When Tang San heard it was ten-year solitary bamboo, he never even considered absorbing it.
A mere ten years wasn't worth a second glance.
Sensing Tang San's gaze, Ye Fan played along, offering his own opinion in his thoughts.
*[Yu Xiaogang is right. A plant-type soul beast like lone bamboo does suit blue silver grass. Unfortunately, it's too young.*
And because Yu Xiaogang wanted to prove his theory, he turned around and chose a Mandala Snake over four hundred years old for Tang San's blue silver grass.
*That was where blue silver grass's later weakness and lack of power began...]*
Tang San in the original story had been modified beyond all recognition.
Who knew whether someone was deliberately giving him cheats? In any case, his later soul skills had absolutely nothing to do with blue silver grass, each more bizarre than the last.
But they were all hundred thousand year soul skills, which brute-forced that flaw out of existence.
"Mandala Snake?"
Tang San silently committed that name to memory.
I have to steer clear of that thing!
Yu Xiaogang shook his head.
"This lone bamboo is too young. It doesn't suit you."
Then he glanced at Xiao Wu and Ye Fan.
"According to my ten core theories of martial souls, the maximum age a soul master can withstand for their first soul ring is approximately four hundred and twenty-three years.
"And provided its traits are suitable, your choice of soul ring needn't be restricted by the soul beast's type.
"San, I'll find the perfect soul beast for your first soul ring. Don't rush."
Tang San nodded.
He strongly agreed with that reasoning.
It seemed Yu Xiaogang genuinely wanted what was best for him.
Unfortunately... it was just as Ye Fan, someone who had been reborn, had said.
A master of theory could only go as far as theory.
This time, he would never absorb a Mandala Snake.
Xiao Wu paid no attention to their conversation.
As far as she was concerned, Tang San would be better off absorbing this stalk of ten-year solitary bamboo.
After all, to her, it was just a chew stick...
Right now, she was more concerned about another question.
So she turned toward Ye Fan.
"Ye Fan, what kind of soul beast do you want to find?"
Ye Fan thought for a moment.
In truth, he didn't know much about choosing soul rings either.
He could choose either a mental-type soul beast or one related to sound waves.
Both could strengthen his word spirit power.
The former would probably improve his word spirit's success rate, while the latter could give him a wide-area offensive soul skill.
As a secondary option, he could also choose a soul beast that excelled in soul power, allowing him to use his word spirit more times.
As for his last resort... that would be a soul beast with nothing going for it except its age.
A pure gamble.
He pointed at his tongue and said to Xiao Wu, "My martial soul is a tongue. Help me think of some soul beasts with powerful tongues."
"Something involving tongues... a Three-Legged Golden Toad? A Camouflage Dragon? A Blood-Toothed Mosquito?"
Xiao Wu thought for a moment and came up with a jaw-dropping answer.
Those creatures all had impressive tongues!
Ye Fan: "..."
He sighed softly.
I'd better just use Xiao Wu as a field guide.
Expecting her to offer any useful advice wasn't very realistic.
"Never mind... let's keep walking and see what we find."
As he spoke, he reached out and rubbed Xiao Wu's head.
[When trouble comes around, rub a rabbit's head, and your worries will be dead.]
Hearing Ye Fan say that, Xiao Wu lowered her head bashfully.
She thought Ye Fan was complimenting her.
Though she really was outstanding!
As they continued walking, the sun soon sank below the mountains.
There weren't as many soul beasts in the Soul Beast Forest as they had imagined.
Especially after sunset, when the active soul beasts began changing shifts, they became even harder to find.
They arrived at a place filled with miasma.
Their surroundings were frighteningly quiet.
Yu Xiaogang looked ahead, then reached out and patted Tang San.
"San, let's stop here."
"Teacher, what's wrong?"
Tang San thought Yu Xiaogang had noticed something amiss.
Ye Fan and Xiao Wu stopped as well.
At his question, Yu Xiaogang shook his head.
He pointed at the thin mist ahead and said,
"San, let's settle down here tonight and rest."
"At night, soul beasts become even stealthier and more dangerous."
"Especially in places like this. Danger lurks everywhere in there."
"Until you're strong enough to be absolutely certain, don't gamble with your life."
Of course, more importantly,
he planned to use their rest that night to teach Tang San more about blue silver grass absorbing soul rings.
Ye Fan nodded.
Old Horndog Gang is right.
If you're weak, you need to be more careful.
With their current lineup, Yu Xiaogang clearly believed they were in no position to take risks.
Staying here to rest was naturally the best choice.
Xiao Wu stretched, then looked happily at Ye Fan.
"Ahh~ we can finally rest. Ye Fan, I'm hungry."
Tang San had just set Yu Xiaogang down on the ground. Hearing Xiao Wu, he eagerly scurried over.
"Xiao Wu, I have lots of radishes. Do you want some?"
As he spoke, he pulled several white radishes from his Soul Tool and held them out.
These had originally been intended for feeding Luo Sanpao.
They were meant to make his farts more powerful.
Seeing the white radishes, Xiao Wu waved them away in disgust.
"I don't want those."
Never mind the question of what kind of radish they were.
As long as they came from this Tang San, even carrots were out of the question!
She was a rabbit with principles!
Tang San looked a little dejected at her response, but he still refused to give up.
"Xiao Wu, what do you want to eat, then? I'll go find it for you!"
Xiao Wu: "..."
This guy is so annoying!
Can't he see I don't want to talk to him?
Just then, Ye Fan reminded Xiao Wu through his inner voice from nearby.
[This silly rabbit. Why reject Tang San so strongly? With such a useful lapdog, wouldn't it be a waste not to put him to work?]
At that, Xiao Wu's ears perked up.
That's right.
I can just treat him as a lackey I can't get rid of!
At the thought, Xiao Wu's eyes darted about.
"Tang San, I want some water."
"Tang San, I want some fruit."
"Tang San..."
Every time Xiao Wu issued an order, Tang San dashed off so fast he left afterimages.
Watching Xiao Wu order Tang San around to her heart's content, Ye Fan couldn't help finding it funny.
This silly rabbit is a born wicked woman.
He turned and headed into the thin mist.
He would gather some dry firewood while checking for soul beasts nearby.
I wonder if there are any special soul beasts around here for Tang San...
Night had fallen, so the Mandala Snake was probably getting ready to make its entrance.
But after searching for quite a while, he found no soul beasts moving around nearby, only some soul beast droppings.
Just as Ye Fan was about to return to camp with a bundle of firewood,
Xiao Wu, who had been watching his movements the whole time, suddenly shouted a warning in his direction.
"Ye Fan, watch out!"
Ye Fan turned to look, only to see a bright red tongue slowly emerging from the lush green tree beside him.
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