Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

"Many people believe that Blue Silver Grass is useless, a waste of a martial soul. But after years of research, I've discovered that Blue Silver Grass has an advantage that no other martial soul possesses," the Grandmaster said with pride.

"An advantage?" Tang San was stunned and curiously asked, "Teacher, you're saying Blue Silver Grass has an advantage? What is it?"

In fact, after awakening his Blue Silver Grass martial soul, Tang San had carefully observed its natural form. But he quickly realized that aside from its resilience and how commonly it appeared, there wasn't anything particularly special about it.

The fact that it had strong vitality was indeed an important discovery, but Tang San had never considered any alternative development paths for the Blue Silver Grass. He had simply followed the Grandmaster's theories without question, as in his eyes, the Grandmaster's teachings were already the best possible approach.

The Grandmaster raised his right hand and waggled a finger in front of Tang San. "First of all, using Blue Silver Grass consumes very little spirit power. It uses far less than any other martial soul, which means you can keep using it without much drain."

"Yes, Teacher." Tang San summoned his martial soul, Blue Silver Grass, and nodded slightly. "Indeed, the energy consumption is minimal. I noticed that during combat."

Hearing this, the Grandmaster smiled and nodded. "It's good that you've noticed. This shows that your observation of martial souls is very keen, something most spirit masters overlook about their own martial soul."

"However, that's not the main point I want to discuss."

The Grandmaster continued, "Blue Silver Grass is incredibly ordinary, so much so that it's everywhere you look. Even if you summon your martial soul near an enemy, they might not notice it. Its ability to deceive is quite strong."

"Furthermore, if you want to truly defeat Cheng Xiao, you need to push your Blue Silver Grass to its limits. If it were any other spirit master with Blue Silver Grass, they might not even dare to think of such a strategy. But you're different, Xiao San. You're one of only three people in Douluo Continent's history to possess twin martial souls. Once you pass the weak phase of Blue Silver Grass and start focusing on the Clear Sky Hammer, your future will be limitless."

Seeing that Tang San was fully engrossed in the conversation, the Grandmaster continued, "Because of Blue Silver Grass's inherent weakness, its development path is very broad. More importantly, since it's so weak, it won't reject any attribute spirit rings."

"It can develop in many ways and won't reject any attribute spirit rings." Tang San muttered to himself after hearing this, suddenly feeling enlightened. His excitement grew as he asked, "Teacher, are you suggesting that when I choose my next spirit ring, I can select one that counters Cheng Xiao's martial soul attribute?"

"Haha, as expected of my disciple. You're quick to understand." The Grandmaster chuckled and patted Tang San on the shoulder. "Xiao San, your thinking is right. But as far as I know, Cheng Xiao's martial soul is called the Shadow Monarch. Based on the name, his martial soul should be of the darkness attribute. Finding a spirit beast to counter the darkness attribute can be extremely difficult."

"However, don't forget that although Cheng Xiao's martial soul is of the dark attribute, it's not a typical martial soul. Since he can summon shadow beasts to fight as a group, we can use that as a starting point. You should look for a light-attribute spirit beast that can grant your Blue Silver Grass control over groups."

"That way, not only will you counter Cheng Xiao's martial soul, but you'll also limit his shadow beasts. Once those annoying shadow beasts are out of the way, wouldn't he be as vulnerable as a fish on a chopping block?"

"So, as your teacher, I recommend that your fourth spirit ring come from a light-attribute spirit beast, preferably plant-based. This way, not only will your Blue Silver Grass gain a suppression effect over dark-attribute martial souls, but it might even gain additional unexpected abilities."

"Additional abilities?" Tang San asked, puzzled. "Teacher, if I absorb a light-attribute spirit ring, will Blue Silver Grass really gain other abilities?"

"I'm not sure," the Grandmaster shook his head slightly and said calmly. "Xiao San, this theory is based on my research. I speculate that absorbing a light-attribute spirit ring will give your Blue Silver Grass a recovery ability. As for what kind of recovery, I can't say for certain." After a pause, he added, "But Xiao San, would you be willing to help me with this unprecedented experiment?"

Touched by the Grandmaster's hopeful gaze, Tang San felt a deep sense of gratitude. Even though others called the Grandmaster a failure, he was willing to explore an uncharted path for the sake of Tang San's success. It was clear now—Tang San had made no mistake in choosing him as a teacher.

Blue Silver Grass was regarded as a useless martial soul, but after hearing the Grandmaster's explanation, Tang San felt as though the real problem wasn't the martial soul—it was him.

His teacher had dedicated time to researching this so-called "waste martial soul." And to help Tang San defeat Cheng Xiao, he had even pioneered a path no one else had thought of. This showed how deep the Grandmaster's research into martial soul theory truly went.

As for those who mocked his teacher as a failure, they were nothing but clowns, envious of the Grandmaster's brilliance. Their mockery was a reflection of their own limitations.

Looking back now, they seemed utterly laughable.

"Teacher, I'm willing!" Tang San didn't hesitate to agree to the Grandmaster's proposal. In his heart, everything the Grandmaster said was correct. No matter how others ridiculed him, Tang San was determined to prove them wrong and uphold his teacher's reputation.

His teacher's theory was flawless—there were no useless martial souls, only useless spirit masters!

Hearing this, the Grandmaster became extremely excited. "Xiao San, this strategy to counter Cheng Xiao is the best method I've come up with after exhausting all possibilities. Follow this path, and not only will you limit Cheng Xiao's power, but there might also be some pleasant surprises!"

"Xiao San, don't disappoint me," the Grandmaster said emotionally, gripping Tang San's shoulders.

"Teacher, rest assured." Tang San smiled and nodded. "I will prove to everyone that you are worthy of the title of Grandmaster in martial soul theory!"

Now, Tang San understood—Blue Silver Grass's true strength was its ability to compensate for its weaknesses. Since it was inherently weak, it could accept any enhancements, allowing it to grow stronger without concern for incompatibilities.

Seeing Tang San's fighting spirit, the Grandmaster was pleased and ruffled his hair. "Xiao San, that settles it for now. Go back and pack your things. When you reach rank forty, I'll have Flender take us to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for a light-attribute spirit beast."

"Alright, Teacher." Tang San nodded and left the Grandmaster's room.

As he stepped outside into the warm sunlight, Tang San's heart was full of emotion. With such a knowledgeable teacher in martial soul theory, how could he not become a powerful spirit master? At this moment, Tang San felt extremely fortunate for having chosen the Grandmaster as his mentor.