After thinking it through, Lin Mo sighed inwardly.
He turned to Tang San and explained seriously:
"Just as you said, if I want to learn about Soul Masters and Soul Beasts, then as long as Grandmaster doesn't mind, I could indeed come here to study with him."
"But the academy offers students more than just that. There's also help with obtaining Soul Rings."
"At least as far as I can see, Notting Academy can no longer offer me much help in that regard."
"Once my cultivation reaches level twenty and I'm on the verge of becoming a Soul Grandmaster, I'm afraid most of the teachers at this academy won't be a match for me...
How can I expect them to take me Soul Hunting and keep me safe during the process?"
That was the main reason Lin Mo wanted to graduate from Notting Academy as a quasi-Soul Grandmaster and skip ahead to take the entrance test for an advanced Soul Master Academy.
If he went all out, then aside from the three-ring director and the four-ring dean, none of the other teachers at Notting Academy could beat him.
And if Lin Mo remembered correctly, according to his memories, the old dean of Notting Academy had gone all out just to help Tang San hunt a six-hundred-year Ghost Vine, despite being a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor.
Even then, they had only managed to complete the hunt thanks to the Martial Soul advantage.
And that had only been a Hundred-Year Soul Beast, a Ghost Vine at that—not some Soul Beast with a high bloodline.
His own Second Soul Ring would need to be at least eight or nine hundred years old, and there was a very good chance he would need a thousand-year one.
It also couldn't be a low-bloodline Soul Beast like the Ghost Vine.
A thousand-year Soul Beast was more than a tier stronger than a hundred-year one.
Not to mention those thousand-year Soul Beasts with higher bloodlines.
Lin Mo seriously doubted that even if he could ask the dean for help through Yu Xiaogang's connections, the dean would be strong enough to help him hunt one.
If he really went Soul Hunting with the academy, wouldn't he end up being the main force, just like last time?
That was far too risky.
Yu Xiaogang had quietly listened to Lin Mo and Tang San's exchange. Now he smiled and said thoughtfully, "Lin Mo, you have a very clear plan for your future. That's good."
Yu Xiaogang's eyes settled on Lin Mo, filled with approval.
"The reason you're so determined to enter an advanced Soul Master Academy is simply that they have better teachers, who can help you with Soul Hunting."
"Only after that comes their teaching. Am I right?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
Lin Mo nodded, admitting it without hesitation.
A smile appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face. "If you're interested, I can recommend a school that would suit you very well!"
"In terms of faculty alone, the teachers at that academy are no worse than those at any advanced Soul Master Academy!"
At that, Lin Mo fell silent for a moment.
Yu Xiaogang hadn't named the school, but Lin Mo knew.
The academy Yu Xiaogang meant, the one that could rival an advanced Soul Master Academy, was Shrek Academy, founded by the Four-Eyed Owl, Flender.
Shrek's faculty really was impressive.
Flender himself was a Soul Saint, and they also had a Soul Saint like Zhao Wuji, along with several other teachers. That lineup was certainly something to show off.
The trouble was... the academy was just a tiny bit too poor.
Before Lin Mo could answer, Yu Xiaogang dropped another bombshell: "If you're willing to enroll, I can find someone to help you obtain a Second Soul Ring that's best suited to your Martial Soul!"
At this, Yu Xiaogang paused deliberately, staring intently at Lin Mo.
"Even a thousand-year Second Soul Ring!"
Before Lin Mo could respond, Tang San was the first to lose his composure.
He stared at Yu Xiaogang in shock. Before Yu Xiaogang could continue, he eagerly cut in:
"But, Teacher, didn't you tell me that the maximum age of a Soul Ring a Soul Master can absorb for their Second Soul Ring is seven hundred and sixty-four years?"
Tang San's eyes were full of confusion. A thousand-year Second Soul Ring completely contradicted the theory his teacher had taught him!
When Yu Xiaogang had explained Soul Ring theory to him, he had clearly said that the maximum age for a Second Soul Ring was seven hundred and sixty-four years.
It was a theory Yu Xiaogang had arrived at after decades of research, and he had always treated it as the truth.
But now Yu Xiaogang was personally saying he would help Lin Mo obtain a thousand-year Second Soul Ring.
That was the complete opposite of the theory his teacher had taught him.
Hearing Tang San's words, Yu Xiaogang smiled and waved a hand. "That's only the maximum age an ordinary Soul Master can withstand for their Second Soul Ring."
Yu Xiaogang's tone was calm, as though he had expected Tang San to ask this.
"But Lin Mo is different. His physical constitution is already extraordinary. I've spent quite a bit of time with him, so I understand his situation to some extent."
"If my judgment is correct, his physical constitution is already no weaker than that of a thirty-level Soul Elder."
"Only a Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder with a Beast Martial Soul could match his physical constitution."
"Otherwise, how do you think Lin Mo could so easily slaughter those Hundred-Year Soul Beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest without even having obtained a Soul Ring?"
"You foolish boy, don't fixate on the theories I taught you. You have to learn to apply them to reality."
"If you just memorize things by rote, you'll end up like I used to be, able to talk about it on paper but not put it into practice!"
At that, Tang San was stunned.
Lin Mo, standing to the side, looked as though he understood.
Only now could Yu Xiaogang truly be called a Grandmaster.
He wasn't trapped in his Martial Soul Theory, unable to escape, and stubbornly trying to prove those so-called Ten Core Competencies.
Instead, he could make sound judgments based on the actual circumstances and see the difference between theory and reality.
This was the kind of Yu Xiaogang who truly deserved the title of Grandmaster.
"However... whether you're willing to try absorbing a thousand-year Soul Ring as your Second Soul Ring is ultimately up to you, Lin Mo!"
"First, the risk of absorbing a Soul Ring beyond the limit is enormous. One careless mistake could destroy your meridians and leave you crippled. You might even die on the spot."
As he spoke, Yu Xiaogang looked at Lin Mo with unprecedented seriousness. The smile had vanished from his face.
"Second, if you really do absorb a thousand-year Second Soul Ring, then unless it's absolutely necessary, never reveal that you have one."
"Otherwise, you could find yourself caught in a never-ending stream of danger, and you won't be able to handle any of it at your current strength!"
Hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, Lin Mo nodded slightly.