Tang San Panicked

"I don't care how difficult this is, or how long it takes."

"Spirit Hall will devote every resource it has to fully support your research."

Bibi Dong's gaze swept across the room. Every word seemed to carve itself into the hearts of those present. "Starting today, the Soul Master Creation Institute shall be established, with Elder Yun Shuo serving as its chief. Spirit Hall will allocate three million Gold Soul Coins annually as research funding. Any required materials, personnel, or facilities will be given priority."

Three million Gold Soul Coins!

The number made the scholars present gasp.

Spirit Hall was serious about this.

Elder Yun Shuo rose to his feet, excitement appearing on his aged face. He cupped his hands and bowed deeply. "This old man... will not fail Your Holiness's trust!"

Bibi Dong nodded slightly and continued, "There are no restrictions on the direction of research. Artificial Soul Rings, or things that can replace Soul Rings... any possible avenue is worth attempting."

"You represent the future of the continent!"

The moment those words fell, the atmosphere in the hall changed completely.

The despair and confusion in the scholars' eyes were gradually replaced by an almost fanatical sense of purpose.

They were the foremost talents summoned by Spirit Hall, the best in their respective fields.

The extinction of Soul Beasts was equally a devastating blow to them. The foundation of their lifelong research had turned to nothing overnight.

But now, Bibi Dong had given them a new direction.

A direction that was enough to let them leave their names in history and usher in a new era!

As Bibi Dong looked at the group before her, the person on her mind was Yu Xiaogang.

She had not summoned Yu Xiaogang for this gathering of scholars.

It was not because she did not want to, but because she did not dare.

She did not know how she should face Yu Xiaogang.

In truth, Yu Xiaogang's movements had always been under her watch. She simply did not dare face him.

"Xiao Gang, if you were here, you definitely wouldn't let me down, would you?"

Bibi Dong murmured inwardly.

For now, she could only let the people before her try. If all of them failed, then she would consider bringing Yu Xiaogang in.

At that thought, Bibi Dong's heartbeat quickened slightly.

For a moment, she did not know whether she should hope for the people below to fail or wish for them to succeed.

But when she received the latest intelligence on Yu Xiaogang from the subordinate monitoring him, Bibi Dong was immediately stunned.

"Xiao Gang broke down?"

"How is that possible..."

"Xiao Gang is such a strong and intelligent man. How could he possibly break down..."

Bibi Dong tightly clenched the report in her right hand, her expression changing again and again.

She truly did not want to believe that Yu Xiaogang had completely broken down the moment he learned that the Soul Beasts had vanished.

That was not quite like the Yu Xiaogang she remembered.

The Yu Xiaogang she remembered should not have been so fragile.

"But... I can understand it..."

"Xiao Gang devoted all his life's effort to Soul Beasts. With the Soul Beasts gone, all his efforts were wasted. It's only natural that he would break down..."

"But I believe that, Xiao Gang, you will definitely pull yourself together soon."

Bibi Dong quickly found a reasonable explanation for Yu Xiaogang.

As for Yu Xiaogang being humiliated at Nuoding Academy?

She did not think it was a big deal.

Yu Xiaogang had dared to insist that Soul Beasts would not disappear because his judgment had been the most reasonable one. He was not truly at fault.

His only mistake was failing to anticipate such a drastic change in the world.

Such an unprecedented upheaval had completely exceeded Yu Xiaogang's calculations.

So Yu Xiaogang was not wrong. The world was.

Nuoding City, Nuoding Academy's Teacher Building.

Yu Xiaogang sat by the window, staring blankly at the street outside.

After witnessing the disappearance of the Soul Beasts with his own eyes, after suffering a breakdown and spending several muddled days in a daze, he had finally calmed down.

But he had become silent.

He no longer made detailed study plans for Tang San.

"The Soul Beasts... are gone..."

He muttered to himself, his voice dry as sandpaper scraping together.

He recalled all the materials he had spent his life researching.

The ages, attributes, habitats, and Soul Ring production patterns of those Soul Beasts...

They had all become wastepaper.

"Useless..." Yu Xiaogang laughed at himself. "I'm just useless..."

He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

A murky tear slipped from the corner of his eye.

With the Soul Beasts gone, all his research and efforts had become useless.

Did that not make him useless as well?

Yu Xiaogang could not think of anything he could still do to prove himself after the Soul Beasts had vanished.

Knock, knock, knock—

A knock sounded at the door.

Yu Xiaogang did not move.

"Teacher, it's me."

Tang San's voice came from outside.

Yu Xiaogang opened his eyes. After a moment of silence, he finally said, "Come in."

The door opened, and Tang San entered carrying a bowl of hot porridge.

"Teacher, you haven't eaten all day." Tang San set the porridge on the table. "At least have a little."

Yu Xiaogang looked at the bowl of porridge and suddenly asked, "Little San, tell me... is your teacher useless?"

Tang San froze for a moment, then hurriedly shook his head. "How could that be? Teacher, you are exceptionally learned, and your theories are solid..."

"Solid theories?" Yu Xiaogang smiled bitterly. "With the Soul Beasts gone, what use is there in clinging to those theories?"

"Teacher, that isn't your fault." Tang San said earnestly. "Something like that... no one could have foreseen it."

"But the fact remains that my theories have become useless!"

Yu Xiaogang said bitterly.

Tang San opened his mouth, but did not know what to say.

He understood his teacher's feelings.

The feeling of having one's life's work denied, of the foundation one relied upon collapsing...

He had never experienced it, but he could imagine it.

"Teacher." Tang San took a deep breath. "The Soul Beasts have merely disappeared. The two great empires and Spirit Hall are already searching for them. Their disappearance may only be temporary!"

"No, their disappearance is not temporary!"

"A migration of Soul Beasts could not possibly happen without any signs. The two great empires and Spirit Hall could not possibly have failed to notice."

"On top of that, the concentration of Soul Power between heaven and earth surged not long ago..."

"I speculate that those Soul Beasts did not disappear... they went extinct!"

Yu Xiaogang's voice trembled slightly as he voiced this conjecture with even deeper despair.

"How... how can that be possible..."

"The Soul Beasts went extinct?"

Tang San's expression turned fearful as well.

If the Soul Beasts had merely disappeared, they could still be found someday. But if the Soul Beasts had gone extinct, then he truly would never be able to find Soul Beasts to add Soul Rings in the future.

He did not dare believe it, nor did he want to believe it.

But Yu Xiaogang's words made sense. After Soul Beasts died, the Soul Power contained in their bodies would return to heaven and earth.

And the surge in Soul Power concentration closely coincided with the disappearance of the Soul Beasts.

It was no longer merely speculation.

"Teacher... then... then in the future, will this disciple be unable to cultivate as well?"

Tang San looked up at Yu Xiaogang, his eyes filled with intense panic.