He spun around abruptly, the muddy eyes that had been numbed by years of alcohol suddenly exploding with a terrifying and sharp brilliance in this moment, pinning his gaze dead onto "his" left hand!
Like an awakened, furious lion, he lunged forward. A pair of rough, powerful hands covered in thick calluses and burn scars clamped down on "his" frail shoulders like iron pincers. The immense strength was felt so vividly by the possessing Tang San that it felt as though the bones were about to be crushed.
"Twin Martial Souls... It's actually Twin Martial Souls!"
His father's voice was hoarse and trembling, filled with an incredibly complex mixture of emotions that Tang San had never heard from him before. There was shock, reminiscence, bone-deep pain, and an almost frenzied excitement.
"Remember!"
Tang Hao's gaze burned like a blazing fire, as if he wanted to brand these words into the very depths of "his" soul:
"You must use the hammer in your left hand to protect the grass in your right hand!"
These words carried a heavy, undeniable sense of destiny that seemed to stem from their very bloodline. Like the tolling of a massive bell, they struck fiercely into the heart of the possessing Tang San.
'Father... cares this much! What on earth do this hammer and this grass represent to evoke such a violent reaction from him?' A massive wave of shock and mystery enveloped him.
The scene shifted.
Under the guidance of Old Jack, the village chief, "he" arrived at Nuoding City and entered a place called "Nuoding Academy."
Here, he met a middle-aged man with a gloomy disposition who wore black-rimmed glasses, named Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang recognized his Twin Martial Souls at a glance and won him over with his vast erudition, leading "him" to formally acknowledge the man as his master.
In the simulation, the development path Yu Xiaogang planned for his Blue Silver Grass centered fundamentally around "control," with "poison" chosen as the primary attribute to add.
He didn't find any issue with this point. After all, for a disciple of the Tang Sect, poison was the very foundation of their survival!
'These theories... though unfamiliar, seem capable of explaining certain phenomena.'
The possessing Tang San also listened carefully, feeling curious about this new knowledge and beginning to establish a preliminary sliver of trust in this "teacher."
However, that trust was soon put to the test. Yu Xiaogang led "him" into an ancient forest, the Spirit Hunting Forest, to hunt for what was called a "First Spirit Ring."
Their target was a spirit beast known as the "Century Datura Snake." The snake was exceptionally fast and violently venomous.
In actual combat, Yu Xiaogang's utter powerlessness was fully exposed.
His Martial Soul, named "Luo Sanpao," had a pathetic attack capability, and the flatulence it released was almost entirely useless apart from being rather foul-smelling.
Faced with the fierce attacks of the Datura Snake, Yu Xiaogang's tactical command appeared sluggish and clumsy. His multiple errors in judgment and delayed reactions not only failed to effectively pin down the spirit beast, but instead plunged "him" into even greater danger.
Ultimately, it was by relying on his Mysterious Jade Hand, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, and the sleeve darts prepared in secret that "he" managed to slay it, narrowly escaping with his life.
'This teacher...'
Watching Yu Xiaogang's disheveled state and helplessness in actual combat, the possessing Tang San felt the doubts in his heart deepen.
'He seems to only understand things from books. When it comes to real combat, he falls far too short.'
The process of absorbing the yellow halo--the Spirit Ring--formed from the Datura Snake's energy went quite smoothly.
Once completed, he felt that the Blue Silver Grass had noticeably become much tougher, and it carried a toxin capable of paralyzing the nerves.
'Poison?'
Hailing from the Tang Sect, he felt no aversion to this. On the contrary, he found it to be a rather practical ability.
In the days that followed, "he" cultivated diligently at the academy, practicing that energy known as "Spirit Power," which he felt was very similar to the internal strength of the Mysterious Heaven Skill. He also became friends with a lively girl named Xiao Wu.
She would always call him "Xiao San, Xiao San," showing her kindness to "him" without any concealment. They studied together, ate together, and played around the academy together.
That pure, warm companionship was something the possessing Tang San had rarely experienced across both of his lifetimes, causing a ripple of emotion to involuntarily stir within his heart as an onlooker.
Time flew by. Under Yu Xiaogang's recommendation, "he" and Xiao Wu arrived at a place called Suoto City and entered a bizarre school called "Shrek Academy."
Here, they befriended new companions.
To help a companion named Oscar obtain his third spirit ring, the group ventured deep into an even more primitive and perilous forest--the Star Dou Great Forest.
Suddenly, disaster struck!
A giant ape as massive as a mountain, radiating a suffocating aura--the Titan Giant Ape--appeared without any warning!
It ignored everyone else, its massive palm reaching straight out to grab the panicked Xiao Wu!
"Xiao Wu--!"
The simulated "he" let out a heart-wrenching scream. His mind went entirely blank, leaving only instinct as he gave chase recklessly, throwing the shouts of his companions and the warnings of his teacher completely to the back of his mind.
He pursued desperately, only to have his path blocked by another powerful spider spirit beast.
After a bitterly tragic battle, "he" exhausted all of his spirit power and internal strength, only managing to kill it with great difficulty through the use of hidden weapons and stubborn willpower. He himself sustained heavy injuries, his entire body wracked with severe pain, leaving him with barely enough strength to stand.
However, the crisis was far from over. An elderly couple calling themselves the "Dragon Duke" and "Serpent Crone" appeared with a young girl, claiming that the spirit beast "he" had killed was their target.
Explanations were useless. Killing intent flared in the eyes of the old man known as the Dragon Duke. He raised the peculiar dragon-headed staff in his hand, bringing it down toward the exhausted and defenseless "him" with terrifying pressure!
The aura of death enveloped him with terrifying realism!
The simulated "he" was filled with despair and unwillingness, and the possessing Tang San felt it just as vividly, his heartstrings tightened to the absolute limit!
At this hair-raising, critical juncture--
Boom!
The ground shook and the mountains trembled!
The earth beside him violently split open as countless incredibly thick vines--deep blue, almost bordering on black, and radiating an indescribably majestic aura of life and dignity--burst forth from the soil!
These vines interwoven, spiraled, and condensed at a staggering speed. In an instant, they actually transformed into a massive wooden dragon with fierce scales, prominent horns, and a lifelike appearance!