Chapter 116: The Promised Duel

The reason You Chen had remained in Notting City for so long was to create the illusion of being "well-behaved" in Bibi Dong's eyes, giving himself a period of relative peace to develop during his early system gains.

Any interactions with Xiao Wu and Tang San were merely moves on the sideboard—minor diversions in a larger game.

Now that his wings had grown stronger and his actions might attract Bibi Dong's attention, it was naturally time to leave.

---

"Xiao San, do you remember our promise?"

One day, You Chen's clone, You Xing, unexpectedly sought out Tang San. "It's been nearly three years since that day."

Tang San's pupils contracted as he saw You Xing approach and heard these words.

It had been over a year since Tang San had become utterly enamored with Xiao Wu, intoxicated by the maternal qualities she displayed. During this time, You Chen had focused his energy on his own cultivation and refrained from interfering in the duo's relationship. As a result, at least in Tang San's eyes, life had been rather smooth.

Although Xiao Wu had grown increasingly dismissive and even violent toward him, Tang San not only bore it without complaint but seemed to savor it. At times, he even wondered if a mother's love might feel like Xiao Wu's brand of "tough love."

Free from the mental exhaustion caused by You Xing's previous interventions, Tang San's cultivation had progressed significantly.

After nearly three years, Tang San had successfully obtained his second spirit ring and was now a Level 21 Spirit Master. By his current pace, he estimated he could reach Level 26 or 27 by the time he graduated from Notting City Academy—three levels lower than his counterpart in the original timeline, who had reached Level 29.

"I haven't forgotten our promise," Tang San replied, his gaze resolute but tinged with doubt. "I've already broken through to the Spirit Master realm, but Brother You Xing, isn't it still a bit early for our duel? I want to make more preparations and face you in my best condition to properly test my progress over these three years."

A fierce battle intent burned in Tang San's eyes.

This wasn't an excuse to avoid the duel. Rather, he had deliberately avoided sparring with You Xing over the past year to keep his improvements hidden, saving them for this long-promised rematch.

After all, as the child of destiny, Tang San's pursuit of strength remained unwavering despite his romantic entanglements.

With his breakthrough in cultivation, the Mysterious Heaven Skill had reached a new level, enabling upgrades to some of his hidden weapons. However, these upgrades weren't fully complete yet, so he wanted to delay the duel a bit longer.

You Xing shook his head. "Unfortunately, Xiao San, I don't have time to wait for your perfection. I'm leaving Notting City with my teacher very soon."

"What... what!?"

Tang San's eyes widened in shock. "Why so suddenly? You never mentioned this before!"

Despite the minor jealousy Tang San harbored over Xiao Wu, he genuinely respected You Xing.

After three years of interaction, Tang San had come to understand You Xing's seemingly cold but internally warm personality. Toward those he acknowledged, You Xing was always forgiving and accommodating.

In his heart, Tang San had already come to regard You Xing as an elder brother—and also a rival.

But now, with no prior warning, You Xing was about to leave?

A vague sense of panic rose in Tang San's heart, one he couldn't quite explain.

He blurted out, "Can't you stay? Here, with me and... Xiao Wu! We could train together and grow stronger as a team!"

You Xing shook his head. "Only by following my teacher can I become a true powerhouse."

He spoke firmly, "There's no need to say more, Tang San. If you're unwilling to fulfill our three-year promise, then... let's part ways here."

His tone grew colder, and he deliberately changed how he addressed Tang San.

Faced with this, how could Tang San refuse?

Clenching his fists, he gritted his teeth. "Fight? Why wouldn't I fight!? But just like before, Brother You Xing, let's make a wager. If I win, you have to stay!"

You Xing remained calm, adopting a ready stance. "Agreed."

Tang San's battle intent surged to unprecedented levels. "Victory! I must win!"

Perhaps spurred on by You Xing's words, or perhaps because he didn't want to see the teacher who intended to take You Xing away, Tang San rashly decided to fight without a judge present.

And so, five minutes later...

Thud!

Tang San collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.

"Defeated."

He chuckled bitterly, "Ha, I lost again."

Footsteps echoed as You Xing walked over, just like he had three years ago. This time, however, he extended a hand to help Tang San up, offering genuine praise: "Your hidden weapons have improved again. As a Spirit Master, you can already threaten those at the Spirit Grandmaster level. When you become a Spirit Grandmaster, you'll be able to challenge Spirit Elders. I must admit their power. But I'm simply too strong. Just as you can threaten Spirit Elders, I... can now challenge Spirit Ancestors. After this battle, I'll be leaving with my teacher to obtain my third spirit ring."

Tang San's pupils trembled violently.

Even though he had sensed You Xing holding back during their fight, he hadn't expected You Xing's strength to have reached such heights.

"Three years from now, when I reach You Xing's current age, will I become a Spirit Grandmaster?"

The answer was painfully clear.

Tang San's lips quivered uncontrollably as he muttered, "Your martial spirit... what about your martial spirit!?"

It was as if he had given up, suddenly roaring, "This is the same as three years ago! Back then, you only praised my hidden weapons! In your eyes, has my martial spirit made no progress at all!?"

You Xing hesitated before replying, "There are some things I've kept to myself. To be honest…"

He gave Tang San a long, meaningful look. "A long time ago, I realized that if I wanted to maintain a good relationship with you, there were things I should never say out loud."

Tang San's pupils shrank.

He immediately understood what You Xing meant by "a long time ago."

It was...

Tang San suddenly recalled the day he first acknowledged Yu Xiaogang as his teacher and how You Xing had expressed doubts about him. He now understood why You Xing had remained silent.

Lowering his head, Tang San was quiet for a long time before hoarsely speaking, "Say it. Just for today—on this day of parting—I'll treat your words as a dream."

Even though his bangs obscured his face, making it impossible for You Xing to see his expression, he still took on a thoughtful, pensive demeanor before slowly saying, "Xiao San, the reason I only praise your hidden weapons is that I'm dissatisfied with how you're developing your Blue Silver Grass. Isn't it obvious from your fighting style? Even without relying on Blue Silver Grass, your self-created spirit techniques and hidden weapons already give you considerable strength. You could develop Blue Silver Grass as a tool to compensate for your weaknesses and enhance your strengths, using your techniques to make up for any combat deficiencies."

He paused.

"Of course, my experience is limited, and I can't claim my opinion is absolutely correct. Perhaps Yu Xiaogang's method is truly extraordinary. After all... he's your teacher, and I'm merely an outsider. But I've always wondered—did Yu Xiaogang make you follow the control-system path just to use you as a test subject for his theories?"

Tang San: "…"

This was You Xing's genuine thought.

Watching Tang San's silence, You Xing nodded and continued, "Without evidence, my words are nothing but baseless speculation. This is a topic that requires proper discussion. So, Xiao San, let me ask you—do you really think your Blue Silver Grass is a useless martial spirit?"

Hearing this, Tang San raised his head and said flatly, "If it's useless against you, isn't it a waste spirit? I think, whether it's control or any other system, it doesn't really matter."

You Xing replied, "You're not the same as you were three years ago. By now, you've read many books and learned plenty of theories. You've heard of the 'Six-Dimensional Martial Spirit Scoring Method,' haven't you?"

Tang San nodded.

You Xing said, "That was my teacher's invention."

He glanced meaningfully at Tang San. "It's also one of the few theories he's allowed to circulate publicly."

Tang San was stunned. "That scoring method... was created by Master You Chen? My teacher... never told me that!"

To him, this scoring method seemed like an ancient tool, passed down for generations among spirit masters. Though his teacher had never endorsed it or used it to evaluate his martial spirit, Tang San had always assumed it was a well-known legacy method.

But now he learned it was a recent invention—one created by Master You Chen!

You Xing smirked. "This was something my teacher proposed at the age of 13. Do you think Yu Xiaogang would feel comfortable telling you about its origins?"

Tang San fell silent. He could already imagine his teacher blushing in embarrassment.

"Still, even if it's awkward, couldn't he have just used the method without mentioning its origins?"

For the first time, Tang San began to reflect on You Xing's earlier accusation: "Did he make me follow this path just to test his theories?"

After a moment, You Xing took out a piece of paper, quickly scribbled on it, and handed it to Tang San. "Take a look."

Tang San glanced at the paper and froze. "This is... a six-dimensional chart for Blue Silver Grass?"

In You Chen's record of six-dimensional values for spirits, if Blue Silver Grass were developed as a combat-oriented martial spirit, it would indeed be nothing more than trash.

Martial Spirit: Blue Silver Grass (Low-level Martial Spirit)

Destructive Power: 0 (No inherent destructive capability)

Speed: 2 (Decent compared to other low-level spirits)

Durability: 0 (Breaks upon contact)

Range: 2 (Can be used at a distance, but with limited area of effect)

Energy: 1 (Minimal vitality boost, with almost no enhancement to spirit power)

Special Abilities: 3 (Most tool spirits lack differentiation abilities, akin to food-type spirits. Blue Silver Grass's low spirit power burden and mass usability are unique, earning it this score.)

Total: 5 (+3 from special abilities)

At first glance, the score of 5+3 might seem passable.

However, the "bonus" attributed to special abilities was a unique consideration.

For example, if Xie Yue's Moon Blade could split into multiple copies rather than exist as a single pair, its strength would be on an entirely different level. In such a case, it might rival top-tier spirits and even pose a threat to super-tier spirits. That bonus score of 3 would certainly be justified.

But for the ordinary Blue Silver Grass, it was a different story.

Fragile to the point of breaking upon the slightest pull or snap, no amount of quantity could offset its inherent weaknesses. It was akin to multiplying zero by infinity—it was still zero.

The basic attributes of Blue Silver Grass were simply too weak, rendering its "special ability" almost meaningless.

So, was it unfair to call Blue Silver Grass a trash spirit? No. It truly was trash.

At this point, a rare smirk appeared on You Xing's usually cold face. "This is the average value of Blue Silver Grass recorded in Spirit Hall. But you've likely realized by now, haven't you? Your Blue Silver Grass doesn't match these numbers at all. During our spars, I've already noticed—your Blue Silver Grass is anything but ordinary."

Many fanfiction stories that take pleasure in obstructing Tang San's path often focus on targeting his first spirit ring.

However, You Xing had no intention of interfering in that aspect.

To You Xing, the development path Yu Xiaogang had laid out for Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was, in fact, the "optimal route" from the perspective of Tang San's future enemies.

In the original story, Yu Xiaogang directed Tang San toward developing Blue Silver Grass as a control-type spirit. His reasoning boiled down to two main points:

1. Low spirit power consumption, allowing for mass deployment.

2. The original quote: "Grass is flexible and can take on various forms. At its simplest, it can be used as a rope to bind enemies."

Apart from these points, Yu Xiaogang dismissed Blue Silver Grass as worthless, merely noting its compatibility with enhancements due to its inherent weaknesses.

While not entirely nonsensical, these arguments were riddled with flaws.

The most laughable of all was the notion that "grass is flexible," leading to the assertion that its malleability made it suitable for control-type development.

If flexibility were truly its strength, Yu Xiaogang wouldn't have insisted that Tang San's first spirit ring be the Mandala Snake, which enhanced Blue Silver Grass's toughness.

Clearly, its inherent properties weren't suited for control. It had to be forcibly patched up through spirit rings. Yet in Yu Xiaogang's logic, this became a virtue.

As for the so-called advantage of "mass deployment," it was essentially a characteristic of food-type spirits, which can also be "mass-consumed."

For ordinary Blue Silver Grass, this evaluation wasn't wrong.

However, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was far from ordinary. Even without awakening its Blue Silver Emperor bloodline, it wasn't comparable to regular Blue Silver Grass.

Ordinary Blue Silver Grass was indeed as fragile as described, easily broken with a touch—a point repeatedly emphasized in the original story.

But was that true of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass?

In his spar against Xiao Laoda, Tang San had used only his Blue Silver Grass—not spirit abilities—simply controlling it to bind Xiao Laoda. Even then, Xiao Laoda couldn't break free!

Even if the first spirit ring had enhanced its toughness, Blue Silver Grass was supposed to be a low-level martial spirit. For it to bind an early-stage Beast Spirit Master without spirit abilities was already extraordinary.

Its performance far exceeded the limits of a low-level martial spirit!

During his early spars with Tang San, You Xing had roughly assessed the strength of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass.

Quickly jotting down new numbers, You Xing handed another piece of paper to Tang San. "Look again. This time, does it align with your own experience?"

---

Martial Spirit: Blue Silver Grass (Mid-level Martial Spirit)

Destructive Power: 1 (Slightly below average)

Speed: 3 (Above average, though not exceptional)

Durability: 1 (Low-level performance)

Range: 3 (Moderate range)

Energy: 3.5 (Enhanced vitality boost, with significant spirit power support)

Special Abilities: 3 (Mass differentiation potential remains unchanged)

Total: 11.5 (+3 from special abilities)

---

With the first spirit ring enhancing its toughness to 2 and its differentiation ability enabling control, it could even suppress Beast Spirit Masters. This was just barely justifiable.

Looking at the total score, it was a full 5 points higher than the average Blue Silver Grass, making it a top-tier mid-level martial spirit.

With its latent Blue Silver Emperor bloodline, even if it didn't evolve into the Blue Silver Emperor, its overall quality could still reach top-tier status.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had numerous potential development paths:

Control-Type Growth: Similar to Wood Release, focusing on versatile manipulation.

Infinite Growth: Focusing on scaling and overwhelming numbers.

Life Devouring: Developing parasitic and devouring properties.

Healing Support: Amplifying its vitality for recovery abilities.

Strength Amplification: Enhancing physical capabilities.

From You Chen's perspective, the least suitable path was the control-type route Yu Xiaogang had chosen.

It was an artificially strengthened path. If not for Tang San's high spirit ring ages, the Blue Silver King's sacrifice, and the enhancements from celestial herbs, it would have been a completely wasted path.

Even with all these boosts, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass still fell into a one-dimensional utility role.

As for the Blue Silver Emperor? It was merely a glorified tool spirit.

---

"Mid-level martial spirit, not low-levl?" Tang San frowned as he compared the two charts.

You Xing had given him too many revelations today. His brain was in chaos, a swirling mess of thoughts.

"My Blue Silver Grass... wasn't it universally acknowledged as a low-level martial spirit? How did it become mid-level?"

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