"Second soul skill, activate!"
In the early morning forest, having absorbed the second soul ring, Tang San, under Master Yu Xiaogang's urging, aimed at a nearby small tree and shouted as he activated his second soul skill.
With the activation of the second soul ring, the surroundings lit up.
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass spirit instantly began to grow wildly, spreading out like countless venomous snakes, quickly wrapping around the small tree. In an instant, the tree was tightly bound.
"Is the effect of the second soul skill just wrapping and strangling?"
"Shouldn't it also have poison or some other effect?"
Seeing Tang San's Blue Silver Grass wrapping around the tree with no further effects, Yu Xiaogang was momentarily stunned.
According to his expectations, given the characteristics of the Golden Ringed Rattlesnake, the soul skill Tang San should have gained from absorbing its soul ring would include strangulation as a basic feature, but should also include poison or a sound-based confusion effect.
However, there was no sound-based confusion effect and the tree showed no signs of being affected by poison.
Could it be that Tang San's Blue Silver Grass spirit was too weak to inherit the snake's venom?
"It's not over yet…"
As Yu Xiaogang spoke, Tang San frowned, sensing something was amiss. He noticed that his second soul skill seemed to still be active, and the Blue Silver Grass spirit was changing.
Before their eyes, the Blue Silver Grass wrapping around the tree suddenly began to swell violently.
The once-thumb-sized Blue Silver Grass expanded rapidly, growing to three or four times its original size before suddenly bursting open with a loud explosion.
In an instant, a foul, fecal-green poisonous mist erupted into the air.
The noxious mist quickly spread out in the explosion's airflow.
Faced with the approaching foul, fecal-green poisonous mist, Tang San and his companions, before being enveloped, were overwhelmed by the stench of rotten eggs and decayed meat soaked in excrement. They instinctively moved away.
Since Tang San had used his second soul skill on a small tree, the amount of Blue Silver Grass was limited. Thus, the poisonous mist dissipated after covering a radius of a few meters.
However, even though they avoided the toxic cloud, Yu Xiaogang, Tang San, and Tang Hao were all stunned by the sight of the poisonous mist filling the forest.
This can't be!
Tang San's second soul skill is supposed to be a choking or poisonous effect, but instead, it's this stinking, explosive poisonous mist!
Yu Xiaogang could hardly believe what he was seeing.
Based on his research on soul beasts, absorbing the soul skill from a Golden Ringed Rattlesnake should result in one or more of the following effects: poison, speed, or sound-based confusion.
But an attack that resembles flatulence? That's impossible!
Wait! An attack that resembles flatulence?
A sudden thought struck Yu Xiaogang, and he felt a chill of realization.
"Yu Xiaogang, why is my son's second soul skill like this? You said it would have poison or sound-based confusion effects!"
Seeing his son's second soul skill produce such a foul-smelling poisonous mist, although the "power" was considerable, it was incredibly embarrassing to use in front of others. Tang Hao, suppressing his anger, grabbed Yu Xiaogang by the collar and lifted him.
Previously, he had reluctantly allowed his son to become Yu Xiaogang's disciple, hoping that this supposed genius would turn him into a god in the future. But if he had known this would happen, he would never have let his son become his disciple!
"I… I…"
Yu Xiaogang, being dragged by the collar, looked pained and held his head.
He had not anticipated this outcome. Having failed to find a suitable soul beast for three days, he had been overly eager when he saw the Golden Ringed Rattlesnake, assuming it was genuine without a thorough examination.
Now, it was too late!
Meanwhile, Tang San, witnessing the true effect of his second soul skill—a foul-smelling poisonous mist—was stunned and felt utterly crushed. Knowing he would become a god in the future, he realized his second soul skill was this disgusting ability.
If word got out, he would be ridiculed by everyone on the Douluo Continent!
"Master, I absorbed the wrong soul ring last night, didn't I?"
Amidst Tang Hao's fury and Yu Xiaogang's distressed expression, Tang San clenched his fists and, after a moment of silence, spoke coldly.
"Yes! Last night, I was too careless. After not finding a suitable soul beast for three days and it being evening, I mistakenly identified the soul beast you absorbed as a Golden Ringed Rattlesnake instead of the mimic Golden Ringed Flatulence Snake…"
Yu Xiaogang, with a pained expression, admitted.
"Mimic Golden Ringed Flatulence Snake…"
Hearing Yu Xiaogang's explanation, Tang San gritted his teeth, his forehead throbbing, and his grip on his fists tightened.
He now understood why his second soul skill had such an effect.
It turned out that he had absorbed not the true Golden Ringed Rattlesnake, but the similar-looking, flatulence-producing mimic!
"Stop making excuses! The issue of not finding a suitable soul beast and not seeing clearly in the evening!"
"Last night, I noticed the problem. Why didn't you check it? Am I just a tool for you to validate your soul theory, right?"
Realizing that his hard-earned second soul skill was so humiliating in front of everyone, Tang San's long-standing anger and resentment toward Yu Xiaogang erupted.
"Crap! Is he going to disown me now?"
Yu Xiaogang felt a pang of panic at Tang San's words. Although the second soul ring Tang San absorbed had indeed encountered some issues, it still validated his theory that plant-based spirit souls could absorb beast-type soul rings.
He couldn't afford to lose this convenient disciple!
"Little San, I'm truly sorry. It's all my fault. If you're really angry, then just kill me!"
"You successfully absorbed a beast-type soul ring, which has proven my theory. I have no regrets now!"
Seeing Tang San's anger, Yu Xiaogang's thoughts raced, and he showed a face full of guilt and sadness, expressing his remorse to Tang San.