The Teacher Was the True Master

"Little San, trust your teacher. He can always turn the impossible into the possible."

Sitting by the bed, Gu Yuena smiled and answered first. She leisurely moved over a chair and sat beside Shen Qingling.

"Alright, husband, reveal your martial soul. Let Little San see."

"Even if you hadn't said so, I would have."

Shen Qingling released his martial soul, and a root system covered in golden patterns appeared.

Its entire body was blue-gold, its blades of grass lustrous and translucent, radiating an immensely powerful aura of life.

This time, unlike before Notting Academy, it bloomed forth completely.

Tang San's eyes were filled with the image of the Blue Silver Emperor. His own Blue Silver Grass was utterly unworthy of comparison before his teacher's; the gap was simply too great.

"This is your teacher's Blue Silver Emperor martial soul. And Little San, you need to know that your Blue Silver Grass can follow the same path as your teacher."

Tang San was stunned. "The same path? What kind of path has Teacher taken?"

"The life attribute. Your own bloodline determines that this path suits you best."

In the original story, if Yu Xiaogang had made Tang San pursue the binding route, it would have been a terrible waste. His first soul ring, the Datura Snake, had indeed increased his toughness, but it had also indirectly cut off Tang San's future development.

If he had not later encountered the Blue Silver King and Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Emperor, Tang San might have long since been ruined.

As for the life attribute, Tang San could hardly wait to become the next person to wield it. Moreover, he possessed such a powerful martial soul as the Clear Sky Hammer.

He would definitely become the strongest in the future, and he would even be able to help his teacher become a famed master known far and wide.

He truly had not chosen wrong.

"Little San, that's enough for today. Tomorrow, Teacher will take you hunting soul beasts."

After putting away his martial soul, Shen Qingling took Tang San to buy some daily necessities, then had him return to his dormitory to rest.

Back at his residence, Shen Qingling lay on the bed. "Na'er, what are we eating tonight?"

"What are we eating?"

"Of course, I'm eating you!"

Gu Yuena's sultry voice rang out.

Shen Qingling opened his eyes and looked at the teasing Gu Yuena. "Hold it right there. Don't get so worked up. We just arrived at the academy, so restrain yourself a little."

"Tch, restrain myself for what? If anyone dares come over, watch me blow them apart with one punch."

Gu Yuena snorted coldly.

Anyone who dared obstruct her business was courting death.

"No, absolutely not."

"Enough pretending. Your Golden Dragon King and Blue Silver Emperor bloodlines have recovered more than I expected. If you dare refuse again, I won't be polite." Gu Yuena rolled up her sleeves threateningly.

"Wait a little longer. Tonight, alright?"

Shen Qingling was truly numb. He could not beat Gu Yuena in a fight, so he could only surpass her in that regard.

"No problem. Whatever my husband says goes!"

Gu Yuena immediately put on the air of a demure little woman.

"Then just now..."

"Shut up. If you dare say another word, we'll start right now, then do it again tonight, and again during the day."

Meanwhile, on the other side of Notting Academy, Tang San happily moved into his new dormitory, carrying the newly bought bedsheets and washing supplies.

By a wall, Yu Xiaogang watched Tang San with a complicated expression. Blue Silver Grass, and innate full soul power too—he should have been Yu Xiaogang's prey, yet someone else had gotten there first.

Someone like this should have been cultivated by him. As for Shen Qingling, he was surely just some spoiled young master.

Perhaps he had only acted on a passing whim, with enthusiasm that would last no more than three minutes. He would not be able to persist for long.

When that time came, Yu Xiaogang would enter Tang San's heart and become the only ray of light in the darkness. Tang San would surely be deeply grateful to him.

A new day soon arrived.

Tang San woke very early and did not sleep in at all. He had specifically come early to Shen Qingling's room.

The moment he reached the door, he heard his teacher's voice.

"What a strange sound, and there's Teacher's wife's voice too. Could they be practicing some important cultivation technique?"

Tang San was puzzled, but as a good disciple, he did not disturb them and instead waited outside.

Naturally, that wait lasted a full twenty minutes.

Just as he was about to knock, the door opened.

Gu Yuena emerged first, her face flushed red and looking even more alluring than yesterday.

Shen Qingling followed close behind, but his face was somewhat pale.

What kind of cultivation technique could leave Teacher so exhausted?

"Teacher, are you alright?"

Tang San asked with concern.

Unfortunately, the Tang Sect had no medicine that could instantly restore someone. Most of its creations were poisons, hidden weapons, and the like.

"I'm fine. Let's set off for Star Dou Forest."

Shen Qingling did not intend to waste time on this matter. He had originally gotten up long ago, but Gu Yuena had suddenly become interested and insisted on strengthening his physical training.

She called it increasing the chances of pregnancy, but he thought it was simply torturing him.

Shen Qingling left Notting Academy with Gu Yuena and Tang San. They rented a carriage at the city gate, boarded it, and set off for Star Dou Forest.

Tang San's life attribute was special, requiring soul beasts with exceptionally high attribute quality. Since Tang San was taking the life-attribute path, he naturally needed soul beasts with high-quality life attributes.

Before long, the carriage stopped outside Star Dou Forest.

The three of them got down from the carriage.

Shen Qingling did not hurry inside. Instead, he looked at Tang San with a smile.

"Little San, are you curious about Teacher's soul rings?"

Tang San nodded.

"I am, but since Teacher didn't mention them, I didn't feel it was appropriate to ask."

"Today, Teacher will let you have a good look."

Shen Qingling smiled as six soul rings rose from beneath his feet in sequence.

A configuration of two purple, three black, and one red soul rings appeared before Tang San. In particular, the final blood-red soul ring made Tang San's eyes widen as he stared with his mouth slightly open.

"Teacher, your... sixth soul ring?"

It looked extraordinarily remarkable just at a glance.

"A hundred-thousand-year soul ring!"

"Soul rings are divided into four levels: hundred-year, thousand-year, ten-thousand-year, and hundred-thousand-year. Of course, there are also existences at the million-year level. Every soul ring has a different color."

"Teacher can make your first soul ring six to seven hundred years old, your second soul ring a thousand-year one, and your third soul ring a ten-thousand-year one."

Tang San was dumbfounded. Was that really possible?

On the journey to Star Dou Forest, Shen Qingling had already taught him some basic knowledge.

Ninety-nine percent of soul masters on the continent had the standard configuration of two yellow and two purple soul rings for their first four rings. The remaining one percent were not only extremely rare, but also the continent's top experts.

Their bloodlines also surpassed those of ordinary soul masters.

Tang San finally understood why his cultivation technique had been unable to break through for so long. It turned out that he lacked knowledge of this world's cultivation system.

His teacher's first soul ring was a thousand-year ring, while his sixth was a hundred-thousand-year ring.

This was the soul ring configuration that every soul master dreamed of.

Though he did not know how his teacher had achieved it, being able to give him a thousand-year second soul ring and a ten-thousand-year third soul ring was already incredible, and would benefit him immensely.

"Teacher, what do I need to do?"

So professional—this was what a true master was!

Last night in the cafeteria, Tang San had heard some students discussing a man at the academy who called himself a master.

Calling him a master was giving him too much credit; he was more like a freeloader and a fraud.