The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight filtered through the treetops, Wang Xian opened his eyes.
He stood and stretched his body. His bones let out several crisp cracks, and an indescribable sense of ease filled him from head to toe.
He clenched his fists and felt that his palms were stronger than yesterday. Even his fingertips seemed to possess greater force.
He jumped twice more and found that his reaction speed and agility had improved considerably as well.
"After consuming this piece of Whale Rubber, the age limit of the Soul Rings I can fuse with has increased by at least a hundred years." A satisfied smile appeared on Wang Xian's face.
"What a huge gain. Once I go to a bigger city and buy better Whale Rubber, maybe my second Soul Ring will be able to reach a thousand years."
He briefly cleaned up the traces on the ground, made sure he had left no flaws behind, then turned and headed toward Notting City.
Notting Academy, Dorm Seven.
Tang San got up early. After glancing at Xiao Wu beside him, he left the dormitory directly.
He cultivated the Purple Demon Eye beneath the morning sun for a while, then headed straight for Yu Xiaogang's office.
Yu Xiaogang had told him yesterday that he did not need to attend class and could simply go to him to study.
Tang San happened to have many questions on his mind as well.
The morning air still carried a trace of chill. He stopped below the dormitory building, faced the rising sun, narrowed his eyes slightly, and a faint purple glow flowed through his pupils.
He cultivated the Purple Demon Eye for a while. Only when his eyes began to swell faintly did he stop and turn toward Yu Xiaogang's office.
Yu Xiaogang had told him yesterday that he did not need to attend class and could just go straight to him.
Tang San had quite a few questions in his heart, especially about yesterday's battle.
He had been defeated by Wang Xian. Though he was unwilling to admit it, that was the truth. What puzzled him most was Wang Xian's martial soul.
That person's martial soul was clearly Blue Silver Grass. Yet it was completely different from his own Blue Silver Grass.
After awakening his martial soul, Tang San had conducted many experiments. He discovered that under normal circumstances, his Blue Silver Grass was no different from the weeds by the roadside, so fragile that it would snap with a single tug.
Only when Soul Power was infused into it would the blades become slightly tougher, barely usable as rope.
But Wang Xian's Blue Silver Grass was different.
When those dark green vines wrapped around him, he could not break free even after using all his strength.
The vines were covered in dense, fine barbs. The moment he exerted force, they dug into his flesh, tightening the more he struggled.
Moreover, there were an astonishing number of vines, as though they poured endlessly from Wang Xian's palms. They came from every direction, leaving him nowhere to dodge.
Why was there such a huge difference between the same martial soul?
With this question in mind, Tang San quickened his pace.
Before long, he arrived at Yu Xiaogang's office.
The door was not closed. Yu Xiaogang was sitting at his desk, flipping through something.
When he saw Tang San arrive, a trace of delight flashed through his eyes. Yet his expression remained as stiff as ever, revealing nothing.
"Xiao San, you're here. Come over. I'll teach you now."
Tang San nodded and walked over to sit beside the desk.
Yu Xiaogang cleared his throat and began.
From the classifications of martial souls to Soul Ring combinations, from Soul Power cultivation to the countering relationships between different types, he spoke smoothly and occasionally took out materials to support his points.
Tang San listened attentively. He had grown up in Holy Soul Village, and no one had ever taught him these things.
Though Yu Xiaogang's explanations were not particularly profound, he had read a vast amount of material on martial souls and could readily cite all sorts of examples. His lecture was fairly convincing.
On top of that, he always spoke with an air of complete confidence.
Tang San was a Soul Master who had only just set out on his path. Watching his teacher speak so eloquently, he grew even more convinced by Yu Xiaogang.
After speaking for nearly half an hour, Yu Xiaogang finally stopped. He lifted the teacup on the desk and took a sip before saying, "We'll stop here for today. Go back and rest first. Think over and digest what you've learned."
Tang San did not move. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Teacher, I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"Yesterday, I fought someone whose martial soul was also Blue Silver Grass." Tang San paused. "But his Blue Silver Grass was far stronger than mine."
Yu Xiaogang's fingers paused slightly. A shadow flashed through his eyes, but he quickly returned to calm.
"You mean Wang Xian?"
Tang San was slightly startled. "Teacher, you know him?"
"I do." Yu Xiaogang set down his teacup, his tone calm. "Like you, his martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, and he has level three Innate Soul Power."
"Level three?" Tang San frowned. How could someone with level three Innate Soul Power defeat him? He had Innate Full Soul Power.
"His martial soul is not ordinary Blue Silver Grass." Yu Xiaogang glanced at Tang San and slowly said, "It should be a mutation."
"Mutated Blue Silver Grass?"
"That's right. Otherwise, Blue Silver Grass could not possibly possess such power."
Yu Xiaogang leaned back in his chair, his expression certain. "Based on what you just described, the direction of his mutation should lean toward Toughness."
"This kind of mutated martial soul can possess relatively strong combat power in the early stages, but that does not mean much."
"The greatest problem with mutated martial souls is that their direction is difficult to determine. One wrong step, and the martial soul may degenerate, perhaps even becoming inferior to ordinary Blue Silver Grass."
He looked at Tang San, his tone carrying a measure of comfort and confidence.
"So you don't need to be discouraged. As long as you cultivate according to my theories and choose suitable Soul Rings, the strength of your Blue Silver Grass will soon surpass his."
After hearing this, Tang San's eyes lit up.
He did not know much about martial souls, but Yu Xiaogang's explanation was orderly and convincing.
Besides, mutations were inherently unstable. Being strong early on did not mean staying strong forever. As long as he took the right path, surpassing Wang Xian would only be a matter of time.
"Teacher, then when are we going to obtain our Soul Rings?" Tang San hurriedly asked.
Yu Xiaogang thought for a moment. "In a few days. I need to make preparations in advance. Choosing Soul Rings cannot be taken lightly. I need to plan it carefully."
Of course, the planning he spoke of was nothing more than going to the market to buy a few white radishes for Luo Sanpao to eat.
Wang Xian returned to the dormitory and found that Tang San was not there. He did not pay it much mind and was about to return to his bed to cultivate.
Yet the moment Xiao Wu saw him return, she immediately rushed over.
"Wang Xian, let's fight again. I want to be the boss!" Xiao Wu said directly.
Wang Xian turned and gave her a dismissive glance. "You just fought me yesterday, and you were no match for me at all, so I won't accept your challenge."
"Come find me again after you obtain your First Soul Ring."
After saying that, he ignored Xiao Wu and closed his eyes to begin cultivating.
"Just you wait!" Xiao Wu shouted.
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