Chapter 23: Yu Xiaogang's Persuasion

Yu Xiaogang, as if possessed, kept repeating the word "impossible." Due to his own circumstances, he had been looked down upon his entire life. He had thrown himself into theoretical research merely to prove his worth in a different arena and to ensure the world would no longer dare to slight him. If his theories were truly shattered today, he would genuinely become a complete and utter failure.

"Teacher... Uncle..." Tang San and Yu Tianheng, seeing the purple glow beneath Li Xun's feet, felt their pupils constrict. They turned their heads stiffly toward Yu Xiaogang.

Hearing their call, Yu Xiaogang suddenly snapped back to reality. He took a deep breath, slowly returning to his usual expressionless composure.

"Cough. San, Tianheng, his mutated spirit must be more than just simple plant control; it must also be capable of enhancing physical constitution." Yu Xiaogang lowered his head, brows furrowed in deep thought. "I know of certain sects that focus on defense; because they emphasize tempering the body, the absorption limit for their spirit rings is significantly higher than that of the average person. It’s just that none have such a drastic leap as Li Xun’s."

"But Teacher, didn't you just say..." Tang San looked at Yu Xiaogang with a hint of skepticism.

"The uniqueness of one individual, San, cannot represent the entire spirit master world." Yu Xiaogang raised a hand, cutting off Tang San’s words with unyielding firmness. He stared intently at the thousand-handed wood carving in Li Xun’s hand. "Spirits are strange and varied, possessing all sorts of miraculous abilities. While my theories are comprehensive, they cannot possibly document every single one."

He had only lost his composure for a moment, leading to such an unsightly display before his disciple. Once he returned, he would certainly add a clause to his "Ten Core Competitivenesses of Spirits": *If a spirit mutation is related to physical constitution, it may exceed these limits.*

"I understand, Teacher..." Tang San mused. Despite his doubts, their interaction over the past three years had shown him that the Grandmaster had indeed helped him significantly on his path of cultivation. Moreover, Yu Xiaogang’s knowledge was truly profound. Though a slight discrepancy had appeared, he chose to trust his teacher.

Yu Xiaogang looked at Li Xun, who was surrounded by the others, straightened his collar, and walked forward slowly. This child was roughly the same age as Tang San, yet possessed a spirit power of level twenty; he was undoubtedly born with full spirit power. He was qualified to become his disciple. Although the choice of his first two spirit rings was somewhat regrettable, Yu Xiaogang believed that if Li Xun accepted his guidance and put more effort into his subsequent ring selections, his future achievements, while perhaps not matching Tang San's, would not be too shabby.

"Brother Li Xun, I didn't expect you to really succeed!" Dugu Yan’s beautiful eyes crinkled into thin lines as she smiled.

"Just luck... pure luck." Li Xun scratched his head; he wasn't quite used to being the center of attention.

"Xiao Xun, I didn't think you could really absorb a thousand-year spirit ring." Qin Ming sounded somewhat regretful. "But why choose the Solitary Bamboo? If you had picked a more powerful spirit beast, your strength would have seen a leap in quality!"

Li Xun only chuckled at Qin Ming's words and did not answer. He had no intention of sharing his secrets, and he had already guessed Qin Ming’s motives. Qin Ming had never cared about the students' long-term future; he only cared about the rankings his team would achieve in the upcoming Spirit Master Tournament, as that concerned the future of his own career as a commoner spirit master.

"Brother, do you think I can choose a thousand-year spirit ring for my second ring? After all, we’ve been eating the same things," Ning Rongrong said, stepping up to hug Li Xun’s arm and giving him a knowing look.

Looking at the little clever-clogs beside him, Li Xun couldn't help but laugh. "It’s possible. You still have room for growth in your level. If you want to absorb a thousand-year ring, you’ll have to work very hard in your training from now on."

Ning Rongrong pouted, wrinkling her dainty nose. "I’ll try."

"Li Xun, it seems your spirit can indeed enhance your physical constitution, but you have wasted this talent in your choice of the first two spirit rings." As they chatted, Yu Xiaogang slowly approached Li Xun, standing with an air of arrogance. "However! I have a way to make up for the deficiencies of your first two rings."

Seeing Yu Xiaogang crowding him again, Li Xun felt his temple throb. "Senior..."

Yu Xiaogang raised a hand to interrupt. "Others call me Grandmaster; you may call me Grandmaster as well."

"Uh, Grandmaster... I think I’m doing just fine as I am." Li Xun shook his head.

A stiff smile appeared on Yu Xiaogang’s face. "You think you are doing well, Li Xun, only because your level is still low. Once your spirit power breaks through to level thirty, you will realize just how foolish your current choices are."

"A spirit master can add a total of nine spirit rings, and nine rings represent nine spirit skills; therefore, every single ring is crucial." Speaking to this point, Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands behind his back and gazed toward the sky. "As a control-type spirit master, you have effectively lost two skills. In the future, when you battle others, they will have nine skills while you only have seven. Can you still say your current choices are correct?"

Li Xun raised an eyebrow. "Grandmaster, do passive effects not count as skills?"

Yu Xiaogang’s expression stiffened, and he did not answer. "Perhaps I was too broad in my explanation for you to understand. Think about it: when you are at level thirty or forty, and others have two or three more skills than you, how will you fight back?"

Li Xun had considered this before. An average spirit master might feel helpless, but both he and Tang San were transmigrators who possessed their own means of combat. They wouldn't be overly passive in early-stage encounters. Of course, he wasn't going to tell Yu Xiaogang this, nor would he tell Tang San.

"What you say makes sense, Grandmaster. However, I have always considered my long-term development. Even if I suffer a bit in the beginning, I accept it." Li Xun shook his head.

Seeing that Li Xun’s tone was no longer as sharp as before, a smile appeared on Yu Xiaogang’s face—though, due to his years of being expressionless, the smile remained stiff. "As long as you understand. There is still an opportunity for remedy; it just depends on whether you are willing to try."

*Hm? Is he trying to get me to take him as a teacher?* Li Xun’s expression turned odd; only now did he catch the subtext in Yu Xiaogang's words.

"Thank you for your kindness, Grandmaster, but I’ll stick to my previous answer: I am quite satisfied with my spirit ring choices," Li Xun declined politely.

Yu Xiaogang’s smile vanished, his expression turning serious and earnest. "Li Xun, you are still young. There are things you do not yet understand; choosing blindly will only harm yourself! If you have a good teacher guiding you on your path of cultivation, it will be of immense benefit and save you from stumbling in the dark."

"My disciple, Tang San, is an example. His Blue Silver Grass was the most useless spirit on the continent, but through my training, it is now no worse than an ordinary spirit."