Xiao San, beat him!

Ling Han stepped forward, patted the stalk of Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo, and said to Tang San:

"Xiao San, this is a stalk of Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo. Its defining trait is toughness."

Of course, Ling Han would never claim that this Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo was suitable for Tang San's first soul ring, as Gangzi had in the original story.

Wasn't that utter bullshit? If humans could drop soul rings, killing Gangzi would yield one older than ten years.

"This one is too young, but what I want to tell you is that this species of soul beast would be worth choosing for your martial soul's first soul ring, provided we find one of the right age."

Ling Han would not feed Tang San's Blue Silver Grass some poison attribute like Yu Xiaogang had in the original story.

But if they could find a stalk of tough Lone Bamboo that was several hundred years old, it really would make a suitable first soul ring for Blue Silver Grass.

Tang San nodded, only half understanding. "Then I'll follow your advice, Teacher. Sorry for the trouble of finding me a hundred-year-old stalk of Lone Bamboo."

Ling Han smiled. "There's no need to be so formal between master and disciple. Come, I'll take you to find some hundred-year-old Lone Bamboo."

Just as the two were chatting and laughing, cries suddenly came from the distance.

"Consecrated Ling! Consecrated Ling! Help!"

Ling Han looked toward the voice in confusion and saw a scene he found utterly hilarious.

Yu Xiaogang was running desperately toward them, with an enormous Mandala Snake chasing him.

Luo Sanpao appeared to have exhausted his strength. He could only run alongside Yu Xiaogang, unable to attack the Mandala Snake.

Ling Han frowned slightly at the sight. He already had a pretty good idea of what that old bastard Yu Xiaogang was planning.

Soon, Yu Xiaogang reached him, with the hundred-year-old Mandala Snake right on his heels.

A mere hundred-year soul beast posed no threat to Ling Han.

Ling Han simply raised his hand and fired a streak of Ultimate Ice soul power, freezing the Mandala Snake into an ice sculpture where it stood.

The Mandala Snake was not quite dead yet, so no soul ring appeared. But frozen by Ultimate Ice, it was not far from death.

Yu Xiaogang stood there, gasping for breath, and said with feigned sincerity, "Thank you for your assistance, Consecrated Ling. If not for you, I'm afraid I would have died here."

Then Yu Xiaogang looked at the Mandala Snake that was about to freeze to death and said urgently, "Consecrated Ling, hurry and have Tang San kill this Mandala Snake! Otherwise, it'll die!"

Contempt and disgust appeared in Ling Han's eyes as he looked at Yu Xiaogang.

Sure enough, he wanted to use Tang San to test his theory.

In the original story, Tang San had been his disciple, so there was little to say about his using him to test his theories.

But now Tang San was Ling Han's disciple. For Yu Xiaogang to still dare scheme like this was a slap in Ling Han's face.

Unless he taught him a lesson, the bastard would never learn.

"Why should Xiao San kill this Mandala Snake?" Ling Han raised an eyebrow and asked, feigning confusion.

"To obtain his first soul ring, of course. This Mandala Snake is around four hundred years old. According to the theory I developed through years of research, the maximum age for a first soul ring is four hundred and twenty-three years. Thus, this Mandala Snake is just the right age to become Tang San's first soul ring."

In truth, the maximum age of a soul ring that a soul master could absorb was not fixed. It depended on their physical constitution.

Yet Yu Xiaogang had devised this absurd theory, lumping every soul master together.

It was simply laughable.

If physically weaker support-type soul masters believed Yu Xiaogang's theory and absorbed a four-hundred-year soul ring as their first, their bodies might burst and kill them because they could not withstand the ring's energy.

"Xiao San's martial soul is Blue Silver Grass. Shouldn't we find a plant soul beast for him to absorb a soul ring from?"

Ling Han continued playing dumb, wanting to see what other spectacularly ridiculous claims Yu Xiaogang could make.

"Consecrated Ling, this is something you don't know, isn't it? According to this Grandmaster's latest theory, plant-type martial souls can also absorb soul rings from animal soul beasts."

Yu Xiaogang looked smug and arrogant, as though his theory were some magnificent discovery.

In reality, however, absorbing a soul ring from an animal soul beast still fell short of absorbing one from a plant soul beast.

Tang San's laughable Blue Silver Entanglement in the original story showed just how little use absorbing this Mandala Snake had been.

"Consecrated Ling, you must decide quickly, or this Mandala Snake won't hold out! This Grandmaster's theory cannot be wrong!"

Listening to those outrageous claims, Ling Han felt as though the beads of the man's scheming abacus were practically flying into his face.

If you want to use my disciple to test your theory, just say so. It's not as though I'd agree anyway.

"Then let me ask you, Grandmaster Yu: has anyone ever put this so-called theory of yours into practice?"

As Ling Han spoke, he released his aura and looked at Yu Xiaogang.

Yu Xiaogang felt a bone-chilling cold lock onto him, and his entire body began trembling uncontrollably.

"N-no. Although no one has put this theory into practice, rest assured, Consecrated Ling, there is absolutely nothing wrong with my theory!"

"Then why should I let my disciple help you test this so-called theory?"

Ling Han pressed him relentlessly, then released his martial soul.

"Your so-called maximum age for a first soul ring isn't worth shit to me! Do you see my first soul ring?"

By now, Yu Xiaogang was so terrified that he had collapsed to the ground. He looked where Ling Han indicated.

The first soul ring beneath Ling Han's feet was unmistakably deep yellow, a sign that it was close to a thousand years old.

"My first soul ring is nearly nine hundred years old, twice your so-called age limit. What else do you have to say?"

Yu Xiaogang was completely speechless now, staring pale-faced at the soul rings beneath Ling Han's feet.

"This... this is impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could anyone absorb a first soul ring that old? My theory cannot be wrong!"

Looking at Ling Han's soul ring configuration, which defied all conventional understanding, Yu Xiaogang seemed on the verge of losing his mind.

Ling Han did not care about any of his excuses. If he dared harbor ulterior motives toward his disciple, he deserved a thorough lesson.

Then a long staff formed from Ultimate Ice appeared in Ling Han's hand.

He handed the staff to Tang San beside him. He had placed a layer of soul power protection over it so that the aura of Ultimate Ice would not harm Tang San.

"Xiao San, beat him!"

Tang San had been listening from the sidelines the entire time. He was no child, and naturally understood that Yu Xiaogang had intended to harm him and set him up.

With fury burning in his heart, he took the staff Ling Han handed him and began beating Yu Xiaogang.

The long staff struck Yu Xiaogang mercilessly, making him howl in pain.

"You can't hit me! I'm... I'm..."

"Xiao San, hit his mouth!"

At Ling Han's command, Tang San struck Yu Xiaogang across the mouth with the staff, preventing him from finishing his sentence.

When beating someone, hit their mouth first to spare yourself their incessant bullshit. That principle really was incredibly useful.