Yu Xiaogang: A Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo Suits You; Zhou Tong: Chopping You Up Would Get Me a Forty-Year Soul Ring

He had a lightning-attribute Martial Soul, yet Yu Xiaogang wanted him to cultivate as a control-type Soul Master.

His Martial Soul was clearly a Power Attack System type, yet Yu Xiaogang still wanted him to absorb a defensive Martial Soul.

All you could say was that Gangzi knew a little, but not much.

"I recommend hunting a Datura Snake for your First Soul Ring. This kind of snake is good at Entanglement and also has poison, so it's very suitable for you."

"Your talent is decent. You've caught this Grandmaster's eye."

"If you take me as your master, you have a chance of becoming a Soul Saint."

"Even becoming a Soul Douluo isn't out of the question."

Having finished speaking, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang raised his head and clasped his hands behind his back. With his back to Zhou Tong, he began waiting for Zhou Tong to take him as his master.

In his eyes, only a genius was worthy of becoming his disciple.

And he only wanted to teach geniuses.

After all, geniuses were easy to develop. As long as he applied his theories to one, they would be easy to prove.

For decades, the Soul Master World had refused to accept his theories. It was driving him mad.

Now, at last, a genius had appeared in this poor backwater, and he could put his theories to the test.

That was how he saw it.

To the other boy, receiving his guidance was a rare opportunity in a lifetime.

Zhou Tong would surely be proud of it and excitedly take him as his master.

Yet what happened the next moment nearly made Yu Xiaogang's jaw hit the floor.

Zhou Tong wasn't excited at all. He simply fell silent.

After a long while, Zhou Tong finally spoke.

"Grandmaster, you've misunderstood."

"I have my own ideas about cultivation."

"I'm not looking to take a master for now."

Zhou Tong spoke calmly. He had no intention of taking him as his master.

Zhou Tong knew Yu Xiaogang all too well.

The man was a clown.

He knew a little Martial Soul Theory, but only what applied to beginner Soul Masters. His so-called innovative theories were just common knowledge in the Soul Master World dressed up as his own inventions.

If Zhou Tong listened to him and gave a Power Attack System Martial Soul like the Thunderous Hell Vine defensive and Entanglement-type Soul Rings, he'd be ruining his Martial Soul.

Tang San in the original story had been fooled by him and ended up with five useless Soul Rings.

Just how useless were they?

Later on, when Tang San blew up the first five Soul Rings on his Blue Silver Grass, it had almost no effect on his fighting strength.

That showed just what a terrible teacher Yu Xiaogang was.

Yu Xiaogang's only use was to introduce the basic facts about Martial Souls.

As for everything else, he was nothing but a menace to his students.

Over the past few days, Zhou Tong had read quite a few books on Martial Souls and learned a great deal about the Soul Master World.

He truly didn't need Yu Xiaogang.

Taking Yu Xiaogang as his master would be like letting Yu Xiaogang take advantage of him for free.

If Zhou Tong really became a god someday, Yu Xiaogang might say, "I was the one who raised Zhou Tong into a god," and steal all the credit. That would be enough to make anyone sick.

At Zhou Tong's words, Yu Xiaogang could hardly believe his ears. He turned to look at him.

"Zhou Tong, your talent may be decent, but don't get too arrogant."

"You've read a few books in the library and now you think you have your own ideas?"

"There are plenty of geniuses in the Soul Master World, but not one of them has been able to take me as their master."

"Geniuses falling is nothing unusual. Don't think that good talent means you can do whatever you want."

"If you insist, I'll have no choice but to lower myself and look for another genius to take as my disciple."

Yu Xiaogang spoke arrogantly, his hands clasped behind his back. He put on an inscrutable air, wore a sour expression, and looked down at the young Zhou Tong.

Seeing Gangzi act so smug and ugly, Zhou Tong clenched his teeth, his face darkening at once.

He couldn't hold back anymore when faced with a clown like this.

If he hadn't wanted to cultivate in peace and avoid provoking this well-connected freeloader, he would've loved to punch the con man a few times.

He'd spoken politely, and this clown had mistaken him for a pushover. Now he was really pushing his luck.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had raised such a beast. Their family must have had a rotten upbringing. In the end, the entire clan met a miserable fate—and they deserved it.

The dean beside them couldn't take it anymore either, and hurried to smooth things over.

"Grandmaster, each Soul Master only gets one chance to choose a master. The boy is cautious, so naturally he'll need some time to think it over."

"Grandmaster, don't pressure him."

With the dean personally stepping in, Grandmaster had to take his opinion into account. After all, Yu Xiaogang was only here because of the dean, freeloading off him for food and lodging.

Only then did Yu Xiaogang soften his tone. "Fine. I'll give you a month to think it over."

"Then I'll think about it."

Seeing this, Zhou Tong realized that Gangzi wasn't going to leave him alone. He might as well get his First Soul Ring and leave the academy.

Once he became a Soul Master, he could collect the Gold Soul Coin allowance from Spirit Hall. He'd be able to get by.

He was an orphan anyway. He could pack his things and wander the world.

He could find somewhere far away from Gangzi and start over.

A villain who knew how to put on an act was far more troublesome than one who didn't.

After hearing Zhou Tong's answer, Yu Xiaogang finally left, satisfied.

It took six years to graduate from Notting Academy.

Six years was plenty of time for him to make the boy take him as his master.

The dean said, "Zhou Tong, I'll take you to hunt for your First Soul Ring tomorrow. What Soul Beast do you want?"

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

Zhou Tong answered without hesitation.

Plant-type Soul Beasts were relatively easy to hunt and quite common. Their attributes also suited his Thunderous Hell Vine Martial Soul best. It was better to play it safe with his First Soul Ring.

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

Spirit Beast Forest.

Zhou Tong set out first thing in the morning.

But although he'd been in a good mood at first, he spent the whole trip scowling.

That was because someone strange had suddenly joined what was supposed to be a hunting trip with just him and the dean.

Yu Xiaogang.

As soon as Gangzi heard Zhou Tong was going to hunt a Soul Beast, he shamelessly tagged along. They couldn't drive him away.

Clearly, Yu Xiaogang was determined to get his hooks into Zhou Tong.

When they arrived at Soul Hunting Forest, dense woods stretched in every direction. Many Hundred-Year Soul Beasts and thousand-year Soul Beasts roamed within.

The three of them made their way through the forest, searching for the five-hundred-year-old Lightning-Struck Wood Zhou Tong wanted.

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

"I heard you were going to hunt a Soul Beast. How could you do that without me, a master of theory?"

"This Ten-Year Lone Bamboo is tough. Its attack power isn't strong, but its defense is decent, so it's a good fit for your Thunderous Vine Martial Soul."

At those words, Zhou Tong could barely hold back his laughter.

Yu Xiaogang was truly clueless. He was recommending a Ten-Year Soul Ring!

What use was a Soul Ring like that?

A fire poker would be more useful.

Even the old granny next door could single-handedly kill a thousand Ten-Year Lone Bamboos.

If he chopped Yu Xiaogang up, he might even get a forty-year Soul Ring.

How had Yu Xiaogang's pig brain come up with such a ridiculous Soul Ring recommendation?

His own First Soul Ring was a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, yet he was advising someone else to hunt a useless Ten-Year Soul Ring.

How could Yu Xiaogang bring himself to do that?

At that, the dean laughed in disbelief. "A Ten-Year Soul Ring? Wouldn't that be wasting a genius's potential?"

"Xiaogang, be a little more reliable. Stop giving nonsense advice and ruining a perfectly good genius."

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

Why was he always coming up with rotten ideas?