No!!!

Tang San was seeing such an unfamiliar Yu Xiaogang for the second time.

The last time had been more than two years ago, yet the thing that had made Yu Xiaogang seem so unfamiliar was still that strange trash Martial Soul.

He found it hard to comment.

But it was fine. Tang San would find Yu Xiaogang a way to save face himself. After all, he was such a good disciple who treated his teacher as a father for life. How could he possibly doubt his teacher?

It was all Chen Yumo's fault. Why couldn't he obediently remain a trash Martial Soul and peacefully accept his fate as trash?

He already had a Way of Death!

Of course, that was a joke.

Tang San was indeed even more dissatisfied with Chen Yumo because of this, but not enough to directly label it a Way of Death. He was actually rather curious about how Chen Yumo had done it.

His teacher had clearly concluded that Chen Yumo could never achieve anything. How could his teacher's words possibly be wrong?

"Teacher, the news should be true. When I returned to the dormitory, I also heard Wang Sheng and the others discussing Chen Yumo's Martial Soul," Tang San said honestly in a low voice.

"From how certain they sounded, they probably witnessed it themselves. It doesn't seem like they made it up out of thin air, and there'd be no reason to..."

"Wait, witnessed it themselves!" Yu Xiaogang suddenly raised his head and shouted with wide eyes, "Yes, witnessed it themselves! I have to see for myself whether his Martial Soul really evolved!"

"If I don't see it with my own eyes, I can't believe it!"

After saying that, Yu Xiaogang staggered to his feet and struggled toward the door.

Tang San hurried forward, supported Yu Xiaogang by the arm, and walked out with him.

The master and disciple then began searching all over Nuoding Academy for Chen Yumo. They searched the classrooms, library, cafeteria, and other places before finally finding Chen Yumo practicing his soul skill on the back mountain—the ancient battlefield where the Louse Swarm battle had taken place.

From far away, Tang San's exceptional eyesight spotted the Ice Mist spreading through the depths of the forest, as well as a faint figure within it.

Only after approaching did they confirm that the figure was Chen Yumo, the person they had been looking for.

He stood in an open clearing, a beautiful ice-blue butterfly fluttering around him. With every beat of its wings, it scattered a cloud of hazy mist, and a thin layer of frost formed over the surrounding grass and shrubs.

And Tang San's attention was focused squarely on the butterfly flying around Chen Yumo.

Because a pale yellow Spirit Ring was shining brightly around that butterfly.

"It really did evolve successfully. It grew from an Ice Silkworm into a butterfly form, which matches the normal evolutionary path of a creature like a silkworm. It isn't very large—its wingspan is only palm-sized. It seemingly has no frontal combat ability, and the Ice Mist it releases is most likely an auxiliary or control-type ability."

Tang San swiftly began analyzing Chen Yumo's Martial Soul.

Over the past few years, he had read quite a few books Yu Xiaogang had obtained from Spirit Hall. He could be considered half a theory expert, so he instinctively compared Chen Yumo's Martial Soul against the knowledge in his mind.

"The pale yellow Spirit Ring is much lighter in color than my first Spirit Ring. Though it's a Hundred-Year Spirit Ring, it probably isn't over two hundred years old."

In the end, Tang San concluded that although Chen Yumo's Martial Soul had evolved, its strength was still limited. A Spirit Ring that had only just surpassed a hundred years could not grant any particularly powerful soul skill. That Ice Mist ability looked more like an auxiliary soul skill.

He was still a weakling, only the tiniest bit stronger than he had been in his maggot form.

That was what Tang San thought.

But Gangzi did not see it that way.

Watching the graceful ice-blue butterfly finally land on Chen Yumo's outstretched palm, Gangzi's eyes turned even redder.

Envy, jealousy, resentment, unwillingness, shame, anger...

Gangzi's state of mind was like a colorful pie chart.

First and foremost, he was crying with envy. If his Martial Soul had evolved even once, he would not have been stuck so firmly at level twenty-nine.

Then came jealousy and resentment.

Even Chen Yumo, a mere worm, could Break Cocoon and become a butterfly. He clearly possessed Dragon Clan blood as well, so why had he not defied fate and transformed into a dragon when obtaining his Spirit Rings?

Why could a poor country boy do something that he, the young master of a sect, could not?

Next came anger and shame, because he remembered those words he had confidently declared back then. This was karma striking back, and his buried memories were savagely assaulting his Demon Pill.

Forever just a worm?

Forever unable to become a Spirit Master?

Then what was Chen Yumo now?

Before seeing it, he could persuade himself by saying he had to witness it personally. But now that he had seen it with his own eyes, how could he continue deceiving himself?

"No!!!"

(Snowflakes drifting~ north wind howling—)

Tang San was still analyzing Chen Yumo's evolved Martial Soul when Gangzi's two sides of his mind began fighting each other. Snot and tears streaming down his face, he went mad and sprinted north, startling Tang San badly.

Even Chen Yumo, who had already noticed their arrival but was still acting in place, was startled by Gangzi's sudden ape-like howl.

He had imagined all sorts of reactions Gangzi might have upon seeing his Martial Soul evolve, but he had not expected to shatter Gangzi's conviction once again.

No, Gangzi had no conviction to begin with.

Then it was fine. He deserved it.

Still, Chen Yumo committed to the act. After giving Tang San a highly "wary" glance, he immediately withdrew his Martial Soul and ran away.

Tang San raised a hand, wanting to call Chen Yumo back and ask how he had evolved his Martial Soul, but Chen Yumo only left him with a rapidly retreating back. Behind him came Yu Xiaogang's incomprehensible monkey cries.

After only a brief hesitation, he still turned and chased after Yu Xiaogang.

As long as Chen Yumo remained at Nuoding Academy, there would be plenty of chances to ask him.

Right now, his teacher's condition was more important.

After finally catching up to Yu Xiaogang, Tang San felt utterly exhausted. At this moment, Yu Xiaogang no longer had the "steady bearing" of a master. He looked like a Soft Bone Rabbit that had been seized by a Titan Giant Ape to wipe its butt—pathetic and cowardly.

"Teacher, are you all right?" Tang San asked carefully.

"L-Little San..." Yu Xiaogang raised his head and looked at Tang San helplessly. Tears flowed down his face. "Teacher's life is truly so bitter..."

No matter how unwilling he was to admit it, all the knowledge in his mind told him that Chen Yumo was no longer a worm.

Even if his evolved Butterfly Martial Soul might still be weak, it definitely had the potential to break through to Soul Elder.

That Hundred-Year Spirit Ring was enough to prove everything.

There were countless people whose first Spirit Ring was only a Ten-Year Spirit Ring yet still broke through to Soul Elder. Chen Yumo's successful Martial Soul Evolution meant his path was not wrong, and becoming a Soul Elder in the future was merely a matter of time.

Only him!

His two Spirit Rings were both Hundred-Year Spirit Rings, nearly the optimal ratios at four hundred and seven hundred years, yet he still could not break through to Soul Elder.

He was not even as good as a worm!