Time passed slowly, second by second. Three hours had passed in the blink of an eye. As the effects of the immortal herbs took hold, the zuzong , Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Ye Lingling all underwent varying degrees of change.
Xiao Wu, who had consumed the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, differed from Dai Mubai in the original story. Her previously rosy cheeks had turned milky white, her baby fat had disappeared, and her body had matured considerably.
If Xiao Wu was previously in the juvenile stage of a transformed soul beast, she was now beginning to transition to maturity ahead of schedule. At this moment, her beauty was no less than that of Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong's transformation was the most magnificent. The Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda, shimmering with seven-colored light, floated quietly before her, its two halos flashing, accentuated by a layer of rich golden light.
This golden light emanated from Ning Rongrong herself, carrying a rich tulip fragrance; amidst the flowing light, she was like a fairy descending to earth. Each time the golden light intensified, it made Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda appear even more dazzling and radiant.
After Zhu Zhuqing consumed the Narcissus Jade Bone and Muscle, a faint jade-like hue spread across her entire body. As the medicinal effects were released, she went from sitting cross-legged to standing upright, her hands resting on her full breasts, quietly absorbing the medicinal power.
Ye Lingling sat there calmly, her entire body radiating a faint purple light. Accompanied by a faint fragrance, a white light descended from the sky. The white light looked extremely peculiar; it was in the shape of flower petals, slowly drifting down. Unlike the previous nine petals, this time there were ten petals gathered.
Holding them in Ye Lingling's hands was a pink begonia flower, composed of five white and five pink petals. The begonia flower was vibrant in color and graceful in form.
Leaves and vines slipped from Ye Lingling's hands, their soft tendrils swaying in the wind, their drooping petals like graceful ladies with their hair veiling their faces, exuding a tender and captivating charm.
Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Ye Lingling gradually awoke from their cultivation, only to find that the zu zong was still meditating.
At this moment, the zu zong sat cross-legged on the ground, his entire body radiating an intense fiery red light. His long, blue-silver hair moved without wind under the influence of the fiery red light.
The four of them focused their gazes on the Clan Master.
"What's wrong with the zuzong?" Xiao Wu exclaimed in surprise, because she felt the temperature of the fiery red light emanating from the zu zong fluctuate wildly, sometimes as cold as winter, sometimes as warm as the blazing sun, achieving a strange balance between the two.
Zhu Zhuqing grasped Xiao Wu's hand, raised her beautiful eyebrows, and comforted her, "We must trust Xiao Zong. Besides, didn't he say that the 'Looking Through Autumn Water Dew' would help his eyes? Perhaps—"
There was something else she didn't say: perhaps it could bring about an evolution in his Sharingan.
Xiao Wu glanced at Zhu Zhuqing and nodded firmly.
Suddenly, fiery red light condensed, and as the red light gradually faded, a fiery red ribcage over two meters tall took shape, protecting Zu Zong in the center.
If any readers of Naruto were here, they would definitely recognize this as the initial state of Uchiha Itachi's Susanoo.
"What is this?" Ning Rongrong pointed to the fiery red ribcage.
As soon as she finished speaking, Zu Zong opened his eyes. A powerful aura of soul power swept around him, and the soul power wave generated air currents that blew over the surrounding tables and chairs. At this moment, his eyes had already turned blood red, and the three tomoe in his pupils kept rotating, eventually transforming into the shape of a triangular windmill.
As the shockwave subsided, the zu zong stood up, his fiery red ribs vanishing without a trace. Looking at the mess around him, he smiled wryly, "Why is everyone staring at me like that?"
Ning Rongrong was the first to recover from her shock, taking out a mirror she usually used for grooming and placing it in front of the clan leader. "Zuzong, look at your eyes."
The zu zong was stunned, a surge of excitement welling up inside him. Wasn't that Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan?
In his mind, the zu zongcried out, "System, didn't you say I could only awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan a second time by absorbing a 100,000-year soul ring?"
[Ding, the host absorbed the rare treasure "Wangchuan Qiushui Dew," greatly enhancing the host's eye power. This restored the sight to the nearly blind Mangekyou Sharingan of the Uchiha clan.]
"Won't I go blind like Itachi Uchiha from overuse?!"
[Ding, the host only temporarily awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan. After consuming its power, it will automatically revert to the three-tomoe Sharingan. To awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan again, a 100,000-year soul ring is required.]
Hearing the voice in his mind, the clan leader breathed a sigh of relief. He was truly afraid of going blind; it turned out he had, like Tang San in the original story, temporarily boosted his "Purple Demon Eye" by a significant level.
Even so, the zu zong's eye power in the three-tomoe state was at least doubled.
He immediately restored his Sharingan to the three-tomoe form. After all, the Mangekyou Sharingan power residing in these eyes was incredibly precious; every bit used was precious, and it might even save his life in a critical moment!
The zu zong looked at Ning Rongrong and said seriously, "Rongrong, can I trust you?"
Ning Rongrong met the zu zong's gaze, her body very close to his. Sensing the masculine aura emanating from him, her pretty face flushed slightly.
Ning Rongrong lowered her head and lightly spat, "Yes, yes, it's fine."
The zu zong nodded and looked at Ye Lingling, "Lingling, you listen too!"
"This is my second martial soul, the Sharingan." The zu Zong pointed to his eyes and continued, "It's not that I don't trust you all, but I know that having twin martial souls is too astonishing, and it might accidentally bring me death. Since you've all seen it, I won't hide it from you. But I hope you'll keep it a secret for me, not even to your parents."
Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu also looked at Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling, and said in unison, "Please, Rongrong, Lingling."
At this moment, Ning Rongrong was so shocked that her mouth could hardly close, and even the usually calm Ye Lingling showed a hint of surprise on her face.
"Understood." Ye Lingling still spoke in a cold voice.
Ning Rongrong, recovering from her shock, smiled and said, "No wonder Teacher Erlong asked if your martial soul was Blue Silver Grass or Sharingan. I finally understand. Don't worry, I won't even tell my dad."
As she spoke, Ning Rongrong patted her budding chest.
The zu zong nodded, his eyes slightly closed, then opened again, his Sharingan closed. "Everyone, stop looking at me. Let's see what you've all gained!"
"I'll go first! I'll go first! My soul power increased by five levels, jumping directly from level thirty-five to level forty!" Xiao Wu raised her little hand, pouting.
The zu zong was taken aback, then carefully observed Xiao Wu. The five-level increase in soul power was within his expectations, but Xiao Wu's appearance had changed drastically.