The golden morning sun rose over Shrek Academy. The air was fresh with the scent of dew-kissed grass, and faint traces of mist floated through the training grounds. Students began their routines—some meditating, some practicing techniques, some simply enjoying the calm before the storm of lessons. But within the stillness, one presence remained utterly distinct.
Tang San stood beneath a tree at the edge of the training field, his eyes calm but deep. Since entering Shrek Academy, he had remained low-key, not revealing much of his true strength. The second spirit ring had settled completely within him. The 760-year-old spirit fox ring had not only boosted his Blue Silver Grass's control and illusion capabilities, it also awakened a passive technique: Fox Veil—a cloak of spirit energy that subtly distorted his presence, making it harder to read or detect him in combat.
But the real gain was the Fox Emperor Bone, which fused more deeply into him by the day.
Although it was a soul bone of only 700 years, the spirit refinement method he practiced—blood refinement—allowed its potential to grow subtly. Each battle, each drop of spilled spirit beast blood, slowly tempered the bone, making it evolve.
More than that, it had given birth to the Nine Fox Seeds, a soul-bound ability that allowed him to plant seeds into high-level fox-type spirit beasts. Six had already been claimed—five loyal male fox spirits and one female fox, now in human form. They were powerful subordinates, each with two carefully selected spirit rings.
And now, they were his shadows in the business world, running rare resource trades across several border towns. It was a small but growing network, and one that generated enough materials for him to start designing hidden weapons infused with spirit power.
Still, he showed none of this in front of the other students.
To his peers, Tang San was calm, talented, respectful—perhaps a little distant. But no one suspected just how far ahead he was. No one, except maybe Xiao Wu.
That morning, she walked over to him, eyes soft and curious.
"You're still up so early, Tang San?"
He turned, a gentle smile on his lips. "It's peaceful here in the morning. And it helps with cultivation."
She stepped closer, a bit hesitantly. "You've changed. Since we joined Shrek… you're stronger, quieter. You don't even spar with the others anymore."
Tang San met her eyes, and for a moment, his mask thinned. "Xiao Wu, the world we're in… it rewards those who prepare in silence. I want to protect the things I care about. And for that, I need strength."
Her face turned a little red, but she nodded. "Then let me spar with you! Just a little. It's been so long."
He hesitated. But eventually nodded. "Alright. But I won't go all out."
The two moved to a training platform. Several students turned to watch. A match between Tang San and Xiao Wu was always interesting. Both were top contenders in their age group.
The fight began with a gentle clash—Xiao Wu's Teleportation and Waist Bind came swiftly, flowing like water. But Tang San countered with elegant precision. His Blue Silver Grass wasn't just vines—it moved like living blades, sharp, spiraling, twisting with illusionary mirage.
Within minutes, he had the upper hand, but his control was such that he never hurt her.
As the battle slowed and Xiao Wu landed lightly in front of him, panting, she looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "You've really become terrifying, you know that?"
Tang San smiled faintly. "I'm not terrifying, Xiao Wu. I'm careful."
The moment hung between them—an emotion unsaid, but present.
Just then, Grandmaster arrived, expression unreadable.
"Tang San, I want you to come with me later. There's a group of spirit beasts that need to be culled from a nearby forest. I think it's time you gain real combat experience. Not duels—life and death."
Tang San nodded without hesitation. "I'm ready."
—
Later that Day – Near Star Dou Forest
Grandmaster had arranged the mission subtly. A nest of low-level spirit beasts had been disturbing local trade routes. It wasn't anything dangerous for someone like Tang San, but it would serve as a real battlefield—a place where instinct, decision-making, and efficiency mattered.
Tang San entered the thickets alone. Grandmaster stayed behind, observing from afar.
Within the forest, Tang San moved like a shadow. His Fox Veil helped mask his presence as he engaged spirit beast after spirit beast. They weren't strong—most under 400 years—but Tang San did not underestimate any of them.
He practiced using his second ring's new ability: Spirit Mirage, an illusion field that disrupted the enemy's sense of space. Against beasts, it was almost cruel. They would charge into nothingness or trap themselves in a web of illusion while his Blue Silver Grass bound and crushed them.
After each kill, he used a tiny part of their blood essence in his Blood Refinement Technique, not drawing attention from the heavens due to its small scale. But bit by bit, his body grew tougher—denser muscles, faster reflexes, slightly sharper vision.
This was growth not from rings, but from grind.
By the end of the mission, twenty-three beasts had fallen. Tang San hadn't even broken a sweat.
Grandmaster looked at him as he returned. "You used less than 40% of your true power. Why?"
Tang San looked forward. "Because I haven't needed the rest. Yet."
Grandmaster paused, then chuckled. "You'll go far, Tang San. Just be careful not to become too cold."
That night, Tang San meditated under the moonlight. Within his body, the soul bone pulsed faintly. The fox spirits in his network sent reports—rare herbs had been acquired, a spirit metal shipment secured.
He was growing on every front.
And in his heart, he knew—Shrek Academy was just a stepping stone. The road to defying fate was long, but he was already walking it, silent and deadly.
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End of Chapter 32