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Level thirty-nine.
Since he didn't know the exact time Tang San would leave for Shrek—whether he left right after graduation or waited until the new school term began—Su Wen wasn't certain.
Therefore, he could only try to get ahead of schedule as much as possible.
Especially since finding a ten-thousand-year spirit beast for his fourth ring would also require time and effort, which he needed to budget for.
So, it was time for him to consume the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid.
This was the choice he had made after long and careful consideration.
The Eight Petal Immortal Orchid's medicinal effect was the most gentle and mellow. It was easy to absorb but difficult to digest. Its power would lie dormant within the Spirit Master's body, continuously taking effect and increasing the Spirit Master's cultivation speed.
For auxiliary-type Spirit Masters, the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid was an excellent solution to their slow cultivation problem.
In Su Wen's cognition, his Book Spirit's cultivation speed wasn't fast, strictly speaking.
The Eight Petal Immortal Orchid's boost to cultivation speed was more like a subtle raising of one's upper limit, and it could be used in conjunction with all of Su Wen's other auxiliary methods.
"You kid really dares to eat anything," Dugu Bo muttered.
It was his own medicine garden, filled with so many good things, but he had never consumed any of them, fearing potential hidden toxins.
Yet Su Wen, who knew even less about pharmacology than he did, had arrived and immediately consumed two, and was now about to use a third.
Maybe it's precisely because he doesn't understand pharmacology that he doesn't know the danger...
Thanks to consuming the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Fiery Apricot Delicate Vegetable, Su Wen was now truly immune to all poisons, and his blood also had a faint effect.
Over these past ten months, Dugu Bo had used Su Wen's blood to transfer the vast majority of the toxins from his body, infusing them all into his own spirit bone.
His hair had now returned from dark green to a salt-and-pepper white, and his entire vitality was completely different.
Su Wen consumed the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid.
This time, the absorption didn't take long, only an hour.
However, most of the orchid's medicinal power, after entering his body, lay dormant, hiding in every part of him. It couldn't be refined quickly and could only be absorbed slowly over time.
Even so, Su Wen used its medicinal power to break through to level forty.
Moreover, a massive amount of Source Spirit Power was generated within his spirit space.
A preliminary estimate suggested the orchid could, at minimum, allow him to break through from level thirty-nine to level forty-four. This was, of course, excluding the boost he would get from acquiring his fourth spirit ring.
"Strictly speaking, the effect is even more astonishing than when Oscar absorbed it. After all, three of those levels are Spirit Ancestor ranks."
Su Wen attributed this to the constant circulation of his Source Spirit Power. Driven by the medicinal force, not only did the medicine convert into a large amount of spirit power, but he also seized the opportunity to absorb a massive amount of heaven-and-earth energy.
It had created a siphoning effect.
"Level forty..."
Sensing the increase in Su Wen's spirit power fluctuations, Dugu Bo sighed with emotion.
Right now, Su Wen is... only thirteen, isn't he?
In every Spirit Master Tournament, the most elite geniuses on the continent, all under the age of twenty-five, were only at the Spirit Ancestor rank.
A Spirit King?
There were only one or two, here and there.
Twenty-five years old, and not even a Spirit King...
And Su Wen? He was only thirteen. Even if he only advanced one level a year, he could easily reach level fifty and become a Spirit King before he turned twenty-five.
This meant that Su Wen was, at this moment, at the pinnacle of all Spirit Master geniuses on the continent.
For some reason, the more Dugu Bo looked at Su Wen, the more he liked him.
Such a genius...
After absorbing the orchid, Su Wen also plucked the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower and the Earth Dragon Golden Melon.
"Use this to store them." Dugu Bo took out his 'Hundred Treasures Purse'. "This isn't just a storage spirit tool; it can also hold living things. It's the most suitable for storing herbs."
Su Wen joyfully accepted the purse and placed the two herbs inside.
"Have you thought about what spirit skill you want for your fourth spirit ring?" Dugu Bo asked.
Since he broke through right in front of me, as an elder, it's only reasonable for me to show some concern about his next spirit ring, right?
"I already have a target," Su Wen said, a trace of anticipation in his eyes.
"Oh? What spirit beast are you planning to hunt? If it's a difficult one, your Grandpa Dugu can lend you a hand," Dugu Bo said, also curious about Su Wen's target.
To be honest, a strong ten-thousand-year spirit beast was not easy to kill. It was even more difficult to control one and let Su Wen deal the final, fatal blow.
"I really will have to trouble you, then." Su Wen did not refuse.
"I plan to hunt a Mirror Image Beast."
"A Mirror Image Beast?" Dugu Bo was surprised.
He looked at Su Wen, somewhat puzzled.
"Little Wen, what on earth is your development path?"
First skill 'Enhance', second 'Control', third 'Great Stone Formation'... and now for his fourth, he wants replication?
"You're biting off more than you can chew," he said sternly. "You're a researcher of theory. You should know that if a Spirit Master tries to dabble in everything, they might just end up being mediocre in everything."
"Don't worry, Grandpa Dugu, I understand that. My direction has always been very clear."
Dugu Bo asked, "Very clear? Are you willing to tell me what path you intend to walk?"
Su Wen thought for a moment, but didn't say.
The path he wanted to walk was... omnipotence.
It was very clear.
But since Dugu Bo had just warned him against being a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none, it would be a bit inappropriate to declare that his clear and firm path was to be a jack-of-all-trades.
In truth, Su Wen's path was his Book Spirit.
His spirit was his foundation.
A book contains all things. A book records all things. A book carries civilization.
During his mimicry cultivation, Su Wen had grown to love the feeling of learning. He loved to research, and he loved the process of mastering new powers through his own thoughts.
Therefore, his future path was already set.
He would learn everything, research everything, and use his own learning and research abilities to master as many techniques as possible.
How was this not a clear path?
A scholar should be this way.
"Sigh, fine. Your theoretical level is higher than mine. I can't win an argument against you."
Su Wen hadn't said anything, but Dugu Bo had already perceived the reason from his expression.
However, he didn't try to stop Su Wen any further.
At least up to this point, Su Wen hasn't been held back by his diverse skillset, has he?
"It's just... a Mirror Image Beast isn't easy to find." Dugu Bo frowned, trying to recall information about the beast.
"Mm. The Mirror Image Beast is an extremely rare and powerful spirit beast. Its numbers are few. However, I've investigated before. There have been traces of one in the Ice-Sealed Forest to the north of the Tian Dou Empire. It should be a ten-thousand-year beast, and its age should be under 30,000 years." Su Wen had long since done his homework.
"Under 30,000 years?" Dugu Bo frowned, worried. "Can your body withstand that?"
"Let's find it first. The data I investigated was just an estimate based on its combat power. I'll have to find the beast itself to determine its specific age," Su Wen said.
(End of this chapter)