Returning to the present, Fu Shiyan's gaze swept indifferently over the shaken faces of the Dragon Duke and Snake Crone. He spoke slowly, his voice cold and clear.
"I think you have misunderstood something."
He paused, deliberately drawing out his words.
"I have no relationship with this boy."
As soon as these words were spoken, the Dragon Duke and Snake Crone were first stunned, and then their hearts felt an inexplicable sense of relief—thankfully!
Fortunately, this bane was not related to Tang San. Otherwise, today's matter would have been extremely difficult to resolve!
However, Fu Shiyan's tone then shifted, carrying a hint of unquestionable majesty.
"However!" His gaze turned toward the battered but resilient Tang San. "I am quite interested in his Spirit."
He looked back at the Dragon Duke and Snake Crone, his tone carrying a faint hint of admonishment.
"I originally had no intention of interfering in your grievances."
"But to ruthlessly attempt to kill a twelve-year-old boy with extraordinary potential over the ownership of a mere Spirit Beast... This is not the behavior of the strong."
Hearing this, a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on the backs of the Dragon Duke and Snake Crone. They hurriedly bowed and replied:
"Senior is right to lecture us! We were reckless! Thank you, Senior, for your magnanimity!"
At this moment, they only wanted to leave this place of trouble as quickly as possible.
Fu Shiyan also seemed to have no intention of tangling with them further and waved his hand casually.
The Dragon Duke and Snake Crone felt as if they had been granted a general amnesty. Not daring to say another word, they hurriedly cupped their fists in a salute and took the terrified Meng Yiran with them. They almost used their movement techniques to speed away toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest without looking back.
After such a scare, they had no heart left to continue hunting spirits. They only felt that this forest was full of hidden dangers and wanted to leave as soon as possible.
As for Meng Yiran's third spirit ring, they could only make plans for it another day.
After the figures of the Dragon Duke and Snake Crone disappeared into the depths of the dense forest, Fu Shiyan slowly turned around. His gaze fell on Tang San, and a half-smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Have you seen enough, kid?"
Tang San shuddered, snapping back to reality from his immense shock and complex thoughts.
Enduring the sharp pain in his body and the weakness of his exhausted spirit power, he struggled to stand straight and bowed deeply to Fu Shiyan, his tone incredibly sincere.
"Thank you, Senior, for saving my life! Tang San will surely remember this for a lifetime! If there is ever a time when Senior needs Tang San's service, I will not hesitate!"
Upon hearing this, Fu Shiyan let out a light chuckle, sounding somewhat indifferent.
"What could I possibly need from a level thirty kid like you?"
He shifted his tone, his gaze falling on Tang San's right hand. "But... your Spirit, if I'm not mistaken, is Blue Silver Grass, right?"
"In response to Senior, this junior's Spirit is indeed Blue Silver Grass."
Tang San did not dare to be negligent. With a thought, blue light flickered in his right hand, and the Blue Silver Grass—which had become unique after absorbing the spirit rings of the Datura Snake and Ghost Vine—quietly emerged.
The current Blue Silver Grass had fine barbs along the edges of its leaves, and its entire body shimmered with a dark blue luster. The leaves were thicker and tougher, and a faint poisonous glow flowed through the veins. Its overall form was closer to an aggressive vine, vastly different from ordinary, fragile Blue Silver Grass.
Fu Shiyan carefully examined the Blue Silver Grass in Tang San's hand. His eyes first showed a hint of inquiry, but then it turned into a soft sigh as he shook his head.
Tang San's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but ask:
"Senior, is there... something wrong with my Spirit?"
Fu Shiyan didn't hide it and pointed it out directly.
"This Spirit of yours—if I'm not mistaken, you've added a poison attribute, or perhaps even spirit rings from animal forms?"
Tang San was startled. The other party had actually seen through the source and characteristics of his spirit rings at a single glance!
But on second thought, with the strength this person displayed and his understanding of Blue Silver Grass, it wasn't surprising that he could tell.
He organized his thoughts and answered respectfully.
"In response to Senior, you are correct. This junior's first spirit ring comes from a four-hundred-and-twenty-year-old Datura Snake, and the second spirit ring originates from a six-hundred-year-old Ghost Vine."
Hearing this answer, the look of disappointment in Fu Shiyan's eyes became even more obvious, and it even faintly revealed a hint of... anger?
"If I'm not guessing wrong,"
Fu Shiyan's voice grew several degrees colder, carrying a sense of certainty, "your teacher is that Yu Xiaogang, isn't he?"
"How did Senior know?!"
Tang San was suddenly shocked, his heart instantly filled with vigilance and doubt.
Not only did the other party know his teacher's name, but he also knew about their master-disciple relationship?
This was too much of a coincidence! Cautious by nature, he couldn't help but begin to speculate about the other party's intentions and background.
Fu Shiyan keenly captured the change in Tang San's emotions. His expression remained unchanged as he slowly stated the "reason."
"If I'm not mistaken, you should have enrolled in Nuoding Academy six years ago, right?"
Tang San was stunned again. "Could it be that Senior... knew me before?"
Fu Shiyan then seemed to fall into some kind of memory and spoke slowly.
"Six years ago, I traveled to Nuoding City. I heard that Nuoding Academy had produced a Blue Silver Grass Spirit Master with Innate Full Spirit Power. I felt quite curious and wanted to go see him."
His tone was flat, as if he were stating a past event.
"But when I found the academy and expressed my desire to see you, I was stopped by Yu Xiaogang."
A faint, almost imperceptible sneer appeared at the corner of Fu Shiyan's mouth. "At first, I didn't take this Spirit Grandmaster, whose spirit power was destined to stop at level twenty-nine for life, seriously."
"However, he showed the Honorary Elder Token of the Spirit Hall. Out of respect for that status, I suppressed my temper and exchanged a few words with him."
"When he learned that my Spirit was also of the Blue Silver Grass lineage and that I already had the cultivation of a peak Spirit Emperor at the time, he seemed quite shocked."
Fu Shiyan's gaze became profound. "At that time... perhaps he thought I also had twin spirits."
"He asked about my purpose. I didn't hide it, stating directly that I was very interested in the Blue Silver Grass Spirit Master with Innate Full Spirit Power and that we might have an exchange. If there were no issues with his character, I also intended to take him as a disciple."
Speaking to this point, Fu Shiyan's tone suddenly turned cold, carrying a hint of irrepressible anger.
"And after I stated my purpose, Yu Xiaogang's reaction was extreme!"
"His expression changed abruptly, and then he righteously refused, claiming:"
"'The child you speak of has already been taken as my disciple. I have my own plans for his cultivation path; there's no need for outsiders to worry!'"
Fu Shiyan stared at Tang San and asked word by word:
"At that time, did he also say to you... that Blue Silver Grass should develop toward 'poison' and the control system?"
"Did he believe that a plant Spirit absorbing an animal spirit ring is a manifestation of some kind of 'wisdom'?"
Tang San's pupils suddenly contracted, and a stormy sea rose in his heart!
The details Fu Shiyan mentioned were almost identical to the theories Yu Xiaogang used to persuade him back then! This senior had actually gone looking for him six years ago?
And... he was forcibly stopped by his teacher, Yu Xiaogang?
An indescribable sense of absurdity and a faint unease began to spread in the depths of his heart.
He looked at this senior before him, who possessed overwhelming strength and a Spirit from the same source. Then he thought of his teacher's theories, which seemed profound but had repeatedly met setbacks in actual combat, and his behavior of resolutely preventing him from communicating with the outside world... For the first time, the unreserved trust he had always had in Yu Xiaogang suffered a violent shake.
Fu Shiyan took in all the shock, confusion, and struggle on Tang San's face, knowing that a crack had already formed.
He sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he showed a look of deep regret and sighed.
"Sigh... what a pity!"
"A perfectly good seedling that should have had a broader future was led by narrow theories onto a path... that seems clever but actually cuts off its true potential!"
These words were like a heavy hammer, striking hard against Tang San's heart.
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