A Renewed Battle as Promised

One of the main reasons You Chen stayed in Notting City was to make Bibi Dong think that he was "well-behaved," so that she could have some time to grow comfortably during the period after she obtained the system.

The impact on Xiao Wu and Tang San was merely a side effect.

Now that he has gained strength and may attract Bibi Dong's extra attention, it is naturally time for him to leave.

"Mistress, do you remember our agreement?"

On this day, You Chen's You Xing, You Xing, approached Tang San after a long absence and said, "It's been almost three years since that day."

Tang San's pupils constricted when he saw You Xing suddenly approaching him and heard these words.

More than a year has passed since Tang San completely fell for Xiao Wu and became infatuated with the maternal instincts Xiao Wu displayed.

During this period, You Chen focused most of his energy on himself and did not make much macro-management of the relationship between the two. Therefore, at least in Tang San's own eyes, he was living a relatively comfortable life.

Although Xiao Wu became increasingly violent and disdainful towards Tang San not only wasn't angry, but actually found it endearing. Sometimes, Tang San would even wonder if he had a mother who would have disciplined him with the same loving care as Xiao Wu.

In short, Tang San reduced the mental strain caused by You Xing, and Tang San cultivation became much smoother than before.

After nearly three years, Tang San finally obtained his Second Soul Ring and is now a level 21 Soul Grandmaster. At his current cultivation speed, he is estimated to reach level 26 or 27 after graduating from Notting City, which is about 3 levels lower than level 29 in the original timeline.

"I haven't forgotten that promise."

Tang San's gaze was firm, yet it revealed a hint of doubt. "I have successfully broken through to the Soul Grandmaster realm. But You Xing, there is still some time before the agreed time. I want to make more preparations and be in the best possible condition for this battle to test the results of my three years of hard work!"

A fierce fighting spirit ignited in Tang San's eyes.

That's exactly what he thought.

For about a year, he did not spar with You Xing again, but that was not out of fear, but to conceal information and prepare for the agreed-upon battle!

As a chosen one, love did not blind him completely; Tang San remained steadfast in his pursuit of power.

As his strength broke through, his Mysterious Heaven Skill reached a new level, and his Hidden Weapon were also able to be upgraded accordingly.

However, he has not yet completed this step, so he does not want to confront You Chen at this time.

You Xing shook his head. "I'm sorry, Xiaosan, I don't have time to wait for you to reach your perfect state. Because... I'm about to leave Notting City with my teacher."

"What... is this!?"

Tang San's eyes widened. "Why are you in such a hurry? You never mentioned this before!"

Putting aside his ulterior motives stemming from Xiao Wu, Tang San genuinely respected You Xing.

After three years of getting to know each other, he had come to realize that You Xing was a seemingly cold person, but actually warm-hearted. He was always tolerant and accommodating towards those he respected.

Tang San had long regarded him as an elder brother, but also as a rival.

But now, without any warning, You Xing is about to leave!?

A sense of panic, which he himself couldn't understand, rose in Tang San's heart.

He said repeatedly, "Can't you stay? I'm here, and... Xiao Wu! You can stay here and cultivate with us, and get stronger together!"

You Xing said, "Only by following my teacher can I become a true strongman."

He shook his head. "No need to say more, Tang San! If you have no intention of fulfilling our Three-Year Agreement, then... farewell!"

You Xing deliberately changed his form of address, and his tone became much lower.

How could Tang San possibly refuse after hearing this?

Tang San gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Fight, why wouldn't I fight!? But, like the three-year agreement, Brother You Xing, let's have another bet! The wager is, if I beat you, I stay!!!"

You Xing remained calm and assumed a fighting stance. "Alright."

Tang San's eyes had never shone with such intense fighting spirit: 'Victory! I must win!'

Perhaps provoked by You Xing's words, Tang San became somewhat agitated, or perhaps Tang San simply didn't want to see the only man in Notting City with the ability to judge their match, who was also the one who wanted to take You Xing away... With no referees present, he simply chose to start the fight!

Then, five minutes later...

Thump.

Tang San collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.

"We lost."

Tang San smirked. "Heh, another defeat."

Tap tap.

Just like three years ago, You Xing walked to Tang San's side. This time, however, he took the initiative to help him up, praising him, "Your Hidden Weapon have improved again. As Soul Master, they could threaten Soul Grandmaster, and as Soul Grandmaster, they could threaten Soul Elder. I have to admit their power. It's just that I'm too strong. Just like you could threaten Soul Elder, I, three years later, I... could even fight a Soul Ancestor. After this battle, I will follow my teacher to obtain my third ring."

Tang San's pupils trembled violently, violently, and intensely!

Even though he sensed from the previous exchange that You Chen had held back, he never expected that You Chen would possess such strength? Reached this level?

Three years later, when he reaches the same age as You Xing, will he be able to become Soul Elder?

The answer... is obvious.

Tang San's lips moved, as if he had Parkinson's disease; his trembling lips were somewhat uncoordinated, and he uttered a muffled sound, "Martial Soul, where is my Martial Soul!"

He seemed somewhat resigned to his fate, and suddenly roared in a low voice, "Isn't this exactly the same as three years ago?! Three years ago, you only praised my Hidden Weapon! Did you think my Martial Soul hadn't improved at all?!"

"There are some things I can't say aloud. Perhaps I should say..."

You Xing Youyou at Tang San and said, "I knew a long time ago that if I wanted to maintain a friendly relationship with you, I could only keep those words in my heart."

Tang San's pupils contracted.

He immediately understood what You Xing meant by "a long time ago".

That is...

Tang San suddenly recalled the day he first became Yu Xiaogang's disciple, and his attitude after You Xing expressed his doubts about Yu Xiaogang.

He now understood why You Xing "not telling".

Tang San lowered his head and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking in a hoarse voice, "Speak. But if it's just today, just today of parting... I can pretend it's just something I heard in a dream."

Tang San let his bangs cover his eyes, so even though he was right in front of You Xing, You Xing couldn't see Tang San's eyes clearly.

Even so, You Xing still feigned deep thought, hastily organizing his thoughts, and slowly said, "Little San, the reason I only praised your Hidden Weapon is indeed because I'm somewhat dissatisfied with the development direction of your Blue Silver Grass. Anyone who has seen your fighting style can easily figure it out, right? Even without utilizing Blue Silver Grass, your Self-Created Soul Skill and Hidden Weapon techniques already give you considerable combat power. You could completely develop Blue Silver Grass into a martial soul that supports your weaknesses and strengthens your Martial Soul, and then use Self-Created Soul Skill to compensate for your actual combat ability."

Of course, given my limited experience, I can't say for sure that my thoughts are absolutely correct. Perhaps Yu Xiaogang's method of training you truly is an extraordinary path? After all... you've already become his apprentice, and I'm just an outsider who shouldn't interfere. But that thought has always lingered in my mind. Since you've chosen to ask me today, I'll be frank and say it... I've always wondered, wasn't Yu Xiaogang to send you to the Control Engineering department simply to use you as Xiao Bai to test his theories?

Tang San: "..."

This is You Xing's true thought.

Looking at the silent Tang San, You Xing nodded and said, "Without any basis, you certainly won't believe such empty talk. Such discussions ultimately require mutual exchange to arrive at an answer that we can all agree on; otherwise, it's just one person's opinion. So, Tang San, let me ask you, do you really think your Blue Silver Grass is Trash Martial Soul?"

Upon hearing this, Tang San raised his head and said calmly, "It has absolutely no effect on you, isn't it Trash Martial Soul? I think that no matter what type you choose, it doesn't really make much difference."

You Xing said, "You are not the same person you were three years ago. By now, you should have read many books and documents and know a great deal of theoretical knowledge. So, you should have heard of the 'Martial Soul Six-Dimensional Scoring Method,' right?"

Tang San nodded.

You Xing said, "That was created by my teacher."

You Xing suddenly gave Tang San a meaningful look. "At the same time, it is also one of the few theories that he has revealed to the outside world."

Tang San was somewhat astonished. "That thing was actually invented by Master You Chen? My teacher... never told me about it!"

Previously, he only thought this thing was very useful, a method of judging Martial Soul passed down from ancient Soul Master. However, for some reason, his teacher did not advocate it and never tested his Martial Soul in this way. Tang San, who respected his teacher, naturally let it be, only knowing about it but never using this scoring method to evaluate his Martial Soul.

Unexpectedly... this simple yet incredibly convenient scoring method has only emerged in the last ten or twenty years! And it was invented by Master You Chen!?

You Xing laughed and said, "This is something that the teacher proposed when he was 13 years old. Do you think Yu Xiaogang would be embarrassed to explain its origin to you?"

Tang San fell silent. He could already imagine his teacher's face turning bright red.

'But even if it's awkward, the teacher could have used this grading method without mentioning Master You Chen.'

For the first time, he began to understand the meaning behind You Xing's words. "He's just using you as Xiao Bai to test his theory." After all... even a theoretical novice like him could see the benefits of the Martial Soul Six-Dimensional Scoring Method, so how could his teacher not understand?

You Xing then took out a piece of paper, quickly wrote something down, and handed it to Tang San: "Take a look."

Tang San took the paper and was immediately stunned. "This is... the six-dimensional diagram of the Blue Silver Grass?"

According to You Chen's six-dimensional numerical records, if Blue Silver Grass is cultivated for combat, it is indeed a trash Martial Soul.

[Martial Soul]: Blue Silver Grass (Low-level Martial Soul)

[Destructive Power]: 0 (Does not possess destructive power)

[Speed]: 2 (not bad compared to low-level Martial Soul)

[Toughness]: 0 (breaks easily upon contact)

[Range]: 2 (Can be used at long range, but the radiation range is relatively small)

[Energy]: 1 (Weak life energy support, almost no Soul Power support)

[Special Ability]: 3 (Most weapon Martial Soul do not have the ability to differentiate, generally only food Martial Soul do, but Blue Silver Grass has a low Soul Power burden and can be used in large quantities, which can be considered its special ability in a sense.)

Total Score: 5 (+3)

It looks like 5+3, the numbers seem okay?

But this is where the explanation for using "bonus points" for special abilities comes in.

If Xie Yue's Moon Blade could not only exist in pairs at a time, but could instead be multiplied in large numbers, its strength would indeed be incomparable, potentially threatening even a super Martial Soul with its top-tier Martial Soul. No wonder it deserves the 3 bonus points.

But it's different when applied to ordinary Blue Silver Grass.

Blue Silver Grass, devoid of any destructive power, shatters at the slightest touch and breaks with a single tear... no matter how much of it there is, it's useless. It's like zero multiplied by infinity still being zero.

With such poor base attributes, the special abilities that add bonus points have little room to be utilized.

Is your assessment that Blue Silver Grass is a trash Martial Soul really an overreaction? It truly is a trash Martial Soul!

At this moment, You Xing's usually icy face revealed a rare, ambiguous smile, "These are the average values of Blue Silver Grass recorded by the Spirit Hall. But you should have already noticed, right? The six-dimensional chart of your Blue Silver Grass doesn't match this at all! During our sparring session, I realized that your Blue Silver Grass is definitely not an ordinary Blue Silver Grass!"

Many fan fictions that use "blocking Tang San" as one of their most exciting elements feature plot points designed around Tang San's First Soul Ring.

But You Xing had no intention of getting involved.

In You Xing's view, the training path that Yu Xiaogang arranged for Tang San's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul was the "best path" in the eyes of them, Tang San's future enemies.

In the original novel, Yu Xiaogang asked Tang San to develop the Blue Silver Grass into a control-type plant, giving two main reasons.

One advantage is that it consumes little Soul Power, allowing for its extensive use.

Another quote reads, "Grass is soft and can be manipulated into various shapes at will. The simplest use is as a rope to bind the enemy."

In addition, Yu Xiaogang dismissed Tang San's Blue Silver Grass as worthless, only stating that Blue Silver Grass possessed the advantage of strong compatibility due to its own weakness.

But these judgments, if not completely nonsensical, are certainly full of flaws.

The most ridiculous thing is the statement that "grass is soft," which is a fallacy that Blue Silver Grass is highly malleable in form and therefore suitable for a control-type build.

If softness were truly commendable, then Yu Xiaogang wouldn't have asked Tang San to absorb the Mandala Snake, which could enhance the toughness of the Blue Silver Grass, First Soul Ring.

It's clearly a trait that's unsuitable for control-type abilities, but in order to force it to become a control-type, it needs to be constantly supplemented through Soul Ring, yet in Yu Xiaogang's mouth, it becomes an advantage...

As for the first advantage of "being able to use it in large quantities", it becomes clear as you look a little further ahead that this is a characteristic of the food-type martial Martial Soul.

Yes, "can be used in large quantities" is roughly equivalent to "can be consumed in large quantities," which makes sense.

Generally speaking Blue Silver Grass is weak, so Yu Xiaogang's assessment is indeed correct.

However, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, even without awakening the Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline, is still far superior to ordinary Blue Silver Grass.

Ordinary Blue Silver Grass does indeed crumble at the slightest touch, a point mentioned more than once in the original novel. But is Tang San's Blue Silver Grass really like that?

When Tang San sparred with that Boss Xiao, he didn't use his Soul Skill. He simply manipulated the Blue Silver Grass to Entanglement, and Boss Xiao couldn't break free!

Even if the First Soul Ring did enhance the Blue Silver Grass's resilience, the Blue Silver Grass is still a low-level Martial Soul! Binding Beast Martial Soul Master who had an advantage in the early stages without using Soul Skill and rendering him unable to move seems excessive!

Its strength cannot possibly be that of a low-level Martial Soul!

During his sparring sessions with Tang San over the past two years, You Xing managed to estimate the approximate strength of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass.

You Xing quickly wrote another piece of paper and handed it to Tang San: "Take another look. Does this match your own feelings?"

[Martial Soul]: Blue Silver Grass (Intermediate)

[Destructive Power]: 1 (Low-level performance)

Speed: 3 (Relatively strong performance, not too slow)

[Toughness]: 1 (Low-level performance)

[Range]: 3 (Medium range)

[Energy]: 3.5 (Top-tier life activity enhancement, average Soul Power enhancement)

[Special Ability]: 3 (Same as above, abbreviated as "massive differentiation")

Total Score: 11.5 (+3)

Relying on the First Soul Ring, the Toughness was increased to 2. Then, by relying on a large number of differentiations, control was achieved, and the Beast Martial Soul Master was suppressed. This was barely acceptable.

Then look at the score... It's a full 5 points higher than ordinary Blue Silver Grass, making it a solid intermediate-level Martial Soul, and one that stands at the very top of the intermediate-level Martial Soul.

In addition, given the potential of possessing the Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline, even if it doesn't ultimately evolve into the Blue Silver Emperor, reaching Top Quality wouldn't be difficult.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass has indeed many potential development directions.

Wood Release control style, infinite growth style, life devouring style, support healing style, support enhancement style...

If we were to You Chen, the least suitable one would be the control system that Yu Xiaogang gave, which is close to "Control Wood Release".

He simply relied on brute force to strengthen the character. If it weren't for the high age of the Soul Ring Tang San absorbed, the sacrifice of the Blue Silver King, and the reinforcement from the Immortal Herb... this would have been a completely ruined path.

Even with so many reinforcements, Tang San will still just keep hitting the target with his hammer.

As for the Blue Silver Emperor? It's just an excessively useful martial Martial Soul.

"An intermediate-level Martial Soul, not a low-level Martial Soul?" Tang San frowned slightly as he compared the two slips of paper.

You Xing had given Tang San too many shocks today, and at this moment, his mind was still a complete mess.

His Blue Silver Grass is a recognized low-level Martial Soul, so how did it become a mid-level Martial Soul?