Chapter 77: The Beginning of the Plot

Looking at the data in his hands, Shi Quan could not help but feel a surge of anger in his eyes.

He had not expected the interior of the Nine Heart Begonia Family to be like this.

Indeed, seemingly bright and beautiful families and sects actually hide darkness inside that outsiders cannot see.

The struggle for the throne between the White Tiger and the Nether Spirit Cat of the Star Luo Empire in the original work, where brothers slaughter brothers and sisters kill sisters, with only one surviving, is the most obvious example.

Ye Lingling had experienced these things since she was young; it is no wonder that the aura she exuded was filled only with loneliness and desolation, and it is clear why her eyes were so hollow and devoid of light. Perhaps, to her, the future was inherently dim and lusterless.

"Lingling." The data in Shi Quan's hand was crumpled into a ball. For Ye Lingling, Shi Quan also felt an inexplicable heartache.

"Nine Heart Begonia Family..." A flash of coldness crossed Shi Quan's eyes. If he wanted to set Ye Lingling free, the Nine Heart Begonia Family had to be dealt with.

"This must be planned carefully."

Through the window, Shi Quan watched Ye Lingling practicing on the playground outside, and his gaze softened a little.

"Sigh, if the medicinal power of the Tulip of Romance hadn't been absorbed, it could have been used for Lingling to consume. Unfortunately, most of its medicinal power has already dissipated."

Shi Quan wore a regretful expression. There were not many Immortal Herbs that had appeared in the original work and had not had their medicinal power absorbed by the Ten Complete Great Replenishment Pill: one was the Lovesick Heartbroken Red, one was the Youxiang Qiluo Immortal Product, and one was the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone. Besides the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone, only the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone had its consumption method explained.

And the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone was clearly not the most suitable Immortal Herb for Ye Lingling.

"I still have to find a way to get some suitable Immortal Herbs for Lingling and Sister Yanzi, but I still need to find an excuse. I'll research it again the next time I go to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."

Ever since he helped Dugu Yan detoxify, Shi Quan would go to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well with Dugu Bo for a few days every so often, partly to study his toxins and partly to cultivate.

Shi Quan had also begun to gradually come into contact with knowledge regarding pharmacology and medicine, and he had some foundations in pharmacology, but they were only foundations. To study it deeply, there was still a long way to go.

Soon, another semester passed.

In nearly a year, Shi Quan's soul power level had broken through from level thirty-two to level thirty-six. It was steadily increasing at a rate of about one level every three months.

Regarding the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Wrath of the God of Life, after much practice by the two, it had also seen a qualitative improvement, and the relationship between Shi Quan and Ye Lingling had gradually become closer.

Looking at Shi Quan and Ning Rongrong, perhaps because of Shi Quan's close relationship with Ye Lingling, Ning Rongrong's mood became volatile. In the end, she had a big argument with Shi Quan, declared that she would find a stronger and better partner than Shi Quan and surpass him, and chose to leave.

Ning Rongrong seemed to have always taken Shi Quan as her goal, thinking only about how to surpass him, as if everything she did was for Shi Quan's sake, yet she had never received a response from him. Perhaps this was the fuse between the two, and the growing intimacy between Shi Quan and Ye Lingling had just ignited that fuse.

At first, Shi Quan thought Ning Rongrong was just throwing a tantrum, but later he found out that this young lady hadn't even returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and had run off directly.

This also suddenly made Shi Quan think of a name: Shrek Academy.

This young lady, she wouldn't end up going to Shrek Academy, would she?

It seemed the future was still inexplicably correcting itself; Shi Quan did not think much more about this matter.

Automated Alchemy Furnace.

Taking advantage of the time when Dugu Bo was away, Shi Quan used the Alchemist Furnace to refine two more Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Pills.

Extracting the medicinal power from the Immortal Herbs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well twice in a row directly resulted in the existence of some Immortal Herbs being in name only; what little medicinal power remained was now completely squeezed dry.

Fortunately, most of the herbs from which the Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing Pills extracted medicinal power overlapped with those of the Ten Complete Great Replenishment Pill, so he hadn't squandered the entire medicinal garden.

Shi Quan had wanted to find two suitable herbs for Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan, but unfortunately, he had not found any.

Near the end of the semester, Shi Quan asked for leave from Qin Ming and the Three Great Education Committees in advance and postponed his return to school. Facing their inquiries, Shi Quan only said he wanted to go back to spend more time with his parents.

Soon, his leave was approved.

Because he was leaving the academy early and would be returning late, Shi Quan specifically sought out Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan to explain the situation, telling them not to worry about him and to just wait for him to return.

Fifteen days before the end of the semester, early in the morning, after saying goodbye to Ye Lingling, Dugu Yan, and the members of the Heaven Dou Team, Shi Quan rushed toward the direction of Shi Family Village.

Just after moving far away from the academy, in a dim forest, as Shi Quan's figure shifted, Douluo Peng Yuyan made a brilliant appearance once again.

With the help of the Nine Shadows Shift and his Internal Energy, four days later, Shi Quan returned to Shi Family Village under the cover of night.

His figure shifted, and Shi Quan's silhouette appeared silently in his home.

"Dad, Mom." Hearing Shi Quan's voice suddenly from behind, the two were startled.

"Xiao Quan, you're back so early." Li Meili looked at the figure that had suddenly appeared behind her, raised her hand to pat him lightly, and then looked behind Shi Quan. "Where are Yan Yan and Lingling? They didn't come this time?"

"Dad, Mom, I have an important matter to attend to this time I've returned. Don't tell anyone about my return for now."

"What's wrong?" Shi Jian's expression quickly became serious.

"It's nothing." With his Spirit Sense scattered to ensure no one was around, Shi Quan looked at his parents seriously. "Dad, Mom, you must not be too surprised by what I am about to tell you."

"Sit down and talk." Shi Jian looked at Li Meili, raised his hand to take Li Meili's hand, and signaled for Shi Quan to sit.

Shi Quan sat down beside them. "Dad, Mom, I can make you become Spirit Masters and cultivate."

"Become Spirit Masters?" Shi Jian's grip on Li Meili's hand tightened involuntarily. This was something he had yearned for but could never reach for years, and now it was being said by his own son. Li Meili also widened her eyes and covered her mouth, not knowing what to say.

"Tell us in detail." Shi Jian said, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

Shi Quan took two pills out of his Hundred Treasure Bag. "Dad, Mom, didn't I ask you both for a bottle of blood when I came back last time? The purpose of me wanting the blood was to make this pill. This pill was custom-made by me using some special means to fuse your blood. As long as you eat this pill, you will possess soul power and be able to cultivate, and your talent will be at least Innate Full Spirit Power."

"A pill?" Shi Jian looked at the pill in Shi Quan's hand with burning eyes. "Just this little pill can make us possess soul power? And it's Innate Full Spirit Power?"

Shi Quan said solemnly: "Dad, Mom, don't underestimate this pill. The things inside are very precious; others couldn't get them even if they begged."

Shi Jian let out a long breath, suppressed the throbbing in his heart, and looked at Shi Quan seriously. "Xiao Quan, such a precious thing, you could have eaten it yourself. We are already old; even if we could cultivate, our future achievements wouldn't be high. It would be better to use it all to improve yourself."

Shi Quan shook his head. "Dad, I've already said, this thing is custom-made for you. It's useless if I eat it, and I've already eaten something similar, so I can't eat any more. Don't worry."

"I have never heard of anyone being able to acquire soul power to cultivate later in life. If we eat such a treasure, and if others find out that we possess soul power, won't that bring you big trouble?" Shi Jian's gaze remained on Shi Quan. Facing the ultimate temptation, he still considered Shi Quan first.

Li Meili knew that her husband considered things more comprehensively, so she had not spoken from beginning to end. She was waiting for the final result of the discussion between the two men.

"It will." Shi Quan nodded. This kind of thing was inevitable, and as he rose to prominence, his parents would very likely be monitored. "So, Dad, Mom, if you eat this pill, you must leave Shi Family Village and start over in a city near Heaven Dou City with a new identity."

"Tell us about your arrangements in detail." Shi Jian's voice gradually returned to stability; he believed that Shi Quan's arrangements would certainly not be that simple.

"Dad, Mom, look." Shi Quan pointed to his face. The bones in his body made a creaking sound, and Shi Quan's face began to change. In just a few breaths, Shi Quan looked like a completely different person.

This was not the ability of the Phantom Concealment Mask, but the Bone Shrinking Technique and the art of disguise from martial arts. These two martial arts could only change one's physique and appearance, but they could not change a person's aura. However, for Shi Jian and Li Meili, it was enough.

"After you possess soul power, I will teach you this art of disguise. Others won't be able to distinguish you by your appearance, and soul power will also change your temperament. With the two combined, it will be enough to deceive everyone. By then, you can settle down in a new place, and apart from me, no one will know your whereabouts. Even if they discover you possess soul power, they won't know that you acquired it later in life."

"Disguise?" Shi Jian looked at Shi Quan with surprise and uncertainty. "What a miraculous method."

"Besides disguise, I will also teach you two cultivation techniques, as well as some Martial Arts. With these, you can make up for your late-acquired deficiencies as much as possible."

"Xiao Quan, where did all these things of yours come from?" Shi Jian asked with a frown.

"Dad, you don't need to worry about where these things came from. You only need to know that any one of these items would cause an upheaval in the world of Spirit Masters. No matter what, the content of our conversation tonight must not be leaked; any single one of these could bring a fatal disaster upon our entire family.

Furthermore, as my strength increases, the extraordinary nature I reveal will also attract the attention of certain forces. You may be monitored by others in the future, so I hope you can consume the medicinal pills and, after possessing soul power, begin a new life..."