"Xiao San, don't listen to this kid's nonsense. What kind of damned disaster star could there be in this world?"
"If there is one, it's him."
"After all, before I met him, I was doing just fine."
Yu Xiaogang glared viciously at Lin Chen.
"Sure, if you say so."
Lin Chen spread his hands, looking like there was nothing he could do about it.
Tang San looked at Lin Chen, then at his teacher.
Forget it. Once a teacher, a father for life. I chose this teacher myself, so even if he really is a disaster star, I have to stand by him to the end.
"Teacher, whether or not you're a disaster star, I'll always be your disciple."
Tang San's expression was resolute.
Hearing this, a hint of warmth flashed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes.
He truly was the disciple Heaven had bestowed upon him.
There was nothing to fault in Tang San's character or talent.
"Hmph! Let's go!"
Yu Xiaogang had originally wanted to chat with Lin Chen, but now he was no longer in the mood.
"Master, please wait!"
Lin Chen had no idea what it meant to hold back and immediately called after him again.
Yu Xiaogang's mouth twitched slightly. His fists clenched involuntarily, and he felt an inexplicable urge to turn around and smack Lin Chen across the face.
Though he really didn't want to deal with him, Yu Xiaogang still turned around.
"If you've got something to say, spit it out!"
[Successfully inflicted Disaster Curse on Yu Xiaogang; received sixty-six Gold Soul Coins.]
Lin Chen smiled faintly.
"It's nothing major. I just wanted to remind you to be careful these next few days."
"Hmph!"
Yu Xiaogang snorted, then took Tang San and the other student into the teaching director's office.
Lin Chen didn't call after him again.
"I remember Gangzi is taking Tang San to the Soul Hunting Forest tomorrow to hunt for a Spirit Ring. I just don't know if he'll make it back alive this time."
"Hopefully he doesn't die so carelessly."
"Otherwise, without Gangzi around, I'll have a lot less fun over the next six years."
Lin Chen shook his head and left.
Though he wasn't short on money, there was no need to stay in a hotel every day.
He could make do in the academy dorms for a few years.
Of course, Lin Chen wasn't about to squeeze into a big shared room with the work-study students.
Nuoding Academy didn't have many students, and most of them were locals from Nuoding City, so there were plenty of dorm rooms. For a little lodging fee, he could even get a single room.
Naturally, Lin Chen chose the best one.
The dorm was over twenty square meters and came with a private bathroom equipped with a shower.
However, since nobody had lived there for ages, dust covered the entire room. It needed a thorough cleaning before anyone could stay in it.
Lin Chen didn't rush to clean. Instead, he opened the system inventory.
The system inventory was made up of little squares, much like a game inventory.
Items took up the same amount of space regardless of their size; even the largest item occupied only one slot. Identical items were grouped together in the same slot.
And there was no limit to the number of slots. In theory, it was infinite.
However, only four of the many slots contained anything.
One held Gold Soul Coins, another held the many clothes Lin Chen had bought, and a third contained the bedding, toiletries, and other things he had purchased yesterday.
As for the last slot, it held a golden bead about the size of a plum.
When Lin Chen focused his thoughts on it, information about the bead appeared at once.
[System Bestowed Soul Ring: Can condense a Spirit Ring of a suitable age based on the Spirit Master's constitution and mental strength, generating the Soul Skill that best suits them.]
"Just as I thought!"
A hint of delight appeared on Lin Chen's face as he read the description of the System Bestowed Soul Ring.
The System Bestowed Soul Ring corresponded to the God-Bestowed Spirit Ring. As long as a Spirit Master could withstand it, a hundred-thousand-year or even million-year Spirit Ring was no mere dream.
Even a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone was worth less than a tenth of it. Only an External Soul Bone with the ability to grow could rival it.
"The system's power seems to be a little beyond my imagination."
"Looks like I won't be short of hundred-thousand-year Spirit Rings in the future."
"The only fly in the ointment is that the rewards are just too random."
"It'd be nice if there were even a little pattern to them."
Lin Chen shook his head and started cleaning the dorm.
Meanwhile.
Yu Xiaogang brought Tang San back to the dorm and asked him to release his Second Martial Soul so he could take a look.
"Teacher, my Second Martial Soul..."
Tang San hesitated, looking too embarrassed to say it.
Yu Xiaogang furrowed his brow slightly.
What was that supposed to mean?
Could his Second Martial Soul be another Trash Martial Soul?
Tang San didn't know how to explain, so he simply released the Clear Sky Hammer.
"This is..."
Yu Xiaogang's pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with shock.
Tang San's Second Martial Soul was actually the Clear Sky Hammer.
How could a disciple of the Clear Sky Sect have ended up as a commoner?
Wait...
No, why was the Clear Sky Hammer covered in cracks?
Yu Xiaogang stared at Tang San in utter confusion.
Tang San lowered his head in shame and explained the whole story.
After hearing him out, Yu Xiaogang fell silent.
It was a good thing that Tang San knew how to conceal his abilities. It was true that Twin Martial Souls should not be exposed easily. In the entire history of Spirit Masters, there had only ever been two.
If his Twin Martial Souls were exposed, the Spirit Hall would surely hunt him down.
But...
Who could have guessed that forcibly suppressing his Second Martial Soul would shatter it?
Wasn't this a complete disaster?
The greatest tool-type Martial Soul under Heaven had been suppressed until it became a Trash Martial Soul.
Who could he even complain to about this?
Oh, Heaven! What was this, some kind of joke?
What use was there in giving me a pair of Twin Trash Martial Souls?
Yu Xiaogang's face was full of disappointment, and Tang San grew dejected along with him.
Teacher took me as his disciple because I had Twin Martial Souls. Now that he knows they're a pair of Trash Martial Souls, will he kick me out?
Tang San was a little worried.
"Teacher, once a Martial Soul is shattered, can it really never be repaired?"
Seeing that Yu Xiaogang remained silent, Tang San couldn't help asking.
"Repaired?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head, a hint of self-mockery appearing on his face.
"Whether it's a Martial Soul Mutation or a shattered Martial Soul, both are changes that can't be undone. If there really were a way to repair Martial Souls, I wouldn't still be stuck at level twenty-nine."
Tang San's eyes were filled with unwillingness.
"Didn't you say there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Spirit Masters?"
At Tang San's words, Yu Xiaogang's old face flushed.
Tang San's words were like a resounding slap across the face, leaving him reeling.
But he quickly recovered.
"My Innate Soul Power was only half a level. In theory, I should never have been able to break through level nine, yet I managed to cultivate to level twenty-nine."
"Through my own hard work and talent, I broke through the bottleneck imposed by half a level of Innate Soul Power. That's where the saying 'There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Spirit Masters' came from."
"But although I could break through the bottleneck imposed by half a level of Innate Soul Power, I couldn't catch up to those true geniuses. That isn't something hard work and talent alone can accomplish."
Tang San suddenly understood.
With only half a level of Innate Soul Power, one couldn't break through level nine, yet his teacher had cultivated to level twenty-nine. That truly was a testament to his ability.
It was just that his teacher's starting point had been too low. He was destined to be unable to compare with true geniuses.
"Teacher, then what about me..."
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