Chapter 51: Cross-Species Brothers! Has the Talisman-Wielding Resentful Spirit Become More Elusive?-Começando como um bebê, cultivando o Dao e tornando-se um Lorde(Brisa que desperta da embriaguez)

However, Xu Ran had quite a few small goals—

Achieve the golden title of “Youth Supreme”…

Achieve the golden title of “Burning Killing Intent”…

Explore the mysteries within the crimson-gold treasure…

Accumulate blessings to draw the crimson-gold root bone…

Discipline himself to develop a divine skill of the fourth sequence…

And, along the way, eliminate the talisman resentful spirits…

Looking ahead, every day of his future would be spent in discipline and fulfillment!

It is well known that when one person in a crowd starts to show off, everyone else gets infected and begins to do the same. Likewise, if one person becomes intensely competitive, the entire crowd plunges into fierce rivalry.

Up to now, the geniuses of the Demigod Kindergarten have been locked in competition for more than 400 consecutive days.

The most intense competitor was Feng Yan. On a nearby lawn, that naturally shield-oriented yet eager-for-damage guy was quietly chanting, “Three Thousand Thunder Moves! Three Thousand Thunder Moves! Three Thousand Thunder Moves!”

With the chant reaching a crescendo, a brilliant golden glow shimmered on the mystic turtle shield, sharp spikes emerging on the outermost layer, reflecting a chilling metallic luster. The next moment, Feng Yan, shield in hand, charged into a massive boulder.

The deafening impact shook the earth.

“Not bad, ‘Three Thousand Thunder Moves’ is finally mastered. Keep practicing until it’s perfect. I’ll teach you faster techniques later.”

Feng Yan was stunned but delighted. “Got it, Teacher Ran!”

Xu Ran nodded slightly, shifting his gaze. “Bian Yue, don’t be startled. The Phantom Step needs to be performed with even more freedom.”

“You don’t always have to hide in shadows. Discover the weak spots of sunlight and melt into them! Or sync with the shade of trees, trying to understand the twists and turns of all things…”

Xu Ran flashed in front of the two, patiently demonstrating once again.

Guidance progress +1…

He was close to reaching the next sequence, “Pathfinder’s Insight.” Once attained, he might be able to teach Bian Yue and the others the art of invisibility.

Of course, that was just a possibility—Xu Ran dared not guarantee it.

After all, invisibility was a complex skill.

“Thank you, Teacher Ran.”

Xu Ran gave a faint sound of acknowledgment, hands folded behind his back as he drifted behind Hu Niu and Zhu Yuheng, watching them closely for a while.

“Invisibility can’t have the slightest flaw; any flaw means failure! This is a very serious matter—no room for mistakes!”

“Also, your surroundings must be more complicated. Tomorrow, I’ll ask the principal to build a training house for you where the wind blows wildly from time to time, rain falls occasionally, and light shifts between bright and dim. This will train your ability to adapt. Only through tens of thousands of failures under complex conditions can you truly understand how to use invisibility.”

Invisibility was an excellent technique. If mastered, it would be a heavenly gift. Naturally, Xu Ran hoped Hu Niu and Zhu Yuheng could learn it.

But the road to perfect assimilation of invisibility was still very long.

Hu Niu nodded earnestly. “Alright! Brother Ran!”

Zhu Yuheng: “...Okay... thank you.”

Xu Ran nodded slightly, habitually glancing toward the spot where Zhuge Huangjin usually stood.

Oh… Zhuge Huangjin hadn’t joined the competition for ten days.

Ten days ago, the little chubby suddenly applied to go home to cultivate for a while, mysteriously.

One less voice to talk back to. Even as a mentor, Xu Ran felt a bit unsettled.

He shook his head, his figure shifting as he vanished into invisibility on the spot.

Invisibility progress +1…

“The taste of discipline is truly wonderful!”

Xu Ran couldn’t help but sigh in delight, each minute filled with progress felt so exhilarating.

But he had only been cultivating for half an hour.

At the end of the path from the library to the lawn, a youthful voice rang out, brimming with excitement and eagerness: “Teacher Ran! Zhuge Huangjin is back!”

Xu Ran did not reveal himself, only turning invisibly for a glance.

In his sight, Zhuge Huangjin was dashing across the lawn, clutching a golden object tightly.

“The all-new Zhuge Huangjin has arrived!”

He stood straight and saluted toward the spot where Xu Ran often stood.

Xu Ran: “…”

Speechless. Came back and immediately started with awkward antics? And awkward to the point of giving people goosebumps.

Xu Ran materialized.

Everyone turned in unison, waving toward the newcomer, greeting Zhuge Huangjin after ten days’ absence.

Zhuge Huangjin: “I originally brought gifts for you all, but the principal forbade any extravagance on campus… sigh, I’ll have to give them to you another time.”

“…”

Ban on extravagance on campus? Hmm… What kind of unbelievable gift did this kid bring to be stopped by the principal? Just thinking about it was outrageous.

Xu Ran: “Next time, bring ordinary gifts.”

Zhuge Huangjin wore an expression of clueless luxury: “They’re all very ordinary. But the principal insisted they were too extravagant.”

He sighed, then suddenly brightened, patting the golden turtle shell in his arms excitedly. “Teacher Ran, guess what this is?”

Xu Ran glanced over: “What else could it be? Anyone with eyes can tell—a peculiar golden turtle with spikes on its shell…”

Zhuge Huangjin blinked: “No, no, I meant, guess what I’m going to use it for?!”

Uh.

Xu Ran fell silent but immediately realized the likely use of the golden turtle: “You... want to use it as your projectile?”

At these words,

Zhuge Huangjin proudly placed his hands on his hips. “As expected of Teacher Ran, who possesses the strongest comprehension root bone in history! You saw through my genius idea that I’ve been pondering for half a month in an instant!”

“That’s right! My root bone reduces the impact when pushing inanimate objects against enemies… To increase lethality, I worked day and night to create an exclusive attack skill. As the saying goes, Heaven rewards the diligent—I actually came up with a solution!”

“So I rushed home overnight and asked my elders to carefully select a crystalline beast companion with high intelligence, high defense, and the innate ability iron-head charge! This is it—the Invincible Turtle!”

Zhuge Huangjin lifted the golden “dragon turtle” as if holding a trophy of honor.

Xu Ran’s eyelid twitched wildly. “Uh... are you serious?”

Zhuge Huangjin: “One hundred percent serious. With the help of a root bone contract expert, I have signed a pact with the Invincible Turtle. Our combined skill is seamless. Teacher Ran must be very interested in my genius idea, right? The number one combo in the nation’s server, requesting deployment!”

Xu Ran refused: “No, I’m not interested.”

Zhuge Huangjin’s gaze hardened: “No, Teacher Ran, you must be interested.”

Speaking thus, Zhuge Huangjin carried the Invincible Turtle toward Feng Yan. “Hey, Brother Feng, let me show you my combo skill, okay?”

Feng Yan glanced at Zhuge Huangjin, then at the strangely “familiar” Invincible Turtle, a sudden bad feeling rising in his heart. But he didn’t dwell on it and kindly made space, watching curiously.

“Thanks.”

Zhuge Huangjin nodded seriously, placing the Invincible Turtle on the ground and stepping back.

“Here we go, Invincible Turtle!”

He shouted loudly, as if to attract everyone’s attention. The moment his voice rang out, the turtle’s body emitted a faint golden glow. Undoubtedly, it had received the order and was preparing its innate skill—Iron-Head Charge!

As its talent brewed, a strong wind swirled around Zhuge Huangjin. A green gust condensed in his palm, then was thrown onto the turtle.

“Whoosh—”

In an instant, the Invincible Turtle became a golden streak, dashing forward and crashing violently against Feng Yan’s exclusive boulder.

“Bang!”

A tremendous sound shook the earth, the impact only slightly weaker than Feng Yan’s own attack by about twenty to thirty percent.

“Haha! How about that, Teacher Ran?”

Zhuge Huangjin laughed heartily, flipping his hair as if he were the coolest.

Everyone was astonished: “...What is this?”

Bian Yue: “Zhuge Huangjin’s attack skill? The damage looks pretty good.”

Bie Jingqiu: “But why does the impact just now feel strangely familiar?”

Zhu Yuheng: “...Uh...”

She looked at the golden dragon turtle, then at Feng Yan, then Feng Yan again, then the golden turtle—hesitating with words unspoken.

“Hm?”

Bie Jingqiu and Bian Yue noticed something wrong and followed Zhu Yuheng’s gaze to Feng Yan.

Their expressions quickly became strange.

It was so alike! Same shield, same spiked protrusions on the shield, same high-speed collision... Not just alike—it was like long-lost kin.

They wanted to laugh but felt it impolite to laugh outright, so they rubbed their faces, looking terribly uncomfortable.

What was going on?

Feng Yan saw the oddly behaving crowd and suddenly realized. After a brief silence, his face flushed red. He finally understood the source of that inexplicable sense of familiarity and unease when he first saw the golden turtle—

Zhuge Huangjin’s turtle—both the shield’s shape and its innate skill—was the spitting image of his own! It was basically his twin!

Damn it all!

Feng Yan was furious, storming toward Zhuge Huangjin. “Zhu—ge—Huang—jin!”

Zhuge Huangjin panicked, using Phantom Step: “Oh no, oh no, why suddenly attack this gentle-faced gentleman?”

Feng Yan gritted his teeth. “A death match! I want to duel you to the death!! No truce!”

Zhuge Huangjin was clueless and at a loss.

Hu Niu silently appeared beside them, one hand effortlessly restraining the furious Feng Yan. “It’s okay. Although they look a bit alike, your damage is actually thirty percent stronger than the turtle combo.”

She even seriously made a thirty percent gesture, as if that extra third were something to be proud of.

Feng Yan: “…”

No, big sis, please don’t only care about strength at all times! This isn’t about strength; it’s about how alike they are!! Even if it’s several times stronger, it’s a silent mockery and provocation!

Feng Yan glared at Zhuge Huangjin.

Zhuge Huangjin hid in the distance, looking between the Invincible Turtle and Feng Yan: “...Uh.”

He slid onto his knees and pleaded before Feng Yan: “It’s all a misunderstanding, Brother Feng, really a misunderstanding! I admit my mistake. I just wanted an attack skill so badly, I didn’t realize... I really didn’t do it on purpose... I…”

Feng Yan: “…”

He took several deep breaths. “Couldn’t you have chosen another species?! Why the hell pick a turtle? And why a turtle with spiked shell? Even if spiked, why did the spikes have to look exactly like mine?”

Feng Yan was breaking down—the turtle was practically his cross-species twin.

Zhuge Huangjin: “Our elders spent many days selecting it. It’s the strongest and most suitable…”

Feng Yan: “…When using the combo skill in the future, stay as far away from me as possible, the farther the better!”

Zhuge Huangjin, feeling guilty: “Okay, I’ll stay far away. I won’t let you see anything that annoys you.”

Feng Yan sighed, his expression shifting. He approached Xu Ran and whispered, “Teacher Ran, can you help me change my attack method? I…”

Xu Ran: “...That’s actually a bit difficult.”

He patted Feng Yan’s shoulder. “Cultivators need thick skin and must face everything calmly. If you’re timid facing enemies, it’s very dangerous. You might even endanger your teammates. Don’t dwell on it. Face it bravely.”

After hearing Xu Ran’s pep talk, Feng Yan immediately became alert. “What you say makes so much sense. I must overcome this mindset.”

Xu Ran: “Yes. Don’t worry about resemblance. Even if it really is a turtle, be bold and overcome your shyness.”

Feng Yan looked sincere. Xu Ran’s few words gave him lasting strength. “I understand. Thank you, Teacher Ran!”

After some coaxing, Feng Yan accepted it all.

He no longer cared about the “cross-species twin” thing. Instead, he practiced daily with Zhuge Huangjin… and his turtle.

Human form turtle, turtle form Feng Yan, crashing into boulders in turns, endlessly.

The scene was too beautiful.

So much so that whenever anyone saw a man and a turtle smashing rocks, they had to regulate their breathing and manage their expressions.

So alike! Too alike!

How could such similar yet different species exist in the world?

Unbearable!!

…

Cultivation knows no age.

In a blink, another hundred days passed! One hundred sixty days had elapsed since the nightmare of the resentful mother spirit’s slaughter.

For Xu Ran, progress over these hundred sixty days was a leap forward.

First, his health soared by 3,360 points. How terrifying was this increase? Adam’s health at age six was only 3,500 points... Xu Ran increased by 3,360 points in just 160 days—think about that.

Secondly, Xu Ran’s spirit surged by 800 points, reaching 832, just shy of the 1,000-point limit.

What does the “Crimson-Gold Achievement” mean?

It means you can become a spiritual root bone even while lying down!

Of course, the most important progress was that Xu Ran’s miraculous skills had mostly entered the third sequence!!

For example, the “Gecko Wall-Climbing Technique” advanced to the third sequence “Void Wall Creation”: when suspended in mid-air without leverage, a thought creates a wall of air beneath your feet. At mastery, chaotic void turbulence can also form walls.

The next sequence would be “Space-Time Wall Creation”: even in unstable spacetime, one can condense a wall to stand on.

Xu Ran smiled with satisfaction.

“Currently, the highest damage skills are Paper Spirit Binding and Divine Weapon Throw. Movement techniques include Three Thousand Thunder Moves, Invisibility, and Cloud Leap. Support abilities include the double-pupil treasure art to predict enemy attacks, the demon whisper causing fear, the night killer whose damage soars in darkness, and the highly restorative Limb Regrowth... Basically, all-around.”

“Now, it’s just a matter of reaching age eight.”

“However, it’s been 100 days since the last talisman purge, and the talisman resentful spirits have shown no new moves?”

“That shouldn’t be…”

“Maybe their actions have become more covert…”

Xu Ran frowned slightly.