After Yu Xiaogang finished arranging Ma Hongjun and the others' daily training schedule, he noticed the troubled look on Little San's face and asked,
"Little San, what's wrong? Did something go wrong with your cultivation?"
Little San didn't hesitate. Instead, he answered seriously,
"Teacher, there are less than five months left before the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament. Among the Shrek Seven Monsters, only Boss Dai has reached Spirit Ancestor, while the rest of us are still just Spirit Elders.
It's said that many of the teams entering the tournament have at least three Spirit Ancestors. With our current strength, I'm afraid we won't even qualify to compete."
The Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament was the grandest event on the continent, held once every five years. This time, it was hosted by Spirit Hall itself, making it the most prestigious tournament in history.
For Tang San, participating wasn't optional. He had to compete, and he had to win. Only then could he wipe away his teacher's past humiliation. Deep down, he also believed his father would be somewhere watching him fight.
This tournament had only one rule for him: win. A disciple of the Tang Sect had no right to lose.
Yu Xiaogang smiled and said,
"Don't worry. You're monsters, all of you. Mubai is the oldest among you, yet he's only seventeen. The rest of you, plus Tai Long, are already Spirit Elders. With your teamwork and coordination, you can still win even against stronger opponents."
He walked over, patted Tang San's shoulder, and continued,
"Little San, forcing power-ups will only damage a Spirit Master's body. Don't sell yourself short, and don't underestimate your companions either.
The tournament isn't about one person. Victory only comes when everyone fights together."
Tang San nodded, but his heart was still unsettled.
"Teacher, my Blue Silver Grass is still too weak. If I could just add one more Spirit Ring to my Clear Sky Hammer, my spirit power would increase and I'd be able to control the battlefield better."
Yu Xiaogang's expression hardened.
"No. Do you remember what your father and I told you before?"
Tang San lowered his head and nodded. Yu Xiaogang continued confidently,
"I never told you the details. For someone with twin spirits, you must never add a ring to the second spirit until the first one is fully cultivated. Otherwise, the two spirits will clash, and you'll die from spirit backlash.
In the last hundred years, there have been fewer than three Spirit Masters with twin spirits. One tried what you're thinking. When he added a second ring to his second spirit, his body exploded on the spot."
Tang San's eyes lit up with curiosity.
"Then what about the other one? What happened to them?"
Yu Xiaogang sighed.
"The second succeeded. She's none other than Bibi Dong, the current Pope of Spirit Hall."
The name made Yu Xiaogang's heart tremble with a faint, unspoken regret.
"She only dared add a ring to her second spirit after cultivating her first spirit all the way to Titled Douluo.
Your father and I both want the same for you: reach Titled Douluo first, then add rings to the Clear Sky Hammer. That way, you'll become one of the only Spirit Masters in history with twin spirits made entirely of ten-thousand-year or even hundred-thousand-year rings."
Tang San believed every word. His gaze firmed, and he completely abandoned the thought of adding a ring to the Clear Sky Hammer. Instead, he threw himself back into daily training.
By noon, after finishing a long-distance run, everyone was about to head back to their rooms for a nap. That was when Xiao Wu gathered Ma Hongjun, Oscar, Tai Long, and the others into the Shrek Seven Monsters' meeting room.
"Xiao Wu, what secret is so important you had to drag us all here?"
She smiled mysteriously.
"Brothers, this is great news."
With that, she pulled out nine small wooden boxes and opened them one by one. A strong medicinal fragrance filled the air, instantly clearing their minds.
"These herbs were left to me by my parents. They should help you all. Little San, you're the one who understands medicine best. I'll leave it to you to decide how to use them."
She handed the nine herbs to Tang San, her movements shy, her eyes evasive—trying to hide where they'd really come from.
The moment Tang San saw them, his eyes lit up like stars. He exclaimed in surprise,
"This is Three-Grade Ginseng, Twin Lotus… and this one, an extremely rare Snow Silkworm!"
"Third Bro, what do these herbs actually do for us?" Fatty Ma Hongjun asked curiously, seeing Tang San lose his usual calm.
Tang San explained with excitement,
"These herbs can make up for our lower spirit power. Fatty, just one of them could raise your spirit power by two or three levels. They also cleanse your body, which will make future cultivation much easier."
Ma Hongjun's jaw dropped.
"Now that's a treasure!"
Tang San hesitated.
"Xiao Wu, these were left to you by your parents. You should keep them."
"Yeah, Xiao Wu, Third Bro's right," Ning Rongrong agreed, holding her hand. "My clan has plenty of herbs. I can have my dad send some over. They're not as rare as these, but they still help spirit power."
Xiao Wu puffed her cheeks and shook her head.
"I've already brought them out. There's no way I'm taking them back. Little San, since you know what they are, divide them among our team. The stronger we get, the brighter we'll shine at the tournament."
Seeing she wouldn't be persuaded, Tang San carefully distributed five herbs to the others, saving one for Dai Mubai, who was out hunting for spirit beasts. Then he pushed the last three back toward Xiao Wu.
But Xiao Wu quickly stopped him.
"Bro, these three don't do much for me. You're the core of the Shrek Seven Monsters. If you take them, the whole team benefits most."
Tang San was touched to the core.
"Xiao Wu, I'm so lucky to have you."
Her heart fluttered at his words, her face turning crimson.
The seven of them sat cross-legged and absorbed the herbs. Their spirit power surged rapidly.
Five months passed in the blink of an eye. Heaven Dou City grew livelier than ever. Every spirit master team in the Heaven Dou division gathered there.
At the heart of the city, the vast Heaven Dou Plaza was filled with spirit masters, the cream of the empire's youth. On the high platform sat Emperor Xue Ye himself. Platinum Bishop Salas stood at his left, while Ning Fengzhi, staff in hand, sat at his right.