Tang San's eyes burned with desire as he stared at the soul bone.
He still remembered—
Tang Lan absorbed a Blue Silver Right Leg Bone and awakened the Blue Silver Emperor.
After that, his power soared nonstop.
Now, Tang San couldn't help but wonder—
If I absorb this soul bone…
Could I also rise to the top?
The rest of the team noticed Tang San's expression and felt displeased.
—You're his master, yet you're trying to steal your disciple's fortune?
Oscar also saw through the situation and remained silent.
Tang San was his teacher, but also Tang Lan's younger brother.
He…
had no right to fight for it.
So he took half a step back, lowering his head to avoid looking at the soul bone.
Tang San felt relieved.
His gaze never left Tang Lan.
—Brother! Hurry up and give it to me!
Tang Lan's Decision—A Cold Smile
Tang Lan sneered inwardly.
—What, now that no one is fighting you for it, you won't speak up?
—Want me to be the bad guy?
Honestly—
If Tang San had simply asked outright, Tang Lan would've found it difficult to refuse.
But since he was trying to play reserved…
Tang Lan gave Tang San a knowing look—
And then, right in front of his eager eyes—
He smacked the soul bone into Oscar's hands.
"Original energy, original host. You're the best choice to absorb it."
"We'll protect you while you refine it."
Oscar: Σ(QДQ;)っ
Tang San: (●—●)
—What?!
—This isn't how the script is supposed to go!
But now that the soul bone was in Oscar's hands,
Tang San couldn't exactly ask for it back, could he?
"Hurry up and absorb it!" Tang Lan urged.
"Just now, Xiao San was giving me signals, telling me I must give it to his disciple."
"We can't let down your teacher's kind intentions!"
Tang San: (Φ—Φ)
—Brother, are you serious right now?
Dai Mubai and the others could barely hold back their laughter.
—Was that really what Tang San meant?!
—Even biological brothers can have misunderstandings, huh?
But from another perspective—
It also showed that Tang Lan didn't "understand" Tang San's personality at all.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a "mistake."
The Soul Bone Goes to Oscar!
At this point, Tang San couldn't openly fight for it.
So he had no choice but to pretend to be magnanimous—
"Little Ao, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and absorb it."
Oscar's face lit up with joy!
—He had already given up.
—But now, the soul bone was in his hands once again?!
"Thank you, Sect Master!"
"Thank you, Master!"
"Thank you, everyone!"
System Notification—Stealing Tang San's Fortune Again?!
[The host has caused Tang San to lose the Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake's Left Leg Bone.]
[This increases the host's influence while assisting Oscar.]
[Successfully stole a small portion of Tang San's fortune!]
[Reward: +600 years to all soul bones!]
Tang Lan paused.
Then he understood.
—This Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake's Left Leg Bone wasn't originally part of Tang San's fate.
But in this situation, it was basically guaranteed to be his.
So when Tang Lan took it away,
the system counted it as stealing Tang San's opportunity.
That made sense.
But—
Oscar was the one absorbing it, so why did the system say Tang Lan stole it?
Tang Lan asked the system mentally.
'System, explain this.'
[Oscar has seen through Tang San's true nature and will no longer support him in achieving godhood.]
[Oscar has now fully submitted to the host.]
[When a subordinate steals Tang San's opportunity, the host receives 50% of the original reward.]
—Oh?
—So there's a hidden mechanic?
—50% of the original reward?
—So the full reward would've been +1,200 years?!
Wait a second!
Tang Lan's eyes widened in realization!
—The soul bone year increase applies to all of them!
That means his external soul bone—
Life Ancient Tree Right Foot—
Just missed out on another +600 years!
—No way!
He needed to find time to absorb it ASAP.
The process would take a while, so he decided to do it at night.
As he was pondering this,
Oscar had already sat down cross-legged, pressing the soul bone against his left leg as his spirit power enveloped it.
His third soul ring glowed.
As if passing a compatibility check,
the soul bone immediately dissolved into golden light and merged into his left leg.
It was just as smooth and effortless as when Tang Lan absorbed his Blue Silver Right Leg Bone.
—A sign of perfect compatibility!
Oscar's Third Soul Ring—Even Stronger?!
The next moment,
Oscar's eyes widened in disbelief!
"4,000 years!" Oscar gasped.
"The Flying Mushroom Sausage's green-wing flight speed is now at the level of a 4,000-year Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake!"
Tang Lan nodded in satisfaction.
—This is exactly why I had you absorb it.
—"Same-origin enhancement" always amplifies effects.
But Oscar wasn't done.
"The Fire Wing burst effect has also improved!"
"The speed multiplier increased to 4x!"
"And the duration reduction has been adjusted to 7x instead of 10x!"
"Holy sh*t!"
Zhao Wuji blurted out,
"That's practically at the level of a 5,000-year soul ring!"
Xiao Wu sighed in amazement,
"Is this really just a third soul ring?
"A normal person's fourth soul ring would be around this level at best!"
"Uncle Tang is amazing!" Ning Rongrong cheered.
Tang Lan chuckled and patted Tang San on the shoulder.
"Xiao San, you made the right choice.
"Giving this soul bone to Little Ao maximized its potential."
"Thank you for your generosity, Master!" Oscar added quickly, sucking up to Tang San.
Tang San forced an awkward smile.
—Why does this feel like I'm being roasted alive?
Desperate to change the subject, he quickly asked,
"Little Ao, what's your soul bone ability?"
Oscar's Soul Bone Ability—A Second Life?!
Oscar slapped his forehead—
He had been so excited about his third soul skill getting upgraded,
he had completely forgotten about his new soul bone ability!
He quickly closed his eyes to check…
Moments later, his eyes snapped open in excitement.
"The Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake Left Leg Bone comes from its crest,
"And the ability is called Hormone Surge!"
"It normally absorbs my soul power, spiritual power, and life force,
"And when I need it, I can release it all at once to restore myself!"
"The recovery ratio is about 30% of my total body state!"
Tang San's heart clenched with jealousy!
—30% recovery… Not just soul power, but physical condition too?!
—A life-saving ability when near death!
—A trump card for desperate battles!
He suddenly regretted everything.
—Why did I care about looking dignified?!
—I should've just asked Brother directly! He wouldn't have refused me!
—Damn it!
But now…
There was no going back.
Even if he was furious,
he couldn't exactly cut off Oscar's leg to take the soul bone back.
So he could only pretend nothing happened.
But Oscar wasn't stupid.
He noticed his master's sour mood and immediately toned down his excitement.
—Can't get too cocky and piss off the teacher, after all!
The others, however, saw everything and laughed silently.
—Tang San really isn't a great person, huh?
—Even his own disciple's fortune makes him jealous.
If he weren't Tang Lan's younger brother,
they probably would've kicked him out of the team by now.
Tang Lan's Praise & The Group's Thoughts
"Very nice." Tang Lan smiled.
"With Hormone Surge, once you master Wave Steps,
"You should be able to survive against enemies of the same level."
Everyone grinned.
For a support-type spirit master,
being able to self-preserve at the same rank was an enormous asset for the team!
At the same time—
Tang Lan's broad vision and generosity
stood in stark contrast to Tang San's selfish greed.
Everyone's opinion of Tang San dropped even further.
—His greatest fortune in life was having a brother like Tang Lan.
Next Target—Tang Lan's Fourth Soul Ring!
After a short rest,
Zhao Wuji asked,
"Sect Master, now that we've settled Oscar's soul ring,
"It's time to hunt for yours.
"What's your target age range?"
Everyone turned to look at Tang Lan, curious.
Considering he discovered Whale Gel,
and his physical strength was insane,
his fourth soul ring should be at least ten thousand years, right?
Tang Lan focused inward, sensing his limit—
"27,621 years."
After thinking it over,
Tang Lan decided that since they were all going to be teammates from now on,
it wouldn't hurt to share a few "non-critical" secrets.
So he summoned his Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor,
and removed the disguise on his soul rings,
allowing them to fully appear at his feet—
Three deep black, ten-thousand-year soul rings pulsed up and down.
Σ(っQДQ)ДQ)ДQ)っ
"HOLY SH*T!!!"
Everyone's minds nearly exploded.
—WHAT DID THEY JUST SEE?!
—Ten-thousand-year first, second, and third soul rings?!
Even Tang San and Xiao Wu,
who had already known,
were still completely shaken by the sight.
This was beyond comprehension!
The Revelation—A Power No One Can Copy
After half a minute of stunned silence,
Ning Rongrong was the first to snap out of it.
Her voice trembled with excitement as she asked—
"Uncle Tang—S-Sect Master!
What the hell is going on with these ten-thousand-year soul rings?!!"
She was so overwhelmed that she stumbled over her words.
Seeing their burning curiosity,
Tang Lan shook his head with mock regret.
"You might be disappointed…
My soul rings are impossible to replicate."
"The Life Spirit Blue Silver Emperor is a mutated martial soul with the attributes of Life and Soul.
"But it also has a unique trait—
It can absorb life force to infuse into my soul rings, increasing their age.
"The upper limit is determined by my own body's tolerance."
At first, everyone looked disappointed.
—An unreplicable miracle… what a waste.
But soon, they were confused.
"Martial Soul Traits?" Ning Rongrong frowned.
"I've never heard of those before."
Tang Lan patiently explained—
"A Martial Soul Trait is an innate ability unique to a martial soul.
"It can be something like an extreme elemental affinity, or a special effect.
"For example, your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's trait is—
Its buffs ignore level differences and apply a direct percentage increase."
"These things are all recorded in the Tang Sect Encyclopedia."
Ning Rongrong and the others finally understood,
their respect for the Tang Sect Encyclopedia growing even deeper.
—If all this knowledge is in that book… it truly deserves the name "Encyclopedia!"
Dai Mubai's Dumb Question—Immediately Regretting It
Dai Mubai suddenly thought of something and asked,
"Wait… if you have this Martial Soul Trait, doesn't that mean you can just hunt any random soul beast and level it up?"
Everyone immediately shot him looks of disdain.
Dai Mubai instantly realized his stupidity.
—Soul rings grant specific skills.
—Even if you raise the ring's age, the skill itself remains the same.
—Stronger soul beasts provide better soul skills at the same age.
—Why would you settle for weak ones when better options exist?
"…Forget I said anything." Dai Mubai coughed awkwardly.
Then he asked,
"Sect Master, what's the target age for your next soul ring?"
Tang Lan smirked confidently.
"Around 30,000 years."
Another Shockwave—Three Ten-Thousand-Year Rings Weren't His Limit?!
Silence.
Then—
Everyone's jaws dropped.
—THIRTY THOUSAND?!
They had already guessed that Tang Lan's limit was above ten thousand years.
But they never expected it to be over thirty thousand!
Zhao Wuji let out a bitter laugh.
—No wonder he had trouble restraining Tang Lan's Blue Silver Emperor.
With three thirty-thousand-year soul rings,
how could it be simple?!
Tang Lan pointed in a direction and led the group deeper into the Star Dou Forest.
Meanwhile—Hidden Thoughts Brewing
No one noticed that Zhu Zhuqing's gaze toward Tang Lan had changed.
It grew more determined.
—This man is too extraordinary…
—I need to act fast.
Dual Cultivation?
I can do that too… right?
On the other side,
Oscar was periodically shouting—
"I, YOUR FATHER, HAVE A MUSHROOM SAUSAGE!"
Distributing them evenly to everyone
so they could store them in their spatial rings for emergencies.
Xiao Wu, meanwhile, was thinking rapidly.
—Tang Lan is like me. He can condense innate soul rings.
—So he doesn't actually need to hunt soul beasts.
—But that secret can't be exposed.
—He must find a way to separate from the group.
She needed to figure out a way to split Tang Lan from the others,
so he could secretly condense his soul ring.
'I wonder how Brother plans to slip away?'
In the original story—
Tang San encountered and killed a 2,000-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider
because it was being chased by Dragon Duke and Snake Lady.
And right now…
Due to Tang Lan's intervention,
Dragon Duke and Snake Lady were probably already on their way back to Heaven Dou City to buy up Whale Gel.
But that didn't matter.
The moment they entered Star Dou Forest,
Tang Lan had used his Blue Silver Grass network to locate the only suitable 2,000-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider.
And right beside it—
was a 30,000-year-old Man-Faced Demon Spider.
—That must be the one Tang San absorbed later.
Since the two spiders were peacefully coexisting,
they were likely mother and daughter.
That's why Tang Lan had said his target was "around 30,000 years."
At this moment—
He was leading the team while keeping a safe distance from the spiders.
He was waiting.
Waiting for—
An Unexpected Encounter—The King of the Forest!
"STOP!!!"
Zhao Wuji suddenly halted,
his Vigorous Vajra Bear martial soul materializing as he activated Full-Body Possession.
"EVERYONE! RETREAT IMMEDIATELY!"
"No matter what happens, DON'T LOOK BACK!"
"RUN!"
Oscar and the others hadn't realized the danger yet.
They just assumed they had run into a powerful soul beast.
They were just about to retreat when—
Two towering trees were pushed apart.
A massive figure emerged.
In that moment—
Everyone's breath hitched!
It looked like a hybrid between an ape and a gorilla,
its jet-black fur shimmering with iridescent hues,
its massive frame towering like a mountain,
its shoulders alone standing over seven meters tall—
And if it stood upright,
it would easily exceed fifteen meters!
"The King of the Forest… the Titan Giant Ape?!"
Tang San gasped.
"Even a hundred-year-old Titan Giant Ape can fight ten-thousand-year soul beasts head-on!
"According to Teacher, the only Titan Giant Ape in Star Dou Forest is a hundred-thousand-year soul beast!""
Everyone's faces fell.
—No matter what kind of soul beast it was, a hundred-thousand-year one was beyond their ability to handle!
—They were doomed!
Zhao Wuji's Gamble—A Futile Struggle?
Zhao Wuji took a deep breath,
bowing slightly as he said—
"Respected King of the Forest, we mean no offense.
If this is your territory, we are willing to leave immediately."
The Titan Giant Ape didn't respond.
Instead—
It took a step forward.
Everyone's hearts clenched!
—Because humans hunt soul beasts, most spirit beasts hold hostility toward humans.
—This King of the Forest is no exception!
Zhao Wuji activated multiple soul skills at once!
His first, second, third, and fifth soul rings lit up!
🔸 Immovable Vajra Body—Defense Up!
🔸 Gravity Control—Expanding in all directions!
🔸 Gravity Crush—Intensified pressure!
🔸 Vigorous Vajra Palm—All-out attack!
He soared into the air,
launching a fearless assault toward the Titan Giant Ape while shouting—
"RUN!!!"
But instead of fleeing—
A tiger's roar echoed through the air!
🔹 Dai Mubai activated White Tiger Vajra Transformation!
His eyes turned bloodshot as he charged toward the Titan Giant Ape's forelimb!
At the same time, he shouted—
"Sect Master, you all go first!"
No one moved.
🔹 Zhu Zhuqing vanished into the shadows, silently closing in.
🔹 Xiao Wu used her third soul skill, flickering behind the Titan Giant Ape.
🔹 Ning Rongrong summoned the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—
🟣 "Seven Treasures turn to Glazed Light, First is Strength!"
🟣 "Seven Treasures turn to Glazed Light, Second is Speed!"
🔹 Oscar frantically produced Flying Mushroom Sausages, preparing for the worst.
Tang Lan nodded in approval.
Even though the original Shrek Seven Devils had their flaws,
their unity was undeniable.
But then—
Tang Lan glanced at Tang San, who was still hesitating.
His smirk deepened.
—Because of Tang Lan's presence, Tang San's true nature had been exposed.
—Now that he was estranged from the team, he couldn't bring himself to risk his life for them.
—How realistic.
The Truth Behind the Titan Giant Ape's Arrival
Of course,
Tang Lan knew the Titan Giant Ape wasn't hostile.
It was here for Xiao Wu.
—There was no need to worry about it going berserk.
Tang Lan had no intention of running.
On the contrary—
He was about to put on a show!
Right before everyone's eyes—