The Down-and-Out Master and Disciple

"No, my soul ring..." Not long after Cao Yan left, Tang San finally got to his feet. His eyes seemed to have lost all life, his gaze hollow.

He silently stared at the Mandala Snake's corpse, his expression complicated as bitterness filled the corners of his mouth.

The soul ring produced from the Mandala Snake had now been destroyed by Cao Yan. He did not even have a single soul ring left, and the blow to him was undoubtedly enormous.

Without a soul ring, he could not increase his strength, much less make further breakthroughs in his Mysterious Heaven Skill. That meant he could only remain beneath Cao Yan's heel, never able to rise again.

"Could it be that on the Douluo Continent, I, Tang San, am destined to be nothing but trash?" Tang San clenched his fists and repeatedly pounded the ground, utterly heedless of the pain.

After all, his successful hunt of this nearly four-hundred-year Mandala Snake had involved no small amount of luck.

Originally, he had planned to further increase his strength after absorbing the soul ring, then craft some Hidden Weapons and kill Cao Yan.

But now, all of it had completely vanished like a bubble.

Not only had he lost his soul ring, but Cao Yan had beaten him up as well!

As someone from the Tang Sect, he had never suffered such humiliation. In his view, Cao Yan had deliberately targeted him.

Ever since enrollment that day, he and this person had become enemies. However, he had underestimated his opponent's abilities. He had never expected Cao Yan's methods to be even more ruthless than his own.

This was something Tang San had never anticipated.

Had Cao Yan even skipped class just to stop him from becoming stronger?

"Heh heh, Cao Yan. If you think I, Tang San, am some soft persimmon for anyone to slaughter, then you are gravely mistaken." Tang San suddenly smiled, cold malice flashing in his eyes, though he quickly calmed down again.

Right now, he had to obtain a soul ring first. Only then could he contend with Cao Yan.

However, in his current condition, it was already impossible for him to hunt another Soul Beast.

"Right, I still have my teacher. If I can get his help, it shouldn't be difficult to obtain another hundred-year soul ring." As Tang San pondered, inspiration suddenly struck him. Immediately, he became excited again.

Grandmaster was, after all, a powerful Soul Grandmaster. If they were lucky, perhaps they really could hunt another hundred-year Soul Beast.

Even if it were only an ordinary hundred-year Soul Beast, Tang San would be satisfied.

After all, finding another Soul Beast as suitable for him as the Mandala Snake was naturally unlikely.

But at this point, he could no longer afford to care about so much.

Something was better than nothing.

With that thought, Tang San walked straight over to Grandmaster. He bent down, undid Grandmaster's clothes, and carefully examined the wound on his arm, not daring to relax in the slightest.

"Luckily, the poison hasn't spread yet. Otherwise, even I would be helpless." Tang San set Grandmaster's clothes aside. After seeing his injuries, he quietly let out a breath of relief.

"Teacher, I'm sorry. It seems I must offend you." Tang San hesitated for a moment and sighed. Then, decisively, he pulled a dagger from his robes and cut into Grandmaster's arm.

As the blade passed through, a wound appeared on Grandmaster's arm. The flesh beneath had already begun to turn black. If he delayed even a moment longer, Grandmaster might die on the spot.

After all, the Mandala Snake's venom was enough to poison a Soul Grandmaster-level expert to death.

Black blood shot from Grandmaster's wrist, carrying a faint tea-like fragrance. Soon, as the black blood gradually drained away, fresh red blood appeared.

Rapidly circulating the Mysterious Heaven Skill, Tang San completely expelled the poison from Grandmaster's hand. He tore off several strips of cloth from himself and wrapped them around Grandmaster's wound.

After finishing all of this, Tang San exhaled a breath of stale air and revealed a relieved smile.

Now, all he needed to do was wait for Grandmaster to awaken, then obtain a soul ring.

Ten minutes later, Grandmaster's body finally showed signs of waking.

His body twitched first. Then, he opened his eyes, disbelief filling his gaze.

"What happened to me? Where are my clothes?" Grandmaster raised his arm. When he saw the cloth wrapped around it, he immediately understood.

He knew Xiao San must have saved him.

Before he could feel happy, however, Grandmaster was first struck by an incomparably intense sense of weakness. His entire body ached, his vision blurred, and the spinning sensation left him unable to find any sense of direction.

It felt as if he had just completed an intense bout of exercise, leaving him miserable beyond words.

"Teacher, you're awake?" Hearing the familiar voice, Tang San hurriedly moved closer to Grandmaster and handed him his clothes.

"Xiao San, I'm actually still alive?" Grandmaster took the clothes and gave Tang San a thoughtful look before lightly shaking his head.

He believed Xiao San would never do that to him.

"Yes, Teacher. You're very much alive." Tang San nodded and smiled.

At that, Grandmaster smiled as well. Calmly, he quickly put on the clothes Tang San had handed him, while his Soul Power slowly began to recover.

"Right, Xiao San. Did you successfully absorb the Mandala Snake's soul ring?" As if suddenly recalling something, Grandmaster took Tang San's hand and asked with an expectant expression.

"Teacher, my soul ring is gone." Tang San's body trembled slightly as he spoke.

"What happened? Could it be Cao Yan..." Grandmaster hurriedly asked. He looked around, but did not see any sign of Cao Yan.

At once, an ominous thought arose in his heart.

This Mandala Snake was practically the perfect match for Xiao San's martial soul. Whether in terms of age or quality, it was exceptional.

"Yes, Teacher, your guess is correct. He was the one who destroyed my soul ring." Tang San nodded and truthfully recounted how Cao Yan had injured him.

For some reason, whenever he was with Grandmaster, Tang San always felt a deep sense of dependence. It was a feeling he had never experienced with Tang Hao.

"This is outrageous! He even dares to bully my, Yu Xiaogang's, disciple? Does he think my disciple and I are both trash?" After Tang San finished speaking, Grandmaster roared in fury.

However, this agitated the injuries inside him. A moment later, he violently spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the ground red.

"Teacher, don't get worked up. You still have internal injuries. You can't get angry." Tang San patted Grandmaster's back and hurriedly said.

"Xiao San, it's because your teacher is useless. I dragged you down. It's all my fault. I really am trash, unable even to protect my own disciple." Grandmaster spoke self-reproachfully, guilt in his eyes.

If only he had been even a little stronger, how could someone have bullied his disciple right in front of him?

In the end, he was simply too weak.

"Teacher, don't say that. In Xiao San's heart, you will always be the best person. No matter what, you are my only teacher." Tang San said, his tone filled with sincerity.

A teacher for a day, a father for life. In Tang San's view, respecting one's teacher was a principle that every disciple should uphold. Even if his teacher was only trash, he would still do so.

"Good, Xiao San. You truly satisfy me. Once my injuries recover a little, I'll help you obtain another suitable soul ring." After hearing Tang San's words, the dejection on Grandmaster's face vanished completely, and he was once again filled with confidence.

"Teacher, do you have a target in mind?" Tang San asked curiously.

"Do you remember the Lone Bamboo I told you about? Although it is only a ten-year Soul Beast, its attributes are extremely compatible with your martial soul. If you can absorb it, the benefits will be considerable." Grandmaster thought deeply for a moment before speaking.

"Yes, Teacher. I'll listen to you." Tang San replied respectfully. Though this was somewhat different from what he had hoped for, he could no longer afford to care about that.

After all, their current condition was poor. The Lone Bamboo was undoubtedly the most suitable choice.