Soul Hunting

Early the next morning.

Yu Chen and Tang San packed their belongings and arrived at the academy gates, where a particularly spacious carriage stood waiting.

Two tall, powerful horses drew the carriage, whose cabin measured over three meters in length.

Principal Ming and Yu Xiaogang stood beside it, waiting quietly.

"Uncle Dashan."

"Teacher."

Yu Chen and Tang San spoke at the same time.

Afterward, Tang San casually glanced back at Yu Chen.

So Yu Chen is Principal Ming's nephew. No wonder Teacher specifically told me to get on good terms with him.

The carriage's interior was quite roomy.

Yu Chen and Ming Dashan sat on one side, while Tang San and his teacher sat opposite them.

Soft cushions covered the seats, making them very comfortable.

Some snacks and fruit sat on the small table between them.

Yu Chen lifted a corner of the window curtain. The scenery outside swept backward, yet he could barely feel any jolting inside the carriage.

"Xiaogang, what are your thoughts on the two children's soul rings?"

Principal Ming spoke with a gentle smile.

"Yu Chen's Xiao Bai Dragon possesses flame abilities, so he should undoubtedly follow the power attack system. As for little San's Blue Silver Grass, I intend to develop it toward the control system."

Yu Xiaogang offered his answer.

"The control system?"

Ming Dashan froze for a moment.

His thoughts on Yu Chen's development matched Yu Xiaogang's.

After all, Yu Chen's strengths were simply too pronounced.

With a strong physique and outstanding martial soul abilities, he was a promising seedling of a battle soul master.

But taking Tang San's Blue Silver Grass down the control system path?

That was something Ming Dashan had not expected.

"The Blue Silver Grass martial soul is inherently fragile, nowhere near as strong as a vine martial soul. Why not consider the support system?"

Ming Dashan made the suggestion.

He and Yu Xiaogang were friends, and in his view, Yu Chen and Tang San would also become teammates in the future.

One attacker and one supporter would make a decent combination.

Yu Xiaogang shook his head and said confidently, "Blue Silver Grass may be weak, but that very weakness means it won't reject any soul ring. According to my Ten Great Theories, plant martial souls aren't necessarily incapable of absorbing animal-type soul rings!"

"Then what kind of soul beast do you plan to hunt for little San?"

Ming Dashan nodded and asked.

Having known Yu Xiaogang for many years, he greatly admired his theories.

Across from them, Tang San's eyes also lit up.

He had already gained a basic understanding of the different types of soul masters: control, power attack, defense, support...

A control-system soul master used their martial soul to restrain opponents, thereby supporting allies or attacking.

Control yourself, command your enemies.

The control system was hailed as the brain of the battlefield and held one of the most important positions in a team.

Tang San had no desire to become a supporter who always hid behind his teammates.

Yu Xiaogang's tone was earnest. "A Mandala Snake! And one over three hundred years old, at the very least!"

"A Mandala Snake can not only strengthen Blue Silver Grass's toughness, but according to my theory, little San's Blue Silver Grass martial soul might also gain poisonous abilities."

Toughness and poison-those were the qualities he had planned for Tang San's first soul ring.

With his strength, dealing with a Mandala Snake over three hundred years old would still be somewhat difficult.

But with Ming Dashan, a Soul Ancestor, present, success was absolutely assured.

According to his theory, the limit for a first soul ring was 423 years. However, hunting soul beasts and obtaining soul rings often depended on luck. You could not always find exactly what you wanted.

The minimum age he would accept for Tang San's first soul ring was three hundred years.

"A Mandala Snake?"

Hearing the name, Tang San nodded slightly.

He had already read some soul beast Pokédexes. The Mandala Snake was an extremely powerful soul beast.

Its body was tough, difficult to injure with ordinary blades.

Its venom caused both instantaneous paralysis and nerve damage. Low-ranking soul masters struck by it could easily lose the ability to move or even die. It ranked among the finest poison-type soul beasts.

Poison!

Excitement glimmered deep in Tang San's eyes.

Aside from hidden weapons, Tang Sect disciples excelled most at using poison.

The soul ring his teacher had planned truly suited him best!

"Grandmaster, I have a question."

Just then, Yu Chen suddenly spoke.

"There are plant-type soul beasts that possess both toughness and poison, too. Poison Vines and Thorny Brambles, for example. Why must you choose a snake?"

Yu Xiaogang showed no displeasure at those words. Instead, a trace of appreciation entered his gaze as he looked at Yu Chen.

"Yu Chen, being able to offer those examples shows that your foundational knowledge is solid. However..."

His tone shifted as he asked with a smile:

"Have you ever seen a Poison Vine or Thorny Bramble thirty thousand years old, or even over fifty thousand?"

"For every soul ring a soul master absorbs, it's best to choose similar types and attributes. If little San chooses plant-type soul rings for his first few, the range of plant soul beasts available to him will shrink dramatically after he becomes a Soul King."

"Snake-type soul beasts, by contrast, are inherently powerful creatures. There's no shortage of enormous specimens over ten thousand years old. Spider-type and scorpion-type soul beasts also possess venom and can supplement his choices."

"So that's your reasoning, Grandmaster. It does sound somewhat sensible."

Yu Chen nodded as he spoke.

Because he's worried about not finding powerful plant-type soul beasts later, he plans to absorb animal soul rings right from the start?

Judging by their innate racial traits, plant-type soul beasts were generally weaker than animal-type ones.

In the original story, Tang San's later soul rings for his Blue Silver Grass martial soul had nothing whatsoever that matched Blue Silver Grass.

Even a soul beast like an orca had appeared.

"Grandmaster, there's no shortage of plant soul beasts over ten thousand years old either. Azure Vines, for instance."

"Didn't you say there are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters? In my opinion, that applies to soul beasts as well. Perhaps even Blue Silver Grass could cultivate to a hundred thousand years."

Yu Chen spoke with smiling eyes.

If Tang San's martial soul were merely ordinary Blue Silver Grass, there would be nothing wrong with following a poison-control path.

But his martial soul was an unawakened Blue Silver Emperor.

Wildfire could not burn it all away; with the spring breeze, it would grow again!

The Blue Silver Emperor's most prominent trait was its powerful vitality.

Abandon his own advantage and choose poison attributes?

Use his shortcomings to replace his strengths?

How was that any different from digging his own grave?

Clearly, Yu Xiaogang still knew none of this.

In the original story, he had always believed Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was a trash martial soul.

Yet he had failed to consider that twin martial souls could only arise when both parents' martial souls were of comparable quality, allowing their child to inherit both.

Could Blue Silver Grass comparable to the Clear Sky Hammer possibly be a trash martial soul?

At those words, the corner of Yu Xiaogang's mouth twitched.

Yu Chen had actually used his own theory to refute him-and the very principle he believed in most firmly, at that.

He fell silent for a moment, unable to think of an answer.

"What would a child like you know?"

Yu Xiaogang waved a hand, a flicker of irritation passing through his eyes.

"The abilities of snake-type soul beasts have been proven effective by countless people. Judging from my years of experience, little San certainly won't go wrong absorbing a snake-type soul ring. That's far more practical than your ideas galloping through the clouds."

"Hahaha!"

Seeing his old friend stumped, Ming Dashan burst out laughing.

"Xiaogang, after all your years of researching theories, I never expected a child's question to leave you at a loss."

Yu Xiaogang grew flustered and stiffened his neck. "Dashan, Yu Chen's ideas are completely impractical. Azure Vines may be good, but they aren't poisonous. More importantly, how could Blue Silver Grass possibly cultivate to a hundred thousand years?"

"Hahahaha..."

Ming Dashan kept laughing, only stopping once Yu Xiaogang's face had turned red.

"Yu Chen, once we reach the forest, follow the Grandmaster's arrangements. There's no need to keep asking questions that bore into the tip of an ox's horn."

Ming Dashan spoke with a smile.

"Yes, Uncle Dashan."

Yu Chen answered.

He had no interest in correcting the flaws in Yu Xiaogang's theories.

Ming Dashan nodded slightly, a pleased smile touching his lips.

Yu Chen was not only exceptionally talented, but also good at thinking for himself.

After all, many sixth-year students who had surpassed rank ten had no ideas of their own when obtaining their first soul ring.

The books Yu Chen had read before were all very elementary.

Everything he had just said had come entirely from his own conclusions.

With such a disposition, he would surely achieve great things!

"Yu Chen, this is for you."

Ming Dashan took a thick book from inside his robes.

Yu Chen accepted it and saw several large words on the cover: "Intermediate Soul Beast Pokédex."

He opened it to the first page. The paper was slightly yellowed and even damaged in places, with traces of repairs still visible.

"My teacher gave me this book when I was studying at an intermediate academy. You must return it after you finish reading, and don't make any copies without permission."

Ming Dashan gave him those instructions.

"Of course. Thank you, Uncle Dashan!"

Yu Chen thanked him gratefully, then eagerly began reading.

On the Douluo Continent, most cultivation knowledge was not freely circulated.

It could only be passed down through academies and sects.

On the other side.

Yu Xiaogang also took a belt from his bundle. Twenty-four gemstones were set into it, and it looked to be of exceptional quality.

"Little San, your teacher has a welcoming gift for you. This is a storage soul tool. Each gemstone holds one cubic meter of storage space. By circulating your soul power, you can store items inside."

Tang San accepted the belt with both hands, his face filled with delight and gratitude.

"Thank you, Teacher!"

A soul tool!

This was a soul tool!

Although Tang San had yet to officially become a soul master, he still knew the value of soul tools.

Yu Xiaogang nodded and glanced at Yu Chen.

In fact, he had originally prepared this soul tool for Yu Chen.

Half a month earlier, Ming Dashan had come to tell him about Yu Chen, leaving him so excited that he had not slept for three days and nights.

Unfortunately, Yu Chen had not become his disciple.

At that moment, however, Yu Chen turned a deaf ear to everything around him, utterly immersed in the book.