Yun Ming's laughter was not loud, but in the silent Auditorium, it sounded incredibly abrupt.
Grandmaster Yu frowned and looked toward the source of the laughter. Upon discovering it was Yun Ming, who held a deep grudge against his disciple, he asked with visible dissatisfaction.
"What are you laughing at?"
Seeing that everyone else present was also looking at him, Yun Ming reined in his expression and replied indifferently.
"I just remembered something happy."
Grandmaster Yu pressed him further.
"What happy thing?"
Yun Ming answered.
"A childhood anecdote."
Without waiting for Grandmaster Yu to continue his interrogation, Yun Ming got straight to the point.
"Grandmaster Yu, regarding the sharing you just gave, I have a few questions. I wonder if you could enlighten me?"
Although Grandmaster Yu did not know what kind of medicine Yun Ming was selling in his gourd, it did not matter; he would crush any skepticism with his invincible theories. Grandmaster Yu responded haughtily.
"Ask."
Yun Ming began to dissect Grandmaster Yu's first theory.
"Just now, Grandmaster Yu said that plant-type Spirits can also absorb Spirit Rings from other categories. I know this is indeed feasible, but what I want to know is, do you have any further supplements to this?"
Grandmaster Yu did not quite understand Yun Ming's question. He felt a bad premonition in his heart, but he still feigned composure and said.
"Feasible means feasible; what else is there to supplement?"
Seeing Grandmaster Yu's pretense of knowledge, Yun Ming evaluated him with disappointment.
"It seems you really don't understand."
Before Grandmaster Yu could react to being told he didn't understand, his prized disciple Tang San could no longer stand it. He stepped forward to defend his teacher's reputation and rebuked Yun Ming angrily.
"Yun Ming, the profoundness of my teacher's scholarship is not something you can comprehend."
"Do not sit in a well and look at the sky, overestimating your own capabilities!"
Subsequently, Tang San displayed his Blue Silver Grass Spirit and his three-ring cultivation to the other teachers and students present, declaring loudly.
"Everyone, I am Tang San, a disciple of Grandmaster Yu."
"My Spirit was originally the weak Blue Silver Grass, but because I absorbed animal Spirit Rings for my first and third rings, it has become exceptionally tough."
"Therefore, I can prove the correctness of my teacher's theory."
"Everyone can come and check the strength of my Spirit now and see how it compares to ordinary Blue Silver Grass."
Hearing that there was a live example, those around Tang San immediately reached out to examine it with curiosity.
Teacher Li, who had been the first to share on stage earlier, pulled and twisted Tang San's Blue Silver Grass with force. It was indeed quite tough, and it was only when the teacher applied his Soul Power that he finally managed to snap the grass. Seeing the resilience of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, Teacher Li let out an exclamation.
"To think Blue Silver Grass could be this tough!"
Others also examined it and began to comment.
"This is the weak Blue Silver Grass?!!"
"This is incredible. Does adding animal Spirit Rings to plant-type Spirits really have such miraculous effects?"
"..."
Seeing the surprise and shock of the crowd toward the changes in Tang San's Spirit, Grandmaster Yu felt very smug. His unease faded, and he looked at Yun Ming, lecturing him with the tone of a senior.
"Junior, Spirit theory is very profound. Remember not to become arrogant just because you have achieved something."
"A true master always maintains the heart of a student."
Having been shocked by the changes in Tang San's Blue Silver Grass Spirit, and coupled with Grandmaster Yu's profound-sounding statement, Grandmaster Yu really managed to pull off his act. Several students chimed in.
"That's right, this classmate. It would be better to be a bit more humble in the future."
"Grandmaster Yu's theories are backed by facts. This friend should stop pretending to understand when he doesn't."
"..."
Seeing others speaking up for him, Grandmaster Yu felt even more emboldened. He straightened his back further, feeling even more confident in his theories.
Yun Ming did not react to the crowd's skepticism; he had sufficient reasons to support his conclusion. After they finished speaking, Yun Ming opened his mouth to reply.
"Everyone, please stay calm. I have my own reasons."
Yun Ming asked Grandmaster Yu.
"Grandmaster Yu, besides your disciple Tang San, do you have any other witnesses who can prove the validity of your theory?"
Grandmaster Yu asked back with composure.
"The originally fragile Blue Silver Grass Spirit has become this tough—does it need any other proof?"
Catching the implication, Yun Ming spoke up.
"It seems you do not."
Yun Ming explained to the crowd.
"You may all be marveling at the massive changes in Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, but you might not be aware of Tang San's own situation."
Some teachers in the crowd heard Yun Ming's words and, thinking back to Tang San's Spirit Ring situation, seemed to understand something, though others remained oblivious. A male student who looked to be about the same age as Yun Ming asked in confusion.
"Isn't that Tang San just an ordinary Blue Silver Grass Spirit Master? Is there a problem with that?"
Yun Ming smiled slightly and responded aloud.
"Tang San is far from ordinary; he possesses Innate Full Soul Power."
"According to Grandmaster Yu's theory that Innate Soul Power is mostly proportional to the quality of one's Martial Soul, does everyone still think his Blue Silver Grass is ordinary?"
As soon as Yun Ming said this, the entire room erupted in an uproar. Even if some teachers had previously guessed that Tang San's talent might be high, they had never expected this.
What is Innate Full Soul Power? It is the symbol of a top-tier genius.
Coupled with the other theory of Yu Xiaogang that Yun Ming mentioned, the crowd was jolted awake. If Tang San truly had Innate Full Soul Power, could his Martial Soul really be a simple Blue Silver Grass? Don't joke around.
The previously mentioned Teacher Li suddenly realized and said.
"So that's how it is."
"In that case, Tang San's situation is likely unrelated to his Spirit Rings; it is because his Martial Soul is inherently a powerful mutated Blue Silver Grass, not an ordinary Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul."
Tang San himself was somewhat stunned upon hearing this teacher's explanation. He recalled that Yun Ming had previously told him his Martial Soul was the Blue Silver Emperor, but with only a name and no detailed information, he had no real sense of his own Martial Soul.
Now, hearing Yun Ming suggest that the enhancement of his Martial Soul might be the result of the talent of the Martial Soul itself, Tang San was also confused. So, was his Martial Soul becoming stronger really because of the Spirit Rings?
The others understood as well. Those who had previously helped Yu Xiaogang, seeing the situation reverse, felt they had been too hasty and immediately asked Yu Xiaogang.
"Grandmaster Yu, is Tang San really a mutated Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul?"
The pressure shifted to Yu Xiaogang.
Hearing someone ask, Yu Xiaogang immediately denied it.
"It is true that Little San has Innate Full Soul Power, but he is indeed just an ordinary Blue Silver Grass."
Even though Yu Xiaogang knew from Tai Tan that Tang San's Martial Soul was not ordinary Blue Silver Grass, he could not admit it. Once admitted, the strength of Tang San's Martial Soul would have little to do with his theories, and he would once again become a laughingstock throughout the Heaven Dou Soul Master World.
Yu Xiaogang continued to argue far-fetchedly.
"The theory I mentioned earlier has exceptions, and Little San is that exception."
But this time, the crowd clearly did not believe him.
Yu Xiaogang saw all of this, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and stick to this reason that wasn't really a reason. He could not speak of Tang San's Twin Martial Souls; it would easily attract Martial Soul Hall. If Tang San were to die because of it, his hope of achieving great fame in this lifetime would be gone.
However, what Yu Xiaogang did not know was that the Young Master of Martial Soul Hall, Qian Renxue, already knew from Chen Xin. The only reason Martial Soul Hall had not yet taken action was purely because Qian Renxue wanted more.
Liu Erlong, seeing everyone starting to question her Xiaogang again, was consumed by rage and loudly voiced her support for him.
"Little San is indeed that exception; there is no doubt about it."
But they did not notice that the look in Tang San's eyes toward Yu Xiaogang had undergone a slight change. Tai Tan had already told Tang San how much Yu Xiaogang knew about his parents' affairs, and now that Yu Xiaogang was still denying it so vehemently, it inevitably made him suspect that Yu Xiaogang was merely seeking fame and reputation.
Seeing that Yu Xiaogang was still being stubborn, Yun Ming let him argue. He naturally had a way to deal with him. Yun Ming spoke up again.
"Fine, let's assume Tang San's Martial Soul is just ordinary Blue Silver Grass. I would like to ask everyone, what do you think are the characteristics of Blue Silver Grass?"
The crowd responded in a cacophony of voices.
"Abundant."
"It's everywhere."
"..."
Finally, an old teacher spoke up and replied.
"Tenacious vitality."
Hearing someone provide the answer, Yun Ming affirmed it.
"This teacher is correct. The reason Blue Silver Grass can be seen everywhere is precisely because their vitality is exceptionally tenacious, allowing them to adapt to many environments."
"And absorbing animal Spirit Rings destroys the vitality that originally belongs to a plant-type Martial Soul."
"If there are any three-ring or two-ring plant-type Spirit Masters present, compare yourselves with Tang San, and you will naturally know the result."
Yu Xiaogang heard Yun Ming mention things he didn't know again, and alarm bells rang in his heart. But if he were to stop him now, it would be proof of his guilty conscience, so he could only watch. His lover, however, trusted him implicitly; she glared at Yun Ming with unkind eyes and shouted.
"If anyone meets the criteria, come out. Facts will prove everything."
As soon as Liu Erlong finished speaking, a young man who looked twenty-one or twenty-two years old volunteered.
"I'll do it. I am a three-ring plant-type Spirit Master."
"Martial Soul: Sword Grass."
The knowledgeable person on the side explained the characteristics of Sword Grass.
"Sword Grass is an ordinary plant-type Martial Soul with very sharp blades. In terms of vitality, it is considered average for a plant-type Martial Soul! It cannot compare to Blue Silver Grass."
"This Martial Soul is just right."
Yun Ming looked at the silent Tang San and asked.
"Tang San, shall we compete?"
Tang San heard Yun Ming's call and cast a cold glance at him. Without a word, he raised his hand to summon his spirit, silently accepting the challenge. He also wanted to see if his Blue Silver Grass spirit had truly been affected.
Seeing that the participants were ready, Yun Ming stated the rules of the competition.
"The content of the competition is to use a sharp weapon to sever half of the main body of both spirits. Without the assistance of spirit power, we shall see whose spirit recovers to its original state first."
The rules were simple, but the effect would be self-evident.
"I would like to ask Committee Member Zhi Lin to preside over this match."
The old man sitting behind Xue Qinghe heard Yun Ming's request and naturally had no objections.
"Very well."
Zhi Lin stood up and introduced himself.
"I am a committee member of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Zhi Lin, an eighty-third-rank Sky Blue Vine Soul Douluo."
"I shall act as the referee for this match personally to ensure fairness."
The youth with the Sword Grass spirit didn't care, and while Tang San frowned, he remained indifferent as well.
The match began. A teacher from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy summoned a longsword spirit and severed half of both their spirits.
Then, everyone waited quietly for the two spirits to recover.
Yu Xiaogang was burning with anxiety as he watched the situation; he could only hope that Yun Ming was spouting nonsense.
Time ticked away, and both spirits were slowly recovering, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that Tang San's spirit was recovering much slower. After all, it was a spirit, not real vegetation; it should have recovered faster.
Seven minutes later, the Sword Grass youth's spirit had recovered, while Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was still about one-fifth away from completion. Tang San had lost.
Seeing the result, Tang San was somewhat dazed. He hadn't expected to actually lose, but his spirit wasn't just ordinary Blue Silver Grass! Was the influence really this significant?!!
If Tang San's third spirit ring had been the same as in the original timeline, he might have actually won this match. However, the Death Demon Spider was far more poisonous than the Man Faced Demon Spider; this spirit ring had granted Tang San a more toxic spirit skill, which also caused more harm to him than in the original timeline.
The other teachers began to whisper among themselves upon seeing the result.
"It seems that there really is an impact when plant-type spirits absorb animal-type soul beasts."
"Indeed! The Blue Silver Grass didn't even win against the Sword Grass in terms of vitality; that shouldn't be the case."
"What a pity for this child named Tang San! His future has been ruined by a guy who thinks he's clever."
"."
In particular, a teacher who looked to be about the same age as Yu Xiaogang spoke up.
"I know this Yu Xiaogang. What he just mentioned are the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul he researched in his early years. It seems they weren't recognized by the Soul Master World back then, but I didn't expect him to still be peddling the same set."
The teachers who could attend today's seminar were all quite knowledgeable, so the blow they dealt to Grandmaster Yu was far heavier than the disdain of the ignorant. Hearing the familiar mocking laughter again, Yu Xiaogang's face flushed bright red; he wanted to retort but didn't know what to say.
Yun Ming summarized.
"Hunting century-old plant-type soul beasts is far simpler and safer than hunting century-old animal-type soul beasts. In the face of life-and-death matters like soul hunting, is it possible that our predecessors who explored the path of cultivation never tried it?"
"That is impossible."
"Yet, even so, no relevant theoretical experience has been passed down. The greatest possibility is that cross-category spirit ring absorption is a wrong path that was long ago abolished by our predecessors."
Yun Ming looked at the flushed and furious Yu Xiaogang and began to analyze his other theories one by one.
"So, Grandmaster Yu, you are likely not the first to discover this phenomenon."
"As for the other phenomena you mentioned, spirit ring bottlenecks cannot stop a soul master's spirit power from increasing. Every time a soul master's cultivation increases by one rank, the speed of spirit power accumulation increases; this is something every soul master knows."
"These are all traps in soul master cultivation that we must avoid, not some useful theory."
"As for your other theories, such as the origin and inheritance of spirits, or that one must possess innate soul power to cultivate."
"These are common knowledge in the Soul Master World; I ask you, who among those present does not know this?"
"Finally, you say there are no useless spirits, only useless soul masters."
At this point, Yun Ming's gaze turned strange as he offered his evaluation.
"I think you are right."
Yu Xiaogang, the bloodline source of the future Light Sacred Dragon spirit, could not even break through the thirtieth rank. One could only say that Yu Xiaogang's talent was indeed unworthy of the life of a Sacred Dragon.
Most of the people present were surprised that Yun Ming had basically negated everything about Yu Xiaogang, yet suddenly conceded one point. Only a few insiders could not help but show smiles on their faces upon hearing this.
A Little Fatty saw his teacher suddenly start to laugh and asked in confusion.
"Teacher, what's wrong?"
But before his teacher could answer, he heard a young man nearby exclaim in shock.
"What? You're saying he's nearly fifty years old and hasn't even broken through to become a Soul Elder!"
Once this was shouted out, not only did the Little Fatty know, but the other uninformed people knew as well. Suddenly, the way the entire room looked at Yu Xiaogang became strange, and when they recalled Yun Ming's earlier 'affirmation,' it immediately drew roars of laughter.
When Liu Erlong heard Yun Ming 'humiliate' her Xiaogang like this, she immediately wanted to fly into a rage. However, before she could act, she felt herself locked on by three powerful auras and was forced to suppress her anger.
To be fair, although Yu Xiaogang's cultivation was not high, it was not bad if compared to the level of commoners. It was just a pity that he was born into a top-tier soul master family; the mismatch between his ambition and his ability caused his tragedy.
Yu Xiaogang became the target of public criticism. The mocking laughter of the crowd was like arrows piercing his fragile heart, and in the end, he collapsed directly to the ground.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang "faint from anger," Liu Erlong let out a worried cry and immediately ran toward the stage.
"Xiaogang!"
Seeing Liu Erlong move, Tang San, who had been listening to Yun Ming's conclusion, also ran toward the stage alongside Yu Tianheng. However, compared to when he had defended Yu Xiaogang earlier, there seemed to be less worry and more coldness in Tang San's eyes now.
Yu Tianheng carried Yu Xiaogang on his back, and with Tang San and Liu Erlong in tow, they hurried toward the exit of the Auditorium; they had truly lost enough face for one day. As luck would have it, however, the shortest path out required them to brush past Yun Ming.
When Tang San encountered Yun Ming, he shot him an icy glare but said nothing. Liu Erlong, on the other hand, left behind a harsh threat.
"Kid, I'll remember what happened today!"
Yun Ming glanced at this naive woman; he hadn't intended to say anything, but she had brought this upon herself. He looked at the supposedly unconscious Yu Xiaogang on Yu Tianheng's back and spoke indifferently.
"A true Grandmaster always maintains the heart of a student."
"Don't you dare insult the word 'Grandmaster'!"
Hearing Yun Ming use the very words he had once used to lecture him to lecture him in return, Yu Xiaogang was overcome with such shame and indignation that he couldn't hold back a mouthful of blood, which sprayed onto a student on the other side of the aisle.
Well then.
Now that his feigned unconsciousness was exposed and his reputation completely shattered, Yu Xiaogang finally fainted for real out of sheer fury.
In the corner of the front row of the Auditorium, an elderly man of about sixty, dressed in moon-white Soul Master attire, watched this scene unfold. After nodding to the middle-aged man behind him, he also walked toward the exit of the Auditorium.
They had found their opportunity!
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader