Chapter 7: Tang Hao Returns with a Full Load
"You don't need to learn how to make hidden weapons."
"I will prepare all of these. Brother, you just need to remember the technique and be able to use it."
As Tang San spoke, he pulled out a tiny iron needle from somewhere and flashed it in front of Tang Chuan:
"Brother, watch carefully!"
With nimble fingers, the iron needles traced an arc in the air and precisely embedded themselves in the crack in the wood at the corner of the wall. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that three iron needles were inserted side by side, their ends trembling slightly.
"This is called a meteor chasing the moon."
"It can fire three needles at once, it's fast, and it's not easy to spot or dodge..."
Tang Chuan looked at Tang San's serious profile and didn't know what to say.
Tang San was a child who lacked love.
Tang San, who was an orphan in his previous life, valued family ties extremely.
He had previously taught Tang Chuan the techniques from the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, including the Mysterious Heaven Art, Purple Demon Eye, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Mysterious Jade Hand, and Hundred Solutions to Hidden Weapons...
But Tang Chuan was always uninterested at the time, and would only study for a short while before giving up, so Tang San didn't force him.
Actually, he just deliberately didn't study.
He had already secretly memorized these Tang Sect techniques thanks to his enhanced memory after transmigrating, but he couldn't reveal them now.
Right under Tang Hao's nose.
It was undesirable to exhibit any maturity or abnormality beyond one's age.
The unconditional love and support Tang Hao gave him in the early stages were far more important than the little bit of Spirit power he gained from cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Art.
At home, Tang Chuan only needed to play the role of a well-behaved and sensible child.
The real cultivation could begin once he was out of Tang Hao's sight.
After all, how much stronger could one be compared to Tang Hao, a Title Douluo who harbored doubts?
On the contrary, it might arouse suspicion, which was not worth it at all!
"Forget it, brother."
"Those moves are too difficult, I probably can't learn them, and I don't like fighting anyway, so having you protect me is enough."
Tang San saw that Tang Chuan was unwilling to learn, so he didn't force him.
He simply shoved the dictated One Hundred Explanations of Hidden Weapons into Tang Chuan's hands: "Then brother, take this and learn slowly. Ask me anytime if you don't understand anything."
Tang Chuan took the booklet and smiled, "Okay, I will."
Nothing was said that night.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the blacksmith's shop door was suddenly pushed open.
Tang Hao walked in carrying a huge burlap sack, which was still covered in mud and blood.
"Xiao Chuan, come quick!"
Tang Hao looked tired, but couldn't hide his excitement: "Dad brought you something nice!"
He dumped the bag on the ground.
The corpses of various Spirit beasts rolled out and covered the ground.
There was a snow-white fox with smooth fur and gleaming fangs; it was clearly no ordinary Spirit beast.
There was a section of black vine about the thickness of a bowl, with a few purplish-black fruits hanging on it.
There were also some parts that were clearly cut from the Spirit beasts: ribs, legs, strips of meat... steaming hot and covered in blood, clearly cut off not long ago.
"Dad, you're back."
Tang Chuan came out of the inner room upon hearing the sound.
"Yeah, I just got home."
Tang Hao nodded, excitedly pointing to the Spirit beast corpses on the ground and introducing them: "This is an eight-hundred-year-old Ice Fox, this is the hind leg meat of a nine-hundred-thirty-year-old Flame Pig, this is the rib of a five-hundred-year-old Green Wood Deer, this is a two-thousand-three-hundred-year-old Corrupting Heart Vine..."
"And this too!"
"I bought these fruits from an ancient iron-wire vine from a mercenary. Let's call them Iron-Wire Fruits. I don't know if they count as food..."
Tang Hao, as if reciting a familiar story, took out a black ball from his pocket that looked incredibly hard and handed it to Tang Chuan.
"Here!"
"See if you can bite it; if not, then forget it."
As he spoke, Tang Hao squeezed the Iron-Wire Fruit open with his fingers, revealing the equally dark flesh inside. Hmm... if the wire-like thing was the flesh.
Tang Chuan's eyes lit up as he looked at the ingredients.
With the Ingredient Compendium, he could clearly sense that these ingredients were all needed to unlock the compendium.
"Dad, you've worked so hard!"
Tang Chuan quickly stepped forward and wiped the sweat from Tang Hao's face, his tone full of "heartache."
Tang Hao laughed heartily and patted Tang Chuan on the shoulder: "This is nothing!"
"As long as it's useful to you, Dad will do anything!"
"Give it a try!"
"Uh-huh."
"Dad, just record the ingredients and consume them with the Blue Silver Grass. You don't need to eat them yourself."
Tang Chuan nodded, gave an explanation, and after taking the Iron-Wire Fruit, he summoned his Blue Silver Grass Spirit. The white Spirit ring with its yellowed edges lit up at his feet.
"A thousand threads reappear, a hundred flavors emerge."
With a slight movement of Spirit power in his palm, the Blue Silver Grass unfurled, and the unique golden thread in the Spirit ring beneath him suddenly lit up, emitting a strange luster.
Unlike the finer netting weaving last time.
This time, the Blue Silver Grass stems were noticeably thicker, and the edges of the pale blue grass leaves were tinged with a faint golden light, a sign that the golden threads in the Spirit ring had been integrated into the Spirit.
The Blue Silver Grass coiled upwards, completely enveloping the entire Iron-Wire Fruit.
Sizzle.
Amidst the subtle sounds, the golden veins on the Blue Silver Grass leaves glowed faintly, and Tang Chuan could feel a pure and gentle Spirit power flowing into his body.
In just two or three breaths.
The Blue Silver Grass vines loosened, and the Iron-Wire Fruit had disappeared.
Tang Chuan's Blue Silver Grass Spirit appeared even more lustrous and full, and the golden lines in the veins of the leaves seemed to have brightened slightly.
At the same time.
Tang Chuan's mental Ingredient Encyclopedia automatically opened, clearly displaying detailed information about the Iron-Wire Fruit:
[Ingredient: Laminaria Japonica]
[Origin: Star Dou Great Forest]
[Duration: 12,200 years]
[Characteristics: Resilient, rich in pure wood-type Spirit power]
[Effects: Replenishes physical strength, slightly enhances the resilience of Spirits, and long-term, large-volume consumption can improve the quality of plant-type Spirits]
The white part of the Spirit ring beneath Tang Chuan quickly faded, and the pale yellow color deepened at a visible speed.
From light yellow to dark yellow.
Finally, a faint purple halo appeared.
This was a sign of the transition from a hundred-year Spirit ring to a thousand-year Spirit ring!
"This... it's been almost a thousand years?!"
Tang Hao leaned closer, his eyes wide with astonishment as he stared at the Spirit ring, his fingers trembling uncontrollably: "It was only close to a hundred years ago, and after swallowing an Iron-Wire Fruit, it jumped more than seven hundred years?!"
"No wonder it's a Spirit ring bestowed by the gods!"
Tang Hao was overjoyed and pointed to the pile of Spirit beast corpses on the ground, saying, "Xiao Chuan, there are still these!"
His eyes gleamed with excitement; he couldn't wait to see Xiao Chuan possess the number one Spirit ring in ten thousand years.
"Uh-huh!"
Tang Chuan nodded, manipulating the Blue Silver Grass to land on the ground. Its shimmering blue vines continuously moved, reaching out towards the Spirit beast ingredients.
Ice Fox, Corrupted Heart Vine, Anaconda, Shadow Leopard's Hind Leg...
"Wait!"
"Xiao Chuan, wait a minute!"
Tang Hao suddenly spoke up, pointing to a section of dark red beast leg, a piece of pale gold meat, and a whole turquoise rib, saying, "Keep these three!"
"The hind leg meat of the Flame Pig is very tender."
"The tenderloin of the Vajra Bull is the most nourishing among thousand-year-old Spirit beasts, and the ribs of the Green Wood Deer are the best when grilled!"
"These are all high-quality ingredients that Dad specially picked out; it would be a waste not to try them!"
"Since your first Spirit skill can replicate baked food, why don't you bake it and try it?"
[end of the chapter]