"Lin Xia, I'm serious. Your Martial Soul has only one rank of Innate Soul Power, and it's an External Beast Martial Soul just like mine. Only by taking me as your teacher can you go further!"
"Look, even Tang San, who has Innate Full Soul Power, became my disciple. I'm really not lying to you!"
Inside Notting Academy, in a room crammed with books, Yu Xiaogang was earnestly trying to persuade a young boy.
But the boy across from him paid no attention to what Yu Xiaogang was saying.
Instead, he crouched on the floor, teasing his Martial Soul, Bulbasaur, with a finger.
Bulbasaur looked like a toad. It had bright red eyes, white pupils and sclera, and a pair of raised ears atop its head.
Its nose was short and blunt, and it had a wide mouth. When it opened its mouth, a pair of small, sharp teeth could be seen on its upper jaw.
Its skin was blue-green, marked with dark green spots. Each foot on its sturdy legs had three toes, tipped with small white claws.
A miraculous seed grew on its back, growing alongside its body. After bathing in plenty of sunlight, the seed on its back would flourish.
After a good while, when Yu Xiaogang was still tirelessly trying to brainwash him, the boy finally couldn't take it anymore.
"Grandmaster, you've been coming after me for almost a week straight. I really don't want to take you as my teacher!"
"Besides, your theories aren't suited to me. Although my Martial Soul is an External Beast Martial Soul, Bulbasaur is fundamentally a Grass-type Pokémon. How can it absorb Beast Soul Rings?"
Hearing Lin Xia's words made Yu Xiaogang feel as though he'd been stabbed several times. This was a rejection of his life's research!
"Unreasonable! Absolutely unreasonable!"
"I've spent my whole life studying Martial Souls. What could a greenhorn like you know about the Ten Core Competencies of the Martial Soul World? Do you even understand the Martial Soul Mimicry Theory?"
"Plant Martial Souls don't necessarily have to absorb Soul Rings from plant Soul Beasts, and Beast Martial Souls aren't necessarily unable to absorb plant Soul Rings. Under certain conditions, the two can absorb each other's Soul Rings."
"I told you before: one of your Martial Soul's greatest strengths is its lack of exclusivity. Because it's so weak, it won't resist the attributes granted by any Soul Ring. It'll simply absorb them passively. So, Lin Xia, just become my disciple!"
Lin Xia fell silent for a moment. Those words might have fooled someone else, but trying to fool him? Did Yu Xiaogang take him for an idiot?
For one thing, he knew the original story inside out. For another, Bulbasaur's types were Grass and Poison.
So much for "lack of exclusivity." Let's see Bulbasaur try absorbing a Fire-type Soul Ring!
It was utter nonsense. He had no shame!
When Yu Xiaogang saw Lin Xia fall silent, he thought the boy was considering becoming his disciple. A glimmer of hope shone in his eyes.
Only Tang San, standing off to the side, was terribly nervous. He was afraid Lin Xia might agree.
After all, during the days they'd spent together, Tang San had come to regard Yu Xiaogang as a father.
He didn't want anyone else sharing his father.
Sharing that hard-won affection.
Under their watchful eyes, Lin Xia still shook his head.
"Grandmaster, your theories are wonderful. I'm just not fortunate enough to benefit from them. I'm used to living freely, and I don't want to take a teacher or anything."
With that, Lin Xia turned and left Yu Xiaogang's room with Bulbasaur.
When Yu Xiaogang heard this, he was struck as if by lightning. His eyes were full of disbelief.
After all these days, this was still the answer he got.
Yu Xiaogang was so frustrated that, watching Lin Xia's retreating figure, he let loose a torrent of abuse.
"Frog in a well! Ignorant and narrow-minded! You see no further than the bottom of a well! If you don't become my disciple, you'll never amount to more than a Soul Grandmaster!"
"You and your Martial Soul, that Garlic Tortoise, are both low-grade!"
Outside the door, Lin Xia heard Yu Xiaogang's roar and curled his lips into a cold smile. But he quickly changed his mood and answered with a laugh.
"Thank you for the praise, Grandmaster. I never knew I had the potential to become a Soul Grandmaster. I'd had so little confidence!"
"And my Martial Soul is called Bulbasaur, not Garlic Tortoise!"
Yu Xiaogang had been fuming with rage, but Lin Xia's reply made him feel as though his fist had struck a cotton ball.
In Yu Xiaogang's eyes, Lin Xia was nothing but a lump of mud, with not a shred of a strong man's spirit. Training someone like him would only ruin his reputation.
What a pity to waste such a fine experimental subject...
Tang San should have been happy, but seeing how dejected Yu Xiaogang looked, a trace of resentment toward Lin Xia rose in his heart.
What a fool who couldn't recognize a treasure. Since Lin Xia didn't know what was good for him, he'd better not envy Tang San's achievements in the future!
"Teacher, it's all right. My Blue Silver Grass will definitely be stronger than his Garlic Tortoise in the future!"
After leaving Yu Xiaogang's room, Lin Xia finally relaxed.
There was no helping it. He was simply too weak right now.
He could only play along with Yu Xiaogang, since Tang San, a ticking time bomb, was right there beside him.
If he got annoyed, he'd attack even a gatekeeper—or even try to kill someone—without considering the consequences.
Lin Xia really didn't want to provoke him!
He was afraid that, while walking along, a Sleeve Arrow would end up embedded in his forehead!
And become Yu Xiaogang's disciple?
Setting aside whether he could learn anything from Yu Xiaogang, Tang San's pettiness alone would be enough to drown him.
Besides, Lin Xia had read the original story thoroughly and knew that, in the end, a Martial Soul was an extension of one's own body in this world.
Only by understanding one's Martial Soul deeply could one make the right choices. Otherwise, take the wrong path, and the Martial Soul would basically be ruined!
And as a transmigrator, how could Lin Xia not know how special Bulbasaur was?
With its ultimate Life attribute and Poison, it could steadily grow as long as he developed its traits step by step.
Absorbing Beast Soul Rings wouldn't necessarily bring any negative growth, but it would limit its potential.
Instead of strengthening what he already had, he'd be creating something that had never existed, then forcing himself to cultivate it. He'd have to be out of his mind to do that!
Besides, Bulbasaur could evolve.
Ivysaur, Venusaur, even Mega Venusaur and Gigantamax Venusaur. Although Lin Xia only had one rank of Innate Soul Power right now, he believed that as long as he could keep helping Bulbasaur evolve,
its growth rate would definitely be no slower.
What's more, Grass-type Pokémon were among the easiest to raise. You didn't even have to train one; just let it bask in the sun, and it could grow stronger.
Lin Xia would have to be crazy to become Yu Xiaogang's disciple.
He still had to get stronger. With only one rank of Soul Power, he couldn't do anything. It was more than a little frustrating to have someone else hold his fate in their hands.
"Danaa~"
(Bulbasaur has two versions of its cry: "Seed, seed" and "Danaa, danaa." I think "Danaa" is cuter.)
Bulbasaur rubbed its little head against Lin Xia's leg, as if it sensed the turmoil and unease in its master's heart.
Lin Xia crouched down and stroked Bulbasaur's smooth, blue-green skin. He felt the warmth faintly radiating from the vibrant seed on its back, gazed into Bulbasaur's bright red eyes, and said softly:
"Don't worry, Bulbasaur. We may be weak right now, but as long as we find the right path, we'll definitely grow stronger."
Before you continue