"Too bad about this Datura Snake. It would have been quite suitable for Xiao San's Blue Silver Grass.
If it had become Xiao San's First Soul Ring for his Blue Silver Grass, it would have been a perfect fit.
What a pity Xiao San wasn't so fortunate." Yu Xiaogang's voice held a note of regret.
The Datura Snake's toughness and poisonous abilities, if added to Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, would surely raise its resilience and offensive power to another level.
"It could work, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the best fit."
To Yu Xiaogang's surprise, Lin Mo shook his head slightly and disagreed.
Yu Xiaogang furrowed his brow and turned to look at Lin Mo.
His Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul theory had always been a source of controversy in the Soul Master World.
Hearing Lin Mo say this with his own ears, he couldn't help feeling conflicted.
"Based on the Martial Soul Mimicry Theory in your Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, Master, a plant Martial Soul isn't necessarily unable to absorb an animal Soul Ring.
That's how you see it, right?" Lin Mo said.
"What? Even you don't believe in my Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul theory?" Yu Xiaogang said. There was clearly a note of dejection in his voice, as if he'd recalled some unpleasant memories.
But to Yu Xiaogang's surprise, Lin Mo shook his head again. "I certainly believe in the theory.
But there's one thing you may have overlooked. I feel like you might be getting a little too fixated on one point."
As he spoke, Lin Mo fixed his pale eyes on Yu Xiaogang and said, one word at a time:
"It's true that a plant Martial Soul can absorb an animal Soul Ring, and the reverse can be true as well.
But being able to do it just means it can be done. It doesn't mean it's the best fit!"
Yu Xiaogang stood where he was, his lips moving faintly. In his usually calm heart, a ripple suddenly stirred.
As he spoke, Lin Mo pointed toward Tang San, who was pulling out the fangs nearby. "Master, if you truly have Tang San's future in mind...
Then you should consider having his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul absorb more plant Soul Rings."
Tang San was carefully handling the Venom Fang and Venom Gland he had removed from the Datura Snake's corpse. He hadn't noticed the conversation between Lin Mo and Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang was clearly stunned for a moment.
He stared at Lin Mo, a thoughtful glimmer in his eyes.
The core of the Martial Soul Mimicry Theory lay in breaking through conventional understanding and proving that plant Martial Souls could absorb animal Soul Rings.
All these years, he had devoted himself to proving his theories correct. So when planning Tang San's Soul Ring path, his first instinct had been to look for a suitable animal Soul Ring.
Just as Lin Mo had said, it seemed he really had been getting too fixated on one point.
He had only considered whether it could work, without considering whether it was actually the best fit.
After a long silence, Yu Xiaogang turned to Lin Mo and asked again, "In your opinion, then, what type of Soul Rings should Xiao San's Blue Silver Grass seek?"
At this, Lin Mo didn't answer right away. He pretended to ponder the question.
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had been inherited from Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Emperor.
As long as he could achieve a Second Awakening in the future, his Blue Silver Grass was bound to evolve into the Blue Silver Emperor.
The Blue Silver Emperor's defining trait was life—boundless vitality.
In Lin Mo's view, this was why Yu Xiaogang's choice to have Tang San absorb poison-related Soul Rings was such a major detour.
The vitality bestowed by the Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline was the true foundation of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass.
Poison could indirectly improve Tang San's Blue Silver Grass's combat ability, but in the end, it was an external aid.
Rather than have Tang San follow a path of controlling the battlefield with poison, it would be better to strengthen Blue Silver Grass's most fundamental trait—its vitality—from the very beginning.
Given Yu Xiaogang's own perspective, he probably hadn't expected Tang San to cultivate Blue Silver Grass to any great heights in the first place.
Yu Xiaogang didn't know the true nature of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass.
As long as Tang San could rely on Blue Silver Grass to advance his cultivation to the Soul King or Soul Emperor stage, he could then begin cultivating his Second Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer.
With every Soul Ring on the Clear Sky Hammer being ten thousand years old, Tang San's strength would likely become unimaginable.
And in Tang Hao's eyes, as long as they later found the Blue Silver King to help Tang San achieve a Second Awakening and evolve his Blue Silver Grass into the Blue Silver Emperor, however Tang San cultivated in the early stages would have no effect on his future.
The Martial Soul's evolution into the Blue Silver Emperor would be enough to make up for all the flaws in Tang San's Blue Silver Grass during its early stages.
At this thought, Lin Mo drew his gaze away from Tang San nearby and turned to Yu Xiaogang.
Under Yu Xiaogang's watchful gaze, Lin Mo slowly said, "Blue Silver Grass's defining trait is weakness. Its weakness gives it an incredibly strong ability to adapt!
"But beyond that, it has an extraordinarily vigorous life force. Even if it withers this year, come spring, it can regain its former glory with a gust of wind.
"In my humble opinion, if you're looking for Soul Rings for Tang San, you should seek plant Soul Beasts that can improve the toughness and vitality of his Blue Silver Grass.
"The Soul Rings they produce would be the best fit for Tang San's Blue Silver Grass."
Listening to Lin Mo, Yu Xiaogang's brow gradually furrowed.
Blue Silver Grass's vitality.
Yu Xiaogang recalled the materials he had studied on the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.
Blue Silver Grass was indeed one of the weakest Martial Souls of all, but it had one characteristic that few other Martial Souls could match.
No matter how badly it was trampled or broken, given a little time, it would grow back.
Just then, Tang San, who had finished dealing with the Datura Snake, had returned to the two of them without their noticing.
Hearing what Lin Mo had said earlier, he unconsciously spoke up. "Wildfire never quite consumes it; come spring, it sprouts again?"
"That's a fitting description." Lin Mo smiled.
Tang San nodded. He had been on Douluo Continent for a full six years now.
He was more familiar with Blue Silver Grass, the most ordinary of plants, than he was with anything else.
Whether in Holy Soul Village or the Soul Hunting Forest, Blue Silver Grass could be found everywhere.
It looked fragile, yet it always managed to survive in all kinds of harsh environments.
Yu Xiaogang remained silent, his gaze moving back and forth between Tang San and Lin Mo.
After a long while, he took a deep breath, and the expression on his face shifted subtly.
But Yu Xiaogang's next move quickly caught Lin Mo off guard, startling him.
Yu Xiaogang bowed slightly toward Lin Mo, his voice filled with emotion. "Lin Mo, you're right. This time, I really was getting too fixated on one point.
"Because of my obsession, I nearly insisted that Xiao San prove my Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul theory for me. I nearly led him astray.
"You're right. Given the current state of Xiao San's Blue Silver Grass, the best path for him in the future really is to increase its toughness for control and its vitality for support."