Master Yu: Xiao San, You Are Different

Five or six days later.

The battle on the Back Mountain was still the talk of the academy, especially Yao Yan's famous final words when he looked back, which everyone rushed to imitate.

Yao Yan's reputation had reached its peak within the academy.

When one person rose, another naturally fell.

Master Yu's ridiculous stunt on the Back Mountain drew criticism wherever he went, and his reputation plummeted.

However, Master Yu had always been as thick-skinned as a city wall and shamelessly acted as though nothing had happened.

His disciple, Tang San, had not been affected. After all, everyone believed they could not have done any better than he had in that situation.

Even in defeat, he had earned some honor.

His reputation had not suffered, but his mental state was another matter.

At that moment, he lay beside a patch of plants, staring blankly at the sky. He seemed as if his soul had been drained from him, none of his usual vigor remaining.

"Could Teacher's theory... really be wrong?"

The question lingered in his heart and refused to fade. He had even lost the will to cultivate lately, spending his days unable to eat or sleep.

"But if Blue Silver Grass doesn't follow the control path, what path should it take?"

He fell into confusion and even considered using the Tang Sect Secret Arts to exchange with Yao Yan for guidance on cultivating Blue Silver Grass.

After all, the Tang Sect Secret Arts were invincible under heaven!

They were naturally worthy of being traded for his secret.

But on second thought, the Tang Sect Secret Arts were his greatest trump card. How could he hand them over to someone else so easily?

His mind became a tangled mess. Restless and agitated, he tossed and turned before finally sitting up.

At that moment, a set of Footsteps sounded nearby.

Tang San looked up and saw Master Yu walking toward him, carrying some food.

"Xiao San!" Master Yu called with a smile as he slowly approached.

Tang San did not rise to bow. He merely forced out a smile. "Teacher, you're here."

Master Yu assumed Tang San was simply in a bad mood and did not take it to heart. He sat beside him and opened the food he had specially brought.

The aroma of roasted meat drifted over. Tang San looked inside and saw two roasted rabbits.

They had been Tang San's favorite food in his previous life!

Yet Tang San had no appetite at all. He merely said softly, "Teacher, you eat. I have no appetite."

"All right, then eat later." Master Yu closed the food box and turned to Tang San. "Xiao San, are you still thinking about that battle on the Back Mountain?"

Tang San nodded. After a moment of silence, he hesitated before asking, "Teacher... do you think I can follow Yao Yan's path?"

Master Yu's expression darkened as he answered decisively, "No."

"Why?" Tang San grew anxious. "We're both Blue Silver Grass Martial Souls. Why can he do it while I can't?"

Master Yu looked deeply at him, then let out a heavy sigh. "Sigh... Xiao San, I know you're anxious. But do you remember what I once told you? Yao Yan's Blue Silver Grass is mutated!"

"And yours is only ordinary Blue Silver Grass."

"So that's how it is?" Tang San lowered his head and stared blankly at the grass. "Does that mean I'll never be able to defeat Yao Yan in this life?"

Master Yu frowned. He had not expected this incident to deal Tang San such a severe blow.

He said in a deep voice, "Xiao San, how can you think that way? When I was young, because my Martial Soul mutated, my clansmen mocked and ridiculed me. I was even driven directly out of the family."

"But I did not give up because of that. Step by step, I came this far and became a renowned Theory Master on the continent!"

"And you possess the Twin Martial Souls, something seen only once in a hundred years. How can you lose heart so easily?"

"That's right, I still have another Martial Soul!" Tang San's eyes instantly lit up.

As long as he cultivated his Hammer Martial Soul, his attack power would surely improve tremendously.

"Can I cultivate my other Martial Soul?" Tang San looked at Master Yu eagerly.

"No!" Master Yu rejected him directly, his tone firm.

To completely dispel this thought from Tang San's mind, he rose and walked a few steps forward, one hand behind his back. "Xiao San, do you know what the greatest advantage of Twin Martial Souls is?"

"What is it?" Tang San rose as well.

"The greatest advantage of Twin Martial Souls is that they allow you to cultivate to Title Douluo at the fastest possible speed."

Tang San was utterly shocked.

To shorten the time needed to become one of the continent's peak experts—what a heaven-defying advantage that was!

"Teacher, is that true?" Tang San's voice trembled with excitement, and he could scarcely believe it.

Master Yu nodded heavily, his gaze utterly certain.

"Teacher, then I won't cultivate my second Martial Soul for now," Tang San said slowly.

Seeing Tang San abandon the idea of cultivating his second Martial Soul early, Master Yu felt somewhat relieved.

He stepped forward and stroked Tang San's head, speaking earnestly. "Xiao San, you're still young. Don't concern yourself with temporary gains and losses."

"Once you reach level sixty, your second Martial Soul will have nothing but Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings. By then, you'll surely trample Yao Yan beneath your feet!"

"All... Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings?!" Tang San was profoundly shaken, his face filled with longing for the future.

Seeing Tang San's fighting spirit rekindled, Master Yu nodded in satisfaction.

But remembering that he had stood by and watched Tang San suffer before, he feared Tang San might still hold a grudge, so he prepared to give him another dose of encouragement.

"Xiao San, your father actually came to see me," Master Yu said slowly.

"My father came to see you? Then where is he?" Tang San hurriedly asked.

"I don't know." Master Yu shook his head. "He only said that he had something he had to do and asked me to take good care of you."

Tang San fell silent at once and turned to look into the distance.

In his memory, Tang Hao was merely an ordinary blacksmith. What could he possibly have to do?

Seeing this, Master Yu prepared to administer an even stronger dose. He said slowly, "Xiao San, your father and I are old acquaintances. His knowledge and strength far surpass mine."

Tang San abruptly turned his head, unable to believe it.

That burly blacksmith who stayed drunk all day... was actually stronger than Teacher?

Master Yu stepped forward and patted his shoulder hard, his tone resolute. "When you and your father meet again in the future, you will naturally learn everything."

"The path you are walking now was laid out for you by your father and me together!"

Tang San's body shook, and the last trace of doubt in his heart completely vanished. He said firmly, "Teacher, I will cultivate diligently and never disappoint you or Father."

So Father had known Teacher all along, and they had even paved the way for me together.

I actually doubted Teacher's theory before. That was truly... deeply disrespectful!

"Good! It's good that you've come around!" A gratified smile appeared on Master Yu's face. He picked up the food box and handed it over. "Hurry and taste it. See how the roasted rabbit is. It won't taste good once it gets cold."

This time, Tang San did not refuse.

He took the food box, picked up a roasted rabbit, and took a huge bite, his mouth glistening with grease.

He suddenly remembered something and hesitantly said, "Teacher, what about all the discussions among the academy students..."

Master Yu gently shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I've never cared about what others think."

Tang San said no more, but he secretly made up his mind. Teacher may not care about such empty fame, but as his disciple, I must cultivate diligently and use my strength to clear his name, making everyone who mocks him shut up!

As for Yao Yan...

Yao Yan, just you wait! Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river—do not bully the poor Youth!

One day, I will surely trample you beneath my feet!