Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
Guys, I have a request. I'm short on my college sem fees, and if you could donate, that would help me immensely!
paypal.me/Un1que01
I will gift everyone who donates a membership to my patreon equivalent to their donation. I will appreciate your help!
******
Spirit City – Underground Prison
Deep within the underground prison of Spirit City lay a cell—not luxurious, but clean and well-furnished, complete with a bathroom. Inside, a woman resided. Her dark hair was tied up in a neat bun, and she wore simple yet elegant attire. Tall and curvaceous, she possessed a beauty that seemed almost ethereal, her skin smooth as jade.
She was none other than Ah Rou—the transformed human form of the hundred-thousand-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit Queen.
Such a valuable being could hardly be treated like an ordinary prisoner. The true criminals were locked away in cramped cells, mere square meters in size, strewn with filthy straw that had long since rotted, its stench unbearable and likely crawling with insects.
Compared to those, Ah Rou's cell, while far from a city home, was at least superior to a countryside mud hut.
Since sealing her own soul power, she had been imprisoned here by Spirit Hall. Were it not for the lingering thoughts of her loved ones, she might have long since found a way to take her own life, denying Spirit Hall the prize of her hundred-thousand-year spirit ring.
She sighed softly.
"Xiao Wu… you must cultivate well and live on. Don't think about avenging me, Da Ming, or Er Ming."
A long silence followed—then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the corridor. The heavy iron door creaked open.
"It's not mealtime yet," Ah Rou remarked coldly, snapping out of her thoughts. "Or is it finally time to kill me for my spirit ring and bones?"
Her icy gaze swept toward the entrance, but when she saw the pink figure standing there—the one she had longed for day and night—her expression froze. Her voice trembled.
"Xiao Wu…"
The iron chains unlatched, revealing a frail and disheveled Xiao Wu. Bloodstains marred her wrists and ankles, and her eyes carried exhaustion. Yet when she heard that familiar voice, she looked up, her body shaking with emotion.
"Mom! You're alive!"
"Xiao Wu!"
"Mom!"
The mother and daughter embraced tightly, reunited at last within the depths of Spirit Hall's prison.
Xiao Wu buried her face in Ah Rou's chest, sobbing uncontrollably, as though trying to pour out all the pain and suffering she had endured over the past month.
Ah Rou gently patted her back, her voice soothing.
"It's alright now… It's alright."
"Mom, Da Ming and Er Ming… they're dead," Xiao Wu choked out. "My kind godmother, Uncle Tang Hao… Spirit Hall killed them too. And San-ge… they ripped his spirit bones away!"
The more she cried, the harder the tears fell, soaking Ah Rou's chest.
Tears welled up in Ah Rou's own eyes as well. "I know, my child… I know. These past two years have been unbearable for you."
After a long while, Xiao Wu's sobs finally subsided. She lifted her head, her eyes red and puffy.
"Mom… have you been here all this time?"
Ah Rou forced a gentle smile, doing her best to play the role of a mother—to comfort rather than burden.
"Yes, Xiao Wu. Ever since Spirit Hall captured me, I've been imprisoned here."
Xiao Wu glanced around at the modest thirty-square-meter cell. "How have you endured these past two years alone?"
Ah Rou reached out, ruffling Xiao Wu's soft hair.
"At first, it was lonely. But don't forget—I am a hundred-thousand-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit. I've traveled the human world for decades. Whenever I felt isolated, I'd reminisce about the beautiful memories of my past or think about how you were doing out there. Eventually… I got through it."
She wiped the tears from Xiao Wu's cheeks and smiled. "Xiao Wu, tell me about your experiences outside. Cheer me up a little, won't you?"
Xiao Wu sniffled but nodded.
"Okay, Mom."
The two sat together, and as Xiao Wu recounted her journey, the sorrow on her face gradually faded.
---
Papal Hall – Underground Chamber
Sitting cross-legged in meditation, Qian Hancan immersed himself in the study of the Tang Sect's secret arts—techniques obtained from Tang San.
As for the Tang Sect's hidden weapons? He had no intention of sharing that knowledge with either the Star Luo Empire or Spirit Hall. He had erased all of it from his mind within minutes.
After all, wars between the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire were waged with armies of millions. According to Tang San, the Zhuge Divine Crossbow had its maximum lethality within a fifty-meter range, with its power decreasing beyond that. At most, it could remain effective up to eighty meters. But in a battlefield of millions, how much of a difference could such a short range make?
A standard longbow could fire arrows in a straight line up to seventy meters, and even farther in an arc. Soldiers in both empires carried shields and could throw spears over distances of forty meters. In the chaos of mass warfare, the Zhuge Divine Crossbow's range was practically useless.
Furthermore, the crossbow's cost—a staggering 120 gold spirit coins per unit—made it an impractical investment. It could fire only three times before requiring difficult retrieval and reloading. Even if he handed the design to the Star Luo Empire, they would dismiss it as a waste of money. It would never be mass-produced for battlefield use; at most, it might be used to target Spirit Hall's soul masters in skirmishes.
For Spirit Hall, the only things of true value were the Tang Sect's secret techniques, the Poison Scripture, and the training method for the Great Xu Mi Hammer. All of these had been transcribed by his puppet and then securely stored away as top-secret knowledge.
Xuantian Skill, a Daoist cultivation technique, was known for its boundless, self-renewing energy and its ability to cleanse the body, refine the marrow, and assimilate vast external forces.
"This 'assimilating vast external forces' must refer to gathering soul power within the body," Qian Hancan mused. "If Xuantian Skill was really that powerful, then wouldn't Tang San be practically invincible?"
Xuantian Skill was divided into nine levels. At its peak, it could manifest the legendary Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown phenomenon—a dazzling display of power and enlightenment.
"The human body consists of nine primary meridians and countless hidden ones. Each breakthrough in Xuantian Skill opens one of these primary meridians, allowing for stronger soul power circulation, faster recovery, and greater reserves."
After thoroughly analyzing Xuantian Skill, Qian Hancan had to admit—it far surpassed the Angel Meditation Technique he had been practicing.
The Angel Meditation Technique functioned by harnessing the innate power of one's martial spirit, drawing in the ambient spiritual energy of the world, converting it externally into a soul power matching the user's attribute, and then absorbing it.
As a meditation method tailored for the Angel Martial Spirit, its effectiveness was unquestionable. Its cultivation speed was superior to that of most major powers across the continent, and the resulting soul power was purer. However, even it paled in comparison to Xuantian Skill.
After carefully weighing the mechanics of both techniques, Qian Hancan concluded, "The Angel Meditation Technique cultivates soul power through meditation, while Xuantian Skill does so by circulating energy through the meridians and absorbing it via the pores. Since they don't fundamentally conflict, there should be a way to merge them."
"A rare opportunity indeed. The Distraction Control technique I traded to Ning Fengzhi that day… it's finally proving useful."
Closing his eyes, Qian Hancan activated Distraction Control, splitting his focus to explore a method of integrating the Angel Meditation Technique with Xuantian Skill.
---
Inside the Prison
Xiao Wu remained nestled in Ah Rou's embrace, continuing to recount her experiences.
"Uncle Tang Hao gave me the Lovesick Heartbroken Red to conceal my spirit beast aura. After that, I joined San-ge and our friends in the All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament. Despite only having a soul power of 38, I made a name for myself in both team battles and individual matches thanks to my original technique—Eight Stage Drop."
Ah Rou had been listening with a gentle smile, but at Xiao Wu's last sentence, her brows suddenly furrowed.
"Xiao Wu… what did you just say? How strong were you during the tournament?"
(End of Chapter)