Xu Yuan smiled helplessly and reached out to rub her hair. "It was just a sparring match, don't be so dramatic."
"How is it dramatic!" Xiao Wu looked up at Xu Yuan defiantly, her nose wrinkling slightly. "Didn't you see Tang San's look of sudden realization? And Yu Xiaogang, his face turned green with anger, looking just like a cat that had its tail stepped on!"
As Xiao Wu spoke, she mimicked Yu Xiaogang's tense expression from earlier, furrowing her brows exaggeratedly, making Xu Yuan burst out laughing.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, falling on the two of them, feeling warm and cozy.
Xiao Wu chattered about the reactions of the students on the sidelines, who was stunned, and who was secretly discussing how powerful Xu Yuan's Blue Silver Emperor was.
Looking at Xu Yuan's hair, Xiao Wu said, "Speaking of which, with your hair and that Blue Silver Emperor just now, you look like you stepped right out of a painting!"
Xu Yuan stopped and looked at Xiao Wu. "So, you're very happy that I won?"
"Of course!" Xiao Wu nodded vigorously, her cheeks flushing with excitement. "You're someone I'm looking after, so of course I'm happy you won! But..."
She changed the subject, leaning in closer and whispering, "Tang San is actually quite pitiful. You beat him so badly, he'll probably be scolded by Yu Xiaogang again when he gets back."
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Are you feeling sorry for him?"
"No way!" Xiao Wu immediately stiffened her neck to argue, then muttered a bit awkwardly, "I just think... it hasn't been easy for him. He was bedridden for half a year, and as soon as he recovered, Yu Xiaogang forced him to Cultivate every day, as if he'd be letting down the whole World if he didn't win."
Xu Yuan looked at Xiao Wu's awkward expression and understood.
Although Xiao Wu appeared carefree, she was actually very observant.
Xu Yuan patted Xiao Wu's head. "Don't worry, he won't be crushed that easily. Today's sparring match might not necessarily be a bad thing for him."
Xiao Wu nodded as if she partially understood, then pulled Xu Yuan's arm to walk forward. "Whatever! A win is a win. I'll treat you to carrot cake to celebrate!"
...On the other side, Tang San followed Yu Xiaogang back to his office.
Tang San stood behind Yu Xiaogang with his head bowed, feeling very sorry toward him.
Yu Xiaogang stood with his back to Tang San, hands behind him, his shoulders slumped slightly. His usually straight back now showed a hint of exhaustion.
The office was so quiet that the wind outside the window could be heard. The Spirit theory books on the desk were spread open, but he no longer had the heart to read them.
After a long time, Yu Xiaogang slowly turned around, his gaze falling on Tang San.
Those eyes, which always flickered with the light of confidence, now held a hint of complexity—disappointment, resentment, and more than anything, an indescribable heaviness.
"Do you know where you lost?" Yu Xiaogang's voice was somewhat raspy, lacking its usual severity, sounding instead as if he were talking to himself.
Tang San pursed his lips and lowered his head. "This student's... spirit power control is not as good as Xu Yuan's, and my understanding of the Spirit is not deep enough."
He paused, his voice dropping even lower. "Also, when facing the Binding of the Blue Silver Grass, I was too impatient."
Yu Xiaogang remained silent, his fingertips tapping lightly on the desk, producing a dull sound.
"You are right, but not entirely." Yu Xiaogang walked up to Tang San, his gaze sharpening. "Your biggest problem isn't any other reason, but your heart."
"Heart?" Tang San looked up, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Yu Xiaogang's tapping grew heavier, and his voice deepened. "Your heart is too cluttered. You win one match and think of the next; you lose and rush to win it back. You let a few words from others shake your train of thought. With such a mindset, how can you settle down to polish your Spirit?"
He picked up the "Blue Silver Grass Spirit In-depth Development Manual" from the desk, flipped to a page, and pointed at the dense annotations.
Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San and said, "What I teach you is a theoretical framework, to let you stand on the shoulders of giants and avoid detours. But what about you? You either memorize by rote or get led astray by a few words from others, never thinking about how to make these things your own."
He would never admit he had a problem; it was all Tang San's fault.
Tang San's face heated up slightly, and his fingers gripping the hem of his clothes tightened.
It was indeed as his teacher said. Xu Yuan's words earlier had actually made him doubt the theories his teacher taught. Thinking about it now, he really shouldn't have.
Yu Xiaogang closed the manual, his gaze suddenly becoming as sharp as two knives stabbing into Tang San. "Do you think Xu Yuan's Blue Silver Grass is truly unpredictable? That Binding technique of his is essentially the Spiral Spirit Power Output mentioned in 'Spirit Control Theory'; it's just a fancy name! If you had mastered the 'Advanced Guide to Control System Spirits' I gave you, let alone his little tricks, you could even find a way to break a Titled Douluo's Domain!"
Yu Xiaogang suddenly slammed the table, making the teacup jump. "Did half a year in bed make you restless? Forgot how you promised me? You said you'd carve theory into your bones! And the result? Someone changes a trick slightly, and you lose your head and start doubting these battle-hardened theories?"
Tang San's head hung even lower, his fingers digging deep into his palms. "Teacher, I..."
"You what?" Yu Xiaogang interrupted Tang San, his tone full of frustration. "Xu Yuan was only able to win because of good luck. You have twin spirits; in terms of Foundation, you are ten times more solid than him! Losing now is because you haven't merged theory and actual combat yet!"
Tang San bit his lower lip, his eyes turning slightly red. "This student was restless and failed your teachings, Teacher."
He felt more and more that he was truly foolish for actually questioning his teacher.
Seeing Tang San admit his mistake, Yu Xiaogang's expression softened slightly, and he patted his shoulder. "It's good that you know your mistake. From today on, copy my 'Basics of Spirit Theory' three times a day. At night, draw the tactical breakdown of Xu Yuan for me, and every step must correspond to a theoretical basis. I'm telling you, theory won't lie; the only ones who lie are those unwilling to settle their hearts. When you can turn my theories into reflexes, let alone one Xu Yuan, you'll be able to handle ten of them with ease!"
Tang San nodded vigorously. "Yes, Teacher, I will definitely do as you say."
Seeing Tang San being completely fooled by him, Yu Xiaogang felt satisfied. He was truly worried that Tang San would believe Xu Yuan's words.
A gentle smile appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face. He turned to the bookshelf, slowly pulled out a notebook with a yellowed cover, and handed it to Tang San. "This is a book I spent ten years creating. Take it back and study it well; it will take your strength to the next level."
Tang San took the notebook with both hands. As his fingertips touched the slightly messy but forceful handwriting on the pages, a surge of guilt and gratitude rose in his heart.
He secretly vowed to work twice as hard and never let his teacher down again.Chapter 32: God King Tang San's Little Scheme
"Thank you, Teacher." Tang San's voice choked slightly as he gripped the notebook tightly, as if it were the key to victory.
Yu Xiaogang waved his hand, signaling him to leave.
As soon as Tang San's figure vanished at the door, the smile on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a complex and inscrutable expression.
Yu Xiaogang walked to the window, watching Xu Yuan and Xiao Wu walk away across the Training Ground, his gaze dark and sinister.
"Xu Yuan..." Yu Xiaogang murmured softly, his knuckles turning white from the force of his grip, "A kid who popped out of nowhere dares to shake my theories?"
He never believed there was anything wrong with his theories; the reason he had achieved nothing all these years was simply bad luck and the shortsightedness of others who couldn't grasp the essence of his work.
Tang San was his last hope, the only bargaining chip to prove the correctness of his theories, and he must not be led astray by Xu Yuan.
"Just you wait," a flash of ruthlessness crossed Yu Xiaogang's eyes, "Sooner or later, I will let everyone know that my theories are the truth of the Spirit Master's world."
Time passed day by day, and in the blink of an eye, several months had gone by.
"Finally Rank 30."
Xu Yuan opened his eyes and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
After this period of hard Cultivate, he had finally reached Rank 30.
He had thought it would only take a month or two to reach Rank 30, but he hadn't expected it to take four months.
Xu Yuan began to think about which Spirit Beast would be best for his third spirit ring.
At that moment, Xu Yuan felt a large amount of energy surge from somewhere within his body.
This spirit power gathered together and began to condense into a spirit ring.
"Interesting, that energy from before is actually helping Xu Yuan condense a spirit ring," God King Tang San said with some surprise.
He had noticed this energy before, but he hadn't told Xu Yuan.
He hadn't expected this energy to condense into a spirit ring when Xu Yuan achieved a Breakthrough to Rank 30.
After ten minutes, a thousand-year spirit ring appeared beneath Xu Yuan's feet.
Xu Yuan's Rank had already reached Rank 31.
As for where that energy in his body came from, Xu Yuan already knew from God King Tang San.
Xu Yuan looked around and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief; fortunately, there was no one else in the dormitory, otherwise, it would have been misunderstood.
The third Spirit Ability he obtained was called Third Spirit Ability: Life Encouragement. Its effect was to release a vigorous aura of life to inspire allies, temporarily increasing their strength, speed, and spirit power recovery rate.
Xu Yuan felt this skill was just average; although it was an area-of-effect support skill, it felt a bit unsuitable for his Blue Silver Emperor.
But it wasn't a big deal; he was already Rank 31, and he would strive to reach Rank 36 before graduation... Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was time to graduate.
Xiao Wu leaned in front of Xu Yuan and asked curiously, "Xu Yuan, which school do you plan to attend?"
Hearing Xiao Wu's words, Xu Yuan couldn't help but think.
He definitely wouldn't go to Shrek Academy. Over these six years, he had consistently beaten Tang San, which was equivalent to slapping Yu Xiaogang's face.
That guy Yu Xiaogang must hate him to death. If he went to Shrek Academy, he'd be lucky if Yu Xiaogang didn't make things difficult for him.
More importantly, going to Shrek Academy was completely meaningless.
Most protagonists in fanfiction go to Shrek Academy because they want to pick up the girls there.
Xu Yuan felt that with his abilities, starting a harem was unlikely.
It would be better to take Xiao Wu somewhere else and develop quietly, eventually becoming a god as God King Tang San said.
As for Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, he could only say they'd meet again if fate allowed.
"Go to Blue Tyrant Academy."
Just then, God King Tang San's voice rang out.
Hearing God King Tang San's words, Xu Yuan was very surprised; he hadn't expected God King Tang San to let him go to Blue Tyrant Academy.
He had thought God King Tang San would want him to go to Shrek Academy and become one of the Shrek Seven Devils.
In his heart, God King Tang San actually wanted Xu Yuan to take Shui Binger and Shui Yueer for his own use.
He had a deep impression of these two sisters, mainly because back then, almost all of the Shrek Seven Devils had consumed Immortal Herbs, yet they nearly suffered a setback at the hands of these two sisters.
He remembered that when he achieved Ascension, Shui Binger's Rank seemed to have reached the Spirit Douluo level.
God King Tang San didn't remember the exact Rank clearly; it was mainly because so much time had passed, how could he always remember the Ranks of Mortals?
God King Tang San stroked his chin and murmured to himself, "When we go to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in the future, I can find a suitable Immortal Herb for each of them."
As long as one of them attracted the attention of the Water God, it would be enough.
Speaking of the Water God, God King Tang San subconsciously thought of Ma Hongjun's Fire God Trial back then.
If that lazy pig had worked hard back then, he could have become a First Level God, the Fire God, instead of becoming the Phoenix God.
The Phoenix God's God Position was something he had asked the First Generation Asura God to arrange; otherwise, the best Ma Hongjun could have hoped for was to die of old age on the Douluo Continent.
If Ma Hongjun attracted the Fire God's attention, he could use the Fire God to let the Water God know about Shui Binger and Shui Yueer.
The Fire God and Water God were husband and wife. Since Shui Binger and Shui Yueer had great talent, the Fire God would tell the Water God, and the Water God would very likely choose one of them as a successor.
Thinking of this, God King Tang San felt he was truly clever.
As for Qian Renxue?
If he could take Qian Renxue for his own use, he would; if not, then forget it.
However, he would find a way to preserve Qian Renxue's Angel God Position.
The Angel God Position was a First Level God position; how could he waste a First Level God Position?
In the future, he wanted to control the entire God Realm. The more gods were his people, the faster he could take control of the God Realm.
Back then, except for himself and Huo Yuhao, everyone else was a Second-Class God. If he had several First Level Gods on his side, he could have better contested for power with the God of Destruction.
The Seven Great Elemental Gods?
Although they were in the same camp as him, the Seven Great Elemental Gods didn't completely listen to him.
Later, as he gradually took control of the God Realm, the Seven Great Elemental Gods finally followed his orders completely.
In this life, he wanted to replace all the Seven Great Elemental Gods with his own people.
Even if he couldn't replace them all at once, he would slowly replace these gods with his own people.
But the top priority was still to have Xu Yuan quickly increase his strength and head to Sea God Island.
He had already decided when to perform Possession; he planned to possess Xu Yuan during the Ninth Trial.
There were various factors for choosing the Ninth Trial, but the main reason was that the First Generation Sea God would be watching the successor in the God Realm because of what happened with Tang Chen.
If the successor's Soul underwent a change, the First Generation Sea God would definitely notice.
But the Ninth Trial was when the First Generation Sea God would lower his guard, and that would be the time for Possession.
Back then, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King had seized this opportunity to attempt Possession, but unfortunately, he had been counter-killed by Tang San.
Xu Yuan counter-killing him?
How could that be possible? Although his Soul was not God King level now, after recovering the Origins from Tang San and Yu Xiaogang over these years, it had reached the level of a Third-Class God's Soul.
Although he had taught the Tang Sects Ultimate Skills to Xu Yuan over the years to help him quickly increase his strength, he had hidden some things.
For example, the manufacturing methods for most Hidden Weapons, and the Tang Sect's knowledge of using and making poisons.
He had taught Xu Yuan some basic knowledge of using and making poisons just to give him some self-preservation capabilitiesChapter 33: Tang San: This Time, I Can Definitely Win
Xu Yuan said to Xiao Wu, "Go to Blue Tyrant Academy."
He had heard God King Tang San's thoughts clearly.
Xu Yuan already knew that God King Tang San would only teach him some basic knowledge of poison use and making, but it didn't matter to him.
Xiao Wu was very curious about Blue Tyrant Academy when she heard this.
Xu Yuan introduced Blue Tyrant Academy to Xiao Wu, which piqued her interest.
Xiao Wu nodded and said, "Then I'll go to Blue Tyrant Academy too."
She was now full of goodwill towards Xu Yuan, and she felt completely safe by his side. She would follow Xu Yuan wherever he went.
Xu Yuan asked Xiao Wu, "Are you sure? Blue Tyrant Academy is in the Heaven Dou Empire's capital."
Xiao Wu nodded, indicating it was fine, as long as she could stay by Xu Yuan's side.
Xiao Wu saw Tang San enter the dormitory and curiously asked him, "Tang San, which school are you planning to go to?"
Tang San was stunned, completely not expecting Xiao Wu to ask him which school he was going to.
Could it be that Xiao Wu liked him?
His relationship with Xiao Wu was only average, and he felt it was unlikely she liked him.
However, a hint of affection for Xiao Wu had sprouted in him, and he kept this hint of affection hidden.
Tang San regained his composure and said to Xiao Wu, "I'm going to Shrek Academy; my teacher suggested it."
Xiao Wu was initially interested when she heard Shrek Academy, but when she heard Yu Xiaogang suggested it, she lost all interest.
The reason she had no interest was that she had already come to regard Yu Xiaogang as synonymous with uselessness.
Before, he would constantly boast about how powerful his theories were and claim that Tang San's strength was unrivaled among his peers.
What was the result?
The result was that Tang San was thrashed by Xu Yuan every single time.
Tang San asked Xiao Wu, "Xiao Wu, do you want to go to Shrek Academy together?"
Xiao Wu refused without thinking, "No, I'm going to Blue Tyrant Academy with Xu Yuan."
Tang San nodded in understanding, then looked at Xu Yuan and said, "Xu Yuan, I want to challenge you."
He really didn't want to challenge Xu Yuan; every time he challenged Xu Yuan, he was crushed by him.
Xu Yuan agreed without hesitation, "Alright, let's go to the training ground to spar."
As soon as Xu Yuan finished speaking, Xiao Wu clicked her tongue from the side, "Tang San, you're challenging him right after coming out of the office? Aren't you afraid of being beaten to the ground again later?"
A trace of embarrassment flashed across Tang San's face, but he still stiffened his neck and said, "It's just sparring; winning or losing isn't important. What's important is improving my strength."
He said this both for Xiao Wu and for himself.
After being enlightened by Yu Xiaogang in the office just now, he had a surge of energy inside him, always wanting to prove that he had calmed down through a spar.
Xu Yuan saw the stubbornness in Tang San's eyes, said no more, and turned to walk towards the training ground.
The sun baked the sand on the training ground, making it scorching hot. Xu Yuan stood in the center of the field.
Tang San clenched his fists, his Purple Demon Eye quietly operating. He took a deep breath, and his First spirit ring abruptly lit up: "First Spirit Skill, Binding!"
The Blue Silver Grass shot out like spiritual snakes, this time not a chaotic, wild attack, but consciously divided into three strands.
One wrapped around the ankle, one locked onto the wrist, and the last went straight for the waist and abdomen. This was precisely the Three-Line Restraint Method taught by Yu Xiaogang.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan leaped backward, easily dodging Tang San's attack.
"First Spirit Skill: Life Entanglement."
After dodging Tang San's attack, Xu Yuan used his First Spirit Skill without hesitation.
Xu Yuan's Blue Silver Emperor shot out from the ground like two jade-colored streams of light, carrying fine golden glints as they wrapped around Tang San's arms.
Tang San's figure traced an afterimage in the sunlight, his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps executed to its extreme, like a willow catkin swaying in the wind, narrowly avoiding the two jade-colored Blue Silver Emperors.
"First Spirit Skill, Binding."
Tang San's voice rang out again. This time, the Binding was no longer limited to the Three-Line Restraint.
spirit power surged under his feet, and dozens of Blue Silver Grass instantly sprouted from the ground, like a vast net, closing in on Xu Yuan from all directions.
This move was something he had developed after frequently being beaten by Xu Yuan, and he wondered if it could deal with Xu Yuan.
Xu Yuan watched the Blue Silver Grass surge from all directions, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
This move was more layered than the Three-Line Restraint from before, clearly a countermeasure painstakingly devised after being suppressed multiple times.
"Interesting," Xu Yuan murmured.
His Second Spirit Ring abruptly lit up, and a gentle yet irresistible spirit power instantly spread out.
Countless shimmering green light points condensed in the air, forming a translucent, emerald-colored light shield that enveloped him.
This light shield emanated a warm luster, like a massive jade stone imbued with vitality.
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass struck the emerald light shield, as if encountering a soft yet tenacious barrier. No matter how it twisted or tightened, it couldn't penetrate even a fraction.
"This is..." Tang San's pupils contracted slightly. He had never seen Xu Yuan use this move.
"First Spirit Skill: Life Entanglement."
Before Tang San could recover, Xu Yuan used his Spirit Ability once again.
As soon as Xu Yuan's voice fell, two jade-colored Blue Silver Emperors broke through the earth, like spiritual snakes that had been waiting, quickly wrapping around Tang San.
Tang San was about to activate his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps when he realized his ankle had been quietly entangled by another slender Blue Silver Emperor.
That slender Blue Silver Emperor seemed delicate, but the moment it wrapped around his ankle, it erupted with astonishing tenacity, like an iron chain welded to the ground.
Tang San's body was about to float away, but he was violently pulled back to his original spot. Losing his balance, he stumbled half a step forward.
It was this half-step delay that allowed the two jade-colored Blue Silver Emperors to seize the opportunity, precisely wrapping around his wrists.
"Oh no!" Tang San's heart tightened, wanting to forcibly break free.
Tang San felt his wrists being bound tighter and tighter. Tiny white flowers slowly bloomed on the jade-colored Blue Silver Emperor, emitting a faint fragrance.
However, this fragrance, instead of relaxing him, gave him a feeling that his spirit power was being quietly siphoned away, and his limbs gradually grew heavy.
Xu Yuan seized the opportunity, quickly rushed towards Tang San, and punched him in the stomach.
Xu Yuan's fist landed precisely on Tang San's lower abdomen with a steady force.
"Ugh!" A muffled groan escaped Tang San's throat, feeling a dull ache spread through his abdominal cavity.
It was like a scalding hot stone had smashed into his stomach, even his breathing abruptly hitched.
He instinctively hunched over, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead, and struggled forcefully with his bound wrists, only to find that the Blue Silver Emperor was like it had taken root, tightening with every struggle.
"Bang!"
Tang San stumbled back two steps, hitting the training ground fence, barely managing to steady himself.
Clutching his stomach, his face as white as paper, he looked at Xu Yuan with unwillingness, discomfiture, and a hint of undeniable pain in his eyes.
Xu Yuan said to Tang San, "Tang San, that move you thought of earlier was quite good."
Tang San remained silent, pondering how best to defeat Xu Yuan.
"You think this is over?" Tang San's voice was a little hoarse, but it carried a stubborn refusal to admit defeat.
"Second Spirit Skill, Parasite!"
Before Tang San finished speaking, dozens of seeds had already condensed on his fingertips. Driven by his spirit power, the seeds shot towards Xu Yuan like fine needles.
Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, and his figure suddenly blurred, leaving an afterimage in his original spot