Yu Xiaogang sighed and paced anxiously nearby, utterly terrified.
If anything happens to Tang San, I won't be able to withstand that Clear Sky Douluo.
Lin Gu shook his head, ignoring Yu Xiaogang, and looked at his equipment, [Heartsteel], which had already charged up four times.
At last, Tang San reacted, letting out a loud cry!
"Ah! I've finally finished absorbing it!"
Tang San abruptly stood up, Soul Power bursting out of him as a yellow Soul Ring appeared around his body.
"So this is a Soul Ring?"
Tang San gazed at his Soul Ring. His Blue Silver Grass had changed as well, acquiring a deadly poison and turning purple!
"Xiao San, you're finally awake! To think you really managed to absorb it! What's your first Soul Skill?"
Seeing Tang San wake up after successfully absorbing the Soul Ring, Yu Xiaogang hurriedly rattled off a string of worried remarks.
"My first Soul Skill is Entanglement. My Blue Silver Grass seems to have changed too!"
Yu Xiaogang nodded and solemnly explained the theory to Tang San. "Mm, good. A Martial Soul will change according to the Soul Ring absorbed..."
Once again, he prattled on about his theories, arms folded across his chest, as though he had helped secure this Soul Ring.
Lin Gu smiled helplessly. He now had four chances to trigger "steel"!
I'll be able to absorb at least forty thousand health in a bit. That'll get me straight through this. Fantastic.
Once I've hunted down my First Soul Ring, will a second equipment slot appear?
Some attack would make it perfect.
While Lin Gu was planning this out, Tang San could no longer take Yu Xiaogang's endless theories. He walked up to Lin Gu and said:
"Xiao Gu! I successfully absorbed it! I'm a Soul Master now. Come on, let's find a suitable Soul Beast for you!"
Off to the side, Yu Xiaogang folded his arms for some reason and nodded, continuing with an air of authority:
"Mm, it is time to hunt a Soul Beast for Lin Gu. In my opinion, how about a Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo? It would suit your defense perfectly..."
Before he could finish, Lin Gu and Tang San actually spoke in unison:
"Shut up!"
After blurting that out, Tang San quickly covered his mouth, pretending he had said nothing.
Lin Gu, however, did not care about such things and said:
"Grandmaster, Xiao San absorbed a Soul Ring over four hundred years old. My body is several times tougher than his, so I'm planning to find a thousand-year Soul Beast for my First Soul Ring!"
His words left both of them dumbfounded. Tang San pressed his lips together and said:
"Xiao Gu, are you serious?"
Lin Gu nodded without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing this, Tang San felt a little regretful. Had he aimed too low by choosing that 422-year-old Mandala Snake?
Yu Xiaogang, however, erupted!
"Lin Gu! Xiao San could absorb a 422-year-old Mandala Snake partly because of my excellent teaching and partly because of his own talent. But what do you have? Do you think a tough body is enough? Xiao San was at least still within the limit, while you're exceeding it several times over! In my opinion, that Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo is still the safer choice!"
Lin Gu and Tang San glanced helplessly at Yu Xiaogang. They ignored him and discussed it between themselves instead:
"Xiao Gu, you want to absorb a thousand-year Soul Beast? All right. You helped me, so I'll help you!"
Lin Gu nodded and explained his tactics!
"Xiao San, same as before. I'll tank the Soul Beast's damage and hold it in place. You just go all out with your damage!"
"Mm!"
The two coordinated their plans seamlessly, completely forgetting that Yu Xiaogang was still beside them.
Yu Xiaogang clutched his head, feeling as though his theories had vanished into nothing before these two, and said:
"Hey! Xiao San, Lin Gu, are you two listening to me?"
At this, Lin Gu turned to Yu Xiaogang and said:
"All right, Grandmaster, we know, we know. How about you head back? There's no use in you staying anyway. Tang San and I can hunt for Soul Rings ourselves!"
Tang San said nothing beside him, but he was actually thinking the same thing.
Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang coughed a few times and resumed his serious demeanor:
"Since that's the case, I'll accompany you. A thousand-year Soul Beast is far stronger than a hundred-year one. With me here, I can protect you!"
The two exchanged a look without saying anything more.
Lin Gu smiled calmly and said:
"Sure, Grandmaster. When the time comes, use your Luo Sanpao to let out a few more farts and help us knock the Soul Beast out with the stink."
Yu Xiaogang's face twitched, but he said nothing more. Just then, the ground in the grassy area beside them began stirring repeatedly!
"Not good! It seems a Soul Beast is approaching!"
Tang San immediately drew his dagger, his eyes scanning their surroundings warily.
Lin Gu naturally sensed it too. He looked around and saw a huge turtle emerge from the ground with a boulder on its back. The top of its head was rock as well. It let out a roar, making the surrounding trees sway.
"What a huge turtle!"
Lin Gu exclaimed. The turtle was a full two meters thick, and the shell on its back was actually formed from a massive rock. It looked incredibly hard.
Just then, a slaying mission popped up before his eyes:
[Slay the Boulder Turtle. Reward: seven hundred gold coins!]
Lin Gu smiled. Great! Seven hundred, just right. Looks like the slaying missions all have pretty good rewards!
Yu Xiaogang, hiding off to the side, saw it and said:
"Not good! This is a Boulder Turtle. Judging by its size, it's at least a thousand years old. This type of Soul Beast has extremely strong defenses and isn't easy to kill. Once it retracts into its shell, we won't be able to break through its defenses at all!"
He explained from the sidelines, his expression sheepish!
Lin Gu and Tang San exchanged a glance, understanding each other's intentions.
A Boulder Turtle? Focused on defense? It couldn't suit me, Lin Gu, better!
Lin Gu took the lead, stepping forward and grabbing the Boulder Turtle's head before landing four punches!
In an instant, he triggered "steel" four times!
Lin Gu's health surged by twenty thousand each time, instantly soaring from sixty-six thousand to a hundred and forty-six thousand.
Feeling his body grow much stronger again, Lin Gu was overjoyed. This was fantastic.
The Boulder Turtle struggled, striking Lin Gu with the boulder atop its head. A single hit took ten thousand of Lin Gu's health.
"Xiao San, quick! I've got it!"
Seeing this, Tang San immediately charged forward with his dagger and struck its head. Yet the Boulder Turtle was completely unharmed, and the blow even left Tang San's hands aching faintly.
Tang San happened to want to try his first Soul Skill. Seeing the Boulder Turtle trying to attack them with the boulder on its head, he immediately seized the chance to unleash it:
"First Soul Skill, Entanglement! Xiao Gu, get away!"
Lin Gu leaped away. Tang San's Entanglement held the Boulder Turtle's head in place and carried a deadly poison as well.
Only then did the Boulder Turtle react a little, but they were still far from killing it.
Tang San shouted and continued attacking with his dagger, taking advantage of the Boulder Turtle being restrained by his Soul Skill and poisoned.
Lin Gu stepped in to help as well, but his attack power was weak. The two fought with all their strength for ages, yet the Boulder Turtle remained completely unharmed.
"Damn it, this Boulder Turtle is seriously tough! Nothing gets through!"
Lin Gu and Tang San had been at it for ages. Tang San's Soul Power was nearly exhausted, while Lin Gu had tanked several attacks and lost a great deal of health, leaving him with just over ninety thousand. At this rate, the Boulder Turtle really would wear them down to death.
Just then, Yu Xiaogang smiled from the sidelines. At last, it's my turn to be useful. He said:
"Xiao San, Lin Gu, the Boulder Turtle's weak point is between its brows. Attack there, and you can break through its defenses!"
Lin Gu glanced at Yu Xiaogang and complained:
"You could've said so sooner!"
This Big Gangzi just stood there watching without telling us sooner!