"Not to mention, you had the audacity to claim you could resurrect sister Xiao Wu's mother and even asked if she believed you. You?!"
Before Er Ming could continue, Xiao Wu firmly interrupted, "I believe him!"
Er Ming was taken aback by her conviction, feeling an intense frustration welling up inside. Was Xiao Wu's soul bewitched by this human? Why did she suddenly seem so naive?
Su Ming, however, remained calm. He had no intention of arguing with Er Ming—it was pointless.
After all, in the original story, after Xiao Wu sacrificed herself for Tang San, Da Ming and Er Ming still provided Tang San with the method to resurrect Xiao Wu. While their knowledge was incomplete, they did indeed know part of the process.
Currently, however, two major issues stood in the way. First, they didn't believe Su Ming had the capability, nor would they demand Bibi Dong forcibly relinquish the ten-thousand-year spirit ring and complete the remaining spirit rings for Xiao Wu's mother.
Second, too much time had passed. Xiao Wu's mother's body, which had reverted to a rabbit form upon death, had likely long since...
Su Ming turned to Er Ming and spoke calmly, "Er Ming, don't be so quick to deny it. Since I dared to bring this up, I naturally have a plan. As a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast, you should know that under certain conditions, some fallen spirit beasts can indeed be resurrected, right?"
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up at Su Ming's words, and she stared directly at Er Ming. Why didn't I know this before?
Oh, that's right. Su Ming had mentioned it in his journal before—that in the original story, Xiao Wu had sacrificed herself for Tang San, but later became the sheath of his Asura Sword. In other words, she was resurrected!
Now that Su Ming was subtly pressuring Er Ming, could it be that the method for resurrection was precisely what Da Ming and Er Ming had revealed to Tang San?
Why focus on Da Ming? Well, Da Ming was clearly more intelligent than Er Ming. If Er Ming knew about it, then Da Ming must have known as well. That meant Xiao Wu was the only one left in the dark?
Er Ming's heart skipped a beat. How does this human know about that? With Xiao Wu staring at him so intently, what could he do?
After hesitating briefly, Er Ming reluctantly admitted, "Yes, I know of certain methods to resurrect spirit beasts, but the conditions for resurrection are extremely stringent. Only hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts have the possibility, as their spiritual power is strong enough."
Hearing this admission, Xiao Wu pressed him angrily, "Er Ming, if you knew there was a way to bring someone back, why didn't you tell me? You knew I lost my mother!"
Feeling a pang of guilt, Er Ming sighed inwardly. Forgive me, Da Ming. He explained, "Xiao Wu, the conditions for resurrection are so demanding that Da Ming and I decided not to tell you. It's simply impossible to achieve."
Not giving Xiao Wu a chance to respond, he continued, "First, the beast to be resurrected must have been a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast at minimum. Your mother was... but it's not enough."
"Take plant-type spirit beasts, for example. When some of them reach the hundred-thousand-year level, their vitality is extraordinarily robust, and they often have numerous offspring. If they happen to die, they can sometimes use their seeds to regrow and begin cultivation anew. This counts as a form of resurrection, but it means starting from scratch."
"This method is the simplest. The cost is only time. However, since their cultivation resets, they lose the opportunity to resurrect again. During this period, they're extremely vulnerable and could die at any moment."
Ah Yin: Wait... isn't he talking about me?
Ah Yin had indeed undergone this process, reverting to a Blue Silver Grass after her fall and starting her cultivation from the beginning. She had lost all her prior strength and would face permanent death if harmed before reaching the hundred-thousand-year mark again.
Er Ming continued, "But Xiao Wu, your mother was an animal-type spirit beast. Resurrection for such beasts is far more challenging. First and foremost, the body must remain intact after death. By now, your mother's body has probably..."
"Beyond preserving the body, Da Ming and I theorized that three key items are needed for resurrection: the Sacred Soul Herb to awaken the soul, the peerless treasure known as the Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Rank Ginseng King to rebuild a physical form, and an ancient spirit beast's core to merge the soul with the body."
"We could probably find the Sacred Soul Herb, but we have no idea where to look for the Nine-Rank Ginseng King. Such ancient herbs are highly sentient and rarely appear in fixed locations. As for the spirit beast core, Da Ming and I have never even heard of one."
Su Ming silently mused, Da Ming and Er Ming wouldn't know about the core. After all, local spirit beasts on this continent don't produce cores when they die; they turn into spirit rings instead.
There are only two types of spirit beasts I know of that possess cores: the Ten-Headed Sun Snake in the Slaughter City—likely brought from another plane by the Asura God for trials—and the Dark Devilgod Tiger in the Star Dou Forest. Tang San killed the latter, leaving behind a black orb, which was probably a type of core.
Rumors suggest that the Dark Devilgod Tiger contains the inheritance of the Devilgod. Who knows if it's true? Unfortunately, Tang San didn't acquire that orb.
After listening to Er Ming, Xiao Wu exclaimed, "If those are the three conditions, you should have told me back then! I could've worked hard to find them and at least preserved my mother's body!"
Er Ming sighed deeply, having anticipated her reaction. "Xiao Wu, even if you fulfilled those steps, there's one final requirement—a step far more impossible than the others combined!"
Curious, Xiao Wu asked, "What's the final step?"
Er Ming replied gravely, "The final step is that Bibi Dong must return your mother's hundred-thousand-year spirit ring and spirit bone. Furthermore, she would need to forcibly remove her first six spirit rings and attach them to your mother. Only then would your mother be truly resurrected."
"This would utterly cripple one of Bibi Dong's martial spirits. Losing her spirit rings would not only ruin her cultivation foundation but could also cause severe internal damage. And most importantly, why would Bibi Dong ever help you?"
In the original story, Da Ming and Er Ming revealed this method to Tang San as a desperate measure, hoping that Xiao Wu might have a chance at resurrection due to her bond with Tang San.