Matters Here Concluded

"Teacher, are you alright?"

Tang San, who had been immersed in his joy, suddenly caught sight of Grandmaster standing to the side in a daze. He quickly reined in his thoughts and asked with concern.

Hearing his disciple's voice, Grandmaster finally snapped back to reality. He raised a hand to signal that he was fine before looking at Xu Bai, sighing with emotion:

"I have spent over forty years immersed in the study of Martial Souls, believing that no one could surpass me in terms of theory. Now, it seems I was far too naive; the world was right to mock me with the title of 'Grandmaster.'

Learning has no limits, and the sea of knowledge is boundless. If not for young friend Xu's guidance today, I would never have known that I was on the verge of harming Little San. This kindness is akin to a rebirth; please, young friend, accept my bow."

As he spoke, he prepared to cup his hands and bow.

"It was merely a small effort, there is no need for this."

Xu Bai reached out to support him, barely managing to steady Grandmaster.

It was fortunate that people on the Douluo Continent developed quickly; otherwise, if he were the height of a ten-year-old from his previous life, he would have had to raise his arms high just to keep Grandmaster from bowing.

"To Brother Xu, it may have been a small effort, but to me, it has changed my destiny. I will keep this kindness in my heart, and if there is an opportunity in the future, I will repay you no matter what."

Hearing his teacher's words, Tang San also reacted, his eyes filled with gratitude as he looked at Xu Bai.

Xu Bai chuckled and patted Tang San on the shoulder, finally reinforcing his own persona:

"Very well. If you truly wish to repay me, then once you become strong, remember to do more good deeds and never commit evil. I would not want the child I helped to become a heinous villain in the future."

"Is that all?"

A flash of distraction crossed Tang San's eyes as he recalled the person from his past life who had spoken to him about chivalry.

"Don't worry, Brother Xu, I will!"

His gaze was firm as he nodded heavily.

Is that so? I hope you can walk the talk.

Xu Bai muttered to himself, then looked at Grandmaster and said:

"I don't know much about the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul, only that this type of Soul Beast has a high affinity for life. You might consider this when obtaining a Soul Ring for Little San; perhaps it could even awaken the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline early."

"I will. Thank you for the information, young friend." Grandmaster nodded, then pondered for a moment before taking a token from his robes and hesitatingly handing it over:

"This is the identity token of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. If you encounter trouble in the future, you may present this token to any forces under the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

If they ask about me, just tell them the truth. That should be enough to resolve any urgent crises."

"Oh?"

Xu Bai looked surprised, and this was not feigned.

He was well aware of Grandmaster's identity, but he had not expected the man to give him his personal token.

One had to know that whether in the manga, novels, or anime, Grandmaster was always a very proud man, or perhaps one who cared deeply about his reputation.

When he left home, he must have sworn never to return until he had made a name for himself. To choose to repay him in this way was unexpected.

It had to be said that this was the manga version of Grandmaster; if it were the selfish and calculating version from the novel, forget about repaying him by bowing to his family—if he didn't forget the whole incident in two or three days, it would be considered benevolent.

"Young friend, do not be surprised. I am a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."

Grandmaster spoke calmly, then offered a wry smile: "Although I have been away from the clan for a long time, the status of being the clan leader's son still holds some weight."

"Teacher..." Tang San pursed his lips slightly, thinking back to the scene when he first met his teacher. Although his teacher had spoken calmly then, he could still sense the faint, lingering dejection that radiated from him.

Although Teacher usually appears calm, his heart must be in great pain...

He thought to himself.

Xu Bai was unaware of Tang San's wandering thoughts. He looked at the token Grandmaster held out, weighed it for a moment, and then reached out to take it:

"Thank you. I may truly have a time when I need to seek help."

Compared to the novel version, the manga version of Grandmaster not only had a reputation backed by substance, but his personal character—aside from his failures in romance—did not seem to have any major flaws.

Since the other party intended to build a friendship, there was no reason for him to refuse.

Moreover, the threat from the "good second uncle" had not been completely resolved; having this token was an extra layer of protection.

Grandmaster nodded, his mind becoming active as he thought of Xu Bai's Martial Soul—a dimension...

There might have been such Martial Souls in history, but this was the first time he had ever seen one. For a scholar, the unknown was often the most fascinating thing.

However, Xu Bai clearly had no mood to discuss Martial Souls with him.

"If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."

With that, he grabbed the fur of Number One and vaulted onto the tiger's back, giving Grandmaster no chance to persuade him to stay.

Seeing this, although Grandmaster wanted to study Xu Bai's Martial Soul, he could only nod helplessly: "Travel safely, young friend. If you have leisure in the future, you may come to Notting Academy for a chat. I will certainly sweep the floor and welcome you to thank you for saving my life."

"I will go if I have the time."

Xu Bai replied, patting Number One.

Number One understood, leaped forward, and with a few bounds, disappeared completely.

Watching Xu Bai's retreating figure, Tang San whispered to himself, "Will he really come? I hope so..."

Soul Hunting Forest, the place where that four-hundred-year-old Datura Snake had originally hidden.

Di Yi controlled a massive Metal Flying Blade to sever a section of Vine Snake Flower, then looked toward Xu Bai: "Beast Tamer, why are we bringing these plants along? They aren't edible, and they don't taste good at all..."

Well, he had just tasted this thing he had been pining for, and it was bitter and astringent—a far cry from the flavor he had imagined.

"You're still young; knowing too much isn't good for you. Collecting Vine Snake Flowers naturally has its uses, and very important ones at that."

Xu Bai's eyes flickered as he whispered to himself... The purpose of collecting Vine Snake Flowers was, naturally, to pull the wool over someone's eyes.

As the saying went, Tang Hao was merely decadent, not truly useless, and he certainly wasn't a fool.

If he, someone clearly not here to obtain a Soul Ring, entered the Soul Hunting Forest, wouldn't that be the equivalent of shoving the words "I am suspicious" right into Tang Hao's face?

Therefore, he had to fabricate a reason for his presence here, and that was to collect Vine Snake Flowers.

Vine Snake Flowers were not as worthless as ordinary Blue Silver Grass; their pollen and sap were actually obscure medicinal ingredients.

Had he not been diligent and eager to learn during this time, he would never have realized this thing could have any medicinal value.

After spending the afternoon collecting Vine Snake Flowers and seeing the sky gradually darken, Xu Bai figured he had put on enough of a show, so he decided to head back.

Di Yi was naturally overjoyed and took off at a full sprint, disappearing from the spot with Xu Bai in no time.

After the two had left, a middle-aged man draped in a gray cloak revealed his figure.

He gazed in the direction where Xu Bai had departed and murmured softly, "It seems this kid is fine; I was just overthinking it..."

With that, his figure flickered and vanished from the spot once more.