After a Martial Soul obtained a Soul Ring, its skill always had to go through a process of mutation before manifesting. Different Martial Souls paired with the same Soul Ring would produce entirely different skills, and vice versa — even a difference in the Soul Ring's age would result in dramatically different abilities.
As such, despite the Great Master's extensive research into Martial Souls, he still couldn't be certain what effect
Tang San said, "Teacher, over the past few days I tested it on some weak Ten-Year Soul Beasts. You were right — the
As he spoke, Tang San channeled his Soul Power and activated the skill with the Blue Silver Grass he had released.
More than ten deep-blue blades of grass erupted simultaneously from the undergrowth, rapidly coiling around a thick tree trunk. The blades spiraled outward, covering an area of roughly ten square meters. Within that range, there was no possibility of evasion.
In the blink of an eye, the over ten strands of Blue Silver Grass had tightly constricted the tree.
A thoughtful gleam appeared in the Great Master's eyes. "Just as I expected — the hallmark of a Control Type Soul Master. If you had a powerful attacker coordinating with you, your Martial Soul's role would become even more apparent. The essence of a Control Type Soul Master is to control the opponent's movements and restrict them as much as possible — and this Binding skill does exactly that. On top of that, it carries a paralytic effect. Unless the enemy possesses at least two more Soul Rings than you, breaking free from this binding is simply impossible. San, we've succeeded."
Whenever Martial Souls were discussed, the Great Master completely forgot about his grievous injuries. His eyes shone with vigor, and his voice was brimming with unmistakable excitement.
The greatest advantage of the Blue Silver Grass's Binding skill was its suddenness. Tang San had tested it — within a fifty-meter radius, he could launch an attack with the Blue Silver Grass from virtually any position. It was nearly impossible to defend against. And in a forest teeming with vegetation, the Blue Silver Grass had even better cover to work with.
Tang San cooked another pot of meat soup and chopped the well-cooked dried meat into smaller pieces for the Great Master to eat.
With food in his stomach, the Great Master's recovery accelerated. However, they had no choice but to prepare to leave the Hunting Soul Forest, because the food and water they had brought for this trip were nearly depleted over the past several days.
That was even with Tang San being as frugal as possible.
The Great Master still couldn't move on his own, so Tang San carried him out of the Hunting Soul Forest on his back. Because their builds were so different, the Great Master's legs dangled along the ground the entire way. Drawing upon his exceptional strength and internal energy, and following the Great Master's directions, Tang San carried him step by step out of the forest and back to Nuoding Elementary Soul Master Academy by horse-drawn carriage.
Throughout the entire journey — whether Tang San was tending to the Great Master or carrying him through the forest — the Great Master never once uttered a single word of thanks. But the way he looked at Tang San seemed to go beyond merely seeing a disciple who had fulfilled his dream. It was closer to the kind of emotion that should have appeared in
A teacher for a day is a father for life. Those simple words had carved themselves even more deeply into the Great Master's heart.
After several days of recuperation and Tang San's meticulous care, by the time they returned to the academy, the Great Master could already manage a few unsteady steps with Tang San's support. Still, based on Tang San's estimation, the poison injury the Great Master had suffered this time had severely depleted his vitality. A full recovery would take at least another month.
The Great Master was only a guest scholar at Nuoding Elementary Soul Master Academy. He had a decent relationship with the dean but not a single relative. In the days ahead, Tang San would naturally be responsible for taking care of his teacher — a fact he had already long decided. He had even mapped out in his mind, down to nearly every detail, how to look after the Great Master each day.
It happened to be the morning class hour for the students, and the Nuoding Academy grounds were quiet and still. Tang San supported the Great Master and guided him directly back to his room, helping him lie down on the bed.
"We're finally back, Teacher. Now you can get some proper rest. You need to focus on recovering these next few days — don't overexert yourself. If you need anything at all, just tell me."
The Great Master nodded quietly and said, "I never expected to escape death this time. It's fine if my body takes time to recover, but your cultivation must not be interrupted. At the same time, there's something else you need to do. San, bring me the second book from the left on the third shelf of the bookcase."
"Of course." Tang San fetched a thick volume as instructed. What struck him as peculiar was that the book had no title on its cover.
The Great Master didn't take the book from his hands. "This book contains some of my research on cultivating Soul Power. Although Soul Power is cultivated by circulating one's own energy through meditation, there are a great many techniques involved. Which circulation routes lead to faster progress, which Martial Souls are best suited for training under what conditions — it's all recorded in detail. I won't be able to guide you personally during this time, but you absolutely must not slack off."
"Understood." Tang San replied respectfully. Though he hadn't yet opened the book, a nameless sense of awe had already risen within him.
After this breakthrough with his Soul Ring, he had gained a comprehensive understanding of Martial Souls. By his reckoning, this so-called Soul Power was essentially a form of internal energy — it was just that most people's cultivation methods involved simply circulating it in an unstructured manner, without any systematic approach.
(End of Chapter)