Chapter 8 Do plants need to specifically learn how to twine?
"The Little San..."
Yu Xiaogang weakly opened his eyes and saw the slightly dimmed soul ring.
As a master of theory, he naturally understood what had happened.
Awkward.
Extremely awkward.
Not only did he fail to protect his apprentice in danger, but he also made his apprentice suck his buttocks, ultimately causing his apprentice to miss the best opportunity.
If this gets out, what will become of his reputation as a master?
We must save face!
We must either shift the blame or beautify the situation!
"Little San..."
Yu Xiaogang struggled to sit up, looking at Tang San with a mixture of "touched" and "gratified" expressions:
"You've gone through a lot. Not only did you save my life, but you also lost an opportunity because of it."
"but!"
Yu Xiaogang then changed the subject, a confident look appearing on his face:
"Don't feel sorry. Although some of the spirit ring energy dissipated, this is precisely the will of Heaven!"
"Fate?" Tang San looked at him coldly.
"That's right." Yu Xiaogang began his charade:
"The Mandragora Serpent is extremely domineering, and you are only a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul after all. If it were a Soul Ring from your prime, with your current physical condition, absorbing it would be extremely risky, and you might even explode and die."
"Now that some of the energy has dissipated, it has become gentler and more suitable for you to absorb."
"and..."
A glint of shrewdness flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes as he pulled out his trump card:
"You've taken a much more stable step than Ye Liuyun!"
Tang San's eyes flickered slightly when Ye Liuyun was mentioned.
"Think about it, what did Ye Liuyun absorb? Most likely a plant-type soul beast like the Ghost Vine. Plant with plant, although it's safe, it's unoriginal and its potential is locked."
"And you!"
Yu Xiaogang pointed at Tang San, his voice impassioned:
"You used a plant-type martial soul to absorb the soul ring of a beast martial soul! This is a groundbreaking feat! This is the greatest practical application of the 'Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls'!"
"The explosive power and resilience of the Beast Martial Soul will give Blue Silver Grass an unprecedented qualitative change."
"Even if this spirit ring only has the effect of three hundred years, its actual combat power boost will absolutely crush any first spirit ring of the plant type!"
"Little San, you won because of your mindset and your vision!"
These words were spoken with great passion and logical coherence.
As Tang San listened, his initially depressed mood actually improved considerably.
Yes.
Although I was born too young, I am walking a path that has never been taken before.
The plant-based animal-absorbing ring is such an advanced concept that Ye Liuyun's ordinary approach can't compare.
As long as the concept is advanced, what does a little bit of loss matter?
Tang San took a deep breath, and the resentment in his eyes dissipated.
"The teacher is right."
"I was short-sighted."
Tang San bowed to Yu Xiaogang, then sat down cross-legged and began to guide the "discounted" spirit ring.
Seeing Tang San enter a meditative state, Yu Xiaogang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, we managed to fool him.
But... this butt really hurts.
Outside Notting Academy, on the official road.
As the sun set, it cast long shadows of Tang San and Yu Xiaogang.
As Tang San walked along the road, feeling the soul power flowing through his body, a confident smile appeared on his lips.
Although saving his teacher caused him to miss a crucial moment, resulting in the Mandragora Serpent Soul Ring only having a lifespan of about three hundred years, he was not discouraged.
First Soul Skill: Blue Silver Bind.
It not only possesses the toughness of the datura snake, but also carries a potent paralyzing venom.
Although Ye Liuyun's Blue Silver Grass can regenerate, it is just as difficult to deal with as chewing gum.
My Blue Silver Grass is a poisonous snake.
Once entangled, the toxin enters the body, and no matter how strong your vitality is, the paralysis effect will render you unable to move.
At that time, you will be the target, and I will be the hunter. With the help of my Tang Clan hidden weapons, I will kill you as easily as slaughtering a dog.
Tang San clenched his fist, his eyes flashing with the satisfaction of revenge.
"Ye Liuyun, just you wait."
"I will show you that only a martial soul guided by a 'master' is truly perfect."
...
Notting Academy, back hill flower garden.
This place, usually deserted, has now become Ye Liuyun's sacred cultivation ground.
He sat cross-legged in a dense patch of blue silver grass. The surrounding blue silver grass seemed to be his subjects, gathering a little bit of the weak but pure essence of the plants into his body with the rhythm of his breathing.
"Hey! Cousin!"
A clear shout broke the silence.
Xiao Wu skipped and hopped over, radiating a surge of soul power from her recent breakthrough.
Clearly, this 100,000-year-old rogue rabbit has already condensed its first spirit ring.
She ran up to Ye Liuyun, squatted down, and curiously examined him as he closed his eyes to rest.
"You've been hiding here all day, have you finished forming your first spirit ring by now?"
Ye Liuyun slowly opened his eyes. In that instant, the once peaceful grassland seemed to be swept by an invisible wind.
"Hmm," came a faint reply.
"What skill is it?"
Xiao Wu blinked her big eyes, and with an expression that said "I know," she guessed:
Is it entangled?
"Nine out of ten plant-type spirit beasts I know can use the entanglement technique. It might be a bit old-fashioned, but it's still quite practical..."
"Entangled?"
Ye Liuyun glanced at her, his gaze as if he were looking at a fool who hadn't been weaned yet.
"Xiao Wu, have you gone mad from staying in the human world?"
"Since we know that nine out of ten plant-type soul beasts can use something like Entanglement, it's an innate skill, so why waste a soul skill slot?"
Xiao Wu was taken aback, then puffed out her cheeks defiantly and said haughtily.
"Then tell me, what is your first soul skill? What can a useless spirit like Blue Silver Grass do besides pestering people?"
Ye Liuyun stood up and patted the grass clippings off his clothes.
He raised his right hand, and a blue silver grass, its entire body crystalline and with dark golden liquid flowing from its veins, appeared.
"My first soul skill is called—Parasitism."
"Parasitism?" Xiao Wu was taken aback. "What's the use of that? Just scattering seeds on other people? They'll be swatted off before they even grow."
In Xiao Wu's conventional understanding, parasitism is a rather useless skill.
It's not that it's not strong, but you need to plant the seeds first and then stimulate it.
Furthermore, the Blue Silver Grass is not strong enough, and the small grasses that it parasitizes will be broken by the opponent in an instant.
This skill is even worse than Entangling.
Entanglement can still hinder people for a while.
Ye Liuyun sneered and offered no explanation.
His soul skills are not important; what matters is his inexhaustible talent.
The best soul skill is the one that suits you best.
With a casual wave of his hand, the seeds of the Blue Silver Grass drifted to a small tree about the size of a bowl nearby.
First Soul Skill: Parasitism, activated.
Without a sound, the Blue Silver Grass sprouted silently.
That vibrant little tree began to wither and turn yellow at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The leaves have fallen, and the bark is cracked, as if all the vitality has been drained from the tree.
"This..." Xiao Wu's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth.
Startled, she quickly shook her clothes and patted her bottom, which she had just sat on, as if afraid that she had been contaminated with the seeds of the Blue Silver Grass.
Ye Liuyun looked at the sapling that had turned into rotten wood and was very satisfied.
After assessing the intensity and absorption efficiency, it was found to be 200% of the current soul skill consumption.
Although the first soul skill does not release a lot of soul power, the Parasitism move is a powerful tool for prolonged battles in combat against opponents of the same level.
Xiao Wu felt a chill run down her spine.
She felt that taking Ye Liuyun as her younger brother was a long and arduous task.
[end of the chapter]