Yu Xiaogang: Solitary Bamboo is suitable for you for ten years, Zhou Tong: Even if I chop you, you'd have a 40-year soul ring

To neglect the cultivation of lightning attributes and force him into a control-type path.

It was clearly a power-attack spirit, yet he insisted on absorbing defensive spirit rings.

One could only say that Yu Xiaogang knew a little, but not much.

"I recommend hunting a Datura Snake for your first spirit ring. This type of snake has strong binding capabilities and possesses toxins, making it very suitable for you."

"Your aptitude is acceptable; you have caught the eye of this Grandmaster."

"If you take me as your master, you will have the chance to become a Spirit Saint."

"It is even possible for you to become a Spirit Douluo."

After speaking, the Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang, tilted his head back with his hands behind his back, turning his back to Zhou Tong as he waited for him to offer an apprenticeship.

In his view, only a genius was qualified to be his disciple.

He only wanted to teach geniuses, too.

Because geniuses were easy to mold; as long as his theories were applied to them, they were easily proven.

For decades, his theories had not been recognized by the spirit master world, and he was nearly driven mad by the frustration.

Now, in this backwater place, a genius had finally been born, one who could validate his theories.

In his opinion, the other party receiving his personal instruction was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Zhou Tong would surely be honored and excitedly beg to be his disciple.

However, the scene that unfolded the next moment made his jaw drop in shock.

Not only was Zhou Tong not excited, but he remained silent.

After a long while, Zhou Tong finally spoke.

"Grandmaster, you have misunderstood."

"I have my own ideas regarding cultivation."

"I have no intention of taking a master for the time being."

Hearing this, Zhou Tong spoke indifferently, showing no desire to apprentice under him.

Zhou Tong understood Yu Xiaogang far too well.

This man was nothing but a clown.

Although he knew a bit about spirit theory, it was limited to the level of junior spirit masters. His so-called innovative theories were actually just repackaged common knowledge from the spirit master world, rebranded as his own inventions.

If one were to listen to him and attach defensive or binding-type spirit rings to a power-attack spirit like the Thunderous Hell Vine, it would be ruining the spirit entirely.

In the original story, Tang San was fooled by him into acquiring five useless spirit rings.

How useless were they?

In the later stages, when Tang San detonated his first five spirit rings from his Blue Silver Grass, it had almost no impact on his combat power.

This showed just how poor a teacher Yu Xiaogang truly was.

Yu Xiaogang's only utility was introducing basic common knowledge about spirits.

As for everything else, he was purely misleading his students.

Over these past few days, Zhou Tong had read many books on spirits and gained a considerable understanding of the spirit master world.

He truly did not need Yu Xiaogang.

Apprenticing under Yu Xiaogang was equivalent to letting Yu Xiaogang freeload off his potential.

If Zhou Tong were to truly become a god, and Yu Xiaogang were to then claim, "I cultivated Zhou Tong into a god," stealing all the credit, it would be absolutely disgusting.

Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang could not believe his ears and turned to look at Zhou Tong.

"Zhou Tong, although your talent is decent, do not be too arrogant."

"You have read a few books in the library and you dare to say you have your own ideas?"

"There are many geniuses in the spirit master world, and not one of them has been able to apprentice under me."

"The fall of geniuses is common; do not think that just because you have talent, you can act without restraint."

"If you insist on this, then I will have no choice but to condescend to find another genius to be my disciple."

Yu Xiaogang said arrogantly, his hands behind his back, putting on a facade of being unfathomable, his face sour as he looked down upon the young Zhou Tong.

Watching this arrogant clown act, Zhou Tong gritted his teeth, his expression darkening instantly.

Running into such a clown, he truly could not hold it in anymore.

If not for the fact that he wanted to cultivate in a low-profile manner and not easily provoke this well-connected individual, he would have loved to land a few punches on this fraud.

He had been polite, yet this clown mistook Zhou Tong's restraint for weakness and was now pushing his luck.

For the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to have raised such a creature, it was clear their family values were rotten; that the entire clan eventually met a tragic end was simply deserved.

The dean standing to the side could no longer watch this and hurriedly tried to smooth things over.

"Master, every spirit master only gets one chance to take on a mentor. This child is quite steady; he certainly needs some time to consider it."

"Master, don't pressure him anymore."

The Dean personally mediated, and Yu Xiaogang had to respect his opinion. After all, Yu Xiaogang was only here sponging off the academy thanks to the Dean's connections.

Only then did Yu Xiaogang soften his tone and say, "Then I will give you one month to think it over."

"Then I'll consider it."

Seeing this, Zhou Tong felt that this Gangzi would not let him go, so he decided he might as well obtain his first spirit ring and leave this academy for good.

As long as he became a spirit master, he could collect the gold spirit coin subsidy from the Spirit Hall; surviving would be no problem at all.

He was an orphan anyway; he could just pack his bags and wander the world.

He would find a place far away from Gangzi and start over.

A hypocrite who knew how to put on a mask was far more troublesome than a genuine villain.

Upon hearing Zhou Tong's reply, Yu Xiaogang left, satisfied.

Graduating from Notting Academy required six years.

In six years, he had plenty of ways to make this kid take him as a mentor.

The Dean said, "Zhou Tong, I will take you to hunt for your first spirit ring tomorrow. What kind of spirit beast do you want to catch?"

"A five-hundred-year Lightning-Struck Wood."

Zhou Tong said decisively.

Plant-type spirit beasts were easier to hunt and quite common, and their attributes were the best fit for the Thunderous Hell Vine spirit. For a first spirit ring, it was better to play it safe.

"That kind of spirit beast is very common in the Spirit Beast Forest. Leave it to me."

Spirit Beast Forest.

Early in the morning, Zhou Tong set off.

However, Zhou Tong, who had been quite happy, wore a dark expression the entire way.

Because a strange thing had suddenly inserted itself into what was supposed to be a hunting trip for just the Dean and himself.

Yu Xiaogang.

Having heard that Zhou Tong was going to hunt a spirit beast, Gangzi had shamelessly tagged along, and no amount of driving him away worked.

Clearly, Yu Xiaogang was determined to have Zhou Tong in his pocket.

Arriving at the Spirit Beast Forest, they found dense woods everywhere, with many hundred-year and thousand-year spirit beasts lurking within.

The three of them trekked through the forest, searching for the five-hundred-year Lightning-Struck Wood that Zhou Tong wanted.

Suddenly, Yu Xiaogang stopped in front of a ten-meter-tall, emerald-green Solitary Bamboo.

"I heard you were going to hunt a spirit beast; how could you do it without me, the master of theory?"

"This ten-year Solitary Bamboo is characterized by its toughness. While its attack power isn't strong, its defense is decent, making it very suitable for your Thunderous Vine spirit."

Hearing this, Zhou Tong could barely hold back his laughter.

Yu Xiaogang was truly talking nonsense, actually recommending a ten-year spirit ring to him.

What use was such a spirit ring?

It wouldn't even be as useful as a fire poker.

The grandmother next door could single-handedly kill a thousand ten-year Solitary Bamboos.

If one were to chop Yu Xiaogang down, he might even yield a forty-year spirit ring.

How did Yu Xiaogang's pig brain come up with such a bizarre spirit ring suggestion?

His own first spirit ring was a hundred-year ring, yet he advised others to hunt useless ten-year rings.

How could Yu Xiaogang do such a thing?

Hearing this, the Dean laughed in annoyance: "A ten-year spirit ring? Wouldn't that be burying a genius?"

"Xiaogang, be reliable. Don't give such lousy advice and ruin a perfectly good genius."

Wasn't this Yu Xiaogang supposed to be a master of theory?

Why did he only come up with such terrible ideas?