Chapter 32 — Tang San Panics: How Is the Second Martial Soul Supposed to Be Cultivated?
Tang San sniffed softly, his face burning with pain.
He lowered his head in shame, his voice as thin as a mosquito's buzz.
"The one who defeated me… was Lin Qingmo."
"Lin Qingmo?"
Yu Xiaogang froze when he heard the name.
He adjusted his glasses and searched his memory.
"Who is he? An external Soul Master?"
Outside the window, the setting sun dyed the room a warm golden hue, dust motes drifting slowly within the beams of light.
Tang San fell silent.
He bit down on his lower lip, almost hard enough to draw blood.
"He's a work-study student. He disappeared for more than half a year… and only came back today."
The last few words came out with extreme difficulty.
"A work-study student?"
Yu Xiaogang was completely stunned, his eyes widening slightly behind his lenses.
He walked up to Tang San and carefully examined his prized disciple.
Tang San's clothes were covered in dust, his face mottled with bruises—clear evidence of a crushing defeat.
Was this really the work of a mere work-study student?
"Yes… he returned to the academy today, so I went to challenge him."
Tang San's voice grew lower and lower, filled with unwillingness.
"In the end, he didn't even use his martial soul or soul rings, and still beat me into this state."
He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white.
"He was very arrogant—said he could crush me without using his martial soul. I refused to accept it."
Faint laughter from students outside drifted in through the window, making the office seem even quieter by contrast.
"In the end… I couldn't even touch the corner of his clothes."
By the time he finished speaking, Tang San's voice was almost inaudible.
Every detail of that battle replayed endlessly in his mind—
Lin Qingmo strolling leisurely as he dodged every strand of Blue Silver Grass, his movements swift as the wind.
His punches looked casual, yet each one struck Tang San with uncanny precision.
That effortless composure hurt far more than any mockery.
Tang San raised his head, his eyes shining with a desperate longing.
"Teacher, when can I cultivate my second martial soul?"
The question burst out of him, carrying the urgency unique to youth.
Yu Xiaogang's expression instantly turned grave.
"Xiao San, why are you asking this?"
He squatted down, meeting Tang San's eyes directly.
"Don't tell me you want to cultivate your second martial soul now?"
Tang San nodded vigorously, the anticipation in his eyes almost overflowing.
"Teacher, the current me… is too weak."
His voice trembled with agitation.
"If I cultivate my second martial soul, I'll become stronger. I'll be able to defeat him!"
At this moment, his mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of growing stronger.
He wanted to prove that he was inferior to no one—to wash away today's humiliation in front of Xiao Wu.
Yu Xiaogang suddenly stood up, his expression severe.
"No!"
His voice was firm and decisive, echoing through the room.
"You absolutely cannot cultivate your second martial soul right now!"
"Why?!"
Tang San sprang to his feet as well, tugging at his wounds and grimacing in pain.
But he didn't care, staring straight at Yu Xiaogang instead.
"Teacher, I want to become stronger!"
His eyes were filled with confusion and grievance.
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, suppressing the anxiety in his heart.
He walked to the window, looking out at the sky as it gradually darkened.
"Xiao San, have you forgotten what I told you?"
His tone softened somewhat but remained resolute.
"The cultivation of a second martial soul requires extremely harsh conditions."
"Your current physical strength is insufficient, and your soul power foundation isn't stable. Forcing it will damage your meridians and throw your martial souls into chaos."
He turned around, his gaze heavy as he looked at Tang San.
"It could even prevent you from making any progress for the rest of your life!"
In truth, he himself still hadn't fully figured out how to cultivate twin martial souls.
Such martial souls were simply too rare—there were far too few cases to draw from.
In this entire world, only one person had ever cultivated twin martial souls to the level of a Titled Douluo…
Yu Xiaogang walked back to Tang San and patted him on the shoulder.
"What you need to do now is solidify the foundation of your first martial soul."
"Raise your soul power level and become proficient in using your soul skills. That is the correct path."
His voice grew earnest and solemn.
"There are no shortcuts on the path of cultivation. You must advance step by step."
Seeing Tang San's dejected expression, Yu Xiaogang sighed softly in his heart.
He slowed his tone, becoming gentle like a father.
"You have innate full soul power and twin martial souls."
"Your future is boundless. Why rush things now?"
"One defeat means nothing. What matters is learning from it."
Tang San lowered his head, remaining silent.
Only the ticking of the clock echoed through the office.
After finishing his admonishment, Yu Xiaogang turned and walked back to his desk.
He rummaged through the mountain of files, papers rustling loudly.
Finally, he pulled out a thick registry.
"Lin Qingmo… Lin Qingmo…"
He flipped through it quickly, his finger gliding across one name after another.
As the last trace of twilight vanished outside, he lit a soul-tool lamp.
Its gentle glow illuminated the words on the registry.
"Found him!"
Yu Xiaogang's gaze fixed on a particular line.
He pushed up his glasses and read softly:
"Lin Qingmo. Enrolled at age six. Work-study student."
"Disappeared half a year ago. Returned to the academy today… Martial soul: Blue Silver Grass."
At these words, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Blue Silver Grass martial soul?"
A bold conjecture surfaced in his mind.
"Could it be… he also has twin martial souls?"
The thought made his heart race.
No one understood the rarity of twin martial souls better than he did.
Tang San's appearance had already given him hope of proving his theories.
If Lin Qingmo also possessed twin martial souls…
That would be yet another broad, shining road toward creating miracles in the Soul Master world!
Unable to contain himself, he eagerly read on, his breathing quickening.
"Innate soul power… Rank four?"
At this point, the light in Yu Xiaogang's eyes dimmed.
He shook his head in disappointment, removed his glasses, and rubbed his brow.
"Impossible… Innate soul power rank four. Absolutely impossible for twin martial souls."
He put his glasses back on and turned to look at Tang San.
"Xiao San, think carefully."
"Did he really not use his martial soul or soul rings?"
His voice carried the rigor of a scholar.
"What about soul power fluctuations? Did you sense any aura from soul rings?"
Tang San carefully recalled every moment of the battle.
Then he nodded firmly.
"He really didn't use his martial soul!"
"When I released Blue Silver Grass to bind him, he dodged it easily."
"And from beginning to end, I never saw him activate any soul rings."
His tone was extremely certain, with a trace of confusion.
Because that battle had been far too bizarre.
"Didn't use a martial soul or soul rings, and defeated you purely with physical strength?"
Yu Xiaogang stared in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Tang San had innate full soul power and had absorbed a hundred-year soul ring.
And yet, he lost to a peer who hadn't even activated a martial soul?
His fingers tapped the desk unconsciously, producing a steady clicking sound.
His brows were tightly knit as he sank into deep thought.
Outside the window, night had fully descended, stars scattered across the sky.
The halo of the soul-tool lamp cast flickering shadows on the walls.
After a long while, Yu Xiaogang finally raised his head.
"I think… he probably hasn't absorbed a soul ring yet."
His voice returned to calm, analytical tones.
"A Blue Silver Grass martial soul with innate soul power rank four would find it extremely difficult to even cultivate to rank ten."
"Let alone obtain a soul ring. That requires hunting a soul beast—something he couldn't do."
He stood up and paced around the room.
"During the half year he disappeared, he may have encountered some kind of fortuitous opportunity."
"Perhaps he consumed some heaven-and-earth treasures that enhanced his physique… or maybe he was born with divine strength."
The lamplight stretched his shadow long, swaying with each step.
"Heaven-and-earth treasures…"
Tang San froze.
Suddenly, a possibility flashed through his mind—
Immortal herbs!
If it were immortal herbs, then anything was possible!
—
End of Chapter