Chapter 154

Listening to Gu Xuan's words, Tang San tried to hide his inner surprise, but seeing Tang San's subtle expression change, Gu Xuan nodded as if he had already confirmed his thoughts.

"It seems so, everyone has their own secrets, Xiao San, I understand you don't want to tell me, but what I want to tell you is, young man, or as such a young Soul Ancestor, the most important thing for us is not to lose confidence; you have two martial souls, that is your advantage."

Gu Xuan slowly said: "Your Blue Silver Grass martial soul I cannot give you more advice, but if your other martial soul is not weak and is an attack-type martial soul, then I suggest you can first add a Soul Ring to your other martial soul."

Upon hearing this, Tang San's brows furrowed slightly, but his expression showed little change.

Gu Xuan's words were clearly different from what the teacher and his father said, and the recommended direction was also different; with Tang San's wisdom, it was naturally evident that Gu Xuan's experience was not low, even not less than Teacher Yu Xiaogang, otherwise he wouldn't have guessed from the clues that he himself possessed twin martial souls.

But why does Gu Xuan's recommended cultivation method differ from what the teacher and my father said?

The teacher and father both had him cultivate to Titled Douluo before adding Soul Rings to his second martial soul, and all were at least thousand-year Soul Rings, but Gu Xuan recommends adding Soul Rings to his second martial soul now? Seeing Tang San's brows furrow slightly, Gu Xuan continued: "Are you wondering why I would now suggest you add a Soul Ring to your second martial soul?"

Tang San nodded; this time he did not hide it, which could be considered a direct confirmation that he possessed twin martial souls.

"If I'm not mistaken, your teacher, namely Master Yu Xiaogang, should have you cultivate to Titled Douluo before adding Soul Rings to your second martial soul, right? According to his idea, when that time comes, your second martial soul could at least possess nine thousand-year Soul Rings as a starting point, or even hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings, correct?"

Hearing this, Tang San's inner surprise grew even greater; Gu Xuan was not ignorant, for he had even guessed the advice and cultivation direction given by the teacher and his father.

Tang San nodded again, confirming Gu Xuan's "guess."

Gu Xuan smiled slightly and continued: "Master's idea is certainly good, it is the greatest for your future strength increase, and it is the optimal method, but he overlooked the most important point."

"What?!" Tang San couldn't believe it; his teacher was practically a walking treasure trove of knowledge in the Soul Master world, what did the teacher overlook? "You need not be surprised; although I am not as close to you and the Master, and have never had the chance to meet him, I have also heard a bit about his life."

"He probably still cannot break through to Soul Elder, right? So no matter how profound his knowledge, he remains only a low-rank Soul Master; merely reading more materials, many things without personal experience can never be truly grasped."

Gu Xuan finished speaking, leaving Tang San time to digest.

Listening to Gu Xuan's words, Tang San felt uneasy inside, but did not show it on his face.

If anyone else spoke about his teacher like that, Tang San would not tolerate it, but Gu Xuan is different; after getting along with Gu Xuan for so long, his heart has already accepted Gu Xuan.

Needless to say, Gu Xuan's help to him has already been considerable; for example, this time's Revival Soul Pill, Gu Xuan didn't even mention any reward, nor did he mention that he gave him the Revival Soul Pill to save him.

Now that he proactively asked Gu Xuan this question, Gu Xuan also gave him an analysis based on reality; although Gu Xuan's words sounded somewhat harsh, Tang San still wanted to continue listening.

Looking at Tang San's appearance, Gu Xuan's heart remained undisturbed, and he continued: "I know that my criticism of the Master is naturally not good for you, but I acknowledge you; today you may listen to these words or not, I merely regard you as a friend, and for a friend I should do my utmost to help."

Upon hearing these words, the displeasure in Tang San's heart also vanished; yes, Gu Xuan wasn't targeting the teacher, otherwise he would have shown it earlier; Gu Xuan's saying this is all for his own good; Tang San immediately adjusted his attitude, lest Gu Xuan notice something odd, and continued listening like a diligent student.

All that was heard was Gu Xuan continuing: "The reason I suggest you first add a Soul Ring to your second martial soul has two points."

Gu Xuan raised two fingers: "One, your Blue Silver Grass martial soul truly can't keep up with the pace now, and I also have no better method to make your Blue Silver Grass stronger."

"And I also said before, the most important thing for a Soul Master is essence-energy-spirit, that is confidence; if you lose confidence, your life will lose its luster and you will become an unremarkable Soul Master."

"It's not because being unremarkable is bad, but because I have higher expectations for you; if it were an ordinary person, I would absolutely not say these things to them."

"And if you continue to use this Blue Silver Grass martial soul now, you will inevitably suffer setbacks in the Elite Tournament of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy, for this is merely the preliminary round, and there are still the promotion rounds and the finals afterward."

"Later you will also encounter stronger opponents, which will inevitably deal a significant blow to your future confidence, and you may even start doubting yourself. 'Confidence, besides being innate, also comes from postnatal victories accumulated; so if you want to maintain your confidence and let your heart advance fearlessly, then using your second martial soul now is necessary.'"

Listening to Gu Xuan's words, Tang San nodded thoughtfully; it must be said, Gu Xuan's words were very reasonable, giving Tang San a feeling of "now I understand".

After giving Tang San ten seconds to think, Gu Xuan continued: "Second, and more importantly, you will find it difficult to absorb nine ten-thousand-year soul rings in the future."

"Oh?" Tang San wondered doubtfully: "Is it because my Blue Silver Grass cannot be cultivated to the Titled Douluo level?"

Gu Xuan nodded, then shook his head: "This is only one possibility; after all, you are the first to have a Blue Silver Grass martial soul reach the Soul Ancestor level, and it may not be impossible to cultivate it to Titled Douluo in the future, but this is not the most important point."

"I say this because a Soul Master's absorption of soul rings is closely related to their age limit and physical constitution, especially ten-thousand-year soul rings; besides requiring strong physical support, they also need strong mental power as a backing."

"Imagine, if your second martial soul absorbed nine soul rings each at least ten-thousand-year level, how much pressure would you have to bear? Relying solely on the enhancement from a single Blue Silver Grass martial soul, can your body really withstand it?"

"You are the third dual martial soul owner on the continent (the protagonist, at this moment playing the role, naturally pretends not to know that Bi Bi Dong is also a dual martial soul owner), and the two previously recorded dual martial soul owners undoubtedly did not die from forcibly absorbing soul rings; I do not want your future to end like that."

Hearing Gu Xuan's words, Tang San's heart suddenly filled with dread, because his teacher had never mentioned this to him; would he die from being unable to withstand the pressure of nine ten-thousand-year soul rings? Not necessarily, but it is indeed possible, and the probability is not small, since the Blue Silver Grass martial soul provides little enhancement to his physical constitution, and his close-combat ability relies entirely on the profound techniques in the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record.

Thinking thus, Tang San began to ponder.

All I heard was Gu Xuan continuing: "So I suggest you now first attach four soul rings to your second martial soul, and they should be four thousand-year soul rings."

"This way, your future probability of bursting from being overloaded by soul rings will drop greatly, and at this stage, having four thousand-year soul rings makes you absolutely invincible among peers; moreover, with four thousand-year soul rings you could even contend with Soul King-level Soul Masters."

Having said this, Gu Xuan raised his head at a forty-five degree angle to gaze at the firmament: "Do you know what it feels like to be invincible within a realm? That is the best nourishment for a Soul Master's faith and confidence."

Tang San looked at the supremely confident Gu Xuan, who seemed to emanate a lustrous gem-like light; what did this signify? It signified that Elder Brother Gu was a powerhouse capable of being invincible within a realm, his confidence not only innate but also built upon every victory he had won afterward.

Having said this, Gu Xuan patted Tang San's shoulder and spoke softly: "Xiao San, you don't need to feel pressured; although I admire you, everyone's path is different, and while I hope you will someday join me in striving toward a more distant future, the final decision rests with you."

Afterward, Gu Xuan earnestly looked at Tang San: "When making any decision, you should think carefully before acting; perhaps the path your teacher gave you is actually more suitable for you, who knows."

"However, if you choose my suggestion, I will do my utmost to help you, because I also worry that your current body may not withstand four thousand-year soul rings."

"Xiao San, go back and think it over carefully; if you have any needs, just come find me."

After Gu Xuan finished speaking, he did not linger; behind him, eight dragon swords unfurled, their blades interlocking to form a pair of dragon wings that soared into the sky.

Tang San watched the departing Gu Xuan, his heart torn; Gu Xuan's words were very reasonable, not only could they solve his current weakness with Blue Silver Grass, but they also considered whether he could withstand the pressure of so many overbearing soul rings in the future.

In the end, Tang San still decided to ask his teacher first, then make a decision.

ps: Typos will be corrected later.

ps: Typos will be corrected later.

(End of chapter)