Inside Yu Xiaogang's office, his eyebrows were knitted tightly into a deep crease, his expression a mixture of confusion and shock.
"Xiao Tian, can you explain what's going on? How did your strength skyrocket so suddenly, and why are your first two spirit rings a thousand years old?" Yu Xiaogang asked anxiously.
Xiao Tian glanced at Yu Xiaogang, whose curious gaze made him chuckle inwardly. He had been itching to tease Yu Xiaogang like this for quite some time. So he feigned innocence and said, "Master, honestly, it's all thanks to your guidance."
Yu Xiaogang was stunned. What on earth? When did I ever teach you to absorb two thousand-year-old spirit rings? How come I never realized I was so powerful?
Tang San immediately fixed his eyes on Yu Xiaogang, full of doubt. What did Xiao Tian mean by that? Could it be that his master had secretly given him special treatment without Tang San knowing?
Sensing Tang San's doubtful gaze, Yu Xiaogang suddenly felt immense pressure and hastily said, "Xiao Tian, don't keep me in suspense. When did I teach you how to absorb thousand-year-old spirit rings?"
Inside, Xiao Tian smiled mischievously, but on the surface, he quickly explained, "Master, Tang San, you've got it all wrong. Master didn't directly teach me to absorb millennium spirit rings. This was my own doing."
Hearing this, both of them relaxed for some reason.
Yu Xiaogang said, "That's right, I was scared stiff just now. I almost thought Tang Hao was going to kill me."
Tang San nodded, "Yeah, he's the teacher's only closed disciple. There's no way the teacher would give Xiao Tian special treatment."
"But, Master, you did teach me how to better use sword energy and sword intent. Remember what you said? In daily life, you should try to cover your whole body with sword intent as much as possible. This will help you understand the way of the sword and increase your strength."
Yu Xiaogang was baffled. Hmm? Did I say that? He recalled giving Xiao Tian some brief advice, though since he wasn't a sword practitioner himself, it was really just his own theories mixed with speculation—using Xiao Tian as an experiment to verify them. Maybe he really had said that?
Back then, Xiao Tian was just six years old. He couldn't have been that scheming, could he?
Yu Xiaogang could only nod stiffly, forcing a smile, "Yes, I remember. So... you're not trying to say that's why you improved so fast, right?"
Tang San wore a blank expression now, poker-faced and unreadable as he watched both Xiao Tian and Yu Xiaogang.
"Yes, yes, that's exactly it, Master! You're so sharp!" Xiao Tian exclaimed.
He went on, "I followed your advice and continuously released sword intent to cover my whole body in daily life. Over time, I found my understanding of the way of the sword deepening. Most importantly, I could feel my physical fitness improving and the speed of cultivating my soul power increasing! It seems sword intent improves soul power."
Xiao Tian's voice was full of excitement.
"So, I took a risk and absorbed a thousand-year-old soul beast for my first spirit ring. Honestly, it was just luck. I originally planned to absorb a three- or four-hundred-year soul beast, so I didn't ask the academy for help because a hundred-year-old soul beast shouldn't have been a problem for my strength. But then, on the way, I stumbled upon a dying silkworm soul beast that had just turned a thousand years old. I remember Master saying silkworm soul beasts are usually weak and typically provide soul skills that boost soul power, so I…" After Xiao Tian's explanation, the three of them were stunned. Is such a thing really possible?
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang began doubting his sanity because of Xiao Tian's incredible method. Yu Xiaogang had been studying this theory his entire life and this was the first time he'd encountered something like this.
Is this how Jian Dao Chen Xin cultivates?
Yu Xiaogang was tempted to ask but quickly held back, thinking no one would pay attention to him.
"Xiao Tian, why were you so reckless? Even if the silkworm soul beast is weak, an emaciated camel is still bigger than a horse. If you failed, wouldn't you have exploded and died?" Tang San asked doubtfully, his deep eyes betraying his unease.
Tang San wondered: How was Xiao Tian so lucky to find a dying silkworm soul beast? Why didn't it explode or cause him harm when he absorbed his first spirit ring?
Xiao Tian smiled innocently and replied, "Actually, I was a bit confident. Didn't you say at the start that you absorbed your first spirit ring in just one minute? Before I absorbed the spirit ring, my physique was similar to yours, and after refining my sword-spirit body, I felt even more confident. But yes, it really was lucky. It took me most of the day to absorb that jade silkworm. A thousand-year-old soul beast isn't something to underestimate."
Hearing this, Tang San resented Xiao Tian even more.
Of course, the one who was truly right wasn't Xiao Tian — it was Yu Xiaogang. Yu Xiaogang was his master but hadn't tested himself with a high-age soul beast before absorbing his first spirit ring. Now he realized he was fully capable of absorbing higher-age soul beasts! Even if he wasn't as lucky as Xiao Tian to get a thousand-year-old spirit ring, he could at least absorb an eight or nine-hundred-year one, right?
His second spirit ring came from a ghost vine that was about six hundred years old and didn't take long to absorb.
Now Tang San was filled with regret.
"Master, don't you always say there's a theoretical limit when absorbing spirit rings? The first can't exceed 423 years, and the second can't exceed 764 years," Xiao Wu questioned doubtfully.
Xiao Tian inwardly gave Xiao Wu a thumbs-up for the great assist.
"And Xiao Tian, when you got your first spirit ring, why didn't you call us? Do you know how dangerous that was? You clearly knew the first spirit ring should only be a hundred years, so why did you push to get a thousand years?" Xiao Wu was genuinely a little angry.
Better safe than sorry. What if Xiao Tian really had died?
Moreover, Xiao Tian absorbed the spirit ring alone and spent most of a day doing so without being discovered or eaten by other soul beasts. Xiao Wu considered that a miracle.
Xiao Tian looked at Xiao Wu's worried face and felt a little warm inside.
But Yu Xiaogang's face was frozen in a sweat. Facing the gazes of the three, especially his disciple Tang San, he was truly sweating bullets.
Xiao Tian looked at Yu Xiaogang then and thought, You must be sweating bullets, brother!
Over the past two years, Xiao Tian had endured Yu Xiaogang's constant nagging to get the most out of his money—lectures on sword usage and, most ridiculous of all, daily running!
Xiao Tian was completely speechless. What's the point of all that running?
P.S. In this chapter, the tension between Xiao Tian and his master Yu Xiaogang is richly portrayed, along with Xiao Tian's surprising breakthrough in absorbing high-age spirit rings. His mix of luck, confidence, and risky decisions drives the plot forward, while the characters' doubts and regrets add emotional depth to the story. This creative reinterpretation stays true to the original while enhancing readability and narrative flow.
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