I slowly opened my eyes and turned my head to find a sleeping girl in front of me. Her golden hair cascaded around her face, which looked exhausted but serene. My heart ached slightly seeing her tired expression, but I couldn't help but smile at the sight of her peaceful slumber.
I reached out gently, running my fingers through her hair. She stirred at my touch, her eyes fluttering open. When she saw me, her eyes welled up with tears, and she smiled through them. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace. I could feel the warmth and affection in her hug, and I returned it with equal tenderness, understanding from this silent gesture how deep our feelings for each other were.
"Ahem, ahem," a sudden sound broke the moment. I felt a pang of embarrassment as I saw the person who had interrupted us. Qian Ren Xue, in a flurry, ran away with a red turban, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Boy, it looks like you've kidnapped my granddaughter," the old man's voice came, though his tone was stern, it carried an underlying acceptance. He would eventually sacrifice himself for Qian Ren Xue to become a deity, so it made sense he would want her to be with someone he trusted.
"I'm sorry," I said awkwardly, unsure of what else to say.
"Boy, what happened to you? When I saw you, you looked like you were on the brink of death," he asked, clearly feeling the awkwardness and shifting the topic.
"Well, I was hunting a spirit beast, and it swallowed me when it sensed its impending death." I looked at my healed hand and recalled the ordeal. I hadn't anticipated such curses, and I hadn't been cautious enough.
"What kind of monster could curse you like that? I don't recall any such beast," he inquired with genuine curiosity.
"It was the Dark Tiger God," I replied, a hint of frustration in my voice at the mention of the name.
His eyes widened in shock. After a long life and witnessing many things, there weren't many things that could astonish him.
"Isn't that a mythical beast? How did you manage to face it?" he asked rapidly, astonishment clear in his voice.
"Well, I encountered it while searching for a soul ring. The beast was about 60,000 years old. I wasn't strong enough to face it head-on, so I took advantage of its contempt for me and struck it down by surprise." I wasn't being modest; that was the reality of the situation.
"Did you manage to absorb its ring? Can you show it to me?" he asked, clearly eager. I activated my fighting spirit.
Suddenly, the atmosphere around us shifted. A cold sensation filled the room as five spirit rings appeared, with the fifth one distinctly gray, exuding an ominous aura.
"As expected from a legendary beast, the soul ring is indeed extraordinary," the great worshipper said, clearly impressed.
"Boy, tell me what your skill is," he asked with genuine interest.
"I'll show you better. Bring me that vase, and don't worry—it won't cause any damage," I pointed to the vase, explaining when I noticed his concern.
He handed me the vase with curiosity. I took it and examined the plant inside. Activating my time manipulation ability, I watched as the plant began to grow at an accelerated rate, while the room seemed to freeze in time around us.
"What is this skill? Is it growth enhancement? No, if it were growth enhancement, it wouldn't change the shape of the vase unless it's…" I heard him mumbling, deep in thought.
"Yes, as you suspect, it's time manipulation," I interrupted his thoughts.
"Boy, can you bring people back? I mean, during a battle, for example, could you aim in a direction and return the person to the time they were in that place? Can you control their age?" He wondered, contemplating the potential uses of such a power.
"Well, I'm not sure because I haven't tried it. According to my understanding of my skill, it's not possible to return a person to a place they were. I only control time. To return someone to a previous time, I would need another manipulation—space, which combines with time to form what's known as spacetime. Controlling both time and space simultaneously is exhausting and requires a lot of soul power." I explained thoughtfully.
"As for manipulating a person's age, that's possible, but the person must be at least one level weaker than me. The weaker they are, the easier it is to manipulate their age. However, manipulating age is limited to the body and doesn't affect the soul, so I'm unsure if a younger body would result in the soul remaining or disappearing. This needs experimentation. If I possessed the Samsara element, which I'm not sure exists, I wouldn't worry about the soul," I added, contemplating the implications.
"Well, time remains a rare and powerful element. There aren't many records of users of time-related skills. A time-related martial spirit appeared only once two thousand years ago," he explained, though he seemed slightly disappointed.
"Okay, I'm going to see my granddaughter. You can rest a bit. Oh, and I remember there was a message you received. I'll have someone bring it to you," he said before leaving.
After he departed, I closed my eyes, feeling the state of my Sharingan. My vision seemed a bit weaker this time. It appeared that I wouldn't get a remedy like before. I would need to continue strengthening my Sharingan to achieve a level of power no one had reached before.
As I absorbed the soul ring, I noticed a slight development in my eyes, but it seemed insufficient. Perhaps with the ninth soul ring, I would be able to fully develop my eyes.
Now, I was uncertain of what to do next. I decided there was no need to establish a sect; it would be burdensome and unnecessary. However, I did have some debts with certain people. I will try to address those later.
For the next step, I decided to absorb the sixth soul ring to gain the power of Susanoo without harming my eyes. With Susanoo, I would be able to easily defeat a Soul Sage and even someone who had reached the level of Doulou.
Maybe I'd head to Poseidon's Island after that.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps and saw a maid approaching with a letter. I thanked her, took the letter, and read:
"Today, Tang San left with some terrifying individuals carrying a murderous aura. He didn't tell anyone where he was going but secretly informed me he was heading to the Killing City to train and come back stronger. As for the rest of the Shrek family, they all went to another place to train. As for me, I want to talk to you."
I read the message with a smile. "Oh Tang San, it seems your lover has betrayed you. I wonder how you will feel when you find out." It appeared that Tang San had refused to give her his secret techniques as expected from someone as stingy as him, and now she was in my hands. Even if she wanted to return to him, it would be impossible.