"By the way, Teacher, when I select spirit rings for my Blue Silver Grass in the future, should I consider those that counteract its weaknesses?" Tang San suddenly thought out loud.
"Haha, Xiao San, you're still too young," the master chuckled, shaking his head. "If you think that way, are you planning to have all nine of your Blue Silver Grass's spirit rings compensate for its weaknesses?"
"If your Blue Silver Grass fears fire, you want to give it fire resistance; if it's vulnerable to sharp objects, you want to increase its hardness. But have you ever thought that if you waste one or two spirit rings on countering these threats, what will you have left to fight your enemies with, or even to hold your own against them?"
"But Teacher, if I don't address these weaknesses, how will my Blue Silver Grass become the strongest control-type spirit?" Tang San asked, puzzled.
"Xiao San, you're overthinking this. These aren't things you need to worry about right now," the master said gently, patting Tang San's head. "Your future path has already been arranged by me. All you need to do now is trust in my theory and focus on your cultivation. With me here, nothing is too difficult. Understand?"
"Moreover, if you want to become the strongest control-type spirit master, you'll need a reliable team of companions. If you don't have that, then you'll need to cultivate your spirit power to the rank of Titled Douluo. By that time, your lack of offensive ability will no longer be a problem."
"And remember, you love tinkering with those hidden weapons of yours. While they may seem insignificant to me, I must admit they pack a surprising punch. Combine them with your Blue Silver Grass to control the enemy, and those hidden weapons will be even more effective."
Hearing the master's explanation, Tang San felt a sense of clarity. The master was right. His Blue Silver Grass might lack offensive power, but he could use his hidden weapons to make up for that. Besides, hitting a stationary target is always easier than hitting a moving one.
"Teacher, can I use hidden weapons when I spar with Cheng Xiao?" Tang San asked.
"No." The master shook his head firmly. "Xiao San, this is just a friendly spar. Winning or losing is normal, but your hidden weapons are deadly. One mistake, and you could seriously injure someone."
"Oh," Tang San replied, somewhat disappointed. "But without my hidden weapons, I can't beat Cheng Xiao. His two short swords were made by me. I know how sharp they are, and my Blue Silver Grass can't defend against them."
The master frowned slightly, a bit displeased. Tang San was good in every way, except for his tendency to overthink things. But recalling Tang Hao's reminder, the master kept his patience and said, "Xiao San, you're still young. Don't aim too high too soon. For now, your primary focus should be on increasing your spirit power. Sparring with Cheng Xiao is the least of your worries. Do you know why?"
"You are a rare talent, a twin-spirit prodigy who only appears once in a century. You also have the leading theorist of the spirit master world as your teacher. Your future development will only become better and stronger than Cheng Xiao's."
"I can guarantee that when you reach the rank of Titled Douluo and start cultivating your second spirit, the Clear Sky Hammer, your Blue Silver Grass won't just be free from counters; by that time, whether it's slashing, burning, or even frying in oil, your Blue Silver Grass will remain unharmed."
"Oh, I see." Tang San nodded, though for some reason, he still felt something odd, as if everything was already predetermined, and all he had to do was increase his spirit power. But why did it feel so strange? It was almost like what they call a "CPU" moment, or perhaps, someone was just feeding him empty promises.
"Alright, Xiao San, stop dwelling on this," the master said softly, noticing Tang San still mulling over the issue. "When Cheng Xiao returns with his second spirit ring, the headmaster will arrange a sparring match for both of you. By then, you'll only be allowed to use your spirits. That way, we can clearly see your abilities."
"I understand, Teacher," Tang San said quietly.
***
On the other side, in the working student dormitory.
Upon returning to Nuoding Academy from the Star Dou Forest, Wang Sheng and the others were filled with envy when they learned that Cheng Xiao and Xiao Wu had obtained their second spirit rings and become Spirit Grandmasters.
They had been studying at Nuoding Academy for six years, and after day and night of hard cultivation, they had barely reached the level of a one-ring Spirit Master. Most of their spirit rings were only ten-year rings, and the thought of obtaining a hundred-year ring was a far-off dream.
"Brother Cheng, Sister Xiao Wu," Wang Sheng approached them with a sheepish grin. "You two have such great talent. In just two years since joining the academy, you've already become Spirit Grandmasters."
Hearing this, Cheng Xiao smiled and patted Wang Sheng on the shoulder. "It's nothing. You'll get there too. Soon, you'll have hundred-year rings, thousand-year rings, even ten-thousand-year rings."
"Brother Cheng, we look up to you like an elder brother, but are you treating us like we're just here to do the heavy lifting?" Wang Sheng replied with a bitter smile. Though he knew Cheng Xiao was trying to comfort them, it still sounded odd. "By the way, Brother Cheng, the headmaster said to see him when you and Sister Xiao Wu returned. He has something for you."
"The headmaster?" Cheng Xiao was a little surprised.
"Yeah, he didn't say what it was, just told us to let you know when you got back," Wang Sheng said, scratching his head in confusion.
"Alright, I'll go see him now." Cheng Xiao nodded, then turned to the pouting Xiao Wu beside him. He gently pinched her soft cheek and said, "Didn't you say you were tired? Go take a nap."
"Fine, but you have to wake me up when you come back," Xiao Wu pouted.
"Okay," Cheng Xiao agreed softly, then quickly left the dormitory and headed toward the headmaster's office at Nuoding Academy.
After Cheng Xiao left, Wang Sheng glanced at Xiao Wu, who was standing there like a statue waiting for her beloved to return. He coughed lightly and said, "Sister Xiao Wu, stop staring. Brother Cheng will be back soon."
"I know he'll come back," Xiao Wu retorted, giving Wang Sheng a playful glare. She then clenched her little fists and said with a grin, "Wang Sheng, now that I've become a Spirit Grandmaster, how about we spar?"
"No, no, Sister Xiao Wu! I was wrong! I'll never speak out of turn again!"
"..."