The father and son chatted beneath the moonlight all night, until dawn was near.
Yang Yu finally could not hold on any longer and collapsed.
Yang San shook his head with a bitter smile, then picked Yang Yu up and carried him back to the room. He gently laid him on the bed, tucked him in, nodded, and vanished from the house.
Yang Yu slept until the blazing sun was high on the third day before he finally woke up.
It had been an exceptionally peaceful, restful sleep.
After getting up, he walked outside, stretched lazily, and prepared to practice a few sets of punches to loosen up.
"Yu'er, you're awake!"
"Morning, Mother!"
"Are you hungry? Mother will make you something delicious."
To be honest, Yang Yu truly enjoyed moments like this. In his previous life, he had been an orphan with no family to turn to. He had never experienced what fatherly or motherly love was.
Yang Yu's heart felt warm.
"Okay, Mother!"
After eating, Yang Yu sank contentedly into his chair.
At that moment, his mother took out a letter and handed it to Yang Yu.
"Here! This is for you."
"What is this?"
"Didn't you choose that path? Your father and I discussed it and decided to send you to the Soul Master Academy in Cloud Firmament City first."
"Soul Master Academy?"
Damn it!
"Why does this resemble that world so much?"
"Don't tell me some bunny-eared loli will show up too?"
"What are you thinking about?"
"Take it. You'll leave in seven days, so prepare yourself properly."
Yang Yu came back to his senses and nodded.
Nothing happened over the next seven days. Yang Yu spent them all meditating.
That day, he had thought his parents would be taking him there, but the one who came for him was the village chief.
"Little Yu, let's go!"
"Oh, okay, Grandpa!"
After reluctantly parting from his foster mother, Yang Yu set out on his path to study.
As for his father, he had not been seen for several days. Yang Yu had no idea where he had gone.
That was also why his mother had not taken him there herself.
He had probably been delayed by some powerful Soul Beast.
Yang Yu did not consider anything dangerous at all, because he trusted his father.
This journey lasted several months.
Cloud Firmament City.
It was exceptionally bustling at the moment, filled with endless cries from vendors hawking their wares.
Following the village chief, Yang Yu headed straight for the Soul Master Academy.
"Halt! Who are you people? This is important academy grounds. Unauthorized people are forbidden from entering."
The village chief stepped forward with a smile and took out two Soul Stones, handing them to the guards.
"You two, I've brought my grandson here to enroll. Look..."
With the Soul Stones smoothing things over, the grandfather and grandson quickly entered and arrived at the registration office.
After paying the tuition at the administration office, the village chief bid farewell to Yang Yu and left the academy.
He had ostensibly left, but was actually protecting him in secret.
Yang Yu's foster mother had sent him.
After all the procedures were completed, an instructor led Yang Yu into a cave dwelling.
At the Cloud Firmament City Soul Master Academy, cave dwellings for Miscellaneous Disciples housed seven people together.
Yang Yu had enrolled as a Miscellaneous Disciple, working while studying.
When he entered the cave dwelling, he saw five disciples sitting cross-legged in meditation.
Suddenly, one burly disciple opened his eyes and glared at Yang Yu.
"New here? Don't you know the rules?"
Yang Yu froze for a moment, then grinned.
"Oh? May I ask, Senior Brother, what rules those are?"
"Skinny, he's asking about the rules. Go tell him."
A thin disciple walked over to Yang Yu and said:
"Junior Brother, just cooperate. Hand over ten Soul Stones obediently, or you'll get beaten badly."
"Oh? There's a rule like that? Interesting, truly interesting!"
"That Senior Brother over there wants Soul Stones? Fine! Come take them yourself."
The burly disciple was stunned for a moment, then got up and walked over to Yang Yu, holding out his hand.
"Hm? Where are the Soul Stones? Hand them over!"
The corners of Yang Yu's lips curled upward as he clenched one hand into a fist.
He threw a punch.
Boom!
The burly disciple was instantly sent flying. He smashed into the nearby wall and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Damn it, I gave you face and you still pushed it? Your feathers haven't even grown in yet, and you're already collecting protection money?"
The other disciples were astonished. The thin disciple froze, then inwardly rejoiced.
This is a powerful backer. I have to cling to him properly.
Yang Yu walked step by step toward the burly disciple, then planted another foot on his body.
"B-Big Brother, spare my life!"
"Hmph."
"Weren't you going to collect ten Soul Stones from me? Do you still want them?"
"Big Brother, I won't dare do it again. Please spare me!"
"Remember this: there is always someone stronger, and a sky beyond the sky. Cultivate properly. Don't go around copying others and collecting protection money for no reason. Understand?"
"Yes, yes, yes! I understand, Big Brother. I'll never do it again."
"Hm."
"Get up."
After that, the other five disciples became completely different people from before and began helping Yang Yu make his bed.
"Boss, please rest! We've made your bed for you."
Yang Yu nodded.
"Hm."
"Not bad."
Just then.
A captivating, sweet, and pleasant voice came from the entrance.
Yang Yu was stunned and turned around.
Damn it, are you kidding me?
Just changing a name turned this into a place for me to gain experience?
"Excuse me, is this the Seventh Cave?"
The disciples nodded blankly.
They wore lecherous expressions, as though they had never seen a woman before, and kept staring at the female disciple.
"Hello, everyone! My name is Ming Wu, as in dancing gracefully."
"Pfft."
When Yang Yu heard that, he nearly fell over.
What the hell?
He had read plenty of novels in his previous life, so it naturally felt extremely familiar.
Ming Wu smiled slightly at the stunned Yang Yu.
"Little Brother, what's your name?"
Yang Yu came back to his senses and answered:
"Hello, my name is Yang Yu, as in a raging storm."
Ming Wu burst into laughter.
Sure enough, what happened next was exactly as Yang Yu had expected.
Yang Yu had never intended to be any kind of boss. He deliberately held back, and Ming Wu became the boss of the Seventh Cave.
Life at the academy was always so dull and tedious.
However, it did allow Yang Yu to better understand this world and these so-called Soul Controllers.
Next, he planned to hunt Soul Beasts and finish absorbing the several Life Souls.
After bidding farewell to the disciples of the Seventh Cave, he went alone to a forest.
Elder Hai was watching him from the shadows.
In truth, Yang Yu had long sensed Elder Hai's presence, but he had not exposed him.
With his perception, how could he possibly fail to notice?
After darting into the forest, he quickly sensed a suitable Soul Beast.
He immediately ran toward it. As a First-Rank Soul Controller, he still could not fly.
A few breaths later, the battle officially began.
Since he had not acquired a Soul Beast Life Soul and had no Life Soul Skill of his own, he could only fight with his fists.
Boom!
Bang!
At first, he could not gain the upper hand and seemed about to fall into a disadvantageous position. Elder Hai, hidden in the shadows, prepared to rescue him.
As time passed and his combat experience grew, Yang Yu gradually began gaining the upper hand.
Elder Hai nodded in satisfaction, then concealed himself once more.
Half an hour later, the Soul Beast collapsed and could not rise again.
Yang Yu stepped forward and threw a few more punches, then condensed all his power into his strongest punch and struck directly at the Soul Beast's head.
Bang!
The Soul Beast's head instantly exploded, killing it completely.
Yang Yu nodded, then sat cross-legged and summoned his Life Soul to begin absorbing it.
This was a thousand-year Soul Beast that he had killed above his rank.
The Soul Beast's Life Soul emerged from its body, then Yang Yu's Life Soul pulled it in and fused with it.
Gradually, the Soul Beast's Life Soul became illusory before vanishing completely!
With a boom!
Yang Yu's rank began to rise.
One star.
Two stars.
Three stars.
Seven stars.
Eight stars.
Nine stars.
It continued until it stopped at the peak of nine stars.
Yang Yu opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.
He clenched his fist.
"Hm."
"I'm several times stronger than before."
He had also obtained a passive skill:
Strength Amplification: Passively increases the user's strength fivefold. It improves as the user's rank rises.
"Not bad!"
"Huh! I'm already at the peak of nine stars. I can keep absorbing Soul Beast Life Souls."
"Hm, since I'm already here, I might as well absorb them all!"
Over the next stretch of time, Yang Yu continuously searched for suitable Soul Beasts with his senses.
Before long, he began hunting Soul Beasts and successfully absorbed their Life Souls.
Until they left the forest,
Yang Yu's cultivation had reached the second star of the third rank, a Soul Controller.
This level of cultivation was already comparable to that of an academy teacher.
Even Elder Hai, who had been hiding in the shadows, was shocked.
"What a monster! With a sweep of his hand, he sent a message back to Subduing Dragon Village."
Subduing Dragon Village.
"Good! As expected of Mu Dan's son! Hahahaha!"
Time flew by,
and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.
Over the past year, Yang Yu and Ming Wu had become very good friends.
As soon as vacation began, Yang Yu invited Ming Wu to visit his home.
(Pah! I really don't want to expose you, but you're fooling that little girl's feelings again.)
"Brother Yu, how much longer until we reach your village?"
"Soon, soon!"
"But my feet hurt!"
Ming Wu pouted.
"Brother Yu really is something. It's so far away, yet he didn't even arrange a carriage. He just made this young lady walk all the way back with him."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Yang Yu's mouth.
"How about I carry you?"
This was exactly the moment Yang Yu had been waiting for.
Ming Wu froze, then shook her head.
"N-No, we can't! Men and women shouldn't have such close contact! Besides, it's such a long way, and you're already tired. I'll hold on a little longer!"
But Yang Yu gave her no chance. He bent down and hoisted Ming Wu onto his back.
"Ah!"
"Put me down!"
Ming Wu shyly looked at Yang Yu's back.
"It's fine! Hold on tight. I'm speeding up."
In truth, Yang Yu was not tired at all.
Ever since he had absorbed the second Soul Beast Life Soul and the third Soul Beast Life Soul, his physique and speed had greatly increased.
That was right. After absorbing the second Soul Beast Life Soul, he had also gained a passive skill that enhanced his physique.
Body Amplification: Passively increased the user's physique by five times, increasing with level.
After absorbing the third Soul Beast Life Soul, he gained a speed enhancement instead.
Speed Amplification: Passively increased the user's speed by five times, increasing with level.
Yang Yu had been stunned at the time.
"Strange! Why are all my skills passive? Not a single attacking skill?"
But after sensing them carefully, he immediately understood.
Who needs skills? Damn it, I, Yang Yu, speak with my fists.
Yang Yu carried Ming Wu and sped toward Subduing Dragon Village.
Several more days passed.
"Brother Yu! Aren't you tired? How about we rest for a while?"
Yang Yu shook his head.
"It's fine! Once we cross that mountain ahead, we'll be there."
Seeing how energetic Yang Yu looked, Ming Wu burst out laughing.
"What are you laughing at?"
"I'm laughing at you, you fool!"
Feeling playful, Yang Yu began tickling Ming Wu.
The two of them fooled around all the way back to Subduing Dragon Village!
They soon arrived at Yang Yu's home.
"Mother! I'm back!"