The Violated Theory

Looking at the towering Gu Bamboo before him, Li Xun nodded.

The fact that it had propagated the bamboo grove to its current scale proved that its latent talent was quite good. And as the Main Bamboo, its own growth talent should be very strong as well.

"Brother, what if Teacher Qin Ming doesn't come with us?"

Ning Rongrong glanced back.

Li Xun took out a saw from his Soul Tool. "It's fine. I was afraid he might prove unreliable, so I prepared in advance."

He had already taken precautions when he agreed to come with Qin Ming.

If the other party refused to let him absorb the Thousand Year Gu Bamboo, he could do it himself.

When Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan saw Li Xun take out the saw, their expressions became complicated.

"Little Brother Li Xun, it seems your resolve is quite firm!" Dugu Yan laughed so hard her body trembled.

Li Xun merely chuckled without replying. He raised the saw in his hand and began sawing into the bamboo trunk.

Gu Bamboo was not aggressive, but due to its own resilient nature, chopping it with blades or axes was not very effective.

Sometimes, the recoil could even injure the attacker.

Yet even with a saw, Li Xun found it strenuous.

He had been sawing for five minutes and had only just cut through the outer bark of the Thousand Year Gu Bamboo.

Li Xun stood and wiped the sweat from his forehead, unable to resist looking up at the sky. However, the air above the bamboo grove was blocked by green leaves.

Perhaps sensing Li Xun's gaze, A thin strand of sword qi descended from the sky, shooting straight toward the Thousand Year Gu Bamboo.

Creak—

As the sword qi swept past, the Thousand Year Gu Bamboo let out a piercing sound and toppled to one side.

Thud—

The twenty-meter-tall Gu Bamboo struck the ground with a tremendous crash.

Dugu Yan's expression turned grave. "Was that a senior from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"

She had been standing to the side with her arms folded, enjoying the sight of Li Xun struggling, when a thread of sword qi suddenly appeared in the sky.

The moment that sword qi emerged, it made the hairs on her body stand on end.

"It was Sword Grandfather." Ning Rongrong said happily from the side.

Dugu Yan was astonished. "His Excellency Sword Douluo?"

"Yes. I already informed him before I came out." Li Xun nodded.

He then looked at the final point where the Gu Bamboo was still connected.

A Soul Master had to personally kill a Spirit Beast to obtain its Spirit Ring, so even if someone helped, the final blow had to be left to the person absorbing the Spirit Ring.

That was why Sword Douluo had acted as he did.

"Li Xun, what are you doing? Have you forgotten what the academy taught you?"

Just as Li Xun was about to finish off the Gu Bamboo, a reprimand came from the distance.

Li Xun looked up and saw Yu Xiaogang's group. The one speaking was Qin Ming.

"Killing a Spirit Beast. What else would I be doing?" Li Xun replied blandly, his hands never stopping.

Creak—

The saw scraped against the Gu Bamboo, producing a harsh sound.

"Li Xun, do you know how many years this Gu Bamboo has lived?" Yu Xiaogang raised a hand to stop Qin Ming, who was about to speak again.

He slowly walked up to Li Xun.

Li Xun did not look up. "I know."

Creak—

Yu Xiaogang's expression was stern. "Do you know the Spirit Ring absorption limit for Soul Masters among the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul?"

"I know." Li Xun did not look up and continued sawing the bamboo.

Creak—

"Since you know, why have you chosen a Thousand Year Gu Bamboo as your Second Spirit Ring?"

Seeing that Li Xun had no intention of stopping, Yu Xiaogang furrowed his brows tightly, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists.

Li Xun's answer and the gazes of those around him made him feel as though thorns were pressing against his back.

"I thought I could absorb it, so I chose it." Li Xun switched the saw to its other side.

Creak—

"Hmph! The absorption limit for a Soul Master's Second Spirit Ring is seven hundred years, while this Gu Bamboo is a twelve-hundred-year Spirit Beast. Forcing yourself to absorb it is no different from courting death."

Yu Xiaogang snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, turned around, and headed back the way he had come.

He had only come to see Li Xun's Martial Soul.

Yet despite knowing the Spirit Ring Absorption Limit, Li Xun had insisted on obtaining it. Clearly, he did not believe in the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul that Yu Xiaogang had researched.

When that brat exploded and died from the strain—

These people would see what happened when they defied his theories.

Thud—

As the final strip of bark connecting it was sawed through—

The Lone Bamboo hit the ground with a dull crash.

A purple Spirit Ring condensed above the bamboo's body.

Hearing the sound, Yu Xiaogang paused and walked over to Tang San.

"Teacher, do you think he can absorb that Spirit Ring?" Tang San asked doubtfully.

Yu Xiaogang frowned, his expression stern as he asked stiffly, "Xiao San, what is the seventh of the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul?"

"The First Spirit Ring Absorption Limit is four hundred and twenty-three years, while the Second Spirit Ring is seven hundred and sixty-four years." Seeing that his teacher was angry, Tang San hurriedly stood at attention, lowered his head, and recited the theory.

"Xiao San, it seems you haven't forgotten my teachings."

Yu Xiaogang nodded, his tone softening somewhat. "Even with your talent, your Second Spirit Ring must remain under seven hundred years. Do you think he can surpass you?"

At those words, Tang San clenched his fists and gazed indifferently at Li Xun, who was absorbing the Spirit Ring.

His Twin Martial Souls were naturally exceptional; only three such cases had ever been recorded across the entire continent.

Naturally, he was stronger than ordinary people.

Moreover, through the first two Spirit Rings of Blue Silver Grass, Teacher had also proven the validity of his theory.

This man was attempting to break a theory that had already been verified.

He was simply courting death.

Li Xun had no idea what the master and disciple were thinking. At that moment, he was guiding the Spirit Ring.

When the Spirit Ring settled around the Thousand Hands Great Buddha, a surge of power instantly flooded every part of his body.

There was none of the anticipated danger or pain, as though such things had never existed.

Everything proceeded naturally.

"Was it really this easy? Could it be because the Lone Bamboo had such a gentle temperament?"

Before long, Li Xun slowly opened his eyes.

Looking at his Martial Soul, whose color was gradually returning with vitality, he said, "What a loss. It seems this twelve-hundred-year Lone Bamboo still wasn't my limit. My limit should be around thirteen hundred years."

Before absorbing the Lone Bamboo, he had not known where his own limit lay. To be safe, he had set the range at twelve hundred years.

"I never expected Wood Style and Whale Rubber to improve the body by such a huge margin."

Whale Rubber's effects diminished precipitously with each subsequent dose, but the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was wealthy enough to ignore that.

Over the past year or so—

Ning Rongrong and he had practically treated Whale Rubber as part of their daily medicinal meals.

By the end, even he did not know whether it still had any effect.

Li Xun slowly rose from the ground and moved his body a little. He felt as if he were filled with strength.

"The attributes bestowed by the Second Spirit Ring are much better than I expected." Li Xun sensed his Second Spirit Ring.

He found that although he had not gained an active skill, it had granted him three passive effects.

Plant toughness increased by eighty percent, plant growth accelerated by forty percent, and plant reproduction increased by twenty percent.

Simply put, it meant higher defense, faster casting, and double casting.

"Rapid fire coverage will always be king!" Li Xun grinned.

Just as Li Xun was putting on his crooked-smile act—

Everyone present was stunned, because it had overturned everything they knew.

"This..."

Qin Ming looked at the yellow and purple Spirit Rings beneath Li Xun's feet, momentarily at a loss for words.

Then he seemed to think of something and hurriedly turned to look at Yu Xiaogang.

He saw that Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's body was actually trembling slightly.

"This is impossible."

Yu Xiaogang's eyes were bloodshot, and he panted heavily. His entire person looked utterly shaken.

Because the theory he had been so proud of had been shattered before his very eyes that day.