Two hours passed, and Xiao Wu told herself that absorbing such a powerful spirit ring would definitely take time.
Four hours passed, and Xiao Wu told herself that it should still be a while.
Six hours passed, and Xiao Wu constantly told herself ‘hurry, hurry’.
Eight hours passed, and the sky gradually darkened. Xiao Wu stood there, looking at the distant mountain peak where Tang San disappeared, in her heart constantly shouting, ‘Ge, why are you still not back?’
Ten hours passed. Night gradually deepened. Tears constantly flowed from Xiao Wu’s eyes, not stopping no matter who came to console her. Right now, in her heart was only one thought, ‘Ge, as long as you can return alive, even if you don’t have the slightest bit of strength, even if you’ve become an ordinary person, or even handicapped, I’ll still be happy. As long as you’re alive.’
Waiting for ten hours was what kind of torture? Not just Xiao Wu, the others also became fretful. If not for Grandmaster stopping them, everyone would already have gone up the mountain to take a look.
Moonlight illuminated the ground, the shining clean brightness making long shadows of all the Shrek Academy people on the ground. Xiao Wu’s heart also gradually became ice cold and despairing, the expectation in her eyes changing in the deathly stillness.
At this moment, suddenly, a clear and resonant long whistle resounded. In the quiet night, the energy in that long whistle was completely clear.
Just like a fuse had been lit, the Shrek Seven Devils simultaneously stood up. A flaming excitement ignited frantically in Xiao Wu’s close to despairing eyes, and she ran recklessly with all her strength towards the mountain.
“Ge, Ge……”
She shouted. Her voice had already become hoarse from crying, she only wanted to be the first to see that fated man.
Yes, that long whistle was Tang San’s. At the mountaintop, Tang San’s slender figure made a long shadow in the moonlight. He didn’t rely on Eight Spider Lances to descend the mountain, but rather leapt up high, Blue Silver Grass forming an umbrella behind him to drop down the mountain.
Two silhouettes, one falling from the sky, one scrambling as if it meant her life, came closer in the radiance of that full moon, closer…...
At last, those two silhouettes met one third of the way up the mountain, two becoming one, tightly clinging to each other on the mountainside, witnessed by the bright moon.
Tang San had become taller, and his muscles also more sturdy. That warm embrace was like a perfect nest, and the moment Xiao Wu threw herself inside, she already completely lost consciousness in satisfaction.
Part 2 (TL by Bagelson)
Even though Xiao Wu had been dosed with Oscar’s recovery sausage and Tang San’s Dragon Zoysia leaf, she still hadn’t harmonized her breath. Ten hours of bitter waiting, if she hadn’t been supported by that last conviction, she would long ago have been unable to endure.
Finally letting her awaited Tang San return, the relaxation of her taut heartstrings finally let her body bring her into unconsciousness out of self preservation.
Folding his arms around Xiao Wu’s slender legs, Tang San held her close. Even though Xiao Wu hadn’t had time to say anything, at this moment how couldn’t he understand what Xiao Wu endured?
This night Tang San held Xiao Wu as she slept, not only didn’t he escape out of embarrassment this time, but he moreover let Xiao Wu rest at his chest all along.
This night Tang San didn’t sleep, his hand from beginning to end massaging the blood flow at Xiao Wu’s back.
This night nobody went to disturb them, just like nobody went to disturb Grandmaster and Liu Erlong.
To the eleven members of the Shrek Academy party, this night wasn’t tranquil. From this night on, the Shrek Seven Devils truly started to transform into powers.
Even though there were twists and turns, at long last they accomplished their objective this time. Early the next morning, after everyone woke from sleep, Flender perhaps afraid of new branches growing from old knots[2], urged everyone to leave the Sunset Forest as soon as possible.
As dean, the heaviest responsibility clearly rested on Flender’s shoulders. Let alone several of these Shrek Seven Devil children having profound backgrounds, even if they didn’t, as dean he still didn’t want to see any one of them suffer any injuries in this dangerous place. Everyone had already obtained their spirit rings, so he would naturally be urgent to immediately leave.
After being treated by Tang San for a night, Xiao Wu had already recovered for the most part. After waking early she didn’t say anything about the events of last night, but her gaze at Tang San was even more reluctant to part.
“Little San, what is your fourth spirit ability? Let us see.”
While leaving the forest, Oscar bumped Tang San’s shoulder with his own.
Tang San smiled slightly, saying:
“It’s nothing much, it’s more or less the same as the ability the Pit Demon Spider used yesterday, with some variations. You really want to see?”
“Of course. You’re the first of us to get a ten thousand year spirit ring, show us.”
Their dialogue also attracted the others’ attention, not just the Shrek Seven Devils, but Grandmaster and Flender and the others also wanted to see just what kind of spirit ability Tang San had received from that Pit Demon Spider.
“Fine.”
Tang San’s eyes revealed a trace of an evil smile. Raising his right hand, deep blue light rushed out from the palm of his hand.
A strand of Blue Silver Grass appeared in Tang San’s palm. Apparently, its thickness wasn’t much different than before, the only difference was its color: the current Blue Silver Grass had unexpectedly turned completely black, giving people a kind of stifling feeling. Most shocking was still those simultaneously appearing four spirit rings.
Two yellow, one purple, one black. Two hundred year, one thousand year, one ten thousand year, four spirit rings revolved around Tang San moving up and down. The spirit rings came out with an incorporeal pressure that immediately made Oscar take several steps back, the expression on Tang San’s body giving people a feeling of impenetrable mystery.
In a moment, that black spirit ring quietly brightened. Compared to the dazzlingly beautiful thousand year spirit ring, the feeling the ten thousand year spirit ring gave was grave and reserved.
Without the slightest warning, sixteen strands of pitch black Blue Silver Grass suddenly rushed out from the ground around Oscar, converging above his head to form a prisoner cage.
As a result of not having made any energy fluctuations, Oscar basically didn’t have any thought of dodging, and further adding the speed with which these sixteen strands of Blue Silver Grass appeared, by the time he reacted this Blue Silver Grass pen was already strong like refined steel.
“This is my fourth spirit ability. Born from the Pit Demon Spider’s spiderweb prisoner cage, since my cage uses Blue Silver Grass, I call it Blue Silver Prison[3].”
Dai Mubai raised his hand to flick that pitch black Blue Silver Grass, causing a sonorous clang. The soft Blue Silver Grass unexpectedly became as solid as steel under the effect of the spirit ability.
Dai Mubai drew a deep breath and released his own spirit with a great roar. White light surging from his right fist, condensed spirit power bombarding one of the sixteen strands of Blue Silver Grass.
With a peng sound, that strand of Blue Silver Grass immediately showed a fine crack, and under Dai Mubai’s next blow it shattered, becoming faint black light and disappearing.
Ma Hongjun frowned:
“This seems very ordinary, apparently it’s not as durable as the Spider Web Restraint. Third brother, is this all there is to a ten thousand year spirit ability?”
“Is that so?”
Tang San’s eyes revealed a strange smile. Black light once again sprung up around him, and in practically a split second, besides he and Xiao Wu, black light appeared underfoot of even Flender, Liu Erlong, Grandmaster and
Zhao Wuji. In just the blink of an eye, another eight Blue Silver Prisons appeared, trapping everyone inside.
Even powers like Flender and Liu Erlong couldn’t dodge when faced with the completely warningless suddenly appearing black Blue Silver Grass, and were instantly trapped. Flender couldn’t keep his expression from changing and involuntarily cried out:
“It’s a crowd control ability. But this isn’t something a control system Spirit Master under the fiftieth rank can possess?”
The capability to control the battlefield with poison the poison Spirit Master Dugu Yan originally showed could also be called a crowd control ability, but compared to the Blue Silver Prison Tang San used, it was practically comparing heaven to underground. What was true crowd control? Only leaving the opponent completely without chance of dodging, instantly locking down each opponent, this could be called crowd control.
One Blue Silver Prison might not count for much when a forty something ranked power attack system Spirit Master like Dai Mubai could rely on his strength to break it. But, breaking through the cage required time, and that time was enough to let the control system Spirit Master’s companions cause a great deal of trouble. Even more, this ten thousand year spirit ability of Tang San’s was a crowd control ability in the true sense of the word. Perhaps its power wasn’t as awesome as the Spider Web Restraint, and also didn’t have the adherence and intense poison, but, the spirit power consumed by each Blue Silver Prison was only a tenth of that of the Spider Web Restraint.
Tang San waved his right hand, and the light of the fourth spirit ring vanished. All the black Blue Silver Grass instantly entered the ground and disappeared unseen, as if they had never been.
In this time’s spirit beast hunt, the one with the greatest bounty was no doubt Tang San. Not only did he obtain this ideal crowd control ability, but at the same time his external spirit bone Eight Spider Lances also obtained its ideal evolution. Relying on a lowest end spirit, not only didn’t he fall behind his companions, but his strength even kept slightly ahead of the Shrek Seven Devils.
Fatty now also came to himself,
“Third brother, can this ability of yours coordinate with mine?”
Tang San smiled:
“Of course it can. Blue Silver Prison can be considered a first move control ability, while that Phoenix Cry Heaven Strike of yours contains a finishing move control ability. As long as they can be used flexibly, they can naturally display our most powerful attack power.”
Flender somewhat pondering said:
“I think, giving them the assignment to become champions was a bit easy. Even as the founder of Shrek Academy, I feel the power of this group of little monsters is a bit abnormal.”
Liu Erlong let a laugh escape, saying:
“Come on, you’re sighing too hard. Are you still bragging about yourself?”
Flender feigned anger:
“Well, Erlong. I just helped you fulfill your wishes and you at once answer me like that. You’re lucky your old brother is good to you.”
Liu Erlong smiled without speaking, hugging Grandmaster’s arm tightly.
After obtaining the fourth spirit abilities, the Shrek Seven Devils’ strength had once again made a qualitative leap.
Evil Eye White Tiger Dai Mubai, forty fourth rank power attack system Battle Spirit Ancestor, two yellow and two purple spirit rings, four great spirit abilities separately were: White Tiger Barrier, White Tiger Light Wave, White Tiger Vajra Transformation, White Tiger Meteor Shower.
Sausage Monopoly Oscar, forty first rank food system Tool Spirit Ancestor, two yellow and two purple spirit rings, four great spirit abilities separately were: Big Recovery Sausage, Small Detoxifying Sausage, Swift Flight Mushroom Sausage, Stimulating Pink Sausage.
Thousand Hands Asura Tang San, forty first ranked control system Battle Spirit Ancestor, two yellow, one purple and one black spirit rings, four great spirit abilities separately were: Binding, Parasite, Spider Web Restraint, Blue Silver Prison.
Evil Fire Phoenix Ma Hongjun, forty first ranked power attack system Battle Spirit Ancestor, two yellow and two purple spirit rings, four great spirit abilities separately were: Phoenix Fire Wire, Bathing Fire Phoenix, Phoenix Ascension, Phoenix Cry Sky Strike.
Soft Boned Demon Rabbit Xiao Wu, thirty seventh ranked power attack system Battle Spirit Elder, two yellow and one purple spirit rings, three spirit abilities separately were: Waist Bow, Demon Confusion, Teleportation.
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Ning Rongrong, forty first ranked auxiliary system Tool Spirit Ancestor, two yellow and two purple spirit rings, four great spirit abilities separately were: Strength Amplification, Agility Amplification, Spirit Power Amplification, Defense Amplification.
Hell Civet Zhu Zhuqing, forty first ranked agility attack system Spirit Ancestor, two yellow and two purple spirit rings, four great spirit abilities separately were: Hell Thrust, Hell Hundred Claws, Hell Decapitation, Hell Shadow Doppelgänger.
Besides Xiao Wu, the other six had completely climbed the fortieth rank threshold. Dai Mubai had even reached a terrifying forty fourth ranked spirit power at the age of seventeen.
There were no accidents on the return trip, and the party of eleven smoothly returned to Shrek Academy. By now there were only five days until the start of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament preliminaries.
Grandmaster gave the Shrek Seven Devils one day of rest, and early the next morning had them gather in the forest behind the teaching block for their final training.
Part 3 (TL by Fraustarrow)
What was worth mentioning was, to prevent Shrek’s Seven Devils from having not enough people due to injuries in future battles, Tai Long, who was rank thirty-eight and had the Vigorous Orangutan Spirit, was temporarily recruited into the team. Others that were recruited were three rank thirty five advanced class Spirit Masters as reserve team members for the Shrek Seven Devils.
The latter four recruits, other than Tai Long, were each:
Rank thirty five power attack system Battle Spirit Elder, Huang Yuan[4], Male, Spirit: Lone Wolf. Spirit Rings: Two yellow one purple.
Rank thirty five agility attack system Battle Spirit Elder, Jing Ling[5], Male, Spirit: Skeleton. Spirit Rings: Two yellow one purple
Rank thirty five healing system Tool Spirit Master, Jiang Zhu[6], Female, Spirit: Healing Scepter. Spirit Rings: Two yellow one purple
Before the Shrek Seven Devils came, or perhaps before the academy became Shrek Academy, Tai Long and those three were all part of the main force for this year’s Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament, educated by Liu Er Long herself, the elites of the academy. If not for this tournament, with their capabilities, they could’ve graduated ages ago.
As for being Shrek Seven Devil’s substitutes, none of them had any complaints. After seeing Tang San destroying rank fifty eight Strength Type Spirit King Tai Nuo, who would have complaints about them? Even though the youngest of the four, Jiang Zhu, was already nineteen.
Grandmaster, Flender, and Liu Er Long, after discussing, recruited those four into the academy team. Their plan was simple, to switch out the Shrek Seven Devils sometimes in the easier battles to lessen their exhaustion.
The Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament wasn’t only a fight between Spirit Master Academies. It is a major event in the entire Spirit Master world. From the preliminaries, to the promotion stage, and to the Final Stage, it would be three months in total. In this long period of time, who could say the Shrek Seven Devils wouldn’t accidentally get hurt and lose the ability to continue?
Because there had to be at least seven spirit master’s cooperating, every match the academy had to send at least seven people up, having a certain number of hands for the roster was essential.
“Everyone sit.”
Grandmaster waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to sit where they were. Possibly because of the solving of his dilemma, Grandmaster’s face was rosier than normal.
The Shrek Seven Devils and
the four substitutes all sat in a circle around Grandmaster, quietly listening to his explanations.
“In a few more days, The Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament will commence. I will tell you the rules today.”
As he spoke, he kicked the drowsy Ma Hongjun’s butt. He didn’t look at him and continued:
“Don’t object, rules are rules, and they might be exploited for advantage. Strength is important in the competition, but you must also clearly understand the rules. Otherwise, it’s very possible that others might use them against you.”
After getting kicked by Grandmaster, Fatty stuck his tongue out and didn’t dare to be neglectful anymore. His little eyes brightened just as he saw Jiang Zhu on the opposite side of him.
Jiang Zhu, nineteen years old, was a few years older than the Shrek Seven Devils. One meter sixty five tall, her maroon hair was very unique. A soft look, though not as eye-catching as Zhu Zhuqinq, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong, but was definitely still a beauty. What most attracted Fatty’s eyes was her ripe body. Everywhere that should be round wasn't flat. Fatty didn’t notice before, but now he instantly had a problem sitting still.
Though he solved his evil fire problems, he had been to the brothels already and was fully aware of the birds and the bees; he was more knowledgeable about it than some adults. Yet in Shrek Seven Devils, he was the only one by himself. The rest were all couples, so how could Fatty not be envious?
Jiang Zhu naturally noticed Ma Hongjun looking at her. She blinked her eyes and smiled warmly, examining the only one of Shrek’s Seven Devils with an abnormal body type.
The Academy’s students didn’t have much time with Shrek’s Seven Devils, so in Jiang Zhu’s eyes, the only fourteen Ma Hongjun was but a chubby little brother, with a cute big head and ears. How would she know Fatty’s brain was full of vulgar thoughts. Grandmaster continued:
“The Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament is hosted by Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires’ royal families, assisted by Spirit Hall. It is the greatest Spirit Fight and the participants are only weaker than the Spirit Hall elite selection. In the rules, there are a few that still need obeying. First of all, all participants must be under twenty five and every team must ensure there are seven every match. Second, the matches are only friendly interactions, so try to refrain from hurting or crippling your opponents. Deaths are definitely not allowed, and once it happens, not only does the school have to pay for the losses, but they will also be disqualified.”
Douluo Dalu - Volume 01-48 Page 160