Spring Sows a Grain of Millet

"What, the Jade Evergreen Vine! And a Soul Ring close to five hundred years old!"

Deep in the Soul Hunting Forest, Yu Xiaogang's face flushed red as he panted like an ox.

They had clearly agreed to absorb a four-hundred-year-old Datura Snake Soul Ring. That way, they could both test his Soul Ring limit theory and support his Martial Soul Mimicry Theory.

Put together, it should have been twice the joy.

"Keep your voice down. Third Sister is at a crucial point in absorbing the Soul Ring." Tang Yin glanced at Tang Sanmei in the distance, then turned his attention back to Yu Xiaogang.

"I—" Yu Xiaogang started, then paused after a single word. His face darkened as he lowered his voice. "What happened while I was bound?"

"It went like this." Tang Yin curled his lip disdainfully, but seeing Yu Xiaogang's expression, he decided he should soothe him a little. So he described what had happened.

Of course, Tang Yin's account was half true and half false. He focused on how Third Sister had changed to absorbing the Jade Evergreen Vine Soul Ring at his suggestion, and how the Datura Snake Soul Ring had disappeared while she was saving Grandmaster, leaving her no choice but to choose the Jade Evergreen Vine.

As he spoke, Tang Yin pointed at the lifeless corpse of the Datura Snake in the distance, then tried to comfort him.

"Grandmaster, the Datura Snake may be well suited to Third Sister's Blue Silver Grass, but the Jade Evergreen Vine is also a Plant-type Martial Soul, and both are renowned for their vitality. This Soul Ring will complement Third Sister perfectly."

"I see..." Yu Xiaogang's flushed face finally regained some of its color, but he was still furious.

He knew perfectly well that the Jade Evergreen Vine was an excellent match for Blue Silver Grass. But he had his own reasons for teaching Tang Sanmei.

Only if Tang Sanmei followed his theories would people see his, Yu Xiaogang's, ideas reflected in her when she eventually reached the summit of the Soul Master World.

If Tang Sanmei took the conventional path like other Soul Masters, what would be left for Yu Xiaogang? With her Innate Full Soul Power and Twin Martial Souls, no matter how great her future achievements were, they would have nothing to do with him. People would simply praise Tang Sanmei's peerless talent.

"Hmph. A Soul Ring close to five hundred years old isn't so easy to absorb." Yu Xiaogang spat out the words in frustration, then stared at Tang Sanmei in the distance, his expression shifting as he wrestled with his thoughts.

Once the absorption of a Soul Ring began, it couldn't be interrupted. If Tang Sanmei failed, her life would be in danger, and he would lose a disciple with astonishing talent who was willing to accept his guidance.

But success wasn't what Yu Xiaogang wanted either. If Tang Sanmei absorbed it successfully, that would prove his theory about the maximum age of a Soul Ring was wrong—it would be a slap in the face.

"I believe in Third Sister!" Tang Yin couldn't be bothered to argue with Yu Xiaogang.

As for his Soul Ring limit theory, it was merely a broad generalization Yu Xiaogang had drawn from investigating the First Soul Rings of most Soul Masters. If an ordinary Soul Master truly believed it, they'd be courting death. If a talented Soul Master believed it, they'd be wasting their own potential.

As the two men brooded over their own thoughts, the seconds ticked by. Only when a bright moon hung high in the sky did Tang Sanmei finally stir. She let out a deep breath, then immediately searched for the figure she held in her heart.

Tang Yin was playing with the short blade in his hand by the moonlight. He noticed Tang Sanmei waking the moment she stirred.

"Brother, I did it!" When she saw Tang Yin looking at her, Tang Sanmei sprang up, beaming, and bounced over to him. As usual, she looped both arms around his neck and pressed her whole body against him.

"Mm, good. How many levels did your Soul Power go up?" Tang Yin showed no surprise at Tang Sanmei's success in absorbing a five-hundred-year Soul Ring.

In the original story, Tang San had already reached level ten as soon as he awakened his Martial Soul. During the time that followed, he had no Soul Ring, so he couldn't break through level ten, but some Soul Power would still have accumulated in his body.

In other words, despite already having a large amount of Soul Power stored in his body, Tang San had only gained one level after absorbing a four-hundred-year Soul Ring.

He had reason to suspect that this was because a Plant-type Martial Soul conflicted with an animal Soul Beast.

Now, the Jade Evergreen Vine was a Plant-type Martial Soul exceptionally compatible with Blue Silver Grass, and it had been a five-hundred-year Soul Ring. He was curious about Tang Sanmei's Soul Power Level.

A full three levels!" Tang Sanmei's lips curled up. She held three fingers in front of Tang Yin and waggled them, looking extremely pleased with herself.

"Three levels, huh?" Tang Yin nodded, not particularly surprised.

"Brother, did you think that wasn't much?" Seeing the hint of dissatisfaction on Tang Yin's face, Tang Sanmei thought he should have looked delighted and praised her lavishly.

"That's plenty! My Third Sister is naturally amazing." Tang Yin smiled helplessly and was about to reach out to pat her head, but then he sensed that something was off.

"Third Sister, you've grown taller!" Tang Yin raised an eyebrow and pointed it out.

Tang Sanmei, who had originally been a little shorter than him, was now half a head taller.

"Oh, I have! Hehe!" Tang Sanmei pulled her right hand away from where both arms had been wrapped around Tang Yin's neck, then stood up straight and compared their heights with her hand.

"I thought something felt strange when I hugged you just now. Turns out I'm already taller than you." As she spoke, she wrapped her right arm around Tang Yin's neck again. "But that's not important. The most important thing is that my Mysterious Heaven Skill has broken through to the second level."

"That was expected." Tang Yin nodded, then asked about the other thing he cared about.

The Jade Evergreen Vine was renowned for its vitality, but that wasn't the main reason Tang Yin had chosen it. He'd been after the Soul Skill she might obtain from its Soul Ring.

Because of its powerful vitality, the Jade Evergreen Vine was an ideal Soul Beast sought by most support Soul Masters.

As a result, the Soul Skills that came with the Jade Evergreen Vine had also been catalogued.

The other common support Soul Skills were powerful, but they didn't catch Tang Yin's eye. What he valued most was one that other support Soul Masters called useless: Spring Sows a Grain of Millet.

This Soul Skill scattered seeds within a hundred meters of the user. The seeds could absorb Soul Power from the air and grow rapidly on their own. They could even absorb the Soul Power released during battles between Soul Masters, speeding up their growth.

Once all the seeds had sprouted and grown, they would replenish the Soul Skill owner's vitality. They would also speed up Soul Power recovery by five percent.

The skill looked astonishingly powerful, but for a support Soul Master, it was rather useless, since its effects only benefited the user.

For one thing, a support Soul Master had no combat ability to begin with, so restoring their vitality only made them a little harder to beat up.

But on the battlefield, if an enemy got close to a support Soul Master, it meant the battle was already as good as lost. The skill wouldn't make much difference.

As for speeding up Soul Power recovery, that was somewhat useful, but five percent was far too little.

But in Tang Yin's eyes, this supposedly useless Soul Skill was an exceptionally good fit for Third Sister.

For starters, as a wielder of Twin Martial Souls, Third Sister wouldn't be left without offensive options like a support Soul Master. What's more, she had numerous martial arts at her disposal, as well as Hidden Weapons. Even at low levels, she could hold her own against Soul Masters other than support types.

This Soul Skill was practically made for Third Sister. It would still be useful later on, even when she became a Titled Douluo—or reached godhood.

"The Soul Skill I got is called Spring Sows a Grain of Millet!" Tang Sanmei recalled its effects, frowning slightly. But she soon realized what this Soul Skill meant for her, and stared at Tang Yin with boundless reverence.

"Brother, was even this part of your plan?"