"How is that possible?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head helplessly and sighed. "Your Martial Soul is a Metal Bracelet. Absorbing a plant Soul Beast's Soul Ring will only lower the quality of your Martial Soul. How could it possibly grant you a powerful Soul Skill?"
With that, Yu Xiaogang curled his lips into a smile and invited him again. "Ling Yun, I'm asking you once more to become my disciple. Only by taking me as your master can you become a powerful Soul Master!"
Looking at Yu Xiaogang's confident expression, Ling Yun sneered inwardly.
Tang San took you as his master, and his Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul was ruined. If I take you as my master too, I'm afraid my Five Spirit Lock will be ruined as well. I'm not like Tang San; I don't have Twin Martial Souls.
As the thought crossed his mind, Ling Yun suddenly glanced at Tang San. An idea came to him, and he smiled. "Grandmaster, Tang San is your disciple, right?"
"That's right." Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"Then how about this? I'll fight him. If he can defeat me, I'll take you as my master and train according to your guidance from now on.
"But if I win, you'll stop bothering me. How does that sound?"
Ling Yun made the proposal partly to get Yu Xiaogang off his back and partly to test Tang San's strength—to see whether he could beat him now!
"Oh? Do you mean it?"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up at once. After absorbing the Datura Snake's Soul Ring, he was brimming with confidence in Tang San's abilities.
"A promise is a promise! Tang San has Innate Full Soul Power, and so do I. Tang San has a Trash Martial Soul, and so do I. I think that makes this a perfectly fair fight."
After a brief pause, Ling Yun added, "If Tang San can defeat me, I'll acknowledge your teaching ability, Grandmaster. But if he loses, that means you aren't qualified to be my teacher.
"How about it, Grandmaster? Do you dare let your student fight me? In the Soul Master World, in the end, it's your fists that do the talking."
"Well said!" Yu Xiaogang nodded, then looked at Tang San. "Xiao San, do you dare fight Ling Yun?"
"Of course I do! I won't lose!" Tang San agreed, his eyes alight with fierce battle intent.
"Good. We accept your challenge!"
"Then let's meet in the woods behind the school after dinner."
With that, Ling Yun polished off his dinner in a few quick bites, then set off for the woods behind Notting Academy.
That morning, he had defeated Xiao Chenyu here. Now, he was going to defeat the future Sea God head-on!
Director Su soon finished dinner too and followed Ling Yun to the woods.
He was eager to see which of these two prodigies with Innate Full Soul Power would come out on top.
About twenty minutes later, Tang San helped Yu Xiaogang into the woods. He walked up to Ling Yun, released his Martial Soul, and prepared for battle.
"Tang San. Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Thirteen-level Control-type Battle Soul Master. Please guide me!"
"Ling Yun. Martial Soul: Five Spirit Lock. Twelve-level Control-type Battle Soul Master. Fists and feet have no eyes, Tang San, so you'd better watch out."
Upon hearing Ling Yun's Soul Power Level, Yu Xiaogang's lips curled up with excitement, and he couldn't force them back down.
In his eyes, Tang San was one level above Ling Yun. On top of that, the Datura Snake Soul Ring had granted him his First Soul Skill. Tang San was sure to win!
Yu Xiaogang could already picture Ling Yun kneeling before him and taking him as his master.
While Yu Xiaogang indulged in his daydream, the two had already begun to fight.
Tang San immediately used the Tang Sect Secret Arts, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. In an instant, he moved like a ghostly phantom. Ling Yun could make out nothing but a blur rushing toward him.
In the space of a few breaths, Tang San had circled around behind Ling Yun. He was about to use Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon to seize him and hurl him away.
Ling Yun sneered. "You want to throw me? Go ahead and try, if you can."
Before the words had even left his mouth, the First Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly flashed, and pure wood-attribute Soul Power burst out of the Five Spirit Lock.
"Five Spirits Power, transform!"
Ling Yun's body swelled rapidly. By the time Tang San grabbed hold of him, he had already transformed into a Divine Wood Ape, and his weight had multiplied several times over in an instant.
Tang San was only six years old. With the strength he had now, he couldn't budge Ling Yun in the slightest.
Instead, Ling Yun raised his tail and lashed out like a whip, sending Tang San flying with ease.
"Mysterious Jade Hand!"
Seeing the thick, agile tail whistle toward him, Tang San quickly used Mysterious Jade Hand, making his hands as hard as jade. Only then could he block Ling Yun's attack.
Even so, Tang San's hands burned with pain, and both arms trembled slightly. He stared at Ling Yun, now transformed into a Divine Wood Ape, his eyes filled with shock.
"He turned into a giant ape? What kind of Soul Skill is that?"
Tang San wasn't the only one shocked. Yu Xiaogang, watching from the sidelines, was equally stunned.
"Is that a Martial Soul Avatar? No, that can't be!"
"Ling Yun is only a One-Ring Soul Master. He can't possibly activate a Martial Soul Avatar!"
While the two stood stunned, Ling Yun swung back around and slammed out a punch. After transforming into the Divine Wood Ape, his strength and speed had both increased tremendously. His punch sent a howling gust of wind roaring through the air.
"Not good! That punch is incredibly powerful. I have to dodge, or I'll be badly injured!"
Seeing the punch come hurtling toward him, Tang San gathered Soul Power in his feet and used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track with all his might. Only then did he barely evade Ling Yun's attack.
Right after that, the Soul Ring beneath Tang San's feet flickered too. A slender strand of Blue Silver Grass shot out and swept toward Ling Yun.
"First Soul Skill: Entangle!"
My Blue Silver Grass carries the paralyzing poison of the Datura Snake. As long as I can paralyze Ling Yun and keep him from moving, I can win!
Tang San thought this, but then he saw Ling Yun, transformed into a Divine Wood Ape, smile.
"Heh-heh, I've been waiting for you to do that. Power of Wood Spirit!"
Ling Yun swept out his hand. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass suddenly turned against his control, changing direction and wrapping around Tang San himself.
"After transforming into a Divine Wood Ape, I can control every plant—even plant-type Martial Souls."
"Now, let me show you the Divine Wood Ape's special move."
As he spoke, Ling Yun raised both arms. Wood-attribute Soul Power poured out of him, turning into thick vines that swept toward Tang San.
"Wood Vine Entanglement!"
"Ugh!!!"
In the blink of an eye, countless vines wrapped tightly around Tang San's body, bundling him up like a dumpling.
No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free of the vines. In the end, all he could do was let out a pained groan.
At that moment, the winner was clear!
Ling Yun could have seriously injured Tang San with a single move, but he didn't. After all, Tang Hao might be watching from the shadows right now.
It wouldn't do to go too far and draw Tang Hao out.
After releasing Tang San, Ling Yun looked at Yu Xiaogang. "Grandmaster, as you can see, I won. So, according to our agreement, don't bother me again from now on.
"Your student was completely outmatched. Clearly, you aren't qualified to be my teacher!"
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