Chapter 426: The Bond of Grilled Fish, Part Five
"Haha pfft HAHA!"
Suddenly, a mocking laugh echoed from nearby, startling Bei Bei and Tang Ya. Only then did they realize someone had been following them. Both tensed up, ready to fight, and focused warily in Ye Wen's direction.
"Who's there?" Tang Ya called out.
Ye Wen and Huo Yu´er emerged from the shadows, making no attempt to conceal themselves. Tang Ya's eyes widened. "It's you two!"
Though Tang Ya didn't know why, she felt drawn to Huo Yu´er. However, something about the pair's silent approach now seemed sinister, making her cautious. In this era, with spirit beasts becoming prized commodities, there was a rising black market, particularly for thousand year beasts. As a result, valuable prey like the one they'd just defeated could easily fetch a good sum in spirit coins.
Becoming more aware of the danger, Bei Bei stepped forward, his arm transformed with the power of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Lightning sparked across his scales, casting an intimidating aura. He spoke firmly, "Sir, if it's the corpse you want, we're more than willing to hand it over."
Ye Wen raised a brow, admiring Bei Bei's quick thinking. Well trained to value his life over any spoils, he'd offered up the carcass as a bargaining chip. Yet Ye Wen wasn't interested in a random beast carcass.
Ye Wen shook his head slightly, saying, "Calm down, you two. If I had any ill intentions, you'd already be dead."
He released only a sliver of his spiritual pressure. But even that fraction of his power caused both Bei Bei and Tang Ya to pale as a feeling of mortal dread washed over them. Recognizing their utter powerlessness against this man, they immediately retracted their martial spirits and spirit rings.
With them subdued, Ye Wen approached Huo Yu´er, who was staring curiously at the two older spirit masters. Gently, he began a lesson. "Remember, Yu´er, that choosing the right spirit ring is one of the most critical decisions for a spirit master. One wrong choice, and it will hold you back at every stage. This young lady here mentioned that this spirit ring is the best for her. Do you think it really is?"
Huo Yu´er, still a young child and without much knowledge of spirit cultivation, hesitated. She didn't want to admit her ignorance in front of her teacher, though, so she made a cautious guess. "I… don't think it is?"
Seeing her uncertain expression, Ye Wen chuckled softly and patted her head. "That's right. Every martial spirit has its own unique strengths. Choosing a ring that goes against that nature can actually hinder your progress."
Huo Yu´er's curiosity flared up as she asked, "How do you know what matches?"
"It's simple," Ye Wen replied. "If your martial spirit were a fish, you'd choose a water related ring instead of one from a fire breathing creature. Similarly, if your martial spirit is a sword, you'd look for cutting or wind based abilities instead of ramming skills."
With this simple explanation, Huo Yu´er grasped the concept, nodding in understanding. Yet Tang Ya, standing nearby, was visibly uncomfortable. Ye Wen had just questioned a tradition that had been foundational to her family for generations, and her irritation finally bubbled over.
"Um, sir "
She instantly regretted speaking up, worried that she might have insulted him. However, Ye Wen only responded warmly, surprising her with his fatherly demeanor. For a brief moment, she felt a pang of nostalgia, reminded of her own father's gentle tone.
Gathering courage, Tang Ya pressed on. "I won't deny that a spirit's tendencies matter. But Blue Silver Grass is different. Its adaptability lets it gain strength by bonding with spirit beasts that possess powerful bloodlines. Our ancestors have proven this method over centuries."
Ye Wen nodded thoughtfully at her response. "Then, what's your goal with it?"
"What do you mean?" Tang Ya looked confused.
Ye Wen sighed inwardly, realizing that this naive girl had no idea of the path she was on. Still, he intended to make her confront the truth.
"If your approach is truly the best, how many Blue Silver Grass spirit masters in your Tang Sect have achieved the rank of Titled Douluo in the past thousand years?"
Tang Ya fell silent, shaken by the blunt question.
The answer was a painful truth. On the continent, a martial spirit and innate soul power largely determined a person's cultivation ceiling. Even in the past, innate full soul power wasn't a guarantee of reaching the Titled Douluo rank. Today, although techniques had evolved, these fundamentals remained unchanged.
In Tang Ya's case, her innate talent was not high enough to sustain her ambition. Even with Bei Bei's support, she struggled. This reality left her clinging desperately to the hope of avenging her family and restoring the Tang Sect's former glory. At times, she even resented the Shrek Academy for not helping their historical ally, Tang Sect, in its time of need. Yet she still couldn't let go of her ancestors' path, insisting, "I know I lack full soul power, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with our tradition. Our founder, Sea God Tang San, achieved godhood with Blue Silver Grass!"
It was amusing, watching this young woman cling to her ideals, but Ye Wen decided it was time to shatter her romanticized view of Tang San.
"Wait," he said, "You do know he was a twin spirit master, right? And that his other spirit was the Clear Sky Hammer, the legendary weapon of the Haotian Sect?"
Silence fell as Tang Ya absorbed the weight of his words. Historically, Tang Sect had separated from the Haotian Sect to establish its independence, choosing Blue Silver Grass as the official martial spirit of its leaders to honor Tang San. But time had made it clear that the Blue Silver Grass alone was insufficient for serious cultivation.
Ye Wen watched her closely, knowing she couldn't deny the truth any longer.
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