Douluo: Poisonous Tongue, Loves Telling the Truth

Having absorbed the Man Faced Demon Spider soul ring and combined it with the residual medicinal power of the Whale Rubber within her body, she had now reached level 33.

She could clearly sense that the total soul power of this middle-aged man was inferior to her own, and she wondered where he found the confidence to act this way.

Xia Ran was not annoyed; he simply treated this as a bit of amusement and spoke to Yu Xiaogang's back.

"Returning it to you is certainly possible, but logically speaking, this was a gift from your fine disciple, so it is already mine."

He shifted his tone.

"However, I happen to have a question I would like to ask the Grandmaster. If the Grandmaster can clear up my confusion, I will not only return this item, but I will also give you this Storage Soul Tool Ring on my hand."

Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang turned back to look, and indeed, Xia Ran was wearing an antique-looking ring.

After sensing it carefully, he realized the aura contained within was even more robust than his own Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.

How does this guy have another storage soul tool? Which family does he belong to?

But since it is a wager, surely no one will say anything if I win.

His small eyes flashed with calculation, and he hesitated to commit.

"Xiaogang, why did you just arrive? I've been waiting for you for so long!"

Just as he was pondering, Flender happened to pass by in the distance and spotted the three of them.

"Flender!"

"You've come at the right time. I sent Tang San to you, not so he could be bullied."

Flender was startled upon hearing this: Could it be that he already knows about Tang San's injuries? But that hardly counts as being bullied!

He turned to meet Xia Ran's gaze, wanting to figure out what was going on.

Chapter 35: Cultivating Evil Secret Arts

"Don't look at him. Did you give Tang San's soul tool to this brat?"

"You treat your students like gold, but taking my things to give away to others—have you no shame!"

Compared to Xia Ran, Yu Xiaogang had a closer relationship with Flender, so as soon as they met, he wanted to use that connection to reclaim the belt.

At this moment, Flender finally understood what was happening, and his expression turned awkward.

Although he hadn't been at the scene that day, he knew exactly what had transpired:

It was clearly your precious disciple who overestimated his abilities and provoked someone he shouldn't have, and this was the compensation he gave, alright!

Xia Ran knew Flender was a man of status who wouldn't want Tang San's ugly behavior from that day made public, so he simply interrupted Yu Xiaogang's rant.

"I said it before, Tang San gave this to me himself."

"And I also said, as long as you, Grandmaster, answer my question, I will return it to you. Why must you make things so complicated?"

As he finished speaking, Yu Xiaogang's eyes flickered with hesitation, but after a moment of thought, he said.

"Fine! I hope you don't go back on your word, and that includes the ring on your hand."

Watching the greed on the man's face, Xia Ran let out a scoff.

Insatiable. I really don't know how Bibi Dong ever took a liking to this guy.

"The question I have is very simple!"

"Please explain to me: what is meant by 'there are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters'!"

Hearing the familiar theory, the guilt Yu Xiaogang had felt just moments ago vanished, and a confident smile appeared on his face.

This person is actually using my own theory to test me? How truly foolish. I wasted my time being so cautious.

"As a student of Flender, to think you would ask such a question that lacks any technical depth."

He turned to look at Flender, the smugness on his face overflowing.

The implication was: Your student is far too mediocre!

He then paced slowly between the three of them, his tone unhurried yet brimming with confidence.

"There are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters."

"This statement is the most core tenet among all the theories I, Yu Xiaogang, have proposed."

"I won't go into distant examples; let's just take my disciple, Tang San, as an example."

"Despite having the trash martial soul Blue Silver Grass, he has reached his current level under my guidance. If my estimates are correct, Tang San has already absorbed his third soul ring by now."

"This is all thanks to the cultivation path I planned for him, transitioning the Blue Silver Grass into a control-type, and adding poison-attribute soul rings..."

The more Yu Xiaogang spoke, the more confident he became, and the louder his voice grew. By the end, even Tang San, who was doing his rehabilitation exercises, heard the commotion.

Having rushed over, he arrived just in time to see Yu Xiaogang holding court and explaining his theories to Xia Ran and the others.

Having lost his dignity as a man, the moment he saw a familiar figure, tears welled up in his eyes. He rushed over and hugged Yu Xiaogang, who was still walking and talking.

"Teacher! You've finally come! Your disciple has missed you so much!"

Caught in the sudden embrace, he finally realized the person who had arrived was his precious disciple, Tang San.

But Tang San was currently covered in wounds that had yet to fully heal, and between his legs, gauze was wrapped in the shape of a pair of triangular briefs.

Yu Xiaogang was deeply shaken by the sight.

"What happened to you? Who hurt you like this?"

Tang San remained silent, only weeping uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang glared at Flender, who stood to the side, with eyes full of resentment.

"Flender! What on earth is going on here!"

"Sigh~"

"Let's go back to my office to talk!"

The commotion had already attracted everyone in the academy; it wasn't a large crowd, but it wasn't small either, with at least a dozen people including Li Yusong and the others.

Flender did not want to discuss this in front of the public, so he led Yu Xiaogang into his office.

Before long, an argument erupted inside the office.

Xia Ran could hear the crying and shouting all the way from the training grounds.

He simply went to the back mountain with Zhu Zhuqing to continue practicing their combat techniques.

Inside the office, Yu Xiaogang had learned the full sequence of events and looked at Tang San with a gaze of disappointment.

To think he had nearly lost his life for the sake of Xiao Wu.

Fortunately, he was lucky enough that he had only lost a mere inch or two of flesh; he figured it shouldn't affect his future cultivation.

"Where is that girl Xiao Wu? You ended up like this for her, and she isn't even taking care of you?"

"Teacher, Xiao Wu is a victim too!"

"You... I really don't know what to say to you!"

His disciple was excellent in every way, except for the fact that he was far too close to that girl Xiao Wu.

If Xiao Wu were his student as well, that would be one thing, but she was as stubborn as a rock, and no matter how Yu Xiaogang tried to persuade her, it was useless.

However, on second thought, perhaps this experience would make Tang San focus more on his cultivation...

"Right, how did the Soul Tool I gave you end up being worn by someone else?"

Yu Xiaogang's mood calmed down, and he suddenly thought about the matter involving Xia Ran from earlier.

Upon hearing about the Soul Tool, Tang San's expression turned as if he had swallowed a fly, the words stuck in his throat.

He had originally intended to wait for Yu Xiaogang to arrive and use his connection with Flender to get the Soul Tool back.

But in the Star Dou Forest, Xia Ran had even stepped in to block an attack from a Man Faced Demon Spider for him, which made him feel too embarrassed to speak up now.

"I'm sorry... Teacher, it is true that my strength was insufficient, and I lost to him!"

Hearing the answer from Tang San's own mouth left Yu Xiaogang greatly shocked.

Tang San did not mention the failed sneak attack or the compensation, simply glossing over it as losing a duel.

"What? He looks to be about your age, and he actually made you lose the Soul Tool?"

Yu Xiaogang came from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and had seen many prodigies, but those people were far inferior to Tang San.

Ask yourself, what faction could possess a genius with Innate Full Soul Power and Twin Martial Souls? And now, Tang San was only 12 years old and had already reached level 30.

Now, being told that Tang San had been defeated by someone of the same age! How could he accept this?

"What is his strength? How old is he?"

"It is said he is the same age as me, both 12."

"Soul Power..."

At this point, Tang San's expression became awkward and he fidgeted.

Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang urged him impatiently.

"What about his Soul Power? What level is he exactly?"

Flender, standing to the side, spoke up at the right moment:

"That kid Xia Ran just obtained his fourth soul ring a while ago; he should be around level 42 now."

Because the Mysterious Cat martial soul had been enhanced by the Void Domain given by the system, Flender and the others could no longer detect Xia Ran's specific level unless he chose to reveal it.

"This... how is this possible!"

"How could anyone reach the Soul Ancestor realm at 12 years old? Flender, are you lying to me!"

Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened, finding it truly impossible to accept such a fact.

He, the son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan leader, had cultivated for over forty years and was still stuck at level 29, unable to make any progress.

Now, a 12-year-old child had actually reached the level of a Soul Ancestor; how could he possibly find balance in his heart!

"Flender, are you certain that child isn't practicing some kind of evil secret technique?"