But...
Who could know what attributes the weak Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul had?
Although Plant-type Soul Beasts were probably the best match for Plant-type Martial Souls, who could say for sure?
Maybe, like Food-type Soul Masters, they could absorb Soul Rings of any attribute?
Yu Xiaogang put away the letter and tidied everything up. After confirming that nothing was amiss, he opened the door and saw a half-grown boy standing respectfully outside. The boy had an ordinary face and wore plain clothes.
"Xiao San, is something the matter?"
Yu Xiaogang let Tang San in and made himself act as he usually did, not wanting his unusually precocious and perceptive disciple to notice anything was wrong.
The Titled Douluo Tang Hao hiding behind him was a huge problem. If Tang Hao found out about the letter, Yu Xiaogang wouldn't be able to leave.
But Tang San was also a Tang Sect assassin with the Purple Demon Eye.
Almost the moment he saw Yu Xiaogang, Tang San sensed his tension and wariness, as though he were hiding something important.
Though Tang San felt suspicious, his respect for his teacher held him back.
He wouldn't attack his teacher, Yu Xiaogang, unless absolutely necessary.
"Teacher, has something happened? Your complexion looks rather poor. Would you like to rest for a few more days?" Tang San poured Yu Xiaogang a cup of tea with practiced ease, asking with the concern of a thoughtful, devoted disciple.
"No need. It's nothing serious. Oh, right—have you memorized the Soul Beast age analysis I taught you last time?" Yu Xiaogang asked, changing the subject.
"I've already memorized it..." Tang San perked up as he spoke.
Nuoding Academy, a low-level Soul Master Academy in a remote little city, had poor educational resources. Its teachers only taught general knowledge about a little over two hundred common Soul Beasts.
That was nowhere near the wealth of knowledge Yu Xiaogang, the Grandmaster, possessed. He knew about tens of thousands of Soul Beasts, and his explanations were extremely detailed. He covered not only their attributes and abilities but also their weaknesses and how to determine their age.
Going to Heaven Dou City
After finishing his usual lessons and sending Tang San away, Yu Xiaogang shut the door again.
As soon as it closed, the expression he'd been maintaining crumbled.
His face darkened, looking utterly grim.
Yu Xiaogang knew he would have to find a way to shake off Tang San and Tang Hao before he could leave Nuoding Academy.
Tang Hao needed him to teach his son how to cultivate Twin Martial Souls.
But Yu Xiaogang couldn't teach him that. He had no idea how.
His father had been involved in that incident, and Tang Hao's eyes held unmistakable resentment.
He wouldn't let Yu Xiaogang leave easily...
Of course, the safest plan was to have his father, Thunder Douluo, come get him.
But Yu Xiaogang wasn't sure his father could win.
Back then, his father and the Titled Douluos of several major factions had attacked Tang Hao and his pregnant Soul Beast wife.
In the end, the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast had sacrificed herself, granting Tang Hao a Soul Ring despite his Soul Power Level and helping him break through to Titled Douluo.
Though Tang Hao had only just reached Titled Douluo, he'd displayed astonishing strength. He'd severely wounded the veteran Douluo Thunder Douluo, who had been leading the attack, and intimidated the others. Taking advantage of the chaos, he'd escaped with his child.
Tang Hao had only just become a Douluo then, yet he'd been so powerful. So much time had passed since. How strong was he now?
Yu Xiaogang wasn't sure his father could beat Tang Hao and rescue him.
After turning it over in his mind, Yu Xiaogang thought of his disciple, Tang San.
Tang Hao had been willing to expose himself for his son. That meant Tang San must be very important to him.
At that thought, Yu Xiaogang suddenly saw the way forward!
From Tang San's behavior, it seemed he didn't know his own background. Tang Hao was deliberately concealing his identity and didn't want Tang San to find out.
In fact, he'd never shown himself in front of Tang San all these years.
If Yu Xiaogang took Xiao San with him, Tang Hao wouldn't show up to attack.
Besides, Tang Hao wouldn't interfere with his daily lessons for Tang San.
Yu Xiaogang could take Tang San to Heaven Dou City under the pretext of teaching him.
His father had said they would meet in Heaven Dou City. That wouldn't make Tang Hao suspicious.
Once he had a plan, Yu Xiaogang immediately went to find Tang San and used the Mimicry Cultivation Ground as an excuse to take him to Heaven Dou City.
Tang San was puzzled. Yu Xiaogang had always refused to let him graduate early and leave. Why had he suddenly decided to take him so far away, to Heaven Dou City?
Still, Tang San was genuinely curious about the Mimicry Cultivation Ground his teacher had mentioned, and couldn't help asking about it.
Yu Xiaogang readily explained, "It's a place where Soul Masters can grow quickly. The Mimicry Cultivation Ground is a unique training facility at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, built by the Heaven Dou Empire over several centuries."
"The Mimicry Cultivation Ground at Heaven Dou Royal Academy can recreate the natural environments of Soul Beasts that correspond to a Soul Master's Martial Soul. This helps Soul Masters achieve the best results in their training."
"A Soul Master's cultivation speed is determined by both internal and external factors. Internal factors are their Martial Soul and talent."
"Even when two Soul Masters have the same talent, their Soul Power can differ greatly. That's because of external factors, such as their training environment, medicine, Soul Bones, and other conditions."
"The Mimicry Cultivation Ground is a very important external factor. Given your cultivation speed, Xiao San, you might already have reached level twenty if you'd been training there." Yu Xiaogang continued at length.
Tang San was quite tempted after hearing the explanation.
However, Yu Xiaogang never promised that he could help Tang San get into the Mimicry Cultivation Ground.
Hidden in the shadows, Tang Hao listened and nodded in satisfaction, not noticing anything amiss.
He wasn't much of a thinker, and he rarely gave things much thought. Once he knew it would benefit Tang San, he stopped paying attention.
Yu Xiaogang set off for Heaven Dou City with a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect posing as a coachman.
Transportation on Douluo Continent was underdeveloped, and the areas beyond the cities were dangerous. People traveling usually formed groups before leaving the city, so they'd have a few extra hands if they encountered dangerous Soul Beasts.
Yu Xiaogang naturally had no intention of traveling with those people. He took Tang San straight to a carriage and left.
The journey took nearly half a month, and they hardly rested along the way.
Over the past two years, Tang San had learned that his teacher was frail and delicate. Though Yu Xiaogang was a Soul Grandmaster, his constitution was poor. Under normal circumstances, the teacher should have given in to the strain of such a demanding journey and slowed down long ago.
Yet the opposite happened. Yu Xiaogang hadn't grown thinner during their exhausting trip. Instead, he seemed unusually energetic, his face glowing. He was full of life, nothing like his usual listless self.
Tang San felt that there was more to this trip to Heaven Dou City than the so-called Mimicry Cultivation Ground. There must be another reason.
But if his teacher didn't want to tell him, he must have his reasons!
Tang San still chose to trust and respect his teacher, Yu Xiaogang.
Part of that trust came from the way Yu Xiaogang had taught him everything he knew over the past two years. The other part came from Tang San's confidence in his own abilities.
When they finally reached Heaven Dou City, Yu Xiaogang took Tang San to a courtyard to rest.
The property was one of the assets Yu Xiaogang's father had given him. He hadn't returned since he'd gone into hiding from his family.
As soon as Tang San stepped inside, his eyes roamed over the luxurious furnishings and valuable ornaments.
In his previous life, Tang San had seen the homes of many wealthy families he'd assassinated, so he had a good eye. He could tell this was a genuine mansion.
His teacher wasn't just knowledgeable; he also came from an extraordinary family. Tang San had definitely chosen the right person.
If Kai, who had refused to let his teacher graduate early, found out, he'd surely regret it. So be it. If Tang San ran into him again in the future, he'd teach this disrespectful student a lesson on his teacher's behalf.
Though the Grandmaster didn't teach classes at the academy or take part in any of its low-level activities, he was still a teacher at Nuoding Academy.
And Kai had simply refused Yu Xiaogang's invitation to take him on as a disciple.
Thinking this, Tang San followed the "coachman" to a guest room that had been prepared for him. Though it was only a guest room, it was still far better than the dormitory at Nuoding Academy. The bed was soft and comfortable, warm in winter and cool in summer. A faint fragrance drifted through the room, and beautiful ornaments decorated every corner.
Meanwhile, Tang Hao was torn between continuing to follow and protect his son and keeping a close eye on the little girl who was a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
To be fair, Tang San's identity was extremely dangerous. If it came to light, the whole world would turn against him.
But a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was just as rare an opportunity. She was weak and easy to kill, making the risk almost nonexistent and the reward a thousandfold.
Respect Other People's Fate!
Though he didn't know why a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast would foolishly come to the human world, especially when she was still below level seventy and at risk of having her identity exposed.
Tang Hao wouldn't feel sympathy for other transformed Soul Beasts just because his wife, Ah Yin, had been one.
He'd originally wanted Xiao San to grow close to her, hoping she'd eventually sacrifice herself. After all, the rabbit Soul Beast seemed brainless and appeared to be quite fond of Xiao San.
But now Xiao San was going to Heaven Dou City.
Judging by the rabbit's behavior, she probably wouldn't dare follow him to a bustling city where there might be Titled Douluos.
Tang Hao considered it and decided to wait until Xiao San returned from training at the Mimicry Cultivation Ground. Then he'd find an opportunity to bring the two together again.
A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast's sacrifice was far more beneficial than killing one directly. As someone who'd been the first to experience it, Tang Hao knew exactly what he was talking about. It had ignored his Soul Power Level and raised him by several levels in one go, making him the youngest Titled Douluo on Douluo Continent.
As for Xiao San, Tang Hao wasn't too worried. He was the first human-Soul Beast hybrid, and at present there was no way to test his bloodline. As long as he followed Tang Hao's instructions and didn't reveal his Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul, Yu Xiaogang's protection should keep him out of trouble.
Tang Hao knew his own intimidation tactics well enough to believe that Yu Xiaogang wouldn't dare do anything reckless. After all, as far as Yu Xiaogang knew, Tang Hao was always right there protecting Tang San.
Having lived in seclusion, cut off from the world and given up on cultivation for years, Tang Hao had clearly fallen behind the times. Even now, he didn't know about the Alchemy Hall at Spirit Hall.
Just as he'd ignored his own family, the Clear Sky Sect, when he was hunted by various factions and they were under attack.
Even after escaping and hearing that the Clear Sky Sect had sealed itself off and his father had died not long afterward, he'd never gone back to visit.
He seemed loyal and devoted, but whenever people needed him, he was nowhere to be found. Whenever they didn't need him, he was always around.
Before you continue