Life at the Academy once again resumed its normal pace along with the Vigorous God and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School master Ning Fengzhi's departure, only leaving a lot of rumors.
Tang San, Ning Rongrong and the others undoubtedly became targets the students fell over each other to talk about. Even the advanced class especially received the teacher's attention.
Starting from the day after Tai Tan recognized Tang San's identity, there was one more person at Tang San's side —— Tai Long.
Every day as soon as Tang San appeared, Tai Long would immediately follow at his side. His reasoning was very simple: Tai Tan had made him Tang San's body guard, as Tang San's attendant.
Regarding this bit, Tang San was very disapproving. But Tai Long so insisted on following him every day he didn't he didn't have a way to stop him; he couldn't just give him another beating.
And the expression on Tai Long's face clearly told him, 'Either you kill me, or you let me follow'.
Helplessly, the former Blue Tyrant Academy chief was reborn as Tang San's shadow. When JoyBoy and others saw this, they had a good laugh.
After five days, Grandmaster, Flender, Liu Erlong and Dai Mubai finally returned. Dai Mubai seemed to be in glowing spirits, his entire body seemed to have become a bit taller, simultaneously domineering and threatening, also even more conspicuously steady. His atmosphere was reserved, even without sensing his true nature, each of the Shrek students knew that this boss had clearly increased his strength.
"Little San, thank you."
On seeing Tang San, Dai Mubai immediately gave him a bear hug. Fortunately, Tang San's body was also sturdy, and this excited embrace didn't manage to break any bones. Everyone noticed that his spirit rank had already reached rank forty three after getting his fourth spirit ring. Dai Mubai grinned, saying
"Everyone must also work hard, right now your levels are already no longer low, we can't fail to live up to the essence of heaven and earth little San provided us. In this time before the Advanced Spirit Master Academy Grand Competition begins, you must do your utmost to reach the fortieth rank. Then we will have an even firmer grasp on a good result.
We have only one goal: champions. Other positions are basically insignificant to us Shrek Seven Devils. We must let the whole Continent's Spirit Master academies know that we are monsters, monsters from the monster academy."
Dai Mubai pumped up everyone on this side with JoyBoy watching everything with a smile, while on the other side, Zhao Wuji gave Flender's trio a rundown of everything that had happened since they left. Listening to Zhao Wuji, Grandmaster immediately stood up,
"I must find little San for a chat. His cultivation can't be influenced by his past."
At the student dorms, without entering the room, Grandmaster heard the voices of the Shrek students chatting. Opening the door, he first knocked before entering.
"Little San, come with me a moment."
Grandmaster waved his hand, indicating everyone sit while he called out Tang San alone.
Tang San hastily got up, following Grandmaster outside. After that, JoyBoy chatted with others for some time before they all went back to their normal routines.
From that day onwards, whether it was Tang San or the other Shrek Seven Devils, they all entered half a year of arduous cultivation. JoyBoy also restarted his weapons training. He had already mastered basic level sword techniques and shurikenjutsu. Now he was practicing archery and a certain technique from an anime 'Toriko' which would take his close combat techniques to a new level.
Grandmaster didn't conduct any more special training with them, only regularly giving them tactics guidance, especially to their mutual teamwork, as well as how to use their own spirit abilities even more effectively.
Just like Tang San said when he presented everyone with the immortal treasure herbs, the medicinal effect wouldn't just show at the time they took them. Along with their unceasing cultivation, apart from JoyBoy who hadn't used any immortal treasure herbs and Xiao Wu who hadn't used the 'Yearning Heartbroken Red', each person felt their bodies changing.
Not only did their spirit power growth rate become even faster than before, even more significant was the immortal treasure herbs' transformation of their spirits and bodies. Tang San chose the herbs very carefully, and practically all were the ones that suited each person best.
Imperceptibly influencing them under their constant cultivation, the heaven and earth power contained within the herbs gradually fused with their bodies, making their comprehensive strength grow. Even Grandmaster reached level thirty five.
So far, besides Xiao Wu who hadn't taken the immortal treasure herb, the strength of the other six Shrek Seven Devils had all reached the fortieth rank stage.
In Grandmaster's amassed theory, breaking through the bottleneck didn't necessarily require first going to get a spirit ring. Continued cultivation would still accumulate spirit power that would be released when a spirit ring was obtained.
As a result of everyone's spirit power being close, Grandmaster decided that after everyone had reached the fortieth rank they would again go hunt spirit beasts.
Of course, they couldn't wait for Xiao Wu, and as everyone reached the fortieth rank, because she hadn't taken the immortal treasure herb, she was still at the thirty seventh rank and attacking the thirty eighth. To reach the fortieth rank would still require at least another half year.
Tang San had on a few occasions advised Xiao Wu to take the Yearning Heartbroken Red, but Xiao Wu still wasn't willing, and would keep the Yearning Heartbroken Red at her side every day, regarding it as indescribably precious.
But that Yearning Heartbroken Red was also very strange. Without any nutrients or moisture, following at Xiao Wu's side it could unexpectedly absorb the strength of heaven and earth on its own, not only without any signs of wilting, but on the contrary becoming even more brightly colored and alluring, reflecting dazzlingly on Xiao Wu. That seemingly delicate sprig and petals was even more durable than any metal, making JoyBoy click his tongue in wonder.
In this half year Tang San also completed his agreement with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's financial resources were indeed formidable, in barely half a year they had manufactured the required components, and following Tang San's assembly had completely outfitted the directly related disciples of the school, and furthermore kept some remaining ones stored in reserve.
Early morning, Shrek Academy main gate. Flender, Liu Erlong, Zhao Wuji, and Grandmaster stood outside the Academy gate, looking at the eight children assembled before them with spirits trembling with excitement, hearts all brimming with pride.
Fortieth rank, this was the boundary a Spirit Master had to reach before thirty years old or so, in order to be a Spirit Master of a certain talent. But of these children, the oldest was only seventeen. The youngest still wasn't fourteen. But they had already reached this stage.
Admittedly there had been some miracles on the way, but what was important was that these little monsters all had such astonishing talent. Flender said
"We'll set out immediately, our goal is the Sunset Forest. Even though this time there are four of us along, I must announce an important point. Even though the fourth spirit ring doesn't have such an effect of connecting the past and future like the third spirit ring, the fourth spirit ring is still equally important. In order to conduct even better actual combat drills before you join the Spirit Master Grand Competition, me and Grandmaster have decided after discussing it, that for this spirit beast hunting process, you will complete it yourselves.
Unless it's an absolute last resort, we won't easily act. Under normal circumstances, not only won't we protect you, we would instead have you carry out the protection. This trip for hunting spirit beasts is also considered the first stage of your graduation exam. And the second stage is the next Advanced Spirit Master Grand Competition. Understood?"
Ma Hongjun was the least afraid of Flender, and couldn't keep from asking
"Teacher, then how will we pass the test?"
Flender replied
"Good question. Passing actually isn't difficult. For the first test you can rely on your collective power to hunt spirit beasts suitable to you, as long as the four of us haven't acted in the meantime, you will be considered to have passed. And the second stage, as long as you can casually return with the championship, you can also graduate fairly well."
"Ah? This is called 'not difficult'?"
Oscar couldn't help crying out. Flender's eyes glinted,
"What? You have any objections, Oscar?"
"No, no objections. Dean is wise."
Oscar knew Flender's character. If he raised any dissent, perhaps this graduation would become even more difficult.
"If you don't that's fine. We're leaving."
Flender issued the order to set out, and a group of twelve people set foot on the avenue heading to Sunset Forest. Flender's quartet walked in front, and the Shrek students followed behind. Flender also wasn't worried. With Grandmaster, Liu Erlong, and Zhao Wuji all slowly advancing while talking and laughing, such an appearance was more like an excursion.
Heaven Dou City was very close to Sunset Forest. This Sunset Forest could also be said to be the place where Spirit Masters from the majority of the heart of the Heaven Dou City's surrounding towns hunted spirit beasts. Of course, not many people knew about the places like the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in the core areas.
Although Tang San lived here for the past half year, during that period he was always at the Ice and Fire Ying Yang Well, only when leaving under the guidance of Poison Douluo did he hurriedly appreciate the surroundings of Sunset Forest.
Comparing both Sunset Forest and Star Dou Great Forest, other than their size differing by a lot, there were also many different factors. Star Dou Great Forest was situated in the central zone of the continent; it was the center zone's biggest spirit beast forest. That place belonged to the tropical zone, majority of the forest was primarily tropical vegetation.
Whereas Sunset Forest's location was at the center of Heaven Dou Empire, although it wasn't really considered polar climate, but its temperature was much lower than Star Dou Great Forest, this resulted in more of its plants belonging to the north's characteristical temperate vegetation.
Of course, powerful spirit beasts generally still preferred the tropical rainforest of Star Dou Great Forest. Therefore, although Sunset Forest's spirit beasts weren't low in numbers, there weren't many who had managed to cultivate to ten thousand years and beyond, the majority's cultivation remained in between one thousand years and ten thousand years. Adding in the unrestrained hunting by the spirit masters, the spirit beasts' quality generally dropped to some extent. By now, to want to hunt a spirit beast suitable for oneself, not only did it require strength, but patience was needed at the same time.
The official start of the Spirit Master Academy Grand Competition was half a month away, this was also the limit for Shrek students to hunt spirit beasts. In half a month, regardless of what they gained they had to return back to the academy, participating in Heaven Dou Empire's Heaven Dou City's subdivision qualifiers.