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In the end, despite Tang San and Xiao Wu's best efforts to convince her otherwise, Xiao Rou was resolute in her decision to sacrifice herself for Xiao Wu. She believed it would avoid any awkwardness when they all met again in the future.
"Son-in-law, from now on, I'll entrust both Xiao Wu and myself to your care," Xiao Rou instructed Tang San, though her words carried a strange undertone.
Still, since Xiao Rou planned to sacrifice herself to Xiao Wu, they would merge as one. In a way, Tang San would indeed have to take care of both of them.
"Hmph! I knew you were up to no good!" Xiao Wu quipped, as though she had seen through everything. After all, her playful nature before meeting Tang San had been inherited from her mother. How could she not know what her mother was really thinking? A woman trying to steal her daughter's man...
It might have been said in jest, but both being Soft Boned Rabbits, they shared the same preferences. If her mother were truly resurrected and spent enough time around them, she might really develop feelings for Tang San.
Moreover, Xiao Rou now saw things from a broader perspective. She was no longer the same as she once was. If such a thing did happen, Xiao Wu was certain her mother would use this as an excuse.
Now, her decision to sacrifice herself was simply to avoid future awkwardness.
"Don't worry, Auntie. Even after the sacrifice, you won't completely disappear. I can make you into a spirit soul," Tang San said, summoning Wu Lin, Wu Tong, Ling Yun, Ah Lan, and Feng Wutong.
Feng Wutong, in particular, immediately started spouting nonsense the moment she appeared—
"Emperor, you've finally called me out?"
"Are we sneaking off for a date?"
"Oh, others are here too? Your girlfriend's with you!"
"What a buzzkill!"
A dangerous glint flashed in Xiao Rou's eyes. "Daughter, it seems the women flocking around your man are quite numerous. You'd better be careful, or one of these bad women might steal him away."
Tang San, having gained new spirit souls, didn't hide anything from Xiao Wu. She wasn't upset, instead responding, "Alright, Mom, stop stirring things up. These are all spirit souls who voluntarily sacrificed themselves to San-ge. They're good partners who will grow with him. Now, even the weakest of his spirit rings is over a million years old. These spirit souls are all at the divine level. You can think of them as both San-ge's and my daughters, though Feng Wutong is new and still learning."
Feng Wutong puffed up her cheeks in protest, flying over to Xiao Wu and angrily retorting, "What do you mean I'm new? The great Plant Emperor and I have shared a deep connection for ages, residing in his spiritual sea. In terms of closeness, I'm far ahead of you!"
"You little rascal, so disobedient!" Xiao Wu grabbed the palm-sized Feng Wutong, tickling her under the arms, causing her to burst into laughter, even shedding tears as she gradually transformed into energy during her descent.
Watching this, Xiao Rou's face softened with relief. It seemed Xiao Wu had found a good man—one her mother could only envy. But still—
"Will I end up looking like that too?" she wondered.
As a spirit soul...
Sure, it was cute, but she was still Xiao Wu's mother. If she ended up looking like a little child, wouldn't Xiao Wu just treat her like a toy?
Would her daughter repay all the teasing from the past thousands of years? Playing with Blue Silver Grass to provoke her, tempting her with carrots, making dresses from Da Ming's fur and Er Ming's scales…
Recalling all the pranks she had pulled on Xiao Wu, Xiao Rou shuddered, realizing her decision to sacrifice herself had been a bit hasty.
"It won't happen," Tang San assured. "They just prefer to keep that form. Turning into an adult is actually quite easy."
With their spirit rings evolving past a million years, Wu Lin and the other spirit souls could now switch between their child and adult forms at will. They often chose their child forms, perhaps out of habit, or maybe because this form gave them the perfect excuse to sit on Tang San's shoulder or head—plainly and openly!
As adults, they'd have no choice but to follow behind him.
Although Xiao Rou wouldn't be sacrificing herself to Tang San, with his current abilities, assisting her in becoming a spirit soul while maintaining her adult form would be no challenge at all.
To form a spirit soul, three essential components are required: a powerful soul, immense vitality, and a tangible energy carrier that embodies one's bloodline aura (an unformed soul bone).
Tang San's five great spirit souls—Wu Lin, Wu Tong, Ling Yun, Ah Lan, and Feng Wutong—were all created under these conditions.
However, the spirit souls Tang San possesses are not the same as the "spirit souls" created by Electrolux in the Douluo Dalu 2 storyline.
As for Xiao Rou's current situation—
Even though one of the three components, the energy carrier that embodies her bloodline, has yet to take form, it can still be developed after her resurrection. Besides, Tang San's ninth spirit ring, derived from the Godly Throne of Eternity and Creation, possesses the power of creation. Furthermore, with Electrolux residing in Tang San's upper dantian, it would be a simple task to refine a true spirit soul.
"That's a relief," Xiao Rou's spirit form seemed to relax. She then smiled and said, "Well then, let's get started. I can't wait to merge with my daughter."
"By the way, darling, what kind of spirit skill do you want?"
"Your mother can give you some options."
Xiao Wu thought for a moment and replied, "My first spirit ring strengthens my waist. The second focuses on the connection between my ears and brain. My third ring enhances my spine, the fourth strengthens my thighs, the fifth empowers my arms, and the sixth is tied to my nervous system."
"As for my seventh ring, it marked the beginning of my maturation, reinforcing my entire body."
"For the eighth ring, I think I'd like to strengthen my internal organs. Although I've already cultivated San-ge's Divine Jade Bone and Golden Muscle Technique, further enhancement through a spirit ring would be a great addition, making everything more complete."
Xiao Rou glanced at Tang San thoughtfully and said, "It seems like you're becoming less and less like a Soft Boned Rabbit. But of course, as my daughter, I'll fulfill your wish. Although Soft Bone Rabbits are small and weak, they're known for their incredible speed. To run fast, having strong internal organs is essential. Our Soft Boned Rabbit clan even has skills related to internal organ enhancement."
Xiao Wu blinked in surprise. "I didn't know that."
Originally, Xiao Wu only wanted her mother's sacrifice to give her internal organs a little extra boost, but she hadn't expected that the Soft Boned Rabbit clan actually possessed skills linked to organ strength.
"It's mainly because I died too early and didn't get the chance to tell you," Xiao Rou sighed, but then smiled again. "It's not too late now—like I said, Soft Boned Rabbits aren't just quick runners because of their flexible and developed bones. We also need far stronger internal organs than most species to sustain our speed and endurance."
Tang San nodded in agreement. "I can confirm that. If you compressed a dragon-type soul beast to the same size as a Soft Boned Rabbit and compared them at the same age—excluding other factors—just comparing the organ function, the Soft Bone Rabbit's would far surpass the dragon's."
However, this didn't necessarily mean that the Soft Boned Rabbit was more efficient in energy utilization than dragons—
Tang San didn't voice this last part, as Xiao Rou's confidence suggested there might be some secret techniques related to organ function within the Soft Boned Rabbit clan that even he wasn't aware of.
"Well said, my knowledgeable son-in-law," Xiao Rou teased, casting a flirtatious glance at Tang San, her admiration for him growing. She then soothed Xiao Wu, who had clenched her fists again, and continued, "Also, the function of the internal organs is actually closely tied to the power of space..."
(End of Chapter)