Su Yuntao Arrives, Ji Yuan Guides

"Already obtained a soul ring?"

Su Yuntao's voice tightened, and even Matthew Nuo glanced at him.

Tang San nodded. "I successfully hunted one a few days ago."

Su Yuntao strode forward, his gaze sweeping over Tang San before settling on his right hand. "Release your martial soul. Let me see."

Tang San did not refuse. Blue light surged from his palm, and Blue Silver Grass sprouted forth as a yellow soul ring rose beneath his feet.

Su Yuntao sucked in a breath, unable to hide the regret on his face.

"A hundred-year soul ring... Blue Silver Grass can actually withstand a hundred-year soul ring."

Matthew Nuo said, "His teacher chose a Datura Snake for him."

Su Yuntao frowned. "A Datura Snake? Isn't that reckless?"

Tang San's brow furrowed. "I absorbed the soul ring successfully."

Su Yuntao immediately realized he had spoken too hastily and quickly softened his tone. "I'm not saying you can't do it. I'm saying the risk was too great. If something had gone wrong, who would have taken responsibility?"

Matthew Nuo did not interrupt.

Tang San asked, "Did Master Su Yuntao need something from me?"

Su Yuntao looked at him, his tone far more eager than it had been in Holy Soul Village. "Tang San, when you turned down Spirit Hall last time, I thought you were too young to understand what innate full soul power meant. Now that you're already a Soul Master, you should think it through even more carefully."

Tang San pressed his lips together.

Ji Yuan heard the circulation of his heart meridians quicken.

Just as expected.

The subsidy had barely reached his hands before another recruitment attempt followed. The benefits were wearing down what little vigilance Tang San had.

Seizing the moment, Su Yuntao said, "Notting Academy is only a junior academy. There is only so much it can teach you. Spirit Hall is different—we have a more complete system for training Soul Masters."

Tang San said nothing.

Su Yuntao continued to press him. "If you want to study theory, there will be people to teach you. If you want to cultivate, resources will be provided. Even when you hunt soul rings in the future, people will escort and protect you."

Matthew Nuo gave a light cough. "Yuntao, don't frighten the child."

Su Yuntao said, "Master Matthew Nuo, I'm only telling the truth. Innate full soul power cannot be wasted."

Tang San said quietly, "I already have a teacher."

Su Yuntao immediately replied, "Yu Xiaogang? I know him. He knows a little theory, but he isn't even a Soul Elder himself."

Tang San's expression changed. "Please don't speak of my teacher that way."

Su Yuntao knew he had stepped on Tang San's bottom line, but he did not want to let go.

Missing out on someone with innate full soul power in Holy Soul Village had left him regretting it ever since.

If he could bring Tang San back to Spirit Hall, it would be a great merit.

"Tang San, you're still young. Respecting your teacher is a good thing, but you can't make choices based only on emotion."

Tang San's hand rested on his belt as he hesitated.

Ji Yuan made his move.

The spores released an agitation toxin along Tang San's heart meridians, riding his blood and energy to the edge of his cerebral nerves.

Su Yuntao suddenly seemed glaringly harsh before Tang San's eyes.

Every word the man said felt as though he were forcing Tang San to betray his teacher.

This irritation had come unnaturally, but Tang San did not notice its source. He only felt a fire trapped in his chest.

Ji Yuan stirred the Clear Sky Hammer's origin within Tang San's left palm as well, letting a sense of heaviness seep out from his bones.

Tang San's palm began to ache.

What Tang Hao had said that night surfaced in his mind again.

Do not let anyone know about the Clear Sky Hammer, and never attach soul rings to it.

Spirit Hall.

His father had never held any goodwill toward Spirit Hall.

Tang San's face went pale, and he took a small step back.

Seeing this, Su Yuntao pressed, "What's wrong?"

Tang San raised his head, his tone hardening. "Thank you for your kindness, Master Su Yuntao, but I will not join Spirit Hall."

The eagerness on Su Yuntao's face faded. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Because of Yu Xiaogang?"

"Because I already have a teacher."

Su Yuntao suppressed his anger. "What Spirit Hall can give you is not something Yu Xiaogang can provide."

Tang San's left hand grew heavier and heavier, while the irritant toxin pushed him to speak more bluntly.

"I don't need it."

Matthew Nuo frowned. "Tang San, don't be so absolute."

Tang San realized his tone was off and was just about to smooth things over when Ji Yuan siphoned away another portion of the internal energy from his chest.

Tang San's chest felt tight, and his mood worsened. "If there's nothing else, I'll return to the academy first."

Su Yuntao's face turned completely cold.

"Blue Silver Grass is just Blue Silver Grass. I gave you an opportunity, and you really think you're some kind of genius?"

Matthew Nuo said softly, "Yuntao."

Su Yuntao flicked his sleeve and turned away. "Let him be. Don't regret it later."

Watching Su Yuntao's retreating figure, Tang San felt a wave of unease rise within him.

He should not have spoken so stiffly just now.

But the pain in his left hand reminded him that staying away from Spirit Hall might be the right choice.

Matthew Nuo sighed. "Young man, having backbone is a good thing. Just don't narrow your own path."

Tang San bowed. "Thank you for the advice, Master."

Matthew Nuo waved a hand. "Go back. Come collect your stipend every month."

Tang San left the branch hall. Only after he had walked quite a distance did the heaviness in his left hand gradually fade.

Ji Yuan withdrew his roots deep into his heart meridian.

It worked.

A thorn had already been planted between Tang San and Spirit Hall.

As long as that thorn remained in his heart, every time Spirit Hall approached him in the future, Tang San would interpret it as oppression.

Useful.

After returning to the academy, Tang San immediately went to Yu Xiaogang's office.

Yu Xiaogang was flipping through a book. When he saw Tang San enter, he looked up and asked, "How were the test results?"

Tang San took out his badge. "Peak Rank Eleven."

The page in Yu Xiaogang's hand stilled. Then he nodded. "More or less what I predicted."

Tang San asked, "Teacher, is it normal for someone with innate full soul power to only reach the peak of Rank Eleven after absorbing a hundred-year soul ring?"

Yu Xiaogang set down his book. "Your Blue Silver Grass has low carrying capacity, while the Datura Snake's venom is especially potent. Most of the soul power was used to strengthen your martial soul's resilience, so the increase in rank was not obvious."

The last trace of doubt in Tang San's heart vanished.

Ji Yuan listened contentedly from the sole of his shoe.

Yu Xiaogang would always take the initiative to fill in the gaps.

Tang San continued, "Master Su Yuntao was also at Spirit Hall. He wanted me to join."

Yu Xiaogang's fingers tightened, crumpling the page in his hand.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "How did you answer?"

"I refused."

Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San. "Because of me?"

Tang San answered seriously, "A teacher for a day is a teacher for life. Since I have acknowledged you as my teacher, I will not easily join another."

Yu Xiaogang's Adam's apple bobbed. In the end, he only said, "Go back and rest first. Keep your soul master stipend safe, and don't spend it recklessly."

Tang San said, "I want to work at the blacksmith's shop this afternoon. I promised the owner before."

Yu Xiaogang frowned. "You just finished your test. Can your body handle it?"

Tang San nodded. "Smithing can also build strength. I need money to buy materials."

Thinking of Tang San's hidden weapons, Yu Xiaogang did not stop him. "Don't overdo it. If your left hand feels heavy again, stop immediately."

"Yes."

Ji Yuan shifted his senses toward the iron hammer in the city.

The child spore deep within the hammer's wooden handle carried the dry scent of wood. Shi San's blacksmith shop was bustling, its forge burning brightly.

Tang San left the academy, and Xiao Wu chased after him. "Where are you going?"

"The blacksmith's shop."

Xiao Wu wrinkled her nose. "Going to forge again? You just fought Xiao Chenyu, and now you're running off to work?"

Tang San said, "It's fine. I want to save enough money for materials sooner."

Xiao Wu pouted. "Then I'm coming too."

Tang San thought for a moment. "The blacksmith's shop is hot. You shouldn't go."

Xiao Wu immediately bristled. "Do you think I'm in the way?"

Tang San sighed helplessly. "No."

"Then I'm going."

Ji Yuan did not care whether she followed or not.

With Xiao Wu nearby, the hundred-thousand-year origin was within his range of perception, but the blacksmith shop was today's priority.

When Shi San saw Tang San enter, his eyes lit up. "Kid, you're here? I thought you'd quit after hunting soul beasts yesterday."

Tang San smiled. "I gave my word. Of course I'd come."

Shi San tossed a chunk of pig iron onto the anvil. "All right, try this today. Purify it first. If you do a good job, you'll get paid as usual."

Xiao Wu stood at the doorway, covering her nose. "This place is so hot and choking. Are you really going to stay here all afternoon?"

Tang San picked up the hammer. "You'll get used to it."

The sub-spore lodged in the hammer handle immediately stirred.

Tang San gripped the wooden handle, the Mysterious Heaven Skill flowing through his arm. His calves exerted force, his waist and back drove his shoulders and arms.

In Ji Yuan's perception, the entire sequence of movements was broken down.

Muscles, joints, meridians, soul power—everything was channeling strength into the hammer.

Shi San shouted from the side, "Don't rely on brute force alone! Let the hammer carry the force through!"

Tang San did not answer. His gaze settled on the pig iron, and his entire presence sank.

The first hammer blow fell.

The sub-spore within the handle endured the impact, transmitting the trajectory of that force back to the inner layer of the shoe sole.

The tip of Ji Yuan's vine silently rose.

The Clear Sky Sect's secret, never-passed-down ultimate art had finally revealed itself.