Tang San and Tang Hao were both stunned upon hearing this.
It was common knowledge that only a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring could grant two spirit abilities, yet according to Xiao Lin, even an ordinary spirit ring could potentially provide multiple abilities?
"Heh, unbelievable, right? Actually, I had this hypothesis a long time ago. It's just that Xiao San's case this time has made me more convinced of its validity."
Xiao Lin smirked proudly. "The three-eyed salamander itself is not a spirit beast specialized in perception. Its so-called perception ability comes only from its extra eye at the back of its head."
"But Xiao San, on the other hand, obtained a perception ability. Apart from the innate properties of the Blue Silver Grass, isn't this also because my words guided its manifestation?"
"After all, aside from me, no one else knows that Blue Silver Grass has perception abilities."
"No, to be precise, it's not just Blue Silver Grass—it's the Blue Silver King. Xiao San's martial soul is definitely not an ordinary Blue Silver Grass."
"The Blue Silver King gains perception abilities by linking with its kin, the Blue Silver Grass."
"In the future, as long as there are Blue Silver Grass around, Xiao San will likely have the ability to perceive through them."
Xiao Lin was deducing based on information he already knew, but this was something he had also discovered himself.
"Furthermore, some families have spirit rings with identical abilities."
"For example, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The abilities of their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda are almost always inherited in the same manner."
"If it weren't for the fact that their family doctrine enforces this belief, their acquired spirit abilities should have had variations."
"For instance, if a strength-based spirit beast was absorbed, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could grant a strength amplification ability, but it could also potentially grant strength absorption or strength transfer instead."
"All of these are possibilities. But why is the ability always strength amplification?"
"Besides the fact that strength amplification is the most universally powerful and practical, the only other reason is the spirit master's own perception and cognition."
"Because they believe strength amplification is the best, it becomes the strength amplification ability."
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect must have deeply ingrained this belief within their family."
Xiao Lin's words left Tang Hao and Tang San utterly dumbfounded. Could this really be the case?
"Moreover, all of the spirit rings you, Uncle Hao, have added are strength-based. Doesn't this further validate my theory?"
"This is all determined by your own understanding and inner desires."
"Also, take a look at the various combat professions among spirit masters—Attack-type Battle Spirit Masters almost never obtain defensive abilities. And if they do, it's only to enhance their offensive capabilities."
"But…"
At this moment, Tang San suddenly interrupted Xiao Lin, looking confused.
"If that's the case, doesn't that mean there could be all sorts of different spirit abilities? If we just imagine a certain ability, does that mean we have a chance of obtaining it?"
"Xiao San, you're too naïve. Have you forgotten about martial soul compatibility?"
Xiao Lin shook his head, clearly unimpressed by Tang San's simplistic thinking.
"But…"
"But even setting aside common spirit masters, there are also many well-educated and knowledgeable spirit masters who still only acquire one ability per ring."
Tang San was about to ask another question when Tang Hao interrupted him instead, voicing his own concerns.
"This is very simple—it's a cognitive trap. Aside from me, almost all spirit masters firmly believe they can only obtain one ability per ring. If they believe that, how could they possibly obtain multiple abilities?"
"In fact, even Xiao San hasn't actually obtained multiple abilities. He has only gained the potential to develop self-created spirit skills."
Xiao Lin waved his hand dismissively. The notion of multiple spirit abilities per ring was highly unrealistic.
A single spirit ring provided limited spirit power, so it was normal for it not to grant multiple abilities.
What Xiao Lin aimed for was acquiring additional functions within a single spirit ability or gaining the potential to develop self-created abilities.
Take his Coiling Dragon Staff, for example. He had already confirmed that his first spirit ability would enhance attack power.
But now, Xiao Lin also wanted to make his Coiling Dragon Staff tougher. Was this possible?
It certainly was.
Additionally, could he create a self-made spirit ability to allow the Coiling Dragon Staff to extend and retract?
This should also be feasible.
After all, Xiao Lin's Coiling Dragon Staff was originally 2.5 meters long.
Now, if he could contract it and enhance its natural properties, then even a minor extension ability would be useful.
Beyond that, Xiao Lin wasn't even fixated on acquiring multiple abilities per ring.
Not for hundred-year rings. Not even for thousand-year rings.
But for ten-thousand-year rings? There might be a chance, so why not test it?
Xiao Lin knew about spirit souls, and he knew that spirit souls could provide multiple abilities.
For now, he wouldn't hold out hope for a spirit soul, but if a ten-thousand-year spirit ring had the potential, it was worth investigating.
After all, a ten-thousand-year spirit ring could be obtained as early as the fourth ring.
Tang San had gotten his fourth ring as a ten-thousand-year ring, if he remembered correctly.
Tang Hao was deeply shocked by Xiao Lin's hypothesis. Originally, he had planned to entrust Tang San's education to Yu Xiaogang.
But now that he thought about it, wasn't Yu Xiaogang just a complete fraud?
His so-called theories were either stating the obvious or merely slight modifications of common knowledge.
Some of his ideas were even outright laughable.
"There are no useless martial souls, only useless spirit masters."
Wasn't that just another way of calling himself useless? Yu Xiaogang…
Tang Hao pondered. If Xiao Lin had awakened Yu Xiaogang's useless martial soul instead, he was certain Xiao Lin would still be able to break past the level 30 bottleneck—reaching at least Spirit Sage (level 70) wouldn't have been difficult.
"If you can't even figure out your own martial soul, how can you teach my son?"
Tang Hao exhaled deeply. Thank goodness we encountered Xiao Lin at such a critical moment.
"Xiao Lin, what is the other hypothesis you mentioned?"
Tang Hao collected himself and asked, now looking at Xiao Lin with a hint of respect.
For those with true talent, respect was natural—even for someone like him.
"Uncle Hao, let me tell you—this second hypothesis is truly groundbreaking."
Xiao Lin grinned confidently. "I call it the Martial Soul Shattering Evolution Theory."
"This idea came to me just now, when Xiao San's Blue Silver Grass shattered and regenerated."
"Martial Soul Shattering Evolution Theory?"
Both Tang Hao and Tang San froze, staring at Xiao Lin in shock.
"I've never heard of martial souls evolving before," Tang Hao said, his face full of astonishment. This was something he had never dared to imagine.
"Exactly," Tang San chimed in. Wasn't a martial soul supposed to be fixed from the moment of awakening?
Evolution? Is that even possible?
Tang San felt like his brain was about to explode.
Maybe I should just let Brother Lin handle martial soul research. I'll stick to studying self-created spirit techniques instead…
"That's not true at all. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has long sought martial soul evolution."
"They have desperately wished for their martial soul to evolve, so they could break past the level 79 limit."
Xiao Lin didn't think this was nonsense. Martial soul evolution was entirely possible.
"Uncle Hao, your Clear Sky Hammer is considered the strongest tool spirit in the world. It makes sense that you haven't paid attention to these matters. But do you know what the Clear Sky Sect's martial soul was before?"
"And I've heard that the Clear Sky Sect has a technique called the Grand Xu Mi Hammer—isn't that an evolution of the Clear Sky Hammer?"
The moment Xiao Lin said this, both Tang Hao and Tang San were completely dumbstruck, frozen in place like statues.
(End of Chapter)