As for Oscar, Dai Mubai had dragged him over to eat and have drinks together, but Oscar's envious gaze never left Ning Yuhao and Tang San.
Dai Mubai did not particularly care. After all, he was already a man, on an entirely different level from them.
The most focused person at this welcome banquet had to be Ma Hongjun. All he did was eat and eat! He ate with thoroughly unrestrained gusto, with all the vigor of a prowling tiger!
Everyone enjoyed the welcome banquet, and in the end, the bill went on the academy's public account.
Everyone slept happily that night. Thanks to the enormous economic opportunities White Tiger Village had brought, Shrek Academy's dormitories were not as dilapidated as they had been in the original timeline. They were in a brand-new three-story building, with the girls' rooms on the top floor and the boys' dormitories on the two floors below.
Dai Mubai and the other two returning students lived on the first floor, while the newly enrolled Ning Yuhao and Tang San lived on the second.
Ning Yuhao did not get up particularly early the next day. By the time he woke, the sun had already risen. He washed up briefly and headed out.
Then he saw Tang San and Xiao Wu whispering to each other.
Oh, I forgot Tang San has to watch the sun every morning to cultivate the Purple Demon Eye.
Ning Yuhao walked over and greeted them. "Yo, you're up pretty early."
Xiao Wu curled her lips. "Of course. We work hard at cultivating, unlike you, only getting up when the sun's already shining on your backside."
Ning Yuhao looked at Xiao Wu in puzzlement. Has this rabbit been eating gunpowder?
But he did not let his mouth stand idle. "It's not that bad. I once heard a saying: 'Genius is ninety-nine percent perspiration and one percent inspiration.'"
Seeing Xiao Wu open her mouth, about to say something else, Ning Yuhao smiled faintly and supplied the next line. "But without that one percent inspiration, the ninety-nine percent perspiration is futile."
Xiao Wu was instantly choked into silence. After all, Ning Yuhao was a genius with twin martial souls, a level 38 Soul Elder whose soul rings exceeded the limits. Her accusing Ning Yuhao of not working hard was rather laughable.
Xiao Wu had picked a fight with Ning Yuhao mainly for Tang San's sake, to vent some anger on his behalf. After all, Tang San was not in a particularly lovely mood because of Ning Yuhao.
"That's enough, Xiao Wu!" Tang San tugged at Xiao Wu, then nodded to Ning Yuhao. "I really should thank you. Without you yesterday, it probably would have taken a great deal of effort for us to pass the fourth test. You were practically the only one doing any work during yesterday's test."
Ning Yuhao waved a hand, not particularly concerned. "After all, I was the only one with head-on combat capability. We were a team then. Working together for a win-win was the right thing to do."
They chatted for a while, and Tang San's expression grew conflicted, as though he wanted to say something but did not know how to put it.
Ning Yuhao patted Tang San. "You all right? Why do you look so constipated? If you need to take a shit, make sure you do it in the toilet."
Ning Yuhao's words annoyed Tang San into laughter. He shook his head. "There's a question I'd like to ask you."
"What question?"
"You're from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, so you should know the 'optimal soul ring age theory,' right?"
Ning Yuhao nodded. He already knew what Tang San wanted to ask.
"According to the theory, the limit for the second soul ring is 764 years, and the limit for the third soul ring is 1,760 years. But I noticed yours all exceeded those limits, so I'd like to ask how you managed it." Seeing Ning Yuhao look thoughtful, Tang San added, "Of course, if it involves any secrets, it's fine if you don't tell me."
"That hardly counts as a secret." Ning Yuhao took a moment to arrange his words, then gave Tang San a meaningful look. "You know I have twin martial souls. Their advantage is that when I add soul rings to my second martial soul later on, I can directly add high-age soul rings."
Tang San nodded. This was precisely why he had never added any soul rings to his Clear Sky Hammer.
"Then that actually means there's no limit to the age of a martial soul's soul rings." Ning Yuhao waved a hand and tossed out a seemingly outrageous, heretical conclusion.
Tang San was somewhat astonished to hear it, but as he followed that line of thought, his eyes widened and his pupils trembled. It was as though a layer of fog had been swept aside, as though he had suddenly understood many things.
Tang San extended his hands and bent at the waist, bowing to Ning Yuhao. "Thank you!" He looked at Ning Yuhao, his face full of excitement. "There's a saying in my hometown: 'Listening to your words surpasses ten years of study.' In all my years of life, all the theories I've studied have never been as penetrating or as profound as that one statement of yours!"
Tang San's thoughts seemed to gush forth like a spring. "That statement is so profound! So what truly limits the age of the soul rings a Soul Master can absorb is nothing but their own physical constitution and willpower!"
Ning Yuhao raised his chin slightly, holding one hand in front of him and the other behind his back. Wearing an inscrutable expression, he nodded and said in a seasoned tone, "Mm! This child can indeed be taught!"
Seeing Ning Yuhao like this, Tang San felt as though he had returned to his days in the Tang Sect. Back when he was still an outer sect disciple, he had only occasionally been able to meet the inner sect elders. That bearing made Ning Yuhao seem far more like an enlightened grandmaster than Yu Xiaogang. Tang San nearly knelt right then and there to acknowledge Ning Yuhao as his teacher.
Fortunately, Xiao Wu had been beside him the whole time, holding his arm. He paused briefly, and only then came back to his senses.
Even so, Tang San's gaze toward Ning Yuhao was filled with fervor and reverence.
Ning Yuhao maintained that air of an immortal sage, but in his Sea of Consciousness, he could not help questioning it. No, seriously, man, why is there something so wrong with Tang San's gaze? Why does it feel just like the look Zhu Zhuqing occasionally shows?
Xiao Wu's little mouth hung slightly open. Both hands tightened around Tang San's arm, and her somewhat astonished gaze moved back and forth between Ning Yuhao and Tang San.
She had clearly felt Tang San's legs seem to weaken just now, but she had no idea why. The topic Ning Yuhao and Tang San were discussing was somewhat beyond her little rabbit brain; it slid straight off her smooth cerebral cortex.
"Xiao San!" Just then, a voice rang out.
The three turned toward the voice. Two people were walking their way, both looking around fifty years old and powerfully built.
One had a face like a shoe sole, with black-framed crystal glasses perched on it and a somewhat hooked nose, making him look thoroughly crafty. The other had short black hair in a flat-top cut and a full beard, and wore a black cross-collared robe.
Ning Yuhao: Great, it's Gangzi. We're doomed!
Ning Yuhao had not made contact with Tang San ahead of time, so naturally, he had no idea what Yu Xiaogang was like in this plane. Now that he saw him-well, wasn't this Gangzi?