Six Years Later
Time flows like a river, never stopping for anyone. In the blink of an eye, six years had passed since the day we were taken in by Grandpa Xuan and became disciples of the Sea God Pavilion. Life at Shrek Academy had been anything but ordinary.
Over the years, my strength had grown beyond expectations, and so had Tang Ya's and Nannan's. Under the tutelage of Grandpa Xuan and the guidance of Elder Mu, we had all undergone rigorous training, pushing our limits daily.
Having experienced all the drawbacks of cultivating too fast. Grandpa Xuan, alongside Elder Mu and the other Sea God Pavilion Elders, made sure we didn't rush our cultivation. Instead, we built a solid foundation, focusing on body refinement and soul power efficiency. This training would give us a significant advantage in later stages, allowing us to fight stronger opponents without exhausting ourselves too quickly.
Training, Growth, and Bonds
The past six years weren't just about getting stronger—we forged deep bonds. Grandpa Xuan, true to his word, treated us as his grandchildren, spoiling us when needed but also pushing us beyond our limits in training.
We also made friends with Senior Brother Beibei who was taken in by Elder Mu En his Great-great-grandfather, and Senior sister Ma Xiaotao who was a descendant of Ma Hongjun inheriting his Evil Fire Phoenix martial spirit. She was the disciple of Elder Yan Shaozhe who is the current Dean of Shrek Academy.
The Sea God Pavilion elders monitored my progress closely, and Elder Mu in particular saw great potential in my Heavens Gate. He helped me refine my cultivation techniques, ensuring that I could maximize my contracted beasts' potential while keeping my abilities hidden from outsiders.
Tang Ya had completely embraced her role as the successor of the Blue Silver Emperor lineage, and without the devouring curse of the Evil Soul Master path, she flourished. Her control over plants became incredibly refined, and her spirit power growth speed surpassed most in our age group. She was the first to reach Level 30 among us, but Grandpa Xuan decided that Tang Ya's physical strength needed to be further improved before she could add her 3rd spirit ring.
Nannan, on the other hand, had honed her body to perfection. The Vigorous Vajra Rabbit's path had transformed her into a speed-based powerhouse with terrifying explosive strength, making her a deadly melee combatant. Her physical strength was approved by Grandpa Xuan and he personally took her to the forest to hunt her 3rd spirit ring. Making her the first to officially cross level 30.
As for me, the Elders decided that I need to find only rare type soul beast with unique abilities for my spirit rings. That is why I currently only have two purple spirit rings.
The First Spirit Ring was initially a hundred-year-old spirit ring that came from a rare Crystal Armored Beast with the same skill as that of an Evil Spirit Orca King to crystallize water or air, or even the body and blood of an opponent. Unless the opponent is strong enough to resist if the crystal shatters they will shatter too. Since my spirit ring is still a thousand years old right now I can't shatter the contents within it. I mainly use crystallization to defend and attack in the form of walls and weapons made from crystals.
The Second Spirit Ring comes from an even more rare beast with a Dark/Shadow attribute that just became a thousand-year-old Shadow Dragon soul beast. The Skill that I gained is shadow/dark matter manipulation just like Ling Ying's skill from Battle Through The Heavens. It also granted me the ability to Shadow Travel.
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Status:
Name: Tang Xiao / Chen Tian / Xiao Tian (Alias)
Age: 12
Martial Spirits:
Seven Kill Sword - Weapon (No spirit rings)
Clear Sky Hammer - Weapon (No spirit rings)
Heavens Gate - Exclusive living sub-space world that grows with the addition of spirit rings. Functions like a monster ranch. Each monster starts cultivating from 0 years old and grows stronger by consuming others and natural treasures. The Host gains an ability when first obtaining a spirit ring and additional abilities as the contracted soul beasts cultivate. (2 spirit rings)
Cultivation:
Soul Power: Rank 30 (Peak Soul Grand Master)
Soul Rings:
1st Ring - 7000-year Crystal Armored Beast (Defense, Crystal Manipulation)
2nd Ring - 5000-year Shadow Dragon (Dark/Shadow element manipulation, Telekinetic Control of Weapons made from Darkness/Shadows)
Notable Beasts in Heavens Gate:
Shadow Dragon (Grown to 5,000 years from 1,000 years)
Crystal Armored Beast (Grown to 7,000 years from 600 years)
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Tang Ya and Nannan had also grown immensely.
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Tang Ya (Age: 12)
Martial Spirit: Blue Silver Emperor
Soul Power: Rank 30 (Peak Soul Grand Master)
Soul Rings:
1st Ring - 800-year Silver Vine Serpent (Bind, Increased Durability)
2nd Ring - 2000-year Spirit Devouring Flower (Energy Absorption, Parasite)
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Jiang Nannan (Age: 12)
Martial Spirit: Vigorous Vajra Rabbit
Soul Power: Rank 33 (Soul Venerable)
Soul Rings:
1st Ring - 900-year Ironhide Rabbit (Invincible Body Defense, Speed Boost)
2nd Ring - 2100-year Earth Dragon Bear(Vigorous Vajra Fist, Strength Boost)
3rd Ring - 6800-year Thunderclap Leopard (Teleportation, Increased Agility)
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It had been months since Tang Ya reached Rank 30, and Grandpa Xuan finally gave her permission to acquire her third soul ring. With our formal entrance into Shrek Academy's Outer Court approaching, he decided to send the three of us on this mission alone.
"This is a lesson for you," Grandpa Xuan told us, his usual casual demeanor hiding a trace of seriousness. "I won't always be around to protect you. Find the right soul beast, defeat it, and take its ring."
That was how we found ourselves preparing to leave Sea God Island the next morning.
The Academy buzzed with excitement—today marked the end of the semester, and students were preparing to return home for a month. Next month, the Shrek Entrance Exam will begin, officially kicking off our journey at Shrek Academy.
As I stood lost in thought, I suddenly felt a tug on my sleeve.
"Come on, slowpoke!" Tang Ya grinned, practically bouncing with excitement. "We're going to the Star Dou Forest!"
I chuckled as she dragged me forward, her excitement contagious. Beside me, Nannan ran ahead, her laughter ringing through the air. She had changed so much from her original story counterpart—no longer the reserved and soft-spoken girl, but a confident and energetic fighter.
With determination burning in our hearts, we set off toward the legendary Star DouForest.