Chapter 10: First Encounter with Tang San - Douluo's spirit bead sword

## Chapter 10: First Encounter with Tang San "Apologies, Your Eminence, I was disrespectful just now!" Master cupped his hands as he spoke, then retreated beside his disciple to protect him. Exploring the martial souls of disciples from other sects is indeed a taboo. Information is the most formidable weapon—once the traits of your martial soul are understood, enemies can craft a counter-strategy, which is extremely disadvantageous. "Teacher, what do you think about that strike I just performed?" After Master stepped aside, Tian Lin sought Chen Xin’s appraisal of his soul skill. Chen Xin nodded with praise, "Very impressive. The potency of the soul skill from a 600-year soul ring is equivalent to a full-strength attack from an average Soul Master. However, such powerful prowess likely consumes a fair amount of your energy, doesn’t it?" "Yes, that strike used up nearly a third of my soul power. But I can sense that if I were to release the cold energy concentrated on the sword blade, the consumption would be much less, enabling prolonged combat," Tian Lin confessed openly to Chen Xin, his teacher, feeling no need for secrecy. The more Chen Xin understood, the better guidance he could provide. "Indeed, just as I thought. You need to learn more about swordsmanship. Concentrating energy into the blade will become your standard combat method in the future, while fully unleashed soul skills should only be used as a finishing move, understand?" Chen Xin was already contemplating which sword technique to impart to Tian Lin. With the formidable attack power of the Demon Suppressing Sword, learning defensive sword techniques seemed wasteful. In his heart, he'd made up his mind. This child was exceptionally suited to his Seven Kill Sword Technique—a gift from the heavens for a successor. After their conversation, the two approached Tang San, who was in the midst of absorbing a soul ring. Chen Xin was surprised upon seeing the Blue Silver Grass in Tang San's hand. "Is this... Blue Silver Grass?" "This boy seems about the same age as Tian Lin, yet he’s already reached level ten. This means his innate soul power is at least level nine, possibly even the full innate soul power. Can Blue Silver Grass possess such high innate soul power?" It was common knowledge within the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan that innate soul power is directly proportional to the quality of one's martial soul. Chen Xin, proficient in theory, knew this well. No matter how he examined it, Chen Xin could not detect anything special about the Blue Silver Grass, thus ruling out the possibility of martial soul mutation. "I should consult Feng Zhi about this. In terms of theory, he is the true master," Chen Xin thought. Tian Lin also observed Tang San intently. Before the second awakening of the Blue Silver Emperor, Tang San's appearance was indeed unremarkable, incomparable to his own. Tian Lin pondered over the potential of befriending him, as there was no conflict of interest between them. Having read the original work, Tian Lin knew well the extent of the Spirit Hall's ambitions. Their move against the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan was just a matter of time. Meanwhile, Tang San, due to his family and Xiaowu, was set on a path of irrevocable enmity with the Spirit Hall. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. As for Tang San's double standards, Tian Lin didn’t mind at all. Tian Lin himself was similar, caring only for the people around him. In his heart, whether the Spirit Hall was righteous or malevolent was irrelevant unless they harmed those important to him, making them his enemies. The Spirit Hall had never been of benefit to him. His martial soul awakened at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, and his hometown’s village was built and protected thanks to them. His wonderful childhood and his parents' happiness in the village were all granted by the clan. Moreover, he had now joined the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, bound to protect it. His future cultivation would be resources provided by the clan, not accepting a single gold coin from the Spirit Hall. Even his father hadn’t received any subsidies from them, leaving him morally unopposed to fighting the Spirit Hall. Tian Lin's foremost concern was always his family. The future of Douluo Continent, whether unification or continued fragmentation, was of no concern to him. His limited scope was a flaw, while knowing gratitude and repaying it was his virtue—a self-awareness he had no intention of changing. Additionally, the greatest opportunity on the Douluo Continent might require Tang San's help—the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. While Tian Lin knew its location, he was unfamiliar with the immortal herbs within. The collection, preservation, and consumption of the various herbs were very particular. Any slight mistake could lead to ruin or even adverse effects. Of course, Tang San was merely a backup plan, as Tian Lin seemed to recall an alchemy chapter within the Shushan Treasure Record, though he was not yet able to access its contents. He surmised that his soul power level needed to increase before he could gradually access further content, though he wasn’t sure how high it needed to be. If it required sixty or seventy levels, it would be too late. Until then, offering Tang San small favors seemed necessary, such as saving them earlier while sparingly allowing the Mandala Snake to live. Yet one must remain cautious. A four-hundred-year soul ring was trivial—just Blue Silver Bind—but Tian Lin was determined to subtly disrupt some of Tang San’s fortunes. Moments later, as a wave of soul power surged, Tang San awoke. "Teacher, I succeeded!" "What is the soul skill, and how durable is it?" Master’s primary concern was naturally his theory. The reason his propositions remained theoretical rather than truth was because no one had tested them. Today marked the prologue to proving his theories. Tang San smiled slightly, releasing the Blue Silver Grass. The grass transformed into vines, tightly binding a large tree not far away. "Teacher, see? Within fifty meters, I can launch an attack from any position." "This skill is called Bind; it’s characteristic of control-type soul masters. Its durability is quite impressive. If I am correct, it should carry some of the Mandala Snake’s venom, right?" Master speculated. Tang San nodded. "Correct, though the venom isn’t strong, only paralyzing rather than lethal." "That’s sufficient. A combination of binding and paralysis—unless the opponent has two more soul rings than you, it’s impossible to break free instantly. Xiao San, we did it!" Master was overwhelmingly excited. "Oh, really?" At this moment, a skeptical voice arose. Tian Lin summoned his Demon Sword, casually slicing the Blue Silver Grass into two without using soul power. "It’s not as formidable as you claim. Even with the Mandala Snake’s toughness, Blue Silver Grass is still Blue Silver Grass." Tang San, more perplexed, looked at his teacher. Wasn’t this the Blue Silver Grass you claimed was difficult to break without multiple additional soul rings? Before this kid, it seemed as frail as tofu—were you joking with me? "Ahem!" Master coughed to cover his embarrassment and said, "Well, what I meant was in most cases—not for those with top-tier martial souls." Having said this, Master hurriedly bid farewell to Chen Xin. Tian Lin was too talented at exposing shortcomings, making it impossible for Master to stay any longer. Chen Xin nodded, and after bidding Master goodbye, he said, "Xiao Tian, let’s go. We should make the most of our time. Along the way, I shall teach you swordsmanship."