Inside the laboratory.
At this moment, Niu Tian and Titan were still waiting anxiously.
Since a certain someone had carried Wang Dong'er away and vanished, they had been waiting here for over a day.
Titan had grown impatient several times, but he was forcibly held back by Niu Tian every time.
Titan's face was full of irritation as he paced back and forth in the lab. After a long while, he couldn't help but speak up again: "Big Brother, are we really just going to sit here and wait? That guy—"
A spatial portal suddenly expanded, cutting Titan's words short.
Wang Dong'er emerged from the portal, muttering words like "scumbag," "bastard," and "die a horrible death" under her breath. She looked as if she might summon the Clear Sky Hammer to smash someone at any second.
Glancing left and right, Wang Dong'er's gaze landed straight on Niu Tian and Titan.
"First Uncle, Second Uncle, let's go! I don't want to stay in this wretched place for another second!"
Wang Dong'er spoke through gritted teeth. Like someone who had been deceived by a scumbag and then finally saw his true colors, she turned to leave without hesitation.
Seeing this, Titan hurried to catch up:
"Dong'er... Dong'er! Dong'er, are you alright? Did that guy do anything to you? Did he wrong you? And..."
"I'm fine!" Wang Dong'er replied, her words contradicting her feelings, though her pace quickened significantly.
As their voices faded into the distance, Niu Tian did not follow immediately. Instead, he turned to look at Huo Yuhao, who had just stepped out of the spatial portal.
"Tower Master Yu..."
"Rest assured, I have completely repaired the soul of the Young Sect Master. However, she may experience intermittent emotional fluctuations for a period of time; this is a normal phenomenon. Sect Master Niu need not worry."
"Is that so..." Niu Tian hesitated.
Instinct told him things weren't that simple. After all, his Dong'er's appearance just now could hardly be explained by mere "emotional fluctuations."
Still, at least Dong'er appeared to be unharmed.
Niu Tian nodded and bowed slightly. "Many thanks to Tower Master Yu for reaching out to save her."
"No need."
Just marry Dong'er to me.
Huo Yuhao added that last part silently in his mind as he watched Niu Tian depart.
It wasn't until he was once again the only one left in the lab that Huo Yuhao sighed softly.
Although he had guessed the potential consequences of coming clean, he still chose to be honest. After all, escape is never a solution; avoidance only allows things to spiral further.
Now, he could only wait for Dong'er to calm down and take things one step at a time...
Huo Yuhao sighed again. He then collected his thoughts, intending to return to the Spectral Demiplane to calm himself with experimental research. However, after only a few steps, he paused, his expression turning into one of surprise.
"Tang San... how unexpected."
Huo Yuhao's eyes brightened slightly.
As expected of the Tang Buddha. Just as he was in a bad mood, the Tang Buddha immediately brought him good news. What a great guy!
...
Meanwhile, at the Golden Ancient Tree.
At this moment, Tang San was sitting cross-legged in a room within the Golden Ancient Tree.
Light and life energy, so dense they were nearly tangible, surged frantically into his body under his guidance.
The Eight Spider Lances armor already covered his entire body. Driven by his emotions, Tang San's will was currently rock-solid. He had only one thought in his mind: break through to Level 50 and absorb a 100,000-Year Soul Ring!
That's right, Level 50!
A few days ago, using his authority at Shrek Academy, he had purchased five consecutive 10,000-year-level Soul Rings from the Spirit Transmission Pagoda!
First, he had attached a 10,000-year ring with poison attributes to his Blue Silver King Martial Soul.
This 10,000-Year Soul Ring not only pushed his cultivation to Level 42 but also significantly enhanced his physical constitution.
Therefore, without hesitation, Tang San continued to absorb even higher-level 10,000-Year Soul Rings to attach to his Sky-Shattering Hammer!
With each ring absorbed, Tang San's cultivation and physical fitness jumped by a massive margin. The fourth Soul Ring he attached to his Sky-Shattering Hammer Martial Soul had already reached the 30,000-year level!
Furthermore, his cultivation had successfully jumped from having just broken through to Soul Ancestor all the way to Level 49!
However, being only one step away from Level 50—becoming a Soul King and absorbing a 100,000-Year Soul Ring—how could Tang San be satisfied?
Thus, Tang San decided to have his mother, Ah Yin, use the Origin power of the Golden Ancient Tree to help him quickly reach Level 50!
Time passed slowly. Suddenly, at a certain moment, Tang San snapped his eyes open, a sharp light erupting from his pupils!
He... was Level 50!
A twisted excitement blossomed on Tang San's face. Without any hesitation, he immediately utilized what little Divine Consciousness remained in his mind to contact his mother, Ah Yin.
Before long, Tang San received a response.
In the next instant, the entire Golden Ancient Tree erupted with a golden-yellow radiance. A unique fluctuation of Soul Power swept through the entire tree in a flash!
At this moment, every existence at the Titled Douluo level or above within Shrek City felt the abnormal movement of the Golden Ancient Tree.
In particular, Xuan Zi, Yan Shaozhe, and others who were sequestered within the tree immediately locked onto the center of the disturbance.
"That's... Tang San?! Why is it him? Elder Xuan?"
Yan Shaozhe turned to look at Xuan Zi, only to see the latter's brow furrowed deeply. "I don't know either. Why would this kid suddenly cause this while cultivating... wait, how did his cultivation suddenly jump to Level 50?!"
Xuan Zi was filled with shock and suspicion. If he remembered correctly, wasn't this kid Tang San just at Level 40 a few days ago?! How did he get to Level 50? Is he using cheats?!
"This appears to be a Soul Beast sacrifice."
Mu En's voice came from the side, his usually kind face taking on a look of gravity.
As the Dean of Shrek and the Master of the Sea God Pavilion, Mu En was privy to some historical secrets.
The strange fluctuations currently emitted by the Golden Ancient Tree were exactly the same as the Soul Beast sacrifice recorded in a confidential Shrek ancient text!
Silently, Mu En spoke:
"Once a Soul Beast sacrifice begins, it cannot be reversed. Xuan Zi, Shaozhe, immediately seal off the surrounding area. Do not let anyone approach!"
"Yes, Elder Mu/Teacher."
Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe released their respective auras and summoned the Shrek Titled Douluo to completely blockade the area around the Golden Ancient Tree.
Mu En's gaze pierced through the tree to look at Tang San inside.
Tang San... Tang San? Tang San!
In Shrek's records, this Golden Ancient Tree was personally planted by the ancestor Tang San.
And now, the Golden Ancient Tree had actually chosen this boy with the same name as the ancestor to be the recipient of a sacrifice. Was there some hidden truth behind this?
Mu En had his suspicions, but he didn't dare be certain.
However, there was one thing Mu En knew: if this Tang San truly obtained a 100,000-Year Soul Ring for his fifth ring... then his future would be immeasurable!