"What is your First Soul Skill?"
Under Yu Xiaogang's guidance, Tang San had not absorbed a Mandala Snake's Soul Ring as he had in the original story, so his Soul Skill was bound to be different too.
But no matter how it changed, it would definitely be better than Entanglement.
Entanglement was a Soul Skill if one put it generously; less generously, it was nothing more than an instinct of Blue Silver Grass.
Could he not control Blue Silver Grass to entangle things without this First Soul Skill?
How could that be possible?
Tang San took a moment to sense it. A Yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet and settled over the Blue Silver Grass. In an instant, countless strands of Blue Silver Grass surged from the ground, shooting outward in every direction to bind their targets.
In a flash, they had wound tightly around several nearby trees.
"First Soul Skill, Earth Vein Power."
"My First Soul Skill is called Earth Vein Power. It allows my Blue Silver Grass to root itself in the earth veins and draw on their power to grow. Using my First Soul Skill to absorb earth vein power and control the Blue Silver Grass consumes almost no soul power, and the Blue Silver Grass's strength is greatly enhanced."
As Tang San spoke, he clenched his fists. The countless strands of Blue Silver Grass around him tightened at the same time, making the surrounding trees creak under their grip.
"Good. The effect of your First Soul Skill is very good. It counts as a preparatory Soul Skill. In the future, you can activate your First Soul Skill before using any of your other Soul Skills to reduce soul power consumption and increase their strength."
"And from what I've observed, your Blue Silver Grass is highly controllable. You can use that to create some control-type Soul Skills of your own."
"For example, during a fight, you could make Blue Silver Grass rise from beneath an enemy's feet and bind them, or construct a cage out of Blue Silver Grass to trap them, and so on. Any control-type Soul Skill that plants can perform directly is something you can try developing."
Tang San's eyes lit up at these words. That was right. With Blue Silver Grass being so controllable, he really could do that.
"Such Soul Skills are known in the Soul Master World as Self-Created Soul Skills. Some are difficult to develop, while others are easy. For your Blue Silver Grass, developing this kind of Self-Created Soul Skill is relatively simple."
That was true enough. Creating Soul Skills for Blue Silver Grass was quite simple. For example, making it wrap around something-wouldn't that be a self-created Entanglement?
After absorbing the Soul Ring and testing the Soul Skill, the two promptly left the Soul Hunting Forest.
Upon returning to Nuoding City, Yu Xiaogang first had Tang San register as a Soul Master at Spirit Hall.
From then on, Tang San could collect a subsidy of one Gold Soul Coin from Spirit Hall every month.
The two then returned to the academy. As soon as they stepped through the gates, a petite figure came skipping over.
"Xiao San, you're back!"
The two turned to look, and Tang San smiled warmly. "Xiao Wu."
Xiao Wu bounded up to Tang San in a few steps, her large eyes looking him up and down. "You're back from getting your Soul Ring? Well? Well? What's your First Soul Skill? Is it powerful?"
Tang San smiled. "It's pretty good. I'll tell you about it in detail later."
Only then did Xiao Wu notice Yu Xiaogang standing beside Tang San. She tilted her head. "Is this the teacher you mentioned?"
Tang San nodded and formally introduced him to Xiao Wu. "Xiao Wu, this is my teacher, Mr. Yu Xiaogang. Teacher, this is Xiao Wu, my... roommate."
Xiao Wu openly sized Yu Xiaogang up.
The man before her looked about thirty. He was lean but stood straight, dressed in a gray robe. His face was handsome, with clearly defined features, and his eyes were calm and deep. A melancholy air surrounded him.
Most striking was his slightly tousled, medium-length hair, which fell loosely over his shoulders. He had the air of a wandering martial artist, quite out of place at the academy.
"Not bad-looking at all."
Xiao Wu grinned and waved at Yu Xiaogang.
"Hello, Teacher! I'm Xiao Wu-Wu as in dancing!"
Yu Xiaogang gave a slight nod, then briefly went over a few points Tang San needed to keep in mind when cultivating soul power before turning to leave.
Tang San watched his teacher walk away before heading toward the dormitory with Xiao Wu.
The days that followed quickly settled into a routine.
Tang San attended classes as usual during the day, then went to study with Yu Xiaogang afterward.
From the basic principles of circulating soul power to the habits and characteristics of various Soul Beasts and how to judge their ages, from tactics for coordinating different Martial Souls to the many possibilities for Soul Ring combinations, Yu Xiaogang held nothing back, and Tang San absorbed this knowledge like a man starved and parched.
Before long, a month had passed.
That day, fallen autumn leaves carpeted the grove behind the academy.
Tang San and Yu Xiaogang stood facing each other, a light breeze stirring the hems of their clothes.
"Xiao San, after this month of study, you've more or less mastered the fundamentals."
Yu Xiaogang held his hands behind his back, his expression serious.
"Starting today, I will guide you through combat training."
Tang San's gaze sharpened. "Yes, Teacher."
Was it finally time for actual combat? He knew that although his teacher's soul power level was low, his strength was by no means weak.
"As I said before, besides the Soul Skills granted by their Soul Rings, Soul Masters can also have Self-Created Soul Skills. Most Soul Masters derive their Self-Created Soul Skills from their own Martial Souls. Such Self-Created Soul Skills cannot be passed down, nor can others learn them. But there is another kind of Self-Created Soul Skill that can be used without a corresponding Martial Soul. These are Self-Created Soul Skills that can be passed down and taught to others."
Tang San listened intently, quietly thinking it over.
Self-Created Soul Skills that can be passed down... my Purple Demon Eye, Mysterious Jade Hand, and Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon should fall into the category Teacher described too.
Yu Xiaogang stepped back a few paces and took a stance, his legs slightly apart and his back straight. His entire bearing changed in an instant.
From a gentle, refined scholar, he became a sharp blade about to leave its sheath.
"Watch closely. This set of Self-Created Soul Skills of mine is called the Six Styles!"
Yu Xiaogang approached a tree with a trunk as thick as the mouth of a bowl. He raised his right arm slightly, circulating soul power and gathering it at his fingertip!
"Finger Pistol!"
Thud!
He thrust out a finger, driving it hard into the trunk.
After a dull impact, the tree trunk had been pierced clean through from front to back, wood chips scattering everywhere.
Yu Xiaogang slowly withdrew his finger. His fingertip was perfectly clean, without so much as a scratch.
Tang San stared at the scene in shock.
An incredibly fragile finger had actually pierced a tree trunk! This was... focused force!
Gathering the strength of the entire body into a single point to pierce through a surface!
Tang San had lived in a martial arts world in his previous life. The scene before him looked exactly like the martial techniques he had seen back then!
"Finger Pistol gathers the strength of the entire body into a finger, hardens the fingertip with soul power, and thrusts it out at extreme speed. It possesses tremendous penetrating and destructive power. Piercing flesh or steel plates is no problem."
Yu Xiaogang did not stop.
His body sank slightly, and the next instant, he vanished from where he stood.
Tang San's pupils abruptly contracted.
So fast! Even his Purple Demon Eye had failed to catch any trace of his movement!
"I'm behind you."
Yu Xiaogang's voice came from behind Tang San.
Tang San whipped his head around, only to find that Yu Xiaogang had, at some point, already taken up a position three paces behind him.
Before you continue