Grandmaster's Self-Doubt

"Teacher, bear with it."

Tang San rolled up Grandmaster's sleeve, took out a dagger, and cut open the poisoned area. He then sucked out the poisoned blood with his mouth while secretly using the Mysterious Heaven Skill to aid in the treatment.

Before long, Grandmaster's complexion improved greatly.

"Little San, you truly are far more outstanding than ordinary children."

Grandmaster felt immensely gratified. With such a gifted disciple and his own theories, Tang San's future achievements would surely be brilliant. And as Tang San's teacher, no one would ever question his theories again.

"Teacher, can I still absorb this Thousand-Year Soul Ring?"

Tang San pointed at the Mandala Snake's Thousand-Year Soul Ring, staring at Grandmaster as he hoped for a precise answer.

Grandmaster: "..."

Grandmaster did not answer Tang San. Instead, he shakily climbed to his feet and slowly walked over to the Mandala Snake's corpse.

"Look, Little San. This Mandala Snake is 4.2 meters long. A Mandala Snake grows one centimeter in length every year, which means this is a 422-year soul beast, just within the range you can bear."

Grandmaster's brows were tightly furrowed. According to his research on soul beasts, there was absolutely no way this could be wrong. Yet when he looked at the gleaming Thousand-Year Soul Ring of the Mandala Snake, the ghostly look on his face plunged him into silence.

"Damn it! Why is it like this? Why is it a Thousand-Year Soul Ring? Impossible. Where did the mistake happen? My theories cannot be wrong."

Grandmaster gritted his teeth inwardly, his brows twisted into a deep frown. Tang San was still waiting for his exact answer. Grandmaster felt heat rising in his body, his palms slick with sweat.

If he said Tang San could not absorb it, then what had all his words just now amounted to? It would be slapping himself in the face and denying years of his own research.

If he said Tang San could, then a Thousand-Year Soul Ring was absolutely not something Little San could absorb at his current level. His body would not be able to withstand it, and he would ultimately explode and die.

"Teacher?"

Tang San was puzzled. Why did Grandmaster need to think for so long about whether a Soul Ring could be absorbed? Wasn't he the number one theorist in the Soul Master world?

"Little San, this Mandala Snake is an anomaly. It is far too strange for a hundred-year soul beast to produce a Thousand-Year Soul Ring. For your safety, you cannot absorb this Soul Ring. A Thousand-Year Soul Ring is simply not something you can withstand right now."

"But Teacher, didn't you say it was a hundred-year soul beast?"

Tang San gave Grandmaster a question that struck straight at his soul.

Grandmaster: "..."

"Little San, forget it. Let's look for another soul beast. From ancient times until now, there has never been a soul master whose first Soul Ring was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring. Even those Titled Douluo standing at the pinnacle of the Soul Master world only had hundred-year Soul Rings as their first rings."

Grandmaster crouched down, placing his callused hands on Tang San's shoulders as he spoke earnestly.

What had happened today was simply too bizarre. Even with his deep understanding of soul beasts, he could not explain it.

First, his Soul Skill had mutated. His perfectly normal fart had turned into taking a dump, and the smell was even stronger than a fart.

Then he had mistaken the Mandala Snake for a Snake Vine Flower.

A Mandala Snake that was clearly a hundred-year soul beast had produced a Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

Everything was overturning what he knew. His years of research seemed like a joke.

Tang San glanced at the gleaming Thousand-Year Soul Ring. He could sense the immense, pure energy within it. It would be far too wasteful to let it go like this.

No. I am completely different from the people of this world. With the Mysterious Heaven Skill assisting me, I can use it to guide the enormous energy within the Soul Ring. If I cannot endure it, I can release the excess energy.

Tang San thought silently. Grandmaster's repeated performances had made him somewhat doubtful of his words.

"Teacher, I want to try." Tang San looked at the Thousand-Year Soul Ring, his gaze unwavering.

"Tang-san, no! You'll die, die!" Grandmaster grabbed Tang San and tried to stop him.

But Tang San ignored his advice and directly used his Soul Power to draw in the Mandala Snake's Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

Pulled by his Soul Power, the Soul Ring shot over to Tang San's side with a whoosh.

Tang San sat cross-legged and began meditating to absorb the Soul Ring.

"Little San, you have to believe me. A Thousand-Year Soul Ring is not something you can withstand. What you are doing is very dangerous."

Grandmaster was extremely anxious, but Tang San had already begun absorbing the Soul Ring. He did not dare interrupt him rashly and could only worry helplessly at the side.

Lu Chen, hidden in the shadows, had witnessed everything. Grandmaster was not wrong: Tang San truly could not absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring at his current level. Even with the Mysterious Heaven Skill's assistance, he could not do it.

But Lu Chen wanted Tang San to absorb it safely, solely to make Grandmaster question his own theories and doubt his entire life.

The reason soul masters found it difficult to absorb Soul Rings beyond their level was not only because high-level Soul Rings contained enormous amounts of energy that were hard to absorb. Soul Rings also carried the resentment of the soul beasts.

If a soul beast willingly offered itself as a sacrifice, even a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring could be absorbed easily. Tang San was one such case: Xiao Wu had sacrificed her Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring for him. Huo Yuhao's first Soul Ring had even been a million-year one.

What Lu Chen needed to do was erase the resentment within the Mandala Snake's Soul Ring and let Tang San absorb it safely.

The Soul Gem flickered with faint light as Lu Chen silently erased the resentment within the Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

Tang San had originally worn an expression of pain as he absorbed the Thousand-Year Soul Ring, but he gradually calmed down.

The entire process went exceptionally smoothly. Before Grandmaster's complicated expression of disbelief, utter bewilderment, existential doubt, and self-doubt—

Tang San safely absorbed the Mandala Snake's Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

"Teacher, look! I succeeded!"

He could feel that his Mysterious Heaven Skill had broken through to the second level, while his Soul Power had soared to an unprecedented level fifteen.

Tang San was delighted. He came before Grandmaster and revealed his Thousand-Year Soul Ring, hoping to let his teacher share in his happiness, because he had accomplished something even his teacher had said was impossible.

Looking at Little San's beaming, joyful smile, Grandmaster felt as though it were a merciless mockery, though he knew Tang San had not meant it that way.

But he still felt terrible, as if ten thousand alpacas had trampled over him. The facts before his eyes had slapped him in the face once more, leaving his face burning hot.

"Little San, I am tired. Since you have obtained your first Soul Ring, let us return."

"I need to study what happened today carefully. Everything about it reeks of irrationality. Do not reveal your Soul Ring casually either. Do you understand what I mean?"

Grandmaster spoke with utter exhaustion in both body and mind.

Tang San nodded, indicating that he understood perfectly. He credited his ability to safely absorb the Thousand-Year Soul Ring to the Mysterious Heaven Skill, since people in this world had no concept of cultivation techniques.

"Judging by the time, they probably will not return to Nuoding City until tomorrow. Since Little San has already obtained his Soul Ring, it is time for me to leave as well."

Grandmaster's expressions today had been exceptionally varied, leaving Lu Chen very satisfied. In less than a day, Grandmaster had been slapped in the face again and again.