Unreliable

"It's no trouble, Third Brother," a soft, weak female voice replied in the consciousness space. The voice carried a blend of delicate charm, liveliness, and a touch of nonchalance, like dewdrops rolling on the tips of Blue Silver Grass leaves swaying in the spring breeze, crisp yet tinged with laziness.

It was the response from the Blue Silver Grass that had grown for over nine thousand years, nearing ten thousand.

Tang San could clearly feel the gentle swaying of the Blue Silver Grass in his sea of consciousness. Each blade of grass shimmered with a faint blue-gold light, as if it were playfully coquettish with him.

This Blue Silver Grass had developed a complete self-awareness. Its voice sounded like a girl of sixteen or seventeen, with a hint of childishness yet also a touch of maturity.

"Little Silver, what do you think my next partner should be?"

The setting sun dyed the back mountain dormitories of the Spirit Academy in gold. Tang San sat cross-legged on the soft bedding, his brow furrowed.

The Blue Silver Grass swayed gently, unable to offer a more helpful answer.

Tang San casually took out a copy of the "Soul Beast Pokemon Cultivation Guide" from his Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night. This was the latest popular publication released by Spirit Hall, detailing the habits and cultivation methods of various common Soul Beasts.

Tang San hadn't really expected an answer from the Blue Silver Grass anyway. He began to seriously consider what kind of species he should choose for his second Soul Beast Pokemon.

His gaze lingered for a long time on the chapter about "Poison-attribute Soul Beasts." The pages were adorned with illustrations of various snakes, spiders, and toads.

"Perhaps I should choose a Soul Beast with a poison attribute as my second Soul Beast Pokemon, as my teacher suggested?" Tang San murmured to himself. He recalled Yu Xiao Gang once saying that control-type Spirit Masters would have a greater advantage in battle if they could incorporate poison attributes.

This suggestion was indeed very reasonable. However, Soul Beasts with poison attributes were slightly more expensive, and he would likely need to work for a while longer to afford a Contract.

And...

He thought of Yu Xiao Gang again. He hadn't seen Yu Xiao Gang for a long time recently.

Upon thinking of Yu Xiao Gang, Tang San immediately frowned. While he hadn't felt this way before, he increasingly felt that his teacher wasn't as reliable as he had imagined.

As soon as this thought arose, he felt a wave of guilt, but his reason told him it was indeed the truth.

It was one thing that he couldn't get any help with his future life, but his cultivation had also stagnated until now. Tang San clearly remembered that when he first became a disciple three years ago, Yu Xiao Gang was a rank 29 Soul Grand Master, and now—

"I'm about to become a rank 30 Spirit Elder," Tang San clenched his fist, feeling the surging Mysterious Heaven Skill internal energy within him. After a period of diligent cultivation, he felt he was only one step away from rank 30.

Yet Yu Xiao Gang remained at rank 29. This fact made him feel quite uneasy.

"If only Teacher could cultivate a bit more..." Tang San sighed. "Even if that's not the case, finding a Soul Beast and diligently cultivating its Favorability, what if the Soul Beast voluntarily sacrifices itself? Wouldn't that still allow him to break through to rank 30?"

This knowledge was clearly written in the library. Since Spirit Hall promoted the "Soul Beast Pokemon" system, the relationship between Spirit Masters and Soul Beasts had undergone a tremendous change.

Now, as long as one gained the recognition of a Soul Beast, even with insufficient Spirit Power, one could obtain a Spirit Ring through the Soul Beast's sacrifice. But it was laughable that this useless teacher was still stuck at rank 29, and even Soul Beasts were unwilling to approach him.

Tang San's mind flashed back to the scene in the forest last time.

A few months ago, Yu Xiao Gang insisted on researching Soul Beast Pokemon and dragged him to the Soul Beast Forest.

Out of respect for his teacher, he reluctantly agreed.

The memory was still vivid: Yu Xiao Gang, wearing that ill-fitting gray robe, stumbling along the muddy forest path, his brow deeply furrowed. He kept muttering that this Contract was simply unreasonable...

Before he could finish speaking, they encountered a high-level Soul Beast.

The moment that beast appeared, Yu Xiao Gang was so terrified that he collapsed onto the ground. He quickly summoned his Martial Soul, Three Beat Cannon, and unleashed a few farts, nearly making Tang San faint from the stench...

If he hadn't used his Hidden Weapons in the end, they both would have been finished.

This teacher was truly unreliable.

Thinking this, Tang San unconsciously developed a sense of disdain. He shook his head, trying to drive these disrespectful thoughts out of his mind.

After all, no matter what, Yu Xiao Gang was his first teacher, and he couldn't forget that kindness.

Moreover, no matter how incompetent Yu Xiao Gang was, he was still a master of Martial Soul theory research.

It shouldn't be wrong for him to guide him in the right direction. Although his practical combat ability was questionable, his theoretical knowledge was indeed rich, which had to be admitted.

Having made up his mind, Tang San rested for a while and then decided to go discuss it with Yu Xiao Gang.

In the sky.

Ye Su couldn't help but chuckle softly when he saw this scene.

He leaned against the clouds, his long fingers tapping lightly on his knee, brilliant divine light flowing around him. As God, he could observe all events happening on the Douluo Continent simultaneously.

"Does this little brat Tang San still not recognize Yu Xiao Gang's true nature?" Ye Su shook his head, a hint of mockery appearing on his handsome face.

With a casual wave of his hand, the scene of Yu Xiao Gang at that moment appeared before him. The slovenly middle-aged man was hiding in a corner of the library, scratching his head and struggling with a tattered book.

"Forget it, this protagonist will eventually be ruined by Yu Xiao Gang." Ye Su snapped his fingers, and the scene immediately switched to Tang San walking on the academy's small path. The young Spirit Master's brow was tightly furrowed, clearly still troubled by the choice of his second Soul Beast.

"But this is good too," a calculating glint flashed in Ye Su's eyes. "When Tang San is sufficiently ruined, I'll have my clone appear and gain some Favorability from him."

He had already planned it out. He would send his clone over then, spout some nonsense, and gain his Favorability.

As the Son of Destiny, Tang San's Favorability would bring no small rewards. Ye Su could already imagine the pleasant sound of the System prompt "Gained Protagonist Favorability +50."

"It's just a casual thing anyway." Ye Su stretched lazily, his perfect physique, faintly visible beneath his divine robe, capable of driving any man or woman in the world to madness.

But he wasn't concerned with these mundane matters now.

As for whether to interfere with Tang San becoming ruined, the answer was naturally no.

A playful smile curved Ye Su's lips. He casually summoned a cup of divine wine and took a sip.

"What does Tang San becoming ruined have to do with me, Ye Su?" he muttered to himself. "Besides, everything is in its nascent stage, the Douluo Continent needs reform, the Spirit Empire has just been established, a new empire, a new atmosphere... I have so many things to do, how can I have time to bother with him?"

Thinking of this, Ye Su's expression turned serious. It was time, perhaps it was time for him to release the "Bible."

However, before that, Ye Su turned his gaze to another continent on the Douluo Star. His sight pierced through the clouds, crossed the vast ocean, and landed on the distant West.

That was the Sun Moon Continent.

Unlike the Douluo Continent, the Sun Moon Continent had more rugged terrain, and its city architecture was more technologically advanced. Ye Su could clearly see the Soul Guidance Vehicles driving on the streets, as well as the Spirit Masters wearing various Soul Guidance Devices.

There were, of course, Spirit Masters on the Sun Moon Continent, but the general Martial Soul aptitude here was worrying, and the number of Soul Beasts was small. The technological focus here was more on the research of Soul Guidance Devices.