In Liu Erlong's memory, Yu Xiaogang could never use the Dragon Transformation Technique—or rather, he couldn't master it. After all, as Su Ming had mentioned, his martial soul had already been crippled from his earlier cultivation mistakes. Still, as the son of the sect master, Yu Xiaogang should at least know the incantations for the Dragon Transformation Technique and be able to teach it.
Even if he didn't know it personally, if he was truly eager for the exchange, he could return and explain the situation to the sect master. After weighing the pros and cons, Yu Yuanzhen might even agree!
As for Su Ming, after quickly jotting down his daily journal entry, he set up a barrier in his room, sat down cross-legged, and resumed his Sage Mode training.
Without relying on Susanoo or Kamui, Sage Mode would become his most potent trump card. Su Ming was eager to see just how much Sage Mode could enhance his Wood Release techniques. At the very least, the life attributes would likely increase severalfold.
And his Wood Dragon, which was already resilient like a cockroach, would only grow stronger!
Perhaps he'd even rename his technique to "Sage Art: Wood Release: Azure Sky Wood Dragon"?
Hmm... that sounded a bit strange since there were no "sages" in the world of Douluo, only gods.
Soon, midnight arrived.
Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing today's journal entry. You've received the reward: the Ninefold Soul Transfer Device and a blueprint for crafting it.
Su Ming examined the new item and found that the Ninefold Soul Transfer Device was a soul tool designed to temporarily transfer one's soul power to others. It seemed like an average reward.
It wasn't particularly useful for him right now since he had no one who needed such a transfer.
As for the blueprint... he would just save it for later in case it came in handy.
Meanwhile, in the girls' dormitory, the female protagonists were reading the diary's latest update.
Ding! The female character mentioned the most in today's entry is Ning Rongrong. She has received the reward: all spirit rings have been upgraded to 10,000 years!
Ning Rongrong, far away in a small city, could hardly contain her excitement as she saw the reward notification. Her luck today had been excellent!
Back in the dorm, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were chatting together.
Xiao Wu, smiling, said, "It seems like letting the two of them spend time alone has worked wonders. You can tell from Su Ming's tone in the diary."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Xiao Wu thoughtfully and asked, "Xiao Wu, you've noticed how much closer they've gotten, right? Don't you think Su Ming might win over Rongrong soon? Doesn't that make you jealous?"
Zhu Zhuqing had been wanting to ask this question for a while. Even though polygamy was common in this world, that didn't mean everyone could accept it so easily.
Xiao Wu's smile faltered slightly before she spoke quietly, "Zhuqing, isn't it obvious? What woman wouldn't want the man she loves to love her alone? Of course, I get jealous."
"But Su Ming is different. Even though I get jealous, I don't want to make things difficult for him. I know he's sincere with each person he cares about."
"And someone like Su Ming—who is so strong, handsome, and has a system—how could we ever restrict him? All I can do is support him and be content knowing that I'm always in his heart."
Then, Xiao Wu turned the question around, "Zhuqing, why are you asking me this? You grew up in the Zhu family of Star Luo Empire, so this should be something you're used to. Doesn't your father have more than one wife?"
Zhu Zhuqing felt a little conflicted. Even though she had indeed grown up seeing this, something about it made her feel uneasy. She couldn't explain why, but she found herself asking the question anyway.
Still, she answered, "I guess it's just curiosity. You've spent the most time with Su Ming, so I wanted to know how you felt."
Xiao Wu nodded, though she couldn't shake the feeling that Zhu Zhuqing was acting a little strange today. After all, they had discussed this topic before—it was a common privilege for powerful men to have multiple wives, right?
The next morning, Su Ming brought Xiao Wu to their usual training spot. After a full night of training, he felt that he was on the verge of mastering Sage Mode. Just a little more time, and it would be perfected.
This time, Su Ming didn't train atop a pillar like the day before—there was no need for that anymore.
Two hours later, a surge of power exploded from Su Ming, startling Xiao Wu from her own cultivation. She looked up to see Su Ming standing with faint orange markings around his eyes, his pupils transformed, and not a single wart or blemish on his skin.
Her first thought was: Su Ming has done it!
Excited, Xiao Wu rushed over and exclaimed, "Ge, you've finally succeeded!"
Su Ming smiled. "Yeah, I finally did it. I feel so full of strength now. In this Sage Mode, I think I could even handle absorbing a 100,000-year spirit ring. My physique is probably on par with a Titled Douluo now."
Xiao Wu's eyes widened. "Ge, is Sage Mode really that powerful?"
"This is just the basic version. It can also increase the overall power of my spirit abilities, though I'm not sure by how much yet."
Xiao Wu, eager, said, "Ge, why don't I test your abilities now that you've mastered Sage Mode?"
Su Ming paused for a moment before nodding. Xiao Wu's strength made her a suitable sparring partner.
Of course, Su Ming wouldn't unleash a full-scale attack on her. He only needed a small test to gauge how much his abilities had improved. Other spirit abilities would likely see similar increases.
"Alright, Xiao Wu. I'll summon a basic Wood Dragon without any enhancements, and you can measure how much of your spirit power it drains. Then, I'll summon another Wood Dragon while in Sage Mode, and you can compare the difference."
Xiao Wu nodded, understanding his plan. Her heart warmed at the thought—Su Ming had agreed to let her help but still opted for a gentle method, avoiding any offensive techniques.
They began testing immediately. Su Ming's first Wood Dragon was a simple one, dim and lifeless, and Xiao Wu noted that it drained about 1% of her spirit power every second.
Then, Su Ming entered Sage Mode and summoned a second Wood Dragon. This one glowed with energy, almost sentient, and it drained Xiao Wu's spirit power five times faster, consuming 5% of her power per second.
The result was clear—Sage Mode had amplified the power of his abilities fivefold!