Wang Zongchang looked at Lin Mo, the admiration in his eyes undiminished, and chuckled. "No need to thank me. You've earned it."
Beside him, however, Yu Xiaogang's brows were tightly knitted, his face clouded with lingering confusion.
He stepped forward, looked at Lin Mo, and asked urgently, "Lin Mo, I still have a question. Your Charmander clearly hasn't obtained its first Soul Ring yet...
"So why was it able to use flames and that black smoke repeatedly during your spar with Xiao San just now? Weren't those Soul Skills?"
At Yu Xiaogang's question, Lin Mo looked utterly baffled, regarding this Grandmaster, who had always styled himself as unrivaled in theory, as though he were an idiot.
"Grandmaster, that's a rather strange question to ask." Lin Mo's tone was calm, yet carried a barely perceptible trace of helplessness.
"How could Charmander possibly have Soul Skills when it hasn't obtained its first Soul Ring?"
He paused, then continued explaining, "The flames and Smokescreen Charmander used just now weren't Soul Skills at all. They were simply its instincts as a fire-attribute beast Martial Soul."
"Instincts?" Yu Xiaogang's brows knitted even tighter.
"That's right, instincts." Lin Mo nodded firmly, his tone growing all the more matter-of-fact. "Take the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the Upper Three Sects, and their hereditary Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul.
"Even without any Soul Rings attached, it has an innate gift for controlling lightning."
His example was simple and direct, and he continued, "It's just like how birds are born knowing how to fly and fish are born knowing how to swim. These things are carved into their bones. Do they really need Soul Rings to grant them that?"
To Dean Wang Zongchang, Lin Mo's explanation sounded perfectly reasonable.
Wang Zongchang stepped in at just the right moment to smooth things over. He looked at Yu Xiaogang and said in a conciliatory tone:
"Xiaogang, the boy does have a point.
"Take my own Lie Yan Blade Martial Soul, for example. When it first awakened back then, it could release flames even before I obtained my first Soul Ring."
He thought back for a moment and added, "It's just that the flames it released back then were nowhere near as powerful as what Lin Mo's Charmander has shown, whether in temperature or scale.
"Different Martial Soul qualities mean innate differences. That's perfectly normal."
Lin Mo stood to one side, his expression unchanged, but the dean's words made him inwardly breathe a sigh of relief.
Of course he wouldn't reveal, in front of Yu Xiaogang and the dean, that Charmander had already mastered a full eight moves, including Ember and Smokescreen, without obtaining its first Soul Ring.
If that news spread, it would definitely bring enormous trouble. It wasn't even impossible that someone might drag Charmander away to dissect and study.
Until he was strong enough himself, it was better to play it safe.
In any case, as long as he didn't reveal it himself, no one else could tell that what Charmander used were specific moves. They would only take them for powerful Martial Soul instincts.
Yu Xiaogang opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to ask something else.
But when he saw Dean Wang Zongchang's expression of understanding and Lin Mo's air of "this is only natural," he ultimately swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
His expression was somewhat ugly. He felt that the theoretical knowledge he took such pride in had left him with nowhere to begin in the face of Lin Mo's seemingly simple, straightforward explanation.
Even if he wanted to argue, he couldn't find a reasonable explanation to refute Lin Mo's words. That look Lin Mo had given him earlier, as though looking at an idiot, especially left him feeling painfully stifled.
"All right, since we've cleared things up, let's leave it there for now." Dean Wang Zongchang smiled and clapped his hands.
"Lin Mo, go back and rest. Remember our agreement. In a week, I'll take you to the Soul Hunting Forest."
"Yes, Dean. I'll remember." Lin Mo bowed to Wang Zongchang once more before turning and leaving the training grounds reserved for teachers.
Watching Lin Mo's retreating figure, Yu Xiaogang remained where he was, his expression shifting repeatedly.
Tang San walked over to Yu Xiaogang and called softly, "Teacher..."
Yu Xiaogang came back to himself. Looking at his disciple, he let out a heavy sigh. In the end, he said nothing and merely shook his head.
His disciple was indeed quite talented, but he had lost today's spar in an utter rout.
The attribute disadvantage was part of it, but underestimating his opponent was the real reason for his defeat.
That evening, in Dorm Seven.
After finishing a day's classes and cultivation, Lin Mo dragged his somewhat weary body back to Dorm Seven.
He had barely pushed open the dormitory door and walked inside when Wang Sheng, who had long been waiting there, bounded up to him, his face openly brimming with curiosity and eagerness for gossip.
"Lin Mo! You're back?" Wang Sheng lowered his voice a little, but couldn't hide the excitement in his tone.
"Come on, tell us. What exactly did the dean and Grandmaster want with you at noon? It was all so mysterious, and you were gone for so long!"
As soon as Wang Sheng asked, the other work-study students in the dormitory all turned their gazes toward Lin Mo. Clearly, everyone was very curious about it.
Yet the instant Wang Sheng finished speaking, Tang San, who had been sitting cross-legged on his bed cultivating in a corner of the dormitory, abruptly stiffened, and even his breathing faltered.
Although he didn't open his eyes immediately, his hands resting on his knees unconsciously tightened, and he felt increasingly guilty.
The reason was none other than that he had been the first to break the agreement everyone had only reached that morning, turning around and telling his teacher, Yu Xiaogang, about Lin Mo's Martial Soul hatching.
Now that Wang Sheng was asking about it, he naturally couldn't face the matter with an easy conscience.
Lin Mo set his backpack on his bed, his movements unhurried.
He glanced at Wang Sheng's curious face, then cast a sidelong glance at Tang San, who was pretending to be composed, before slowly speaking:
"It wasn't anything special." Lin Mo's voice was very calm.
"The dean just heard from somewhere that my Martial Soul had changed. He was curious, so he called me over to ask about it, and while I was there... he had a look at the Charmander that hatched."
At this, Xiao Wu, who was sitting nearby fiddling with her scorpion braid, immediately looked surprised.
She blinked her large eyes and looked at Lin Mo, confusion in her tone. "Huh? The dean found out that quickly?
"Lin Mo, didn't you only just finish your breakthrough and have your Martial Soul change this morning? Didn't we all agree to keep it secret for you?"
Xiao Wu's words voiced the doubts in most of the dormitory's occupants.
Everyone's gazes swept back and forth between Lin Mo and the dormitory entrance, as though trying to find the "informer."
Hearing Xiao Wu's words, Lin Mo's expression still barely changed. But he slowly turned his head and directed his gaze straight at the blue-clad boy in the corner, who hadn't made a sound since he came in.
He said nothing, simply looking quietly at Tang San.