"Grandmaster, could you choose a Spirit Beast for me that's as close to the limit as possible?"
"Don't worry."
"Whatever the result, I promise I won't blame you."
Tang San spoke earnestly.
Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "Rules are rules. No one can break them. If anything happens, I won't be able to take responsibility."
"But..."
Tang San had barely begun when Yu Xiaogang raised a hand and cut him off.
"All right. Don't say any more."
Seeing this, Tang San clenched his fists unconsciously, his face full of unwillingness.
I wonder how strong the Spirit Beasts are.
If they're not too strong, maybe I can hunt one myself...
No, I don't know how to choose.
The Grandmaster had just told him that Spirit Beasts couldn't be chosen at random. They had to have a certain degree of compatibility with his Martial Soul.
In other words, even if he could hunt a Spirit Beast, he still wouldn't know which one to hunt.
He could only rely on the Grandmaster.
That was precisely why Tang San felt so miserable.
Tang San felt as if he had returned to his previous life.
Back to the time when he clearly had talent, yet couldn't obtain the true teachings.
What made him feel worst was that, in his previous life, he'd had time to slowly steal those teachings, but now he had no time to study Spirit Beast knowledge.
Yu Xiaogang glanced at Tang San, taking in every trace of anxiety on his face.
This was exactly the effect he wanted.
Didn't want to become his disciple?
If he couldn't even handle a little brat, what kind of Grandmaster would he be?
Sooner or later, Tang San would beg to become his disciple.
Tang San thought for a long time and finally came up with a solution.
He dropped to his knees in the carriage with a thump.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Before Yu Xiaogang could react, Tang San had already knocked his head against the floor three times.
"Grandmaster, please accept me as your disciple."
His reasoning was simple. Since the Grandmaster had come up with the Ultimate Theory, surely he wouldn't choose a ten-year Spirit Ring for his own disciple?
Besides, the other man had already wanted to take him as a disciple.
He'd even said so much. Maybe he'd been trying to force Tang San to give in all along.
If that was the case, then Tang San would give him what he wanted.
Tang San wanted to go further, and he truly did need a teacher to guide him.
"Silly child, you don't have to kowtow when you become my disciple."
Yu Xiaogang smiled, looking delighted at how easily he'd gotten Tang San to bend.
Tang San declared solemnly, "Once a teacher for a day, a father for life."
Yu Xiaogang froze, then burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha... What a fine saying: once a teacher for a day, a father for life."
"Get up."
He helped Tang San to his feet, then took out a belt.
"This is my gift to you, as your teacher."
Yu Xiaogang was poor. This Storage Soul Tool was the only thing he owned that was worth giving.
If he gave it to Tang San, he'd have nothing left for himself.
But he had to do it. Without even a decent gift for his new disciple, Tang San would surely look down on him.
"Thank you, teacher!"
Once Yu Xiaogang had explained what the Storage Soul Tool could do,
Tang San was overjoyed.
He hadn't expected such a treasure to exist in this world.
With this,
he could carry more Hidden Weapons on him and bring the Tang Sect Secret Arts to their full glory.
After accepting Tang San as his disciple, Yu Xiaogang stopped holding back.
He explained Spirit Master knowledge in detail, along with his plans and arrangements for Tang San.
Tang San hadn't expected the other man to stay up late making plans for him after failing to take him as a disciple the day before. A ripple stirred in his heart.
Across two lifetimes, he'd never felt such genuine care.
Not even from his father.
Only now did Tang San truly accept Yu Xiaogang as his teacher.
He hadn't chosen the wrong teacher.
Yu Xiaogang explained everything to Tang San, who listened attentively the whole time.
They didn't arrive at Soul Hunting Forest until noon the next day.
Not long after entering Soul Hunting Forest, they came across a bamboo grove.
Yu Xiaogang stepped forward and gently touched a bamboo stalk that didn't look very thick.
"This is a Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo. Its attack is weak, but its defenses are decent. It's very suitable for your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul."
Tang San wasn't tempted.
A Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo? Even a dog wouldn't choose one. It had to be at least a hundred years old.
"But its age is still too—"
Yu Xiaogang was speaking when he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye and abruptly fell silent.
He charged forward.
Tang San froze for a moment, then hurried after him.
Yu Xiaogang stopped in front of a thick bamboo stalk.
He looked it up and down, then reached out to touch and pinch it.
"My goodness, it's a hundred-year-old Solitary Bamboo! There's a hundred-year-old Solitary Bamboo on the outskirts of Soul Hunting Forest!"
Yu Xiaogang was beaming with excitement.
He'd originally wanted to find Tang San a Spirit Beast with both poison and toughness, so it could strengthen the control abilities of his Blue Silver Grass.
However, he knew perfectly well that he didn't have the strength to hunt such a Spirit Beast.
And now, he'd come across a hundred-year-old Solitary Bamboo.
Solitary Bamboo had no killing power at all until it reached ten thousand years. Anyone could easily kill one.
Bamboo was naturally tough, too, and it was a plant.
It couldn't have been more compatible with Blue Silver Grass.
The only flaw was that Solitary Bamboo had none of the poison he'd envisioned.
"A hundred-year-old Solitary Bamboo?"
A flicker of excitement also appeared in Tang San's eyes.
He was ridiculously lucky!
His teacher had said that, under normal circumstances, it took at least three to five days, half a month, or even longer to find a suitable Spirit Ring in a Spirit Beast forest.
Yet they'd only just entered, and already they'd found a suitable one.
Tang San asked, "Teacher, exactly how old is this Solitary Bamboo?"
Yu Xiaogang said, "You can judge a Solitary Bamboo's age by its bark and height. This one is over three hundred meters tall."
"That means it's more than three hundred years old, already quite close to the limit for a first Spirit Ring according to my Ultimate Theory. It's just right for you."
Tang San was overjoyed.
"Then, teacher..."
"Do it."
Yu Xiaogang interrupted him, showing no intention of taking another look.
He was afraid he'd lose his life if he looked any longer.
"All right!"
Tang San didn't hesitate. He immediately took a dagger from his Storage Soul Tool and began hacking away at the base of the hundred-year-old Solitary Bamboo.
Using a dagger to chop bamboo was bound to be exhausting.
But with no other weapon, Tang San could only grit his teeth and chop away bit by bit.
More than ten minutes later,
Tang San, drenched in sweat, finally chopped down the hundred-year-old Solitary Bamboo. A bright yellow Spirit Ring suddenly rose from its base.
Yu Xiaogang said, "Sit cross-legged, release your Martial Soul, and focus your mind. Remember, no matter how much pain you feel, you must endure it. You absolutely must not pass out."
"Yes, teacher!"
Tang San nodded firmly, then sat cross-legged before the Spirit Ring.
The moment he released his Blue Silver Grass, he felt a pulling force. The yellow Spirit Ring flew toward the top of his head.
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