Yu Xiaogang's Plans

At first, he was still contemplating how to obtain his own origin, but after Xu Yuan won, he discovered a method to acquire it.

That is, to defeat Tang San.

Winning once would allow him to obtain the origin and destiny residing within Tang San.

Although these were all absorbed by Xu Yuan, God King Tang San did not mind, because this was his future body.

The stronger his future body became, the more beneficial it would be for him.

Destiny is something others cannot see, but as a God King, he could see it with perfect clarity.

At the same time, he understood how difficult it was to obtain destiny; now that he knew a way to acquire it, his heart was filled with great joy.

God King Tang San said to Xu Yuan, "Xu Yuan, whenever Tang San challenges you in the future, you must defeat him, do you understand?"

Xu Yuan did not ask why, only replying in his heart that he understood.

His current persona was that of an obedient child, used to deceive God King Tang San.

On the other side, in Yu Xiaogang's office.

Yu Xiaogang sat in his chair with an ugly expression, contemplating what to do next.

"Tang San is really..." Yu Xiaogang slammed his fist onto the table, his tone filled with the frustration of someone disappointed that his protégé hadn't lived up to expectations. "How could he be so careless? To be entangled by such unorthodox soul skills! If he had reacted a moment sooner, how could he have lost?"

He tried to shift the responsibility onto Tang San, yet he could not help but recall that punch from Xu Yuan.

"Knock, knock, knock--"

"Enter."

Tang San pushed the door open and walked in, approaching Yu Xiaogang with caution.

Tang San kept his head low, his fingers twisting together nervously, his voice tinged with guilt: "Teacher, I'm sorry, it was my fault for underestimating the enemy."

Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San, and his pent-up fury felt like a punctured balloon, instantly deflating, leaving only a heavy sense of powerlessness.

Yu Xiaogang waved his hand, his voice hoarse: "It is not your fault; it is I... I thought the matter was too simple."

Tang San raised his head, his eyes full of confusion: "Teacher, Xu Yuan's Blue Silver Grass is truly special. Although his soul skills lack aggression, they can make one feel relaxed from the very bottom of their heart."

Yu Xiaogang slammed the table again, his face flushing red: "That is a crooked path! Peaceful? It is nothing more than using a disguise to cover up weaknesses! Just you wait, once his soul power increases and he requires stronger soul rings to support it, the flaws will be exposed!"

Tang San nodded to show he understood; he would never question his teacher's words, as the teacher surely had his reasons for saying so.

Seeing Tang San nod, Yu Xiaogang's expression softened slightly, though his tone remained filled with unquestionable certainty: "Think about it, the Blue Silver Grass is inherently a trash martial soul; the only way it can stand in the soul master world is through poison. Xu Yuan follows the life path, which seems gentle, but in reality, it is putting the cart before the horse. He is fine now while his soul power is low, relying on that bit of cleverness; but when his soul power reaches level thirty and he needs a third soul ring, where will he find a soul beast that can enhance life force? Even if he finds one, can it compare to the explosive power brought by a highly poisonous soul beast?"

Thinking of how Xu Yuan had defeated Tang San, Yu Xiaogang felt extremely displeased.

How could a country bumpkin be better than him, Yu Xiaogang?

Yu Xiaogang stood up, walked to Tang San's side, patted his shoulder, and said earnestly: "San, you are the disciple I value most. Your Blue Silver Grass has infinite potential and must follow the most stable path. Control combined with lethal poison—this is the ultimate form of the Blue Silver Grass. That method of Xu Yuan's is nothing but Kyōka Suigetsu; it looks good, but in reality, it is fragile."

The more Yu Xiaogang spoke, the more excited he became, as if he could already see the scene where Tang San crushed Xu Yuan using the path he had planned.

Tang San's hands, hanging at his sides, slowly clenched, and the confusion in his eyes was replaced by determination.

What the teacher said must be right; after all, Yu Xiaogang had studied martial soul theory for decades, so how could he be wrong?

Xu Yuan was only able to win by taking advantage of his unique soul skills. Once he became familiar with those skills and moved steadily along the path planned by his teacher, he would surely surpass him sooner or later.

"Teacher, I understand." Tang San raised his head, his gaze clear and firm: "Next time we spar, I will not lose again."

Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction, and a trace of a smile finally appeared on his tense face: "That is the spirit. Remember, control is the foundation, and lethal poison is the edge. Only by combining the two can your Blue Silver Grass truly make others fear you. Starting tomorrow, I will increase your training in soul skill control; you must ensure your binding is effortless and your toxins are precise."

"Yes, Teacher." Tang San bowed in acknowledgment, and when he turned to leave, his footsteps were much steadier than when he had arrived.

Walking out of the office, the afterglow of the setting sun fell upon him, yet it brought little warmth.

Tang San subconsciously touched his chest, where the force of Xu Yuan's punch seemed to linger, along with the comforting fragrance emitted by those small white flowers.

But he quickly shook his head, casting these distracting thoughts out of his mind. The teacher said it was an unorthodox path, so it must be.

The path he was to walk was the one paved by his teacher—the most stable path of the strong—and it could not be shaken by a momentary setback.

Tang Hao, watching all of this from the shadows, remained silent; in truth, he was more inclined toward Xu Yuan's life path.

However, thinking that Yu Xiaogang was the child of the head of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and possessed broader knowledge than others, he assumed there must be a deeper meaning behind Yu Xiaogang having Tang San choose the path of poison.

Tang Hao subconsciously thought of Xu Yuan, always feeling that the boy resembled Ah Yin, though he had no evidence to prove it.

He had been secretly observing Xu Yuan these past few days, and the feeling Xu Yuan gave him was that the boy should be his and Ah Yin's child.

Xu Yuan's appearance had the same handsomeness he possessed in his youth, and his treatment of others was just like Ah Yin; he was the perfect combination of the two of them.

Yet, reason told him this was impossible.

Back then, when he fled the pursuit of Martial Soul Hall with Tang San, living a life of displacement, how could there possibly be another child?

Perhaps, it was just a coincidence.

Coming back to his senses, Tang Hao looked at Tang San's thin, frail body and felt it necessary to obtain some medicinal herbs to nourish him.

In these past few years, Tang San hadn't eaten much in the way of good food; he would acquire some herbs and give them to Yu Xiaogang, asking him to use them to nourish Tang San.

This could be considered compensation for Tang San for all these years.

"Ah Yin..." Tang Hao gazed at the setting sun dipping below the horizon, his Adam's apple bobbing as his voice rasped like sandpaper against stone, "If you were here, which path would you choose?"

No one answered. There was only the rustling of wind through the leaves, sounding like someone's sigh.

The next morning.

After washing up, Yu Xiaogang discovered the herbs and note left on his table, and he could not help but knit his brows.

He picked up the note; the handwriting was crooked and jagged, as if written with charred charcoal, containing only a few simple words.

[To nourish Tang San's body.]

On the back was a medicinal prescription, and after looking it over, Yu Xiaogang confirmed it was indeed effective.

Although he was a good-for-nothing, he had read many books in the past, and he still possessed that much discernment.

Yu Xiaogang sorted the herbs on the table into their respective categories and rummaged through his cabinet to find an earthen pot.