In the blink of an eye, three days and three nights passed.
Tang San finally sawed through the last root of the Thousand Root Banyan. Exhaling a turbid breath, he muttered, "This tree is really hard. The four of us—one Spirit Ancestor, two Great Spirit Masters, and me, a tenth-level Spirit Master—actually took this long to deal with a five-hundred-year-old Thousand Root Banyan. I really don't know how we'd handle a thousand-year-old one. Maybe the only way would be to burn it."
"Grandpa Ma Xiunuo, thank you for your help," Tang San said sincerely. "I didn't expect cutting this thing down would be such a challenge."
He couldn't imagine how long it would have taken had he come alone.
In spirit beast hunting, the longer the delay, the higher the chance of unforeseen accidents—other hunting teams, other spirit beasts…
Just thinking about it made his scalp go numb.
Sure enough, spirit hunting required a team.
Going solo—unless you were a protagonist with cheats or overwhelming power—was nothing but gambling your life on luck.
"Haha, look at you, why so formal?" Ma Xiunuo laughed heartily. "It's just a shame I don't have a granddaughter, or I'd marry her off to you on the spot. Now—get ready. Absorb that spirit ring. A five-hundred-year-old one... I might just witness a miracle today."
"Alright."
Tang San sat down cross-legged, five hearts facing the sky. He practiced the Mysterious Heaven Skill for a while until he reached his optimal state. Then, he injected soul power into the Blue Silver Grass, letting it circulate through it.
The yellow spirit ring, sensing the soul power running through his martial soul, slowly floated toward him.
"Thousand Root Banyan… my first spirit ring. Let's go—lead me onto the true path of the spirit master!"
As the yellow ring settled onto his Blue Silver Grass, Tang San felt a surge of vitality pouring into him, followed by an enormous wave of energy that shattered the bottleneck of the tenth level instantly.
"So this is what it feels like to absorb a spirit ring... My whole body feels like it's on fire—but it's a warm fire, full of life. My theory was right. Thousand Root Banyan…"
With that, Tang San ran the Mysterious Heaven Skill at full speed, refining the energy and vitality of the ring, fusing the Thousand Root Banyan completely into his martial soul.
On the side, Ma Xiunuo and the others watched nervously.
After all, this was a five-hundred-year-old spirit ring. Could Tang San really absorb it?
But after only three minutes, their worries eased. Tang San, who had trembled at first, gradually stabilized. His once-thin frame became more proportioned, his features more refined.
What truly astonished them, however, was his hair.
It began to grow at a speed visible to the naked eye, extending to his shoulders—and at the ends, it shimmered with a faint blue-silver glow.
And then—his face.
Previously, Tang San had an unremarkable appearance. Toss him into a crowd of children, and no one would have noticed him.
But now, his facial contours had subtly changed. He wasn't handsome—not yet—but he was striking. He stood out.
Ma Xiunuo even speculated: when he grew up, Tang San would surely be handsome enough to charm many girls in their prime.
What's more, there was an ethereal aura about him—fresh, rejuvenating.
Sisi blinked in disbelief. "Is… is this what happens when you absorb a spirit ring beyond your limit? It can even change your appearance?"
Su Yuntao frowned, puzzled. "Spirit rings do affect the body—each one strengthens us physically. But I've never seen one that changes your looks. That's just strange. Though…"
He grinned. "I have to admit, he looks a lot better now. Even if he doesn't become a top spirit master, at least he can make a living off his looks."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Ma Xiunuo smacked the back of his head. Then she paused, considering a more rational explanation.
"Some martial souls mutate and cause major changes in the body. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass is usually weak, but if it's mutated, it may have deeper potential. I'd guess that this five-hundred-year-old Thousand Root Banyan ring was highly compatible—its energy triggered that dormant mutation, causing changes throughout his entire body. It's almost like a rebirth."
She looked at Su Yuntao and Sisi. "You both know about Tang San's theories on martial souls, right?"
"He once said that every spirit ring is an evolution of the martial soul. So perhaps the goal of absorbing this spirit ring wasn't just to get a skill—but to evolve his Blue Silver Grass."
"Because only by evolving your martial soul can your cultivation speed increase."
"But I doubt even Tang San expected it would change his appearance too."
Su Yuntao and Sisi nodded in agreement.
Sisi added, "Brother Tao's Lone Wolf martial soul has those Adamantine Wolf Claws now. My ribbon has weaving marks. Are these evolutions too?"
"Definitely," Ma Xiunuo said. "Sisi, you might not notice it yet, but Su Yuntao—you've already experienced the difference. Your cultivation speed has improved, even if just slightly. Other Great Spirit Masters with your talent are stuck around level 21 or 22. You're at level 24. Work hard, and maybe you'll hit level 25 this year."
"Before, I thought Spirit Ancestor would be your ceiling."
"But now… maybe Soul King isn't out of reach in this lifetime."
Soul King?!
Su Yuntao and Sisi exchanged wide-eyed looks.
They knew their limits. Reaching Spirit Ancestor was already ambitious. But now Ma Xiunuo was saying Soul King was possible?
Was this a joke?
Or…
Was it all because of Tang San?
Because of his guidance when choosing their second spirit rings?
If that was true… then—
Exciting!
"It's just a chance," Ma Xiunuo added cautiously, seeing their excitement. "Once you reach level 30, don't rush into choosing a third spirit ring. If you pick wrong, Soul Ancestor will be the end of the road."
"Ask Tang San for advice. It'll benefit you for life."
Only now did Su Yuntao and Sisi begin to fully understand Tang San's strength.
Ma Xiunuo had engineered this moment—partially with selfish intent—but also to forge real friendships. Bonds formed in genuine collaboration.
An hour later.
Tang San finally opened his eyes.
His whole body felt refreshed, and soul power pulsed naturally from within.
Ma Xiunuo gasped. "Tang San, what level is your spirit power now? It feels… close to a Great Spirit Master!"
"Seventeen," Tang San answered honestly.
When the inner strength of the Mysterious Heaven Skill transformed into spirit power, it created a powerful fluctuation. Though he could conceal it, he felt it was better to be truthful with Ma Xiunuo and the others—especially since they'd work together more in the future.
The source of that sudden leap wasn't just the Thousand Root Banyan.
Back in Holy Spirit Village, his father, Tang Hao, had given him the Blue Silver Emperor's Right Leg Bone.
After absorbing it, Tang San's physical strength had greatly increased, and his soul power had quietly reached the tenth level. But because he didn't yet have a spirit ring, that power was suppressed and couldn't be sensed or released.
Now, with the Thousand Root Banyan's ring, the previously stored power surged out—boosting him by five full levels. The remaining two levels came from the energy of the five-hundred-year-old ring itself.
Even so, Tang San was slightly disappointed.
A 100,000-year-old spirit bone had only raised his soul power by five levels?
Even accounting for the exponential increase in required soul power at higher levels, this seemed... low.
Tang San guessed that had he absorbed the leg bone immediately after it fell from the spirit beast, he could have reached level 20 outright.
But now, due to time and energy dissipation, only five levels remained.
Though spirit bones don't lose their age over time, the excess energy that boosts soul power gradually dissipates if not absorbed right away. That's why the first spirit master to absorb it gets a power-up—but subsequent users only receive physical enhancements.
Tang Hao, being a rough and straightforward man, likely didn't know this.
He had used a lead box to suppress the spirit power fluctuations—a wise choice. But lead couldn't preserve the internal energy of the spirit bone.
In fact, lead was a toxic metal to most carbon-based lifeforms. Even Blue Silver Grass couldn't grow in lead-rich soil.
Still—for Tang San, seventeen levels at age six was already more than enough. Within the year, he would certainly reach level 20 and seek his second spirit ring.
This was also why he chose to reveal the truth to Ma Xiunuo and the others. If his soul power increased too fast without explanation, it would only raise suspicion.
Author's Note (In-universe):The setting here is that spirit bones increase soul power only when freshly dropped. If not absorbed in time, that energy slowly fades—but the age and physical effects of the spirit bone remain. Once absorbed, any future user won't gain additional levels, only enhancements to strength, flexibility, etc.
Side Note:To the person who called me a primary schooler for using the phrase "Chen Guai" (scolding or blaming)—What's wrong with that? Su Yuntao brought up adult topics next to a six-year-old.Matthew scolding him is a case of elder correcting younger. Nothing wrong with that.If you're looking for pure literary style or academic rigor, maybe this just isn't your genre.