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A semester passed quickly, and before anyone knew it, it was time for the holidays. The Noding Academy campus was still lush and green, with young students packing their bags in pairs and groups, ready to head home.
Inside the dormitory, Xiao Wu lay on her bed, a lollipop in her mouth. She stared out the window with a slightly sad expression.
Tang San walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. "Xiao Wu," he said softly, "It's been a whole semester. Are you still not going home to see your family?"
Her expression darkened for a moment, and she pouted. "No, I'm staying at the Academy."
Tang San was surprised. "Don't you miss home?"
Xiao Wu shook her head, a flash of loneliness in her eyes. "I don't have a home, so there's nowhere for me to go back to."
Tang San opened his mouth to comfort her, but then Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "Little San," she giggled, "Isn't your home not far from the Academy? How about I come with you?"
Tang San was caught off guard by her sudden change in mood, but he smiled and nodded. "Okay, we'll go back together."
After he agreed, he suddenly remembered something and turned to walk toward Tang Chuan, who was cultivating on the other side of the room.
Tang Chuan was sitting cross-legged, his spirit power flowing slowly around him. His expression was calm and composed.
"Brother," Tang San called out softly.
Tang Chuan slowly opened his eyes, a flash of blue-gold light appearing and then fading. "What is it?" he asked.
Tang San smiled. "The holidays are here. I'm planning to go back to Saint Spirit Village with Xiao Wu. Do you want to come? We haven't seen Father in a long time."
Tang Chuan paused, then gently shook his head. "No," he said, "My spirit power just broke through to Rank 10. My teacher at the Academy said he would take me to the Soul Hunting Forest to get my first spirit ring. I'm afraid I'll miss the chance."
His voice was flat, without any emotion. 'Go back to Saint Spirit Village? Tang Hao left the village long ago. And even if he was there, why would I go see him?' he thought to himself.
When Tang San heard that his brother's spirit power had reached Rank 10, he was stunned. Disbelief filled his eyes.
"Brother, what did you say? Your spirit power... it reached Rank 10?"
Tang Chuan nodded.
Tang San frowned, his face filled with surprise and doubt. "But the teacher said your innate spirit power was only Rank 1. He said it might take three to five years of cultivating to even reach Rank 10. How could you get to this level in just one semester?"
Tang Chuan smiled faintly, his tone neither warm nor cold. "Maybe I'm just lucky. The back mountain's environment is good for cultivating my Blue Silver Grass, and I've been meditating diligently, just like the teachers said." He added, "Sometimes, when you focus too much on talent, you forget how important hard work is."
Tang San went silent, his expression complex. Although he didn't want to doubt his brother, Tang Chuan's changes were too startling. His temperament, his physique, and even his eyes had a calmness and sharpness that made him hard to understand.
"Brother..." Tang San still wanted to ask something, but in the end, he closed his mouth. He only whispered, "You have to be careful. The Soul Hunting Forest is dangerous. Even with a teacher from the Academy, you can't be careless."
"I know," Tang Chuan nodded, looking into the distance. "You be careful on your way back to Saint Spirit Village, too."
Tang San took a deep breath and nodded firmly.
...
Half a day later, the main gate of Noding Academy was deserted. Most of the students had already left for home. Only a few teachers and staff members remained on the vast campus.
Tang Chuan didn't stay either. He packed his bags early and quietly left the Academy without telling anyone where he was going. He walked toward the familiar market and stopped in front of an old carriage shop, just as he had when he first arrived. He skillfully rented a simple carriage and hired an old coachman. Everything seemed normal, and he didn't attract any attention.
As he sat inside the carriage, watching the trees and fields quickly pass by, Tang Chuan's heart was already filled with anticipation.
'My spirit power has already reached Rank 20,' he thought, his eyes focused on the distance. 'As soon as I absorb a spirit ring, I can instantly break through to the next level.'
He wasn't worried that the spirit power he had accumulated from his meditation would be wasted. Meditation was a way to store spirit power. He only needed to get his second spirit ring, and all the spirit power he had saved up would be released to boost his rank. The only problem was choosing the right second spirit ring.
During the short holidays at the Academy, Tang Chuan had secretly gone to the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest twice to search for a spirit beast, but he hadn't found a suitable one. He was looking for a thousand-year Emerald Swan.
'This time, I can't come back empty-handed,' Tang Chuan thought.
The Emerald Swan was an extremely rare spirit beast, even in the vast Star Dou Great Forest. It was not a plant-type spirit beast, but it possessed what Tang Chuan needed most: vitality. It was the most powerful life-attribute healing-type spirit beast in nature, with the purest life force condensed in its body. If he could hunt it and absorb its spirit ring, it would not only strengthen his Blue Silver Grass's vitality but also greatly enhance its healing, regeneration, and other abilities.
'Although the Emerald Swan isn't a plant, my Blue Silver Grass has never rejected spirit rings from animals or plants,' Tang Chuan thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. 'As long as it's life-attribute, I can use it.'
However, the Emerald Swan was even rarer than the Illusionary Hidden Flower and was incredibly sensitive. If it sensed any killing intent, it would instantly flee into the deep parts of the forest, making it almost impossible to approach again.
Thinking of this, Tang Chuan's lips curled into a cold smile.
'But luckily, my first spirit ability does more than just simulate an appearance. It can also perform spatial distortion, aura shielding, and spirit disguise through mental fluctuations. This gives me a nearly perfect stealth ability. If I can mimic a similar spirit beast, then get close to the Emerald Swan's habitat and launch a surprise fatal blow...'
'In that case, the chance of success might be higher than I thought.'
...
At the same time, inside the Noding Elementary Spirit Master Academy, Grandmaster was reading in his room. Tang San had gone home, and Grandmaster felt a sense of emptiness. Even this morning, when Tang San left, Grandmaster had debated whether he should go visit Tang San's home.
Just then, a low knock sounded.
"Thump, thump, thump."
The sound wasn't heavy, but it had a certain powerful rhythm. Grandmaster's brow twitched. He put down his book and mumbled, "Little San has already left. Who could it be at this hour?"
He slowly stood up, walked to the door, and said in a steady voice, "Please come in."
The door was pushed open gently, and a tall figure appeared in the doorway. The person wore a gray robe with the hood pulled down, hiding their face in the shadows. Their build was strong, but their aura was completely restrained.