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Liu Erlong opened her mouth, wanting to persuade him further, but Yu Xiaogang directly raised his hand to cut her off, his face showing a hint of impatience.
Seeing this, Flender stepped forward, gently patted Liu Erlong's shoulder, and slowly said, "Second Dragon Girl, since Xiaogang is so persistent, let him go with Little San. I don't think anything will happen. After all, we all have signal flares on us. Once there's danger, they just need to fire a signal flare, and we'll be able to rush over immediately."
Upon hearing this, Liu Erlong's brows remained tightly furrowed, her expression filled with worry. But after a moment of hesitation, she still nodded gently, reluctantly agreeing.
A few minutes later, the four, as previously discussed, split into three groups. They slowly searched in three different directions within the Sunset Forest.
Yu Xiaogang and Tang San were in one group. As they walked, Yu Xiaogang patiently explained the habits and weaknesses of various Spirit Beasts to Tang San, just as he had done at Noding Academy. From time to time, he would also point out potential dangers based on their surroundings.
"Before the thousand-year mark, most Spirit Beasts choose to live in groups to defend against natural enemies," Yu Xiaogang explained in a low voice. "But once they pass a thousand years, they gradually become solitary, especially some violent Spirit Beasts, who can't stand to see others of their kind in their territory..."
Tang San listened quietly, but suddenly stopped, turning his gaze to Yu Xiaogang and asking seriously, "Teacher, can I ask you a question?"
"Little San, what is it?" Yu Xiaogang paused slightly, turning his head.
Tang San slowly began, "Teacher, why are you unwilling to be with Aunt Erlong? For your sake, she has waited all these years, never choosing anyone else. What kind of deep affection is that? If you continue to evade like this, it will only bring pain to both of you."
As his words fell, the sound of the wind in the forest seemed to pause for a moment. Yu Xiaogang's steps faltered, and the expression on his face became complex.
After a moment of silence, he finally spoke slowly, his voice low and suppressed. "Little San, you're still young, there are many things you don't understand. My relationship with Erlong... if we truly were to be together, we would inevitably be shunned by the world. You know, my reputation is already condemned by thousands; even if I don't care, how could I bear to let Erlong, a woman, suffer these rumors and gossip with me?"
At this point, Yu Xiaogang's eyes dimmed, and he looked towards the depths of the forest ahead. Then, he let out a long sigh, his tone tinged with bitterness.
"Loving someone doesn't necessarily mean possessing them. More often, I just hope she can live happily and contentedly. For me, that's already enough," he said. Looking down at his incomplete body, a hint of self-mockery appeared in Yu Xiaogang's eyes. "Besides, in my current state... Little San, do you think she would truly be happy with me?"
Hearing this, Tang San forgot his identity as a student and, like a teacher, lectured Yu Xiaogang, advising him: "Teacher, your heart is still too fragile. What do worldly opinions matter? Aunt Erlong, a woman, isn't afraid, so what are you afraid of?"
"As for your body, I think if we can find some Heaven And Earth Treasure that can bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones, there might be a chance for severed limbs to be reattached."
Yu Xiaogang stared blankly at Tang San, his lips trembling, already somewhat speechless.
Just then, a strange sound suddenly came from the forest ahead, like vines being forcibly torn apart, or some enormous creature slowly wriggling.
His expression stern, Tang San immediately activated Purple Demon Eye, his eyes glowing purple, and through the branches and darkness, he clearly pinpointed the source of the sound. Not far away, from amidst the bushes, a giant devil spider Spirit Beast, completely black with a cold gleam on its carapace, slowly crawled out. Its front end bore a bizarre human-like facial pattern, and its eight sharp legs dug fiercely into the mud, each step causing a low tremor.
"Teacher, it's a Man Faced Demon Spider..." Tang San's expression changed slightly as he whispered a warning.
Hearing this, a hint of joy flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes, and he eagerly asked, "Little San, how old is it?"
Tang San focused his gaze and said in a deep voice, "From the looks of it, its age should be around six thousand years."
Upon hearing this, a deep look of delight immediately appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face, and he could barely suppress the excitement in his voice as he said, "Little San, your fourth Spirit Ring is settled! With your current strength, absorbing its Spirit Ring should be no problem."
"More importantly, it's the same type of Spirit Beast as the one you hunted last time. As long as you absorb its power, it will not only further enhance your third Spirit Ability but also potentially strengthen your External Spirit Bone! After all, your External Spirit Bone came from a Man Faced Demon Spider."
"Teacher, but my third Spirit Ring is already a Man Faced Demon Spider. If my fourth Spirit Ring is also a Man Faced Demon Spider, won't it lead to redundant Spirit Abilities?" Tang San asked, a hint of doubt in his eyes.
Yu Xiaogang waved his hand, a flash of wisdom in his eyes, and smiled with certainty: "Redundant Spirit Abilities don't matter! On the contrary, this will make your control ability even stronger. Besides, the true purpose of your Cultivating Blue Silver Grass is only to lay the Foundation for your second Spirit, Clear Sky Hammer."
"What Spirit Ring is attached to Blue Silver Grass is not that important to begin with," he stated.
Tang San frowned slightly. After hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, he felt that something was off. He didn't nod immediately but instead retorted in a deep voice: "Teacher, I disagree. Redundant Spirit Abilities are not a small matter. The Spirit Ring is the Foundation for a Spirit's growth, especially Blue Silver Grass. It's the first Spirit I Cultivated, and it's my fundamental reliance."
"Even if it's to lay the Foundation for the Clear Sky Hammer, it absolutely cannot be wasted casually," Tang San continued. "You've always taught me to carefully choose every Spirit Ring, because once you choose wrong, there's no turning back. If the fourth Spirit Ring is largely similar to the third Spirit Ring, my future Cultivation of Blue Silver Grass will inevitably be limited. What about your Spirit theory...?"
Hearing this, a hint of displeasure flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes, and his voice carried a touch of dogma as he said, "Little San, even you are starting to question my Spirit theory now? You must know that not everyone can achieve perfection in Spirit Master Cultivation."
"Do you think you still have any extra room for choice now? You actually don't! Especially right now, the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament is imminent. The Spirit Ring you need is practical and stable, not blindly pursuing so-called perfection."
"You're already most familiar with the Man Faced Demon Spider's abilities. Its power will maximize the improvement of your Blue Silver Grass in a short period, and it also has the potential to strengthen your External Spirit Bone, Eight Spider Lances.
This is the optimal solution for now," Yu Xiaogang insisted. "As for the future, you still have your second Spirit, Clear Sky Hammer. Little San, Blue Silver Grass is only your auxiliary; what truly determines the height of your future Cultivation is the Clear Sky Hammer!"
"For your future, you must make choices. Sacrifice some unimportant things, like Blue Silver Grass. Then, in exchange for a more powerful Spirit in the future, that is the most correct choice," he argued. "Think about it, once you reach level sixty, you directly switch to Cultivating your second Spirit, Clear Sky Hammer, and all the Spirit Rings attached to it are ten thousand years or more. Will Blue Silver Grass still be important to you then?"
Upon hearing this, Tang San's expression gradually wavered. He murmured, repeating: "Choices? Sacrificing Blue Silver Grass? In exchange for the Clear Sky Hammer's power..." What Yu Xiaogang said seemed right, and yet also wrong. He suddenly felt a bit lost.
"Little San, you must believe that your teacher will never harm you. Choosing this six-thousand-year-old Man Faced Demon Spider as your fourth Spirit Ring will not be wrong; this is what's most beneficial to you."
Although Tang San's eyes still showed hesitation, he eventually nodded. He seemed to have been persuaded by Yu Xiaogang's argument and chose to trust the latter.
"In that case, I'll notify Dean Flender and Aunt Erlong to come over. Hunting a six-thousand-year-old Spirit Beast will be safer with their help."
As soon as he finished speaking, he took out a signal flare from his Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges and then raised his hand to fire it into the sky.
Immediately, under the night sky, a dazzling light shot up into the sky, illuminating the entire Sunset Forest.
Flender and Liu Erlong noticed this soaring light almost immediately. The two exchanged glances, then nodded in unison, and then launched themselves forward, rushing towards the direction where the signal flare had risen.
At the same time, this Man Faced Demon Spider also noticed the light in the sky immediately. A flicker of panic crossed its originally cold eyes, as if it sensed the arrival of some danger.
In the next instant, its eight dark long legs suddenly pushed off the ground, carrying a heavy whooshing sound, and it recklessly turned, scurrying rapidly towards the depths of the forest.
"Little San, it's trying to escape! We must try our best to hold it back until Flender and the others arrive!" Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang's expression changed, and a hint of anxiety flashed in his eyes.
Hearing this, Tang San's expression became serious. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately said in a deep voice, "Teacher, let me hold it back! You wait here for Dean Flender and Aunt Erlong!"
With that, his feet suddenly shifted, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track instantly unfolded, and his entire figure flashed, darting out like a Gui Mei, chasing after the Man Faced Demon Spider in the direction it fled.