After Tang San finished that line about giving him a team tomorrow, he did not stay any longer in the training ground.
He turned and left very decisively, except that his retreating figure looked nothing like its usual composure. Having his Shrek Seven Monsters dismantled by Ling Yun yesterday, and then sitting on the sidelines today watching a team without himself fight even more smoothly, nobody's mind would feel comfortable with that switch.
Xiao Wu looked in the direction Tang San left, obviously quite worried. She turned her head to look at Dai Mubai and the others, finally unable to hold back. "Shao San did make some mistakes yesterday, but you didn't have to talk so harshly, right? Every time we encountered danger before, wasn't it Shao San who thought of a way?"
Dai Mubai was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Nobody denies what Little San did before. But one thing is one thing, and when I charged in yesterday, he genuinely didn't keep up."
Oscar also spread his hands. "We aren't trying to break ties with Little San. It's just that previously everyone presumed whatever arrangement he made was fine, and never thought about this matter. Now thinking about it, there's no harm in it either."
Xiao Wu obviously still refused to submit. "Shao San stayed behind because I got hurt, what is wrong with him worrying about me?"
Hearing this, Ling Yun couldn't help laughing. "That's right. So me making him sit on the bench isn't wrong either. Since in his heart your safety is more important than the match formation, then don't let him be in charge of six people at the same time during matches."
Xiao Wu glared fiercely at him.
Yet Ling Yun didn't care at all. "And you shouldn't portray yourself as a victim either. How you got that injury is something everyone saw yesterday. After faking a surrender and then failing a sneak attack, now you're turning around and using the injury to find excuses for Tang San; the two of you really know how to cover for each other."
"Xiao Wu, enough."
Zhu Zhuqing suddenly spoke up, her tone still cold. "Tang San himself admitted his judgment was off yesterday, and you continuing to make excuses for him will only make everyone feel that Ling Yun is more right."
Xiao Wu opened her mouth, in the end said nothing, and turned to chase after the direction Tang San left.
Watching her retreating figure, Ma Hongjun scratched his head. "It's over, why do I feel like the seven of us now have to be careful just saying anything?"
"It's not a bad thing."
Ning Rongrong saw things quite open-mindedly. "Having a good relationship doesn't mean you can't say anything. Since everyone kept winning before, many problems naturally couldn't be seen. When it really comes to the Soul Master Tournament, it's always better than finding out after losing."
Hearing these words, Flender nodded with satisfaction.
Ling Yun, however, already had no interest in continuing to discuss Tang San.
"Alright, let's talk about one thing."
As he spoke, he took out a jade box from his pocket and casually tossed it twice.
Liu Erlong's eyelids twitched. "What thing have you dug out this time?"
"For you."
Ling Yun opened the jade box, and a strange medicinal fragrance instantly diffused outward.
Lying inside the jade box was a massive chrysanthemum, the flower body presenting a gorgeous purple throughout, yet the entire flower and plant lacked any leaves.
The few people who had still been talking on the training ground all quieted down at once.
Ning Rongrong came from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and had seen plenty of precious medicinal herbs, but just smelling the medicinal fragrance at this moment, she had already realized this thing was definitely not an ordinary spirit medicine.
"Ling Yun, what is this?"
"Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum."
Ling Yun handed the jade box to Liu Erlong. "An immortal-grade medicinal herb. Its medicinal properties are upright and balanced, capable of tempering the limbs and bones, unblocking the meridians, and providing a huge enhancement to the physique of a Power Attack System soul master. It quite suits you."
"Immortal grade?"
Flender's voice rose by a fraction.
Liu Erlong instead did not immediately take it. "Keep such a precious thing for yourself; how old am I even, and I'm still snatching this kind of chance encounter with you?"
Ling Yun directly shoved the jade box into her hands. "When you brought me back to the Blue Tyrant and provided me with food and lodging, you didn't ask if it was worth it either. It's just a flower, what are you declining for?"
Liu Erlong was stunned for a moment, and originally wanted to say something more, but in the end she just knocked Ling Yun heavily on the head.
"This old lady didn't raise you in vain; it still counts that you brat have a bit of conscience."
"Take it easy."
Ling Yun rubbed his head. "I haven't eaten the immortal herb yet, and you've already knocked me into getting internal injuries."
Laughter immediately broke out around them.
Only Yu Xiaogang did not laugh.
From the moment the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum appeared, his gaze had remained fixed on the jade box. As a researcher of Martial Soul Theory, he had seen many ancient texts and naturally knew what a medicinal herb that could be crowned with the two words 'immortal grade' meant.
Ordinary heavenly treasures were already hard to seek.
An immortal-grade one had the potential to directly alter a soul master's foundation, yet how many years had he himself been stuck at rank twenty-nine? And for how many years had Luo Sanpao's martial soul defect trapped him?
Thinking of this, no matter how well Yu Xiaogang could control his emotions on ordinary days, his gaze couldn't help lingering for a few extra seconds.
Ling Yun saw it, and so he smiled.
"Grandmaster."
Yu Xiaogang subconsciously raised his head.
Ling Yun looked at him, then looked at the jade box in Liu Erlong's arms. "Stop looking, this one's surname is Liu, not Yu."
Ma Hongjun couldn't hold it in and directly chuckled out loud.
Yu Xiaogang's expression immediately became somewhat awkward. "I'm just rather curious about this kind of medicinal herb."
"Understood."
Ling Yun nodded. "Having researched martial souls for decades, suddenly seeing an immortal herb that might directly improve one's physical foundation, if it were me I'd be curious too."
Just as Yu Xiaogang was about to speak, Ling Yun continued. "Though the way you look at the flower is much more enthusiastic than when you looked at my Greninja back then."
This single sentence directly choked Yu Xiaogang.
Ling Yun smiled even more happily. "It seems Grandmaster isn't completely indifferent to whether resources are good or not. It's just that previously, good things weren't placed in front of you."
"Grandmaster, you say if this immortal herb really can let a soul master break through their bottleneck, does that count as a theoretical achievement, or does it count as medicinal efficacy?"
Flender felt his scalp tingling somewhat as he listened.
This question made however Yu Xiaogang answered it uncomfortable; if he said medicinal efficacy, that was equivalent to admitting many problems couldn't be resolved by theory, and if he said theory, the flower wasn't planted by him anyway.
Yu Xiaogang was silent for a moment, and could only say, "External objects likewise belong to a part of a soul master's cultivation; I have never denied the role of heavenly treasures."
"That's good."
Ling Yun nodded. "I was afraid that after presenting the dean with an immortal herb, you would turn around and say she relied on external objects to break through, lacking universal reference value."
Liu Erlong held the jade box and finally couldn't help laughing out loud.
Yu Xiaogang's face completely stiffened.
Yet he still couldn't help asking, "This kind of immortal grade... do you have more?"
It came.
What Ling Yun was waiting for was precisely this sentence.
He reached out and gently patted his pocket twice; inside, there really were still Aromatic Silk Beauty and other immortal herbs placed there.
"I do."
Ning Rongrong's eyes immediately lit up.
Yu Xiaogang's gaze also noticeably condensed.
Yet Ling Yun smiled at him. "However, it has nothing to do with Grandmaster."
"Why?"
Yu Xiaogang asked almost subconsciously.
Ling Yun looked at him with some surprise. "Grandmaster, the immortal herbs are mine; do I need to write a thesis to argue about who I want to give them to?"
The expressions of the few people around instantly turned brilliant.
Yu Xiaogang also realized that his question had been somewhat ungraceful, his face turning a shade of green and white.
Ling Yun didn't continue pressing the attack, merely putting away his soul tool. "Rest assured, I won't use immortal herbs to test your theory. You've been stuck at rank twenty-nine for so many years; the experimental cycle is too long, and I can't afford to wait."
With this slash, Flender directly closed his eyes.
Too ruthless.
Liu Erlong even couldn't help bumping Ling Yun with her elbow, telling him to let it go at that.
Right at this moment, an academy teacher suddenly ran quickly into the training ground, his expression obviously somewhat pale.
"Dean!"
Liu Erlong put away her smile. "What is it?"
That teacher caught his breath, his voice still carrying a bit of tension.
"Two people have arrived outside."
"One of them is... Poison Douluo Dugu Bo."
The training ground instantly quieted down.
The expressions of Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others changed simultaneously.
The teacher swallowed hard, and added another sentence.
"He also brought Dugu Yan. And he namedly wants to see Ling Yun."
As his voice fell, an aged yet vigorous voice already drifted over from outside the academy: "Brat Ling Yun! Old man has brought Yanyan over!"
Before you continue