Listening to Gu Xuan's words, Tang San tried his best to hide the shock in his heart. However, seeing the subtle shift in Tang San's expression, Gu Xuan simply nodded, as if confirming a long-held suspicion.
"It seems I was right. Everyone has their secrets, Xiao San. I understand if you're not willing to tell me. But what I want to tell you is that as a young man—especially one who has reached the level of Soul Ancestor at such a young age—the most important thing is not to lose confidence. Having two Martial Souls is your greatest advantage."
Gu Xuan continued slowly. "I cannot offer much more advice regarding your Blue Silver Grass. But if your other Martial Soul is not weak, and if it is an attack-oriented one, then I suggest you start adding soul rings to it now."
Hearing this, Tang San's brow furrowed slightly, though he maintained a neutral expression.
Gu Xuan's words were in direct opposition to what his teacher and his father had told him. Given Tang San's intelligence, he could see that Gu Xuan's experience was vast—perhaps even rivaling the Grandmaster's—otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to deduce the existence of his twin Martial Souls from such small clues.
But why would Gu Xuan recommend a cultivation path so different from the one prescribed by his father and Yu Xiaogang? Both had insisted he wait until reaching the Titled Douluo rank before adding rings to his second Martial Soul, ensuring every ring would be at least ten-thousand-year level, or even hundred-thousand-year level. Yet Gu Xuan was suggesting he do it now?
Sensing Tang San's hesitation, Gu Xuan spoke up. "You're wondering why I'm suggesting you add rings to your second Martial Soul so early, aren't you?"
Tang San nodded. This time, he didn't hide it; it was an unspoken confirmation of his twin souls.
"If I'm not mistaken, your teacher, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, likely told you to wait until you are a Titled Douluo. Under his plan, your second Martial Soul would then start with nine rings, all at least ten thousand years old, right?"
Tang San was even more stunned. Gu Xuan wasn't ignorant; he had correctly guessed the exact advice given by his father and teacher. He nodded again, confirming Gu Xuan's "guess."
Gu Xuan smiled. "The Grandmaster's idea is noble, and in theory, it offers the greatest possible power peak. It is the 'optimal' method on paper. But he has overlooked one vital point."
"What?!" Tang San couldn't believe it. His teacher was a living library of soul master knowledge. What could he have missed?
"Don't be surprised. Though I am not as close to the Grandmaster as you are, I have heard much of his life," Gu Xuan said, giving Tang San time to process. "As far as I know, he has never been able to break through the level of Soul Grandmaster, correct? Therefore, no matter how vast his knowledge, he remains a low-level soul master. You can read all the data in the world, but without personal experience, you can never truly grasp the reality of high-level cultivation."
Gu Xuan paused, letting the silence settle. Though Tang San felt uncomfortable hearing his teacher criticized, he didn't lash out. He had come to value Gu Xuan's friendship deeply—especially after Gu Xuan had provided the Soul-Restoring Pill without asking for anything in return, not even credit for saving him. Since he had asked for advice, he was determined to listen, even if it was "ear-piercing."
"I know my comments on the Grandmaster may upset you," Gu Xuan continued, "but I value you. You can choose to listen to this or not. I speak only as a friend, and to a friend, I must give my best help."
Tang San's irritation vanished. Gu Xuan wasn't attacking his teacher out of spite; he was doing it for Tang San's sake. Tang San straightened his posture, listening like a diligent student.
Gu Xuan held up two fingers. "I suggest you add rings now for two reasons. First: your Blue Silver Grass has clearly hit a bottleneck in terms of pacing. I have no better way to make that specific grass stronger. As I've said, a soul master's most important trait is his spirit—his confidence. If you lose that, you become a mediocre soul master. I have high expectations for you, which is why I'm being blunt."
"If you continue with only Blue Silver Grass, you will face more setbacks in this tournament. This is only the qualifiers. The Promotion Competition and the Finals are still to come. Facing even stronger opponents while feeling inadequate will damage your conviction. Confidence is built on a foundation of victories; to keep your heart moving forward, using your second Martial Soul is a necessity."
Tang San nodded thoughtfully. Gu Xuan's logic was sound.
Gu Xuan gave him ten seconds to think before continuing. "Second, and more importantly, you will find it extremely difficult to absorb nine ten-thousand-year rings in the future."
"Oh?" Tang San was confused. "Because my Blue Silver Grass won't reach the Titled Douluo realm?"
Gu Xuan shook his head. "That's only one possibility. You're the first to take Blue Silver Grass to the Soul Ancestor level; who's to say you can't reach the top? But that isn't the point. Absorbing soul rings depends heavily on physical constitution and mental strength. Imagine the pressure of nine ten-thousand-year soul rings on one body. Can the physical boost provided by Blue Silver Grass truly withstand that?"
"You are the third twin-soul possessor in history," Gu Xuan lied smoothly, pretending to be ignorant of the Pope. "The previous two recorded cases both died from their bodies exploding because they couldn't handle the strain of the second martial soul's soul rings. I don't want that to be your end."
Tang San felt a cold shiver of fear. His teacher had never mentioned the physical limit of soul ring capacity. Could he really explode? It was possible. Blue Silver Grass didn't provide much of a physical buff; he relied on the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record for his combat stats.
"Therefore," Gu Xuan concluded, "I suggest you add four thousand-year soul rings to your second Martial Soul now. This will decrease the risk of total body collapse later. Furthermore, with four thousand-year soul rings on a high-tier martial soul, you would be invincible at your current level, capable of even fighting a Soul King."
Gu Xuan looked toward the sky at a forty-five-degree angle. "Do you know the feeling of being invincible in your realm? It is the best nourishment for a soul master's faith."
He patted Tang San's shoulder. "Don't feel pressured. Everyone's path is different. I hope you can stand beside me in the future, but the choice is yours. Think it over. If you choose my path, I will do my best to help you, as I am also worried your current body might struggle with four thousand-year soul rings."
Without staying longer, Gu Xuan's eight dragon swords fanned out, overlapping to form a pair of wings, and he took to the sky. Tang San watched him go, caught in a deep internal struggle. Gu Xuan's advice addressed his current weakness and his future survival.
Ultimately, Tang San decided he needed to consult his teacher once more before making a final decision.
(End of Chapter)
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