remaining vigilant, they casually started discussing what kind of spirit beast would suit Oscar.
Choosing a Spirit Beast for Oscar
"This Frost Wind Wolf looks decent," Dai Mubai suggested. "Maybe it could give Oscar's sausages an elemental attack property?"
"Nope." Tang San shook his head. "The Frost Wind Wolf's tail grows 1 cm every 50 years. This one's 24 cm long, meaning it's only 1,200 years old."
Ning Rongrong glanced at Tang San in surprise.
He knows stuff like this?
Then she remembered Tang Lan's "Tang Sect Encyclopedia."
As Tang Lan's younger brother, it made sense that Tang San would have picked up some knowledge over time.
"Then, Master, what kind of spirit beast do you think I should hunt?" Oscar asked humbly.
Tang San opened his mouth to reply—
Then froze mid-thought.
He originally wanted to suggest a functional-type spirit beast, preferably from the animal category.
But then he recalled Tang Lan's notes in the Tang Sect Encyclopedia about the Martial Soul Mimicry Theory, which stated that absorbing soul rings of the same type could provide stacking effects.
That made him rethink—
For Oscar's sausage martial soul, would a plant-type spirit beast be better, or an animal-type?
He couldn't figure it out!
So, discreetly, Tang San summoned his Martial Soul and used Blue Silver Grass to send his question to Tang Lan.
Tang Lan responded through a mental link—"Absorb whatever fits when you find it."
Tang San was stunned for a moment.
Then he laughed.
That's true.
The Star Dou Forest is massive—it's not like they could choose what they'd run into.
So he simply relayed Tang Lan's answer:
"Just absorb whatever fits. No need to be fixated on a specific one."
Seeing Tang San reuse his own words to answer Oscar,
Tang Lan's mouth twitched.
Worthy of being Yu Xiaogang's disciple—he plagiarizes so naturally!
Entering the Mixed Zone
The group pushed forward quickly and soon entered the Mixed Zone of the forest.
"I've got a visual!" Zhu Zhuqing called out.
"Ten o'clock direction! A snake, flying three meters off the ground, with a blood-red crest on its head and a fan-shaped tail. It's coming toward us, but it looks wobbly—seems injured?"
"Oh?" Tang San raised his voice. "It's a Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake! Might be suitable for Oscar. How long is it? What color are its wings?"
"The wings are light red, around 6 to 8 meters long."
Tang San was still calculating when—
Tang Lan immediately gave the answer:
"1,300 to 1,800 years. Not suitable for Oscar."
"A shame."
"The Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake isn't venomous but extremely fast. The crest stores various nutrients, allowing it to burst into speed in critical moments."
"If you absorb this soul ring, Oscar, your next soul skill will be speed-related."
His analysis was logical and convincing, and everyone nodded in agreement.
Too bad the age was too low.
"If we hadn't used the whale glue, this would've been perfectly suitable," Oscar sighed in regret.
Originally, they planned to avoid the Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake and move on.
But—
The snake charged straight at them!
Xiao Wu was just about to kick it away—
When suddenly, a massive surge of Blue Silver Emperor vines burst from the ground, binding the snake tightly.
It was Tang Lan's third soul skill—Life Burial!
And then—
A brutal, relentless absorption!
The Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake shriveled up instantly.
A Sudden Encounter—Meng Yiran, the Fangirl?!
"Wait a moment." Tang Lan spoke up at the right time. "It looks like someone was chasing it. Let's stick around and see what's going on."
As soon as he finished speaking—
From the direction the Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake had come, two figures sprinted into view.
One old, one young—both women.
It was Chao Tianxiang and Meng Yiran.
Tang Lan had already sensed them through the Blue Silver Grass spread across the area.
He immediately ignored Chao Tianxiang and focused on Meng Yiran.
She looked around sixteen or seventeen, sporting neatly cut short hair and wearing a fitted combat outfit, giving off a cool and valiant aura.
A pretty little beauty, indeed.
At this moment—
Her deep brown eyes were locked onto Tang Lan.
—What a handsome little brother!
Chao Tianxiang's Introduction
Seeing this lineup, Chao Tianxiang maintained a cautious expression.
She released her six soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black—and clasped her hands toward Zhao Wuji in greeting.
"I am Chao Tianxiang. The soul master world has been kind enough to grant me the title Snake Lady."
"My husband is Meng Shu, known as Dragon Duke."
"This is my granddaughter, Meng Yiran."
"This Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake was one I was pursuing—I intend to give it to my granddaughter as her third soul ring."
"If you doubt my claim, you can check the two wounds on its belly, as well as the injuries beneath its wings—they were caused by my cane."
"I hope all of you can grant me, Snake Lady, some face. I will be sure to repay this favor in the future."
Her words were courteous and her evidence solid.
She had given plenty of respect to them.
Unfortunately—
She had approached the wrong person.
Tang Lan Takes the Lead
Zhao Wuji took a step back, ceding the position to Tang Lan.
As he did, seven soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—rose from his feet, revealing his Soul Sage (Seven-Ringed) power.
This was a silent declaration that Tang Lan was in charge.
As they passed each other, Zhao Wuji whispered,
"Sect Master, this Snake Lady isn't a threat, but Dragon Duke is a Soul Douluo (Eight-Ringed Soul Master). The two of them also have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, 'Dragon Snake Strike', which is nearly unstoppable below Titled Douluo level."
Tang Lan gave a small nod and stepped forward.
Chao Tianxiang's expression tensed.
Looking at Tang Lan's handsome face, she wondered which prestigious noble house he belonged to.
But before she could say anything—
Meng Yiran had already rushed up.
"Hey, little brother! I'm Meng Yiran. What's your name?"
…
This was blatant flirting.
Wait a second.
Wasn't Meng Yiran in the original novel supposed to be cold and aloof?!
Why was she—
Oh, right!
In the original timeline, Tang San hadn't awakened the Blue Silver Emperor yet and was still just average-looking.
Tang Lan instantly understood.
In response, he let three soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple—rise at his feet.
Meng Yiran froze completely.
This cute-looking younger boy was already a Three-Ringed Soul Elder?!
Chao Tianxiang became even more certain—this young man had to be someone important!
She quickly pulled Meng Yiran behind her and greeted Tang Lan with a warm smile.
"I have yet to ask for your esteemed name, young master?"
"Tang Sect, Tang Lan." Tang Lan replied.
He didn't expect Chao Tianxiang to recognize the name.
But unexpectedly—
Her expression changed instantly, and she scrutinized Tang Lan more carefully before cautiously asking,
"…Are you from the Tang Sect that recently partnered with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan?"
Oh?
"That information shouldn't have spread yet. How do you know?" Tang Lan asked, a little surprised.
But his reaction also confirmed his identity.
Chao Tianxiang sighed inwardly.
Her tone became even more respectful as she said,
"My husband, Meng Shu, has an official position in the Heaven Dou Empire. He happened to be involved in the review of firearm-type Soul Tools, and when he returned, he mentioned this.
"He said—Tang Sect Master is truly a genius!
"If you need this Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake, I am more than willing to give it to you!"
As she spoke, she grabbed Meng Yiran, ready to leave immediately.
This reaction alone showed how much importance the Heaven Dou Empire placed on the Tang Sect right now.
Tang Lan's Decision
"Hold on!" Tang Lan called out. "We don't need the Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake. If you need it, go ahead and take it."
Chao Tianxiang stopped in her tracks, a pleasantly surprised look on her face.
She turned around and nudged Meng Yiran forward.
"Yiran, thank Tang Sect Master."
Meng Yiran took a step forward and gave Tang Lan a thorough once-over.
Then she asked,
"The Python Revolver and Uzi—were those really developed by you?"
Even you know about those? Tang Lan was a little taken aback.
"I only sent out one sample…"
Meng Yiran proudly puffed out her chest.
The mutton-fat jade bracelet on her wrist flashed, and a long cloth pouch appeared.
She unfolded it—
The Soul-Breaking Blade—A Special Metal?
Inside the cloth pouch, a row of short blades without guards hung neatly.
Throwing knives.
"These are my specially crafted Soul-Breaking Blades," Meng Yiran explained.
"They can partially bypass soul power defenses and can be thrown by hand, similar to your firearm-type Soul Tools."
"But your weapons use ordinary refined steel, yet they achieve such impressive results...
"It must be the bullets that are special, right?"
Tang Lan blinked.
—Partially bypass soul power defenses?
The Soul-Breaking Blade wasn't fully explained in the original novel.
It actually had this effect?
If that were the case...
Tang San couldn't help stepping forward, asking—
"What kind of metal is used for these Soul-Breaking Blades?"
Meng Yiran, who had been chatting so happily just moments ago, suddenly turned cold.
She shot Tang San a side-eye glance and said,
"I'm talking to my idol. Who are you to interrupt?"
Tang San: "…"
He was at a loss for words!
Tang Lan, however, chuckled.
—He didn't expect that he actually had a fangirl.
He explained,
"Xiao San is my younger brother, responsible for developing the Tang Sect's hidden weapons."
"The firearm-type Soul Tools we created—what we call firearms—were inspired by his hidden weapon designs."
"If the metal used in your Soul-Breaking Blades were made into bullets, they could dramatically increase their effectiveness against both soul beasts and soul masters.
"That's why Xiao San is so concerned."
Meng Yiran's expression softened slightly.
She turned to Tang Lan with a smile and explained,
"These Soul-Breaking Blades are made from Meteoric Gold, which fell from the sky.
"Besides these 18 blades, I only have one fist-sized chunk left."
Tang Lan sighed inwardly.
—So it can't be mass-produced.
But if he used it to make a special batch of high-penetration sniper rounds...
It could be a game-changer against tough soul beasts and soul masters.
So he made an offer:
"I have an opportunity for you.
"If you give me these 18 Soul-Breaking Blades and the remaining chunk of Meteoric Gold, I'll return the favor."
"Sure!"
Meng Yiran agreed so fast that Tang Lan almost thought he was hearing things.
—That easy?!
Before he could react,
Meng Yiran had already handed over all 18 Soul-Breaking Blades, along with the fist-sized chunk of purple meteorite metal.
Tang Lan didn't hesitate.
He stored everything directly into his Blue King Storage.
Meng Yiran's bright eyes stayed fixed on him the whole time.
Tang Lan remained calm and composed.
—Back at Nuoding Academy, his handsome face had already captivated plenty of girls.
Meng Yiran's current expression was exactly the same as theirs.
Tsk!
High charisma really makes things easier.
Tang Lan's Counteroffer—A Game-Changing Secret
"I won't let you suffer a loss either."
Tang Lan turned to Chao Tianxiang and asked,
"Have you ever heard of Whale Gel?"
Chao Tianxiang's expression turned strange, staring at Tang Lan in confusion.
—Why is this kid suddenly bringing that up?
But as an older soul master, she had long since seen through the shady side of the soul master world.
With a flash of light, she produced two pieces of yellow Whale Gel.
—Good. That simplifies things.
Tang Lan explained the true function of Whale Gel.
"Three pieces of thousand-year Whale Gel can increase a soul ring's lifespan limit by 1,200 years."
Chao Tianxiang's eyes widened in shock.
She instantly turned to look at the Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake on the ground.
It was around 1,800 years old.
If they used three pieces of Whale Gel...