Xiao Wu: Ge, Brush My Hair (1)

Grandmaster meaningfully and heartfelt said to Tang San:

"Although you now know your identity as part of the Clear Sky School, I hope you will be able to keep a common heart, don't lightly go looking for your school, also don't easily let out your thoughts. You can understand your teacher's painstaking efforts?"

Tang San nodded without the slightest hesitation:

"Teacher, I understand. No matter what I do, I must have strength first, before I believe I have sufficient strength I won't lightly go looking for the Clear Sky School. I might say, I must at least wait until my father appears, before I might return to the school. Moreover, you should also know that I've always liked freedom, the life in a school doesn't seem to suit me. Actually, I'd rather be a blacksmith's son, to me, what's the point of status?"

Grandmaster looked astonished at Tang San, after all, Tang San in his eyes still only a teenaged child, he hadn't expected this disciple of his to be able to see so deeply. His rigid face couldn't help revealing a smiling expression, and he once again patted Tang San's shoulder,

"Words like these put my heart at ease. In another half year the Advanced Spirit Master Academy Grand Competition will begin, this isn't only a stage to reveal you, it's also the ideal opportunity to gain experience. At this Continental Grand Competition, you will meet all the Spirit Master powers of your generation. Fighting them, vanquishing them, will not only promote your battle experience, at the same time it's also an opportunity to establish confidence. I've already talked it over with Flender. Once this time's Spirit Master Grand Competition is over, you children will graduate from the Academy."

"Graduate? Teacher, isn't it too early for this?"

Tang San said, shocked.

Grandmaster shook his head with a smile,

"No, it's not early. At ordinary advanced Spirit Master academies you can already graduate when your strength reaches thirty ranks, moreover be considered a first rate student. But right now you're not just at the thirtieth rank, even from the point of view of the Shrek Academy, I think that after you've participated in this Grand Competition, you should have reached the fortieth rank or so. Little San, the Academy isn't everything. To your lives, cultivating at the Academy is only one stage, even more important is to temper yourselves in the outside world, that is the battlefield of your true test."

Whether it his last life or this one, Tang San didn't have too many experiences with society, but as he saw the certain gaze in Grandmaster's eyes, he knew Grandmaster's judgement wasn't mistaken.

Perhaps it was because he had never stayed in the outside world, to the possible unknowns, in his heart was still some amount of fear.

Of course, right now wasn't the time to reflect on this. Tang San naturally also didn't expect that when he truly left for the outside world, it would already be six years later.

Leaving Grandmaster's office, that kind of flash of insight feeling made Tang San's heart indescribably free from worry. He had already again found his purpose in life. What about being descended from a school? What about father being a Title Douluo? All of that was after all not him.

He only had to first make himself become strong. This was meaningful.

Tang San already thought very clearly, at his current age, without anything more important than cultivation, all his physical and mental efforts should naturally be focused on this, and not on flights of fancy.

From this point on, whether it was Tang San or the other Shrek Seven Devils, they all entered half a year of arduous cultivation.

Grandmaster didn't conduct any more special training with them, only regularly giving them tactics guidance, especially to their mutual teamwork, as well as how to use their own spirit abilities even more effectively.

It would appear that everyone had their own spirit abilities, they only had to use them fully.

But in fact, within this was contained enormous knowledge. Fully using any spirit ability at any time, fully using any spirit ability under any spirit power situation. Each circumstance held profound hidden theory. But Grandmaster had expended several decades on researching just this field. Under his guidance, the Shrek Seven Devils could be said to walk countless steps along a winding road.

Just like Tang San said when he presented everyone with the immortal treasure herbs, the medicinal effect wouldn't just show at the time they took them. Along with their unceasing cultivation, apart from Xiao Wu who hadn't used the 'Yearning Heartbroken Red', each person felt their bodies changing.

Not only did their spirit power growth rate become even faster than before, even more significant was the immortal treasure herbs' transformation of their spirits and bodies. Tang San chose the herbs very carefully, and practically all were the ones that suited each person best.

Imperceptibly influencing them under their constant cultivation, the heaven and earth power contained within the herbs gradually fused with their bodies, making their comprehensive strength grow.

Even the Nine Treasure Purple Zoysia that wasn't considered a real immortal treasure still assisted Grandmaster, in that brief half year his spirit power went from thirtieth rank to the thirty fifth rank. And everyone in the Shrek Seven Devils, making use of this half year, besides Dai Mubai's spirit power which only rose one rank and a half, reaching the forty fourth and close to the forty fifth rank, of the remaining six only Xiao Wu didn't reach the fortieth rank bottleneck.

The first person to break through the fortieth rank bottleneck was someone everyone felt was unexpected, against everyone's expectations it wasn't Zhu Zhuqing who had already reached the thirty eighth rank when taking the immortal treasure herb, or the most assiduously cultivating, intrinsically differently talented Tang San.

Taking everyone aback, the first of the six to break through the fortieth rank was the least adept at cultivating food system Spirit Master Oscar. When he had cultivated for four and a half months he successfully broke through the bottleneck, just stepping on the threshold to the fortieth rank, only requiring a spirit ring to formally go from Spirit Elder to Spirit Ancestor.

Others might not know about Oscar's hard work, but Tang San understood clearly. Even though Tang San didn't know what had happened, since the time Ning Rongrong returned from her clan, Oscar's cultivation was a lot more diligent than before.

Previously Oscar was most addicted to sleeping, but in these few months Tang San hadn't seen him sleeping once, even so that he rarely returned to the dorm, every day painstakingly cultivating his spirit in the dining hall that suited his cultivation best.

His strength being able to promote this quickly was admittedly related to the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid, but his great efforts and invested energy also finally had a conclusive effect.

After five months of cultivation, Zhu Zhuqing also broke through the fortieth rank, and after two days Tang San broke through. In another ten days, Ma Hongjun and Ning Rongrong also successively broke through the bottleneck.

So far, besides Xiao Wu who hadn't taken the immortal treasure herb, the strength of the other six Shrek Seven Devils had all reached the fortieth rank stage.

In Grandmaster's amassed theory, breaking through the bottleneck didn't necessarily require first going to get a spirit ring. Continued cultivation would still accumulate spirit power that would be released when a spirit ring was obtained.

As a result of everyone's spirit power being close, Grandmaster decided that after everyone had reached the fortieth rank they would again go hunt spirit beasts.

Of course, they couldn't wait for Xiao Wu, and as everyone reached the fortieth rank, because she hadn't taken the immortal treasure herb, she was still at the thirty seventh rank and attacking the thirty eighth. To reach the fortieth rank would still require at least another half year.

Tang San had on a few occasions advised Xiao Wu to take the Yearning Heartbroken Red, but Xiao Wu still wasn't willing, and would keep the Yearning Heartbroken Red at her side every day, regarding it as indescribably precious.

But that Yearning Heartbroken Red was also very strange. Without any nutrients or moisture, following at Xiao Wu's side it could unexpectedly absorb the strength of heaven and earth on its own, not only without any signs of wilting, but on the contrary becoming even more brightly colored and alluring, reflecting dazzlingly on Xiao Wu.

That seemingly delicate sprig and petals was even more durable than any metal.

Making people click their tongues in wonder.

In this half year Tang San also completed his agreement with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's financial resources were indeed formidable, in barely half a year they had manufactured the required components, and following Tang San's assembly had completely outfitted the directly related disciples of the school, and furthermore kept some remaining ones stored in reserve.

It was also because he had to spend time on making these things that Tang San's cultivation was slower than Oscar and Zhu Zhuqing, making him the third person to break through the fortieth rank.

In this period of time, there was still one small interlude. After Ning Fengzhi brought back the blueprints he ordered his subordinate craftsmen to manufacture and research them, even using the finished goods to compare. But no matter how they tried, they were still unable to make even one hidden weapon. Even if those finished hidden weapons were dismantled to their components, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School craftsmen still couldn't think of a way to fit them together.

Helplessly, in the end they could only leave the final assembly to Tang San.

Even though this still couldn't be considered a loss to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, it was still somewhat embarrassing for Ning Fengzhi.

How could he know that Tang San used manufacturing skills that had been developed by the Tang Sect over centuries, how couldn't the Tang Sect fear that others would counterfeit the sect's hidden weapons? Everything they manufactured would contain some special skill that only Tang Sects disciples knew, just like a passcode existing for each hidden weapon. As long as no code was leaked by mistake, it would be impossible to reveal the secrets of the hidden weapon making.

This was a major reason why Tang San could completely at ease hand over the blueprints to Ning Fengzhi.

At nightfall, in a rare moment when Tang San wasn't cultivating, sitting in front of the log cabin, leaning against the cottage and gazing up at the points of starlight in the night sky.

As a plant system Spirit Master, his mimicry cultivation naturally had to be made among plants, and the secluded wooden cottage that was originally Liu Erlong's dwelling was considered Tang San's.

Tang San quite liked the environment here. Cultivating here was not only quiet, that fresh and clean air and the fragrance released by the plants was even more what he liked the most.