Chapter 323
You broke through too?
Flander, being the division commander, was the first to forcefully suppress his laughter. He coughed a few times, tried to straighten his face, and attempted to regain the dean's authority, but the slightly twitching corners of his mouth still betrayed his barely suppressed amusement.
"Alright, everyone, quiet down! What kind of behavior is this!"
Flander pushed up his crystal glasses, which had slipped down to the tip of his nose, and turned to Oscar, who looked like he wanted to disappear into the ground. He asked in as serious a tone as possible:
"Little Ao, forget about that nonsense. Let's get down to business. With your current soul power, how many of these... uh, mushroom sausages can you make at once?"
Oscar gave Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai, who were still suppressing their laughter, a resentful glance, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his suicidal urge before replying:
“Dean, this mushroom sausage consumes far more soul power than the previous two types of sausage. With my current level 32 soul power, I can only make a maximum of ten at a time. After that, my soul power will be completely depleted, and I will need to fully recover before I can make another one.”
Upon hearing this, Flander's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he nodded.
"Ten at a time, each providing one minute of rapid flight... Although the duration is short and the quantity is limited, it is an extremely valuable strategic support capability in critical moments, whether for pursuit, escape, or traversing terrain."
"This soul skill is excellent! For a food-type soul master to possess the ability to fly, Xiao Ao, you have every reason to be proud."
His words were a heartfelt assessment, which temporarily eased the awkward atmosphere caused by the Soul Curse.
Oscar's expression finally improved upon hearing the dean's affirmation. Holding the pink sausage with wings, his frustration dissipated considerably.
After all, this is flying!
Even the most shameful soul curse cannot obscure its immense value.
Just as everyone was happy for Oscar and the atmosphere eased a little, Xiao Wu, who was standing next to Tang San, suddenly felt that Tang San's aura was fluctuating.
She turned her head in confusion and saw Tang San with his brows slightly furrowed, as if sensing something. Then, a flash of purple light appeared in his eyes, and his face revealed an uncontrollable joy.
"Everyone."
Tang San's voice, tinged with excitement, rang out clearly, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"I think... I've broken through to level 30 too! I need a spirit ring!"
Although the news was sudden, it did not cause much of a stir.
After all, Tang San was a genius with innate full soul power, so his cultivation speed was already extremely fast. In addition, with his previous battle with Flander and his experience after entering the Star Dou Great Forest, he had accumulated enough strength, so his breakthrough was a natural outcome.
Dai Mubai patted Tang San on the shoulder.
"Good heavens, Xiao San, congratulations! Now our Shrek Seven Devils have gained another Soul Master!"
Ma Hongjun also joined in the fun.
"Third Brother is awesome! Now we're even stronger!"
Oscar temporarily forgot the embarrassment of the Soul Curse and was happy for Tang San.
Flanders clapped his hands and laughed.
"Great! Double happiness! It seems this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest was the right decision!"
However, no one's reaction was as subtle as Lin Xia's.
The moment Tang San said "breakthrough to level 30", a barely perceptible glint flashed in the depths of Lin Xia's eyes, which had been as calm as a deep pool.
The usual calm smile on his lips deepened at this moment, forming a meaningful arc.
'Finally, it's here.'
Lin Xia silently recited to himself that one of his core objectives for this trip was now clearly laid out before him—to sabotage Tang San's acquisition of that extraordinary opportunity, akin to a cheat code. The Eight Spider Lances with an attached soul bone!
He absolutely cannot let Tang San obtain this powerful tool that will bring a huge leap in strength and a guarantee of survival in the future.
"Oh? You broke through too?"
Lin Xia's voice rang out, carrying a calmness that seemed to have already seen through everything. Her gaze fell on Tang San, as if she were merely confirming a given fact.
"In that case, that's perfect."
He then turned to Snake Granny Chaotianxiang and Meng Yiran, who looked expectant yet somewhat apprehensive, and said in a natural tone.
“Snake Granny, Miss Yiran, it seems we need to linger a little longer. Tang San also needs to obtain his third spirit ring, so why don’t we go together? It will save us two more trips. I’ll lead the way; it will be more efficient.”
Lin Xia's words carried an unquestionable certainty, as if finding a thousand-year soul ring for someone else was as easy as taking candy from a baby.
Although Flander felt a little strange about Lin Xia taking such a big responsibility and even subtly controlling the process of obtaining spirit rings for Shrek Academy students.
But considering the other party's unfathomable strength and the accurate judgment he had previously demonstrated, as well as the fact that he could indeed solve the Snake Granny's troubles, he weighed the pros and cons and ultimately chose to remain silent, nodding slightly in agreement.
Dai Mubai and the others naturally had no objections; being able to quickly and safely obtain a spirit ring was a desirable outcome.
Snake Granny Chaotianxiang was more than happy to agree and readily agreed.
"I am deeply grateful for Lord Lin's arrangements."
Meng Yiran nodded as well.
Guided by Lin Xia's almost supernatural perception, the team's direction of movement was clear and efficient.
He seemed to know this treacherous forest inside and out, always managing to avoid the powerful auras of spirit beasts and precisely head towards areas where the spirit power attribute matched Tang San's Blue Silver Grass spirit.
Tang San followed in the group, activating his Purple Demon Eye and concentrating his mental energy to try to capture the most suitable soul beast fluctuations for him.
However, whenever his mental energy instinctively extended towards a dark and violent direction that seemed to have a special attraction for him, he always felt as if he had hit an invisible, gentle yet incredibly tough barrier. That faint attraction was instantly blocked, blurred, and impossible to pinpoint.
He frowned slightly, assuming it was due to the complex forest environment, and didn't think much of it.
Before long, under Lin Xia's "guidance," the group stopped at the edge of an area covered with countless giant vines and filled with a damp and gloomy atmosphere.
“Deep in the Ghost Vine Forest ahead, there are several good wood-attribute soul power fluctuations, and their age is also suitable.”
Lin Xia pointed to the dark woodland ahead, covered with thick, dark green vines.
"Tang San, your Blue Silver Grass is primarily for control. For your third spirit ring, choosing a plant-type spirit beast that is resilient, has toxicity, or possesses strong binding properties would be the safest option, greatly enhancing the basic attributes of your spirit. Ghost Vine is a good choice; its resilience and paralyzing toxins align with your development direction."
Tang San carefully sensed the energy and could indeed detect the pure wood-attribute energy and the faint chilling aura emanating from ahead, and he agreed with Lin Xia's judgment.
Ghost Vine is indeed one of the theoretically preferred options.
Under Lin Xia's invisible aura and with Flander's tacit approval, the hunt went exceptionally smoothly.
A Ghost Vine King with a cultivation level of about 1,700 years was precisely severed from the life of its core vine by Lin Xia with a subtle finger gust of wind. The massive vine network withered rapidly, condensing into a deep purple soul ring.
"Absorb it."
Lin Xia's tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable sense of supervision.
He stood to the side, calmly watching Tang San, an invisible aura surrounding them, eliminating any possibility of an accident. (End of Chapter)