Tang Tianlin rubbed his chin, weighing his words.
"Let me put it this way. The two Martial Souls inside you are like two wild beasts. One possesses tremendous strength from birth, while the other has a frail body. Though there's a considerable gap between them, they can still maintain a certain balance."
"Once that balance is broken, the stronger one grows stronger, and the weaker one becomes correspondingly weaker."
"The only possible outcome is for the stronger one to devour the weaker one completely."
Understanding flashed through Tang San's eyes. "So I have to nurture the weaker Martial Soul to keep maintaining the balance inside me?"
"Exactly."
Tang Tianlin nodded. "The method for cultivating Twin Martial Souls has always been to start with the weaker one, then move on to the stronger one. Add Soul Rings to your Blue Silver Grass first and strengthen your foundation. Once the time is right, switch to cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer."
"By then, the ages of the Clear Sky Hammer's Soul Rings will actually be able to exceed the usual limits, making it even stronger."
Tang San nodded thoughtfully.
He trusted his big brother unconditionally.
"Then, Big Brother, are we heading back to the sect now?" Tang San asked.
"There's no rush."
The corners of Tang Tianlin's lips lifted slightly. "Before Uncle Hao finishes gathering the resources, we still need to keep gaining experience."
He certainly hadn't forgotten that hundred-thousand-year-old rogue rabbit at Nuoding Academy.
That one had innate full Soul Power, after all. If he could bring her into the Clear Sky Sect, he could probably earn some rewards too.
Two days later, at Nuoding Academy.
"Innate full Soul Power, and a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul?!"
The gatekeeper took the Martial Soul certificate, his face full of shock.
Could those two things even go together?
But seeing that Tang Tianlin and Tang San both looked either rich or noble, the gatekeepers didn't dare make things difficult for them and hurriedly opened the gate to let them through.
After all, they only earned a few Silver Soul Coins a month. Why work themselves to death?
Yet the moment the two entered the academy, a figure blocked their path.
A man sporting a sexy little crew cut stood on the steps, hands clasped behind his back, his head tilted toward the sky and his thin jaw exposed in profile.
"Over the course of my life, I have examined six hundred and thirty-one people whose Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass. Of those, only fifteen could awaken Soul Power."
"And among those fifteen, not one had Soul Power that reached rank one."
"According to the theory of the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, Blue Silver Grass absolutely cannot support innate full Soul Power."
At this point, the man with the sexy little crew cut turned around, revealing a square face covered in a full beard. He stared straight at Tang San and enunciated every word:
"Therefore, I deduce that you definitely possess a second Martial Soul!"
Tang San frowned slightly. "Are you finished? If so, please step aside. You're blocking my way."
"Hm?"
Yu Xiaogang's heart sank at this reaction.
This wasn't how he had imagined it...
Wasn't this child supposed to look shocked upon hearing his earth-shattering theory, then eagerly rush to become his disciple?
Why was he so calm now? Had he guessed wrong?
Standing behind Tang San, Tang Tianlin's lips curved slightly upward.
Before coming here, he had already given Tang San a precautionary warning: if some strange person immediately exposed his Twin Martial Souls, he should simply pretend he hadn't heard.
As long as he didn't engage, the man could do nothing to him.
After all, ignoring someone was the strongest shield against the "trap of having to prove yourself."
Sure enough, seeing Tang San remain unmoved, Yu Xiaogang frowned even harder.
"Child, you may not know this, but I am Yu Xiaogang, a theoretical Grandmaster and an authority in the field of Martial Soul Theory. If you become my disciple, I guarantee I can spare you ten years of detours."
After speaking, he deliberately puffed out his chest.
Tang San gave him an expressionless look and said coldly, "I don't need a master."
He was now a disciple of the Clear Sky Sect. How could he possibly take some man of unknown background as his master?
At those words, the confidence on Yu Xiaogang's face instantly froze.
"You... don't you know how important an excellent mentor is to a Soul Master? Without my theoretical guidance, your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul will remain a trash Martial Soul for your entire life!"
At the words "trash Martial Soul," a cold glint flashed in Tang San's eyes, and the Silent Sleeve Arrow on his right arm was poised to fire.
This man dared insult him. He had already earned himself a path to death!
Just as Tang San's killing intent erupted and his right hand began to rise-
Smack!
A slap so sharp it made teeth ache rang out first.
At some point, Tang Tianlin had flashed in front of Yu Xiaogang. He swung his right arm in a full arc and delivered a solid, resounding slap.
The force sent Yu Xiaogang spinning five full revolutions on the spot before he finally stopped.
"You... you dared hit me?!"
Clutching the right side of his face, which had instantly swollen like a pig's head, Yu Xiaogang struggled to his feet, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He was a distinguished theoretical Grandmaster. Wherever he went, didn't people look up to him?
Yet today, some wet-behind-the-ears brat had slapped him in public?!
"So what if I hit you?"
Tang Tianlin took out a handkerchief and wiped his right hand, sneering. "My little brother was walking along, minding his own business, but you just had to jump out and point fingers. You even called his Martial Soul trash."
"Besides, my brother already said he doesn't need a master. Is something wrong with your ears, or your brain?"
In Tang Tianlin's view, Yu Xiaogang was the textbook definition of a freeloader carried to victory.
On the surface, Gangzi had taken a disciple. In reality, he had latched onto a powerful backer's leg.
His own first Soul Ring was a hundred-year one, yet when it came to Tang San, he recommended absorbing Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo.
If Tang Hao hadn't dropped a Mandala Snake in just in time, Tang San might have ended up performing a Blue Silver pole vault.
It would have been one thing if he had only been useless early on, but he was just another roadside nobody later too.
Whenever he encountered something he couldn't resolve, he would tell people that Tang San's father was Tang Hao.
Anyone who recognized that name wet themselves in fear. For those who didn't, he would pull out the Spirit Hall Elder Token Tang Hao had given him.
He, meanwhile, could resolve ninety-nine percent of difficulties without exerting even a fart's worth of effort.
Then, in the end, he popped out with a claim that he had trained a god.
All one could say was that Tang San later helping Gangzi advance to Titled Douluo already counted as doing everything duty and kindness demanded.
"You... what do you know!"
Yu Xiaogang trembled with rage. "There are no trash Martial Souls, only trash Soul Masters. With a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, he can only become trash without my help!"
Tang Tianlin laughed.
Probably only this Grandmaster, who had broken past fifty years of age while still at rank twenty-nine, could insult himself twice in one sentence.
"What a fine line: no trash Martial Souls, only trash Soul Masters. Then your Soul Power must be very strong now, 'Da Shi'?"
Tang Tianlin challenged him, deliberately pausing on "Da Shi."
"Hmph. Strength doesn't prove anything."
Yu Xiaogang snorted coldly. "Although my Soul Power is only rank twenty-nine, when it comes to theory, if I claim second place, no one dares claim first. Even Her Holiness, the current Supreme Pontiff, has nothing but praise for my theories!"
"Rank twenty-nine?"
Tang Tianlin raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing. "In other words, Da Shi, you're only a Soul Grandmaster?"
"What makes someone who hasn't even seen a third Soul Ring think the theories he's compiled are correct?"
"You!"
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