Yu Xiaogang Proves His Theory Was Right

After walking outside, Yu Xiaogang braced himself against a large tree in the clearing, cold sweat streaming down his face.

How could this be?

The theory could not be wrong!

There was no flaw in this theory!

He clenched his fists and breathed heavily.

If Tang San had truly developed a problem, Tang Hao's wrath would be more than he could bear. He had to find a way...

There had to be a way...

Yu Xiaogang's thoughts raced as he dredged up all the knowledge he had accumulated over decades.

Why had his meridians become blocked after absorbing the third Soul Ring... Why had this suddenly happened...

Why...

Why...

!

Yu Xiaogang suddenly realized where the problem lay. Ecstasy appeared on his face as he ran back, stood respectfully at the doorway, and said, "Clear Sky Douluo, I know why Xiao San suffered this accident!"

Even though the door was open, he did not dare enter casually.

Inside, Tang Hao was furious. Upon hearing this, he instinctively frowned and said, "Come in."

Yu Xiaogang stepped inside and swallowed. "Clear Sky Douluo, Xiao San's blocked meridians were purely an accident."

It really had nothing to do with me.

He looked at Tang San. "Xiao San, in Star Dou Forest, you suffered Martial Soul Backlash and severe injuries, correct?"

Fortunately, he had asked that brute Zhao Wuji beforehand. Otherwise, he would never have cleared himself of suspicion.

Tang San nodded. At the time, the shockwave had sent him coughing up blood, and when his Blue Silver Grass was torn apart, he suffered Martial Soul Backlash and passed out on the spot.

When he woke up and heard that Xiao Wu had been taken away, he had luckily managed to run back.

A wave of lingering fear washed over him.

Fortunately, Xiao Wu was fine. Fortunately, Lu Shi had not found Xiao Wu.

Otherwise, his happiness would truly have been gone.

Yu Xiaogang straightened his back, feeling several degrees more confident. "On the fourth day after your severe injuries, you thought you had recovered and impatiently absorbed your third Soul Ring, correct?"

Tang San nodded again.

"No!" Yu Xiaogang's voice was firm. "Your body had not recovered at all!"

"Setting aside whether the Titan Giant Ape injured your meridians, for a Soul Master, recovery from Martial Soul Backlash takes an extremely long time. During this period, a Soul Master is like a porcelain bottle. From the outside, everything appears intact, but inside, countless tiny cracks have long appeared. Pour in a cup of water, and it will seep out through those countless cracks."

"Xiao San was the same. There was no problem at all with absorbing a Poison-Attribute Soul Ring. The problem was that the poison-attribute energy leaked out!"

His voice was resolute, brimming with confidence.

After saying this, he wore a pained, regretful expression. "Xiao San is the disciple I raised with my own hands. He is also the only disciple I have had in my life. I considered every possible circumstance for him, yet overlooked this one point!"

Yu Xiaogang shut his eyes painfully, practically writing self-reproach across his face.

Deep down, he did not believe it was his fault at all, but to calm Tang Hao's anger, he had no choice but to act this way.

Tang Hao fell silent after hearing him out.

There was such a theory?

Why had I never heard of it?

Yet it sounded extremely reasonable, as though there was no grounds to refute it.

His attitude toward Yu Xiaogang immediately softened considerably. "Grandmaster, there is no conclusion to this matter yet. You need not blame yourself."

In the world of Soul Masters, one could not acknowledge a teacher lightly. Any Soul Master, regardless of whether he had graduated from a Soul Master Academy, could only recognize one teacher. Otherwise, he would be condemned by the world.

Tang San had already recognized Yu Xiaogang as his teacher. That could not be changed.

It would be even more disgraceful if a teacher and student fell out with each other.

Tang Hao now addressed Yu Xiaogang as Grandmaster. First, he did not want his son to fall out with him. Second, Tang San's meridian problem was already an established fact, and anger would accomplish nothing.

Since Yu Xiaogang could identify the source of the problem, perhaps he could solve it as well.

A trace of life returned to Tang San's hollow eyes.

Could it... be my problem?

Had I wrongly blamed Teacher?

Yu Xiaogang knew he had gambled correctly. If he had simply left like that, who knew how miserable his fate would have been.

He demurred. "Clear Sky Douluo, this truly is my fault."

Then he changed the subject. "However, it is not beyond remedy."

"Speak!" "Teacher, what is it?!"

Tang Hao and Tang San's anxious voices rang out at the same time.

Yu Xiaogang was grateful that he had met Lu Shi years ago and learned the theories from ancient texts through him. "Over the years, I have devoted myself to researching Martial Soul Mutation and accidentally discovered the secret of Martial Soul Mutation..."

Next, he repeated to the Tang father and son what Lu Shi had told him back then.

What energies would cause a Martial Soul to mutate during absorption, why Innate Mutation appeared in inherited Martial Souls, how to make a Martial Soul absorb Soul Rings with opposing attributes, and so on.

The Tang father and son's eyes grew brighter and brighter as they listened.

There was still hope!

"Teacher... you mean I need to absorb Soul Rings of different attributes..."

Yu Xiaogang had talked himself into confidence. He had initially felt somewhat uncertain, but the more he spoke, the more resolute he became. "Exactly!"

"What Xiao San needs to do now is absorb Soul Rings with different attributes to dilute the poison attribute!"

Tang San grabbed his arm, so excited that he could barely control his expression. "Teacher... Teacher, I can still be saved!"

There was also a hint of guilt in his expression.

That's right. How could I have doubted Teacher?

Teacher is known as the foremost theoretical Grandmaster in the Soul Master world!

Yu Xiaogang saw his disciple's guilt. He gently stroked Tang San's hair and smiled as if he did not mind at all. "For decades, Teacher has always been questioned. If I could not even see when my own disciple's body developed a problem, then I would not have persisted in researching theory for more than ten years."

It sounded nice, but...

How could he possibly not mind!

He might very well have died.

But other than pretending not to care, what else could Yu Xiaogang do?

Get angry and demand that Tang Hao apologize to him?

That would be no different from courting death.

Tang Hao, however, was not as happy as Tang San. He looked at Yu Xiaogang. "Grandmaster, as you just said, Xiao San's body will recover, and the Martial Soul Backlash will disappear. When that happens, how can absorbing Soul Rings with other attributes disperse the poison attribute?"

It was like patching the cracks in a porcelain bottle. Once it no longer leaked, it would not lose water.

Yu Xiaogang sighed. "There is only... one way. We do it again..."

His words were vague, but Tang Hao and Tang San both understood.

Tang San had to suffer severe injuries again and endure Martial Soul Backlash once more.

The porcelain bottle had to crack again.

Tang Hao fell silent. For now, this was the only way.

There was no better solution.

"Teacher, then what attribute of Soul Beast should I absorb for my fourth Soul Ring?"

Tang San pressed on.

Out of guilt, Tang San now trusted Yu Xiaogang without reservation.

Yu Xiaogang pondered for a moment. "Among common attributes, the water attribute is the gentlest. Among water-attribute Soul Beasts, turtle-type Soul Beasts are the gentlest. Therefore, Xiao San's fourth Soul Ring should come from a water-attribute turtle-type Soul Beast."

Absorbing Soul Rings from violent Soul Beasts was more dangerous, while absorbing Soul Rings from gentle Soul Beasts was safer.

After all, Tang San would have to endure the double trauma of Martial Soul Backlash and bodily injury again.

Tang Hao agreed with the idea and comforted his son. "Xiao San, when the time comes, I will personally take you to hunt the Soul Beast."

When Tang San heard that his father would personally take him there, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

"Father, why does Teacher call you Clear Sky Douluo? Aren't you a blacksmith?"

Where had you gone during those six years you disappeared?

Yu Xiaogang immediately cupped his hands beside them. "Clear Sky Douluo, I will take my leave first."

Once outside, he even closed the door behind him.

The father and son had reunited. As an outsider, it was not appropriate for him to remain.

Tang Hao sighed. "Xiao San, if not for your meridian problem, I should not have appeared either."