"Of course..." A trace of helplessness and disappointment flashed in Grandmaster's eyes.
"All of this is only my theoretical knowledge, so the final decision still rests with you..."
Having said his piece, Grandmaster urged Tang San no further.
"Teacher, I believe you!"
Tang San suddenly spoke. He had a feeling that he should be able to absorb the Mandala Snake.
"Good!"
Grandmaster nodded. Tang San walked over to the Mandala Snake and looked at the tip of the dagger protruding from the top of its head, then reached out and pulled it free.
A Yellow Soul Ring drifted out of the Mandala Snake. Drawn by Tang San, it gradually merged into his body.
"Little San, calm your mind and focus on your Martial Soul! The impact of a Mandala Snake that's nearly four hundred years old is extremely powerful. As long as you endure it, you'll succeed..."
Tang San could no longer make out what followed. Violent energy erupted from the Soul Ring, and he fought to withstand its relentless onslaught inside his body.
Xiao Yan watched Tang San enter a state of cultivation. He hesitated several times, but in the end, he could not bring himself to attack him from behind.
If one day you really do strike at Teacher, I will kill you...
Xiao Yan sighed inwardly. They were fellow disciples, after all, and Tang San was still young. As they spent time together in the future, Xiao Yan might yet have a chance to help him accept everything.
Xiao Yan turned around and finally noticed that Grandmaster's face was somewhat pale. He then saw that Grandmaster's right leg had turned completely black.
"It's Mandala Snake venom!"
Xiao Yan immediately recalled the Mandala Snake biting Luo Sanpao earlier. He had not expected the attack on the Martial Soul to affect Grandmaster as well.
"Teacher, please rest for a while."
Fortunately, the supplies they had prepared before setting out included antidotes.
Xiao Yan first tore off a bandage and tied it tightly around Grandmaster's poisoned right leg to prevent the venom from spreading elsewhere. Then he took out a dagger and carefully cut an opening at the ankle.
He fed Grandmaster an antidote and watched as the poisoned blood gradually drained out.
"Luckily, we found it early. If we'd been any later, our antidote would have been of little use..."
Grandmaster shook his head. He had not expected to encounter something as deadly and venomous as a Mandala Snake on this Soul Ring hunt.
Grandmaster watched Xiao Yan work busily, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. Then his gaze fell on Tang San. Whether Tang San succeeded now would determine whether his theoretical knowledge could gain recognition.
To Grandmaster, that mattered more than his own life!
At this moment, Tang San's breakthrough mattered more to him than anything else!
With Xiao Yan looking after him, the venom in Grandmaster's leg was soon drained. He only needed some time to recuperate.
Throughout the night, Xiao Yan naturally took on the task of keeping watch, both to prevent Tang San from being disturbed and to care for Grandmaster.
Tang San's absorption continued until the next morning before finally coming to an end.
As the Soul Ring merged into Tang San's body, Xiao Yan could clearly sense that Tang San's presence had grown more powerful.
"S-success?"
Grandmaster also noticed Tang San's movement and opened his eyes, which were filled with excitement and elation.
"Teacher, I'm glad I didn't disappoint you!"
A trace of excitement flashed in Tang San's eyes as well. Having broken through to become a Soul Master, he was no longer held back by the bottleneck in his Mysterious Jade Skill. If they fought again, Tang San was confident he could defeat Xiao Yan.
"Hahahaha, I was right!"
Grandmaster threw back his head and laughed excitedly, then said to Tang San:
"Little San, your Blue Silver Grass absorbed the Mandala Snake's Soul Ring. It should have inherited some of the Mandala Snake's venom, right?"
"That's right." Tang San nodded and released his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul once more. The once-fragile Blue Silver Grass was now covered in patterns identical to the markings on the Mandala Snake's back.
From a distance, it looked as though Mandala Snakes were coiling in Tang San's hand.
"The Blue Silver Grass inherited some of the Mandala Snake's venom. Although it only has a mild paralyzing effect, the Blue Silver Grass has also become tougher."
A trace of confidence appeared on Tang San's face.
As he finished speaking, the Blue Silver Grass in his hand shone, and a Yellow Soul Ring surged out of his body. Vines of Blue Silver Grass spread from beneath his feet and wrapped around a small tree nearby.
The densely packed Blue Silver Grass surrounded the little tree like a cage.
"My first Soul Skill, Blue Silver Entanglement!"
"Good!"
Grandmaster looked at Tang San's first Soul Skill and nodded in satisfaction.
"As a control-type Soul Master, your Blue Silver Entanglement can restrict an opponent's movements, and the venom it releases can also paralyze them.
"Once you have someone under control, you only need a combat-type Soul Master to work with you, and the effect will be extremely powerful."
Grandmaster nodded in satisfaction and looked at Xiao Yan, who stood nearby.
"You two fellow disciples really are the perfect partners!"
Tang San and Xiao Yan exchanged a glance. Xiao Yan, who possessed the Bone Spirit Cold Flame Martial Soul, was a ready-made combat-type Soul Master.
"Let's go. Next, we should find a Soul Ring for Little Yan."
Grandmaster spoke with a smile. The injury to his leg had been discovered in time, and he had taken an antidote and rested for a night. Although he had not fully recovered, he could walk without trouble.
"Teacher, the injury to your leg..."
Xiao Yan hesitated, only for Grandmaster to interrupt him.
"It's all right." Grandmaster smiled and said to Xiao Yan, "We came out this time to find Soul Rings for the two of you. How could we return empty-handed?"
Seeing that Grandmaster insisted, Xiao Yan stopped dithering.
This time, however, finding Xiao Yan a Soul Ring took quite a while.
"That's a Ghost-Faced Bat, a flying-type Soul Beast. Its hearing is extremely keen, and its combat strength doubles at night. Its weakness is a fear of bright light. Be careful of the sound waves it releases in battle..."
"That's a Six-Legged Spirit Cat. For agility-type Soul Masters, it's the most suitable choice. Six-Legged Spirit Cats are extremely fast.
"But their weakness is that they move in straight lines every time they act. You can capture one by setting a trap along the path it has to take..."
Grandmaster told the two of them about every Soul Beast they encountered along the way. Tang San also fought several times to test his first Soul Skill.
However, they still had not encountered a suitable First Soul Ring for Xiao Yan.
Over two days, they encountered quite a few Soul Beasts, but none had a Soul Ring suitable for Xiao Yan. He could not help growing anxious.
"Take heart. Hunting for a Soul Ring has always required a certain amount of luck."
Perhaps sensing Xiao Yan's growing impatience, Grandmaster comforted him. "A Soul Ring affects a Soul Master's entire life. You must remember: if there's no suitable Soul Ring, even if you have to give up on breaking through for the time being, you absolutely must not casually absorb one."
"Teacher, we understand."
Xiao Yan nodded and gradually suppressed his impatience. After all, no matter what, this was his first encounter with the extraordinary side of this world.