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Yu Xiaogang's eyes flickered with a brief spark of excitement at the sight of Ning Tian's martial soul and rings, though he hid it well. Stepping closer, he studied the Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword, feeling its commanding presence—a hallmark of top-tier weapon souls.
"Your martial soul started as a simple bamboo sword," he said coolly. "But with three power-type, over-limit soul rings, it's grown tough, rivaling the best weapon souls. For your fourth, I'd suggest a ten-thousand-year Man-Faced Demon Spider. Its sharp, corrosive legs would boost your sword's edge, add toxicity, and help you pin down opponents."
He shut his eyes, awaiting praise. Instead, Ning Tian's voice cut through. "That's it?"
Yu Xiaogang paused, then added, "Well, absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring is far harder than a thousand-year one. You'll need a strong physique. That's the key."
"Anything else?" Ning Tian pressed.
Caught off guard, Yu Xiaogang fumbled.
The students barely reacted, but Zhao Wuji and the other teachers grew restless. Yu Xiaogang had skipped the most critical detail about ten-thousand-year soul rings.
Shao Xin, the food system Spirit Saint, offered a gentle nudge. "Master, perhaps reconsider?"
Yu Xiaogang bristled. "Teacher Shao Xin, are you questioning my knowledge?"
Zhao Wuji couldn't hold back. "You don't even know about soul shock?"
"Soul shock?" Yu Xiaogang blinked, clueless.
Ning Tian smirked inwardly and explained. "Soul shock is a trait of soul beasts over ten thousand years. After death, before their soul fades, they unleash a mental attack that can shatter a person's mind, leaving them a husk. Also, my first three rings aren't power-type. First is Soul Power Sacred Wood, second is Thorn Turtle, third is Shadow-Splitting Rabbit— aligned with my Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Sword."
Yu Xiaogang's face darkened, his composure cracking under the scrutiny of doubtful gazes.
Ning Tian pressed on. "Curious how I broke the level thirty bottleneck with two thousand-year rings? I'll tell you…all of you can hear it."
Everyone leaned in, even Tang San setting aside his grudge for the moment.
"Martial soul evolution is about energy," Ning Tian began. "Weaker souls need more. Soul rings are that energy—but you can't just grab any. Beyond a strong body and handling soul shock for ten-thousand-year rings, there's rejection to consider. Master's Ten Core Competencies? I've read it. It's not useless, but it's flawed. You summarize basics, then tack on nonsense, like your mimicry theory. Can animal rings work with plant souls? Sure, and vice versa. But you ignore rejection or maybe you don't even know it exists."
He gestured toward Tang San. "Take his Blue Silver Grass, a wood-attribute plant soul. Say his first ring's limit is five hundred years. Force an animal ring on it to prove your theory, and he might not handle four hundred. Even if he manages, it's a gamble. That's why plant souls rarely take animal rings, not because they can't, but because it's pointless unless it's a rare wood-attribute beast."
"I trained my body hard," Ning Tian continued, "pairing my wood-attribute soul with matching rings—six hundred years for the first, a thousand for the second. That's how my martial soul evolved. But you, Master, stalled at level thirty not from lack of talent, but from giving up too soon and starting wrong. It fits your own rule: no useless martial souls, only useless Soul Masters."
Realization dawned across the group, reactions ranging from awe to regret. The teachers lamented their own mismatched rings, while Zhao Wuji wondered how Yu Xiaogang would salvage his reputation. Could this shaky theorist really guide these prodigies?
Yu Xiaogang sank into self-doubt. 'Am I wrong? Am I the useless one?'
The students, though, found hope. Ma Hongjun and Ning Rongrong saw solutions to their evil fire and Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda's limits. Their eyes shone with admiration. Zhu Zhuqing gazed at Ning Tian, pride swelling in her chest. Now they understood how he'd risen so fast from half-level innate soul power.
Ning Tian had mapped his path from the start. Next to him, what was Yu Xiaogang? A fraud.
Yu Xiaogang had one truth right: useless Spirit Masters, not martial souls, were the problem. And he was living proof.
Was Ning Tian's explanation pure kindness? It sounded convincing, but it mainly applied to low-quality souls like Tang San's Blue Silver Grass or Yu Xiaogang's Luo Sanpao. For high-quality souls, extra energy wouldn't spark evolution. And without a powerhouse like Tang Hao backing you, the risk of over-limit rings was a death sentence. Ning Tian was showing off—justifying his rapid rise, knowing Tang San, loyal to Yu Xiaogang's flawed theories, wouldn't buy it.
To Tang San, his teacher was infallible. How else had his Blue Silver Grass come this far? Ning Tian had just exploited a gap—Yu Xiaogang's ignorance of soul shock was excusable, given his lack of experience.
Ning Tian turned to him. "Master, I'm not doubting you, but you don't know soul shock, and your theories are shaky. Can you really teach us?"
As predicted, Tang San snapped. Seeing his teacher humiliated, his pent-up rage boiled over. "Ning Tian, what's that supposed to mean?"
"Just stating facts," Ning Tian replied, shrugging.
"You've insulted my teacher," Tang San growled. "Today, I'll make you pay for it."
His glare turned lethal, killing intent rolling off him.
Ning Tian met it calmly. "Can't argue, so you fight? Fine, let's see what Yu Xiaogang has taught you, oh great innate full soul power."
Zhao Wuji, fed up with Yu Xiaogang's flip-flopping, from slandering Ning Tian to fawning over his breakthroughs, stepped in. "The academy encourages competition. Settle it in Spirit Master style." He looked at Ning Tian. "Tang San's challenging you. Do you accept it?"
"If he thinks, me asking a question his teacher can't answer or pointing out errors is an insult, then I'll take that label," Ning Tian said with a cold smirk. "As for the challenge? Bring it."
Zhu Zhuqing's voice was icy. "Can't face a mistake, just a coward."
"Right," Ning Rongrong piped up. "He won't even let others call it out. No wonder Xiao Wu said he's a freeloader."
Ma Hongjun grinned. "Tang San, all those Star Dou Forest mishaps, maybe it's from absorbing animal rings like Master told you. My side effect's evil fire; yours is loose bowels. Don't fight Ning, another slip-up here would be messy."
Oscar stayed quiet, though his gaze lingered on Tang San, pondering Ma Hongjun's warning.
Tang San was edging toward isolation, much like Oscar once had. Yu Xiaogang, meanwhile, hadn't spoken since the questioning began, his fists clenched. Without Tang San's stand, he might've fled again, like he had from Liu Erlong's wedding.
"Enough talk," Tang San barked. "Tang San, martial soul Blue Silver Grass, level thirty-one control system Battle Spirit Elder."
Two yellow and one purple soul rings rose from his feet, blue light flaring as his refined Blue Silver Grass unfurled beneath him. He raised a fist toward Ning Tian, who'd already summoned his martial soul. "Ning Tian, today I'll prove my teacher's theories right."
"Right is right, wrong is wrong," Ning Tian said evenly. "If you're set on him, I won't argue. Let's go."
The crowd backed off, clearing space. Zhu Zhuqing, confident in Ning Tian, watched Tang San with a frosty stare.
"Make your move," Tang San said, poised.
Ning Tian stood still, meeting his gaze calmly.
"You don't even take me seriously," Tang San muttered. "Fine, I'll show you my strength."
His first soul ring glowed, and hundreds of vines erupted, surging toward Ning Tian from all angles.
Ning Tian didn't budge. With a casual flick of his sword, he sliced through the Entanglement skill, adding, "Blue Silver Grass is wood-attribute. You added a poison ring on it for quick gains—backwards thinking. It'll slow you down eventually, outpaced by Zhuqing, Rongrong, Fatty, until your soul power stalls."
"Shut up!" Tang San roared. His enhanced vines cut like paper, Ning Tian's taunts stroking his fury. He poured more soul power into a second wave, hurling a blue light ball alongside it.
Ning Tian recognized the weakened Spider Web Restraint instantly, watching it expand into a five-meter web with unruffled calm.
....
{In the raw, Yu Xiaogang is referred as jade anus🤣}
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