Academy Conflict

After several days of recuperating as they traveled, Yu Xiaogang had mostly recovered by the time he and Tang San returned to the academy.

Even so, Yu Xiaogang's face remained overcast, his eyes full of pent-up anguish and dejection.

Tang San knew why without being told. Still, he didn't ask, nor did he show anything unusual. He was only a six-year-old child; he could simply pretend he didn't understand a thing.

Tang San escorted Yu Xiaogang to the foot of the dormitory building and stopped, his voice carrying a hint of relief. "We're finally back. Teacher, get some good rest."

Yu Xiaogang's expression barely changed. He merely nodded in silence and said, "There's nothing much wrong with my body anymore, but your cultivation can't be interrupted. Keep coming to me for lessons as usual."

"All right." Tang San nodded in helpless agreement, sighing inwardly.

"Also, go to the Spirit Hall in Nuoding City later. Have your Soul Master status assessed and your Soul Power Level tested. You'll also be officially registered with the Spirit Hall, so you can collect a monthly stipend from then on. You won't need to remain a work-study student, either."

"All right, Teacher."

Tang San took a few books on Soul Beast knowledge from Yu Xiaogang, then said goodbye and left.

Having absorbed his First Soul Ring, Tang San now had a subtly different bearing from before. The Evergreen Vine's vitality made him look much more spirited and handsome.

As Tang San came out of Yu Xiaogang's room, he happened to hear the bell ring for the end of class.

Class had just ended. Tang San decided to return to Dorm Seven first and say hello to his roommates. He hadn't seen them in days, and he didn't know how Wang Sheng, Xiao Wu, and the others were doing.

But when Tang San pushed open the door to Dorm Seven, it was empty, without a soul in sight. Standing in the doorway, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

Maybe, just like in the original story, Xiao Wu went to challenge Boss Xiao.

Tang San knew that the work-study students were often bullied by the upper-year students. With Xiao Wu's temper, she certainly wouldn't stand for it.

Without hesitation, Tang San immediately turned and left the dormitory, running toward the back of the academy.

When he reached the hill behind the academy, the work-study students were indeed there. The two sides consisted of more than twenty students in total, and the atmosphere was tense.

"Little girl, it's not too late to back out. Of course, I wouldn't mind having another pet rabbit. Your Martial Soul is a rabbit, right?" The person at the front was tall and straight-backed, and he spoke to Xiao Wu in a contemptuous tone.

Xiao Wu stood at the front of the work-study students, hands on her hips, chin raised slightly, and both rabbit ears standing bolt upright. Her face was full of disdain, though her rosy little face looked rather cute. She raised a hand and pointed at her opponent. "Boss Xiao, are you scared? If you are, you can be my lackey from now on."

"Ha ha." Boss Xiao laughed with an easy swagger. "Me, scared? Say, Wang Sheng, have you work-study students all got water in your brains? You actually found a little girl like this to challenge me. Why don't you ask around and find out who I, Boss Xiao, am? Here in Nuoding City, even if I walked sideways, no one would dare stand in my way, let alone here at the academy."

Xiao Wu was clearly growing impatient. "Cut the nonsense. Let's start. You tell me, how are we fighting?"

Boss Xiao's eyes darted around, and a mischievous look appeared on his face. "Don't worry, I won't bully you. There are ten of you here, aren't there? Then we'll only send out ten people too. We'll take turns, and anyone who wins can keep fighting the next opponent. We'll go until everyone on one side has been defeated."

"Fine, it's settled," Xiao Wu said readily. "Come on, who's your first fighter? Step out."

Boss Xiao beckoned behind him, and a tall upper-year student immediately stepped forward.

Wang Sheng, the former boss, gritted his teeth. "Sister Xiao Wu, let me go first."

Looking every bit the boss, Xiao Wu nodded and agreed to Wang Sheng's request.

Wang Sheng took a deep breath and was just about to walk to the center of the field,

"Wait, how could you leave me out when there's this much excitement?"

A clear voice came from behind the crowd, and the people automatically parted to make way.

Tang San walked out from the back at an unhurried pace, a faint smile on his face.

Xiao Wu turned and saw Tang San. Her pretty, large eyes lit up with pleasant surprise, and her two rabbit ears blinked. "Tang San, you're back!"

Tang San walked over to Xiao Wu, his gaze falling on Boss Xiao. "Are these people bullying us work-study students again?"

Xiao Wu spoke indignantly, her cheeks puffed up like two buns as she pointed at Boss Xiao. "That Boss Xiao or whatever not only bullied us work-study students, he even said he wanted me to be his pet rabbit. If I could put up with that, I wouldn't deserve to be the work-study students' boss!"

Tang San nodded and looked calmly at Wang Sheng. "Wang Sheng, come back. I'll go. Let's finish this quickly."

"Huh? But Tang San, isn't your Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass?" Xiao Wu asked in confusion, her large eyes full of worry.

Because Xiao Wu had never fought Tang San, she still didn't know how strong he was. And because his Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass, she hadn't deliberately challenged him either.

Tang San patted Xiao Wu's fragrant shoulder and smiled. "Blue Silver Grass can fight too."

Tang San walked to the center of the field, and Blue Silver Grass emerged from his right palm. Its emerald-green leaves gleamed faintly in the sunlight, its stalks thick and its blades broad, utterly unlike the frail appearance of ordinary Blue Silver Grass.

Immediately afterward, a yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath Tang San's feet and pulsed slowly, particularly striking in the sunlight.

"Tang San, first-year work-study student. Martial Soul, Blue Silver Grass. Level thirteen, one-ring Weapon Soul Master."

Tang San knew that on the Douluo Continent, announcing one's Martial Soul and level was a form of Soul Fighting etiquette.

"What? Level thirteen? A Hundred-Year Soul Ring?"

Boss Xiao's eyes went wide, and the upper-year students behind him erupted in an uproar, whispering and talking among themselves.

But when Boss Xiao saw clearly that Tang San's Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass, the shock on his face quickly turned to mockery. "Blue Silver Grass? Ha ha ha! Even with a Hundred-Year Soul Ring, how can Blue Silver Grass fight?"

The upper-year students behind him joined in the laughter.

Tang San's expression didn't change. Only when their laughter gradually died down did he speak. "Boss Xiao, is it? Are you coming at me one at a time, or all together?"

Boss Xiao's smile froze on his face.

"Arrogant!" Boss Xiao squeezed the word out through clenched teeth and strode to the center of the field. Standing across from Tang San, he looked down from his height at the brat a head shorter than himself. "Let's see what you're really made of."

Boss Xiao took a deep breath and loosely clenched his hands in front of him. His wolf Martial Soul possessed him, and a white Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet.

"Xiao Chenyu, sixth-year student. Martial Soul, wolf. Level eleven, one-ring Battle Soul Master."

"It's just Blue Silver Grass, Boss. Cripple him," an upper-year student couldn't help saying.

The battle began. Claws extended from Xiao Chenyu's ten fingers, and he was just about to charge Tang San.

A tight grip suddenly closed around his ankles, as though two hands reaching up from underground had seized them fast.

Xiao Chenyu looked down and saw that two thick strands of Blue Silver Grass had burst from the soil beneath his feet at some unknown point, winding around his legs from his calves to his knees.

"What is this?!" Xiao Chenyu's face changed drastically in shock.