Refusing Apprenticeship, Seeking Investment

Refusing Apprenticeship, Seeking Investment

Having received the System rewards, Tang San quickly figured out the functions of the System Space. However, his System Space only had a capacity of one cubic meter.

After sensing the effects of the yellow bead inside the System Space, Tang San's breathing grew slightly heavier. On the way here, he had learned quite a bit about Martial Souls from his newly accepted teacher, Yu Xiaogang. He now had a preliminary understanding of the rewards provided by the System.

He understood just how precious those treasures were.

This System would definitely become a major source of support for him in the future, perhaps even his greatest trump card.

However, ever since learning what Titled Douluo and 100,000-Year Soul Beasts were, Tang San had been rather depressed. Could a Red Level Task really be completed by a human?

After checking the remaining tasks, Tang San temporarily gave up on completing them. Aside from the bizarre yet simple White Level Task, the others all required killing Soul Masters or Soul Beasts of the same rank, or killing opponents above his rank.

Obviously, such tasks could not be carried out at Notting Academy.

It was not that he did not want to harm the students before him. As a Tang Sect disciple, he was not exactly a good person to begin with. The main issue was that if he killed these Notting Academy students, it would be difficult to explain things to both his teacher and the academy.

"You beat Wang Sheng so easily. You're pretty good. Try fighting me next!" Xiao Wu's expression turned more serious as she stepped out from the crowd and looked at Tang San. There was a hint of excitement on her face—she was clearly a battle fanatic.

Brought back to his senses by Xiao Wu's words, Tang San shook his head. He could not be bothered to compete with these children for the position of Seventh Dorm boss. The System task was complete, and there was no need to waste time here. "No. You can be the boss of Seventh Dorm. I have something to do. Teacher told me to find someone."

"Find someone? Who are you looking for?" Xiao Wu asked.

"Xu Changqing. Is he here?" Tang San said as he swept his gaze around the room.

"Uh..."

Everyone turned around in unison and looked toward a double bed by the window at the very back of the dormitory. Xu Changqing was lying there like a corpse.

At least, that was what they thought.

In reality, Xu Changqing had already used this time to more or less figure out the functions of his System.

The main function of his System was that every time his Soul Power increased by ten levels, he could send out one Sub-system—a Servant System. If he cultivated to level ninety, then theoretically, he could send out a total of nine Sub-systems.

Sub-systems were divided into Normal Difficulty, Warrior Difficulty, King Difficulty, and Nightmare Difficulty. Each rank corresponded to the difficulty of completing that System's tasks, but the task rewards remained unchanged. In other words, the easiest Normal-level Sub-system and the hardest Nightmare-level Sub-system actually offered identical task rewards, but the difficulty of completing those tasks was worlds apart.

This was extremely unfriendly to holders of Nightmare-level Sub-systems. It could even be called cruel.

However, one thing was certain: the more Sub-systems he sent out, the greater the benefits for Xu Changqing, the host of the Main System. That was inevitable. After all, whenever a Sub-system host completed a task, he, as the Main System's host, would receive an equivalent reward.

Wasn't that just free labor?

And those laborers would not have any complaints. He would not need to pay them wages either. It was simply too great.

Besides the main function of sending out Sub-systems, everything else was merely a secondary function.

For example, the System came with a one-thousand-cubic-meter System Space. To Xu Changqing, that was an extremely practical secondary function.

"Ah... If only I hadn't spaced out when the System was binding. Because I did, I sent out a Nightmare-level Sub-system. I wonder which unlucky bastard got bound to it. It's seriously slowing down my progress in getting rewards!"

Xu Changqing sighed to himself.

Normal-level Sub-systems mostly issued daily-life System tasks, while Nightmare-level Sub-systems mostly issued combat-oriented System tasks.

Comparing the two, the tasks of Normal-level Sub-systems were clearly easier to complete. The faster and more efficiently the Normal-level Sub-system hosts completed their tasks, the faster he, the Main System host, could grow as well.

Come to think of it, it was still his own fault. He had been careless when the System bound to him.

Xu Changqing felt somewhat regretful about it, but there was nothing he could do. Even as the Main System host, he had no way to alter a Sub-system's task rank. He did not even know who on Douluo Continent had been bound to the Sub-system.

Just as Xu Changqing sighed inwardly and opened his eyes, Tang San walked over. He nodded and introduced himself. "Hello, my name is Tang San. We met once before at the academy entrance."

Xu Changqing was not particularly fond of Tang San. He remembered a saying from his previous life: better to be Xiao Yan's lackey than Tang San's brother. That alone showed that Tang San's character was truly not much to speak of.

However, hearsay was ultimately unreliable. This was his first formal meeting and conversation with Tang San in this life. As for what someone's character was really like, he trusted his own judgment after interacting with them.

"Hello, I'm Xu Changqing. May I ask what you need?" Xu Changqing asked curiously. He did not recall having any connection with Tang San.

"Teacher asked me to come find you. He wants to take you as his disciple and sent me to ask for your opinion," Tang San said with a friendly smile. If Xu Changqing was willing to take him as his master, then the two of them would become fellow disciples.

"Take me as his disciple? Your teacher?" Xu Changqing was startled, and immediately found it somewhat amusing.

Tang San nodded. His eyes flickered as he said admiringly, "Teacher's Soul Power may not be high, but his theoretical knowledge is unmatched across the continent. Believe me, with Teacher's help, you'll definitely be able to go further on the path of cultivation."

Xu Changqing smiled noncommittally. You got fooled so thoroughly, and now you want to drag me into the pit too?

He remembered hearing a saying in his previous life. The most terrifying people in the world were neither bad people nor petty villains, but those whose minds had been turned to mush. Such people could not realize their own ignorance. They even firmly believed that what they knew was the sole absolute truth, unwilling to accept or seek the real truth. Worse still, they used their ignorance to lecture those who were clear-headed.

How long had Tang San been out of Holy Soul Village?

How much did he actually know about Douluo Continent?

Yu Xiaogang had merely fooled him with a few words, yet he had already become one of those people. In his heart, Yu Xiaogang's words were probably truths he firmly believed in.

There was no need to argue with someone in that state of mind.

If you insisted on arguing, then you were right.

That was exactly what Xu Changqing did. He could not even be bothered to refute Tang San's view.

After thinking it over, Xu Changqing more or less understood why Yu Xiaogang wanted to take him as a disciple. It was nothing more than because of his work-study student certificate.

Having figured it out, Xu Changqing smiled. "Although the work-study student certificate Spirit Hall issued for me stated that I possess Innate Full Soul Power, there's one thing they did not write down. My Five Dragon Lyre Martial Soul is actually incomplete."

"Incomplete?" Tang San asked doubtfully.

Xu Changqing nodded. "You can understand it as a Martial Soul Mutation, but it mutated in a bad direction. Two of its seven strings are missing. In this life, I am destined to never break through beyond Soul Emperor."

"What does that have to do with Teacher wanting to take you as his disciple?" Tang San asked with a frown.

"Of course it does."

Xu Changqing said, "You don't need to ask more. Tell your teacher about my situation, then see whether he is still willing to take me as his disciple. You'll understand."

Hearing this, Tang San said nothing more. He nodded and left.

Any smart person could see that Xu Changqing had already refused. He had merely refused in a more subtle manner, leaving everyone a bit of dignity.

Speaking of Yu Xiaogang, Xu Changqing did not wish to comment much on him. The fact that he had Tang San deliver the message rather than coming personally to accept a disciple showed that he cared greatly about appearances and feared losing face if he was rejected.

For that reason alone, Xu Changqing could never choose to take him as his master.

However, Xu Changqing also did not like gossiping about people behind their backs. That was not the conduct of a gentleman. For certain people, it was enough to simply keep one's distance.

As for why, those who understood, understood.

After all.

What could Yu Xiaogang teach him?

Martial Soul knowledge?

Xu Changqing believed that, in terms of the broader picture, he knew no less than Yu Xiaogang. As for the minor details, he could study them himself in the library.

Combat techniques?

Heh, that was even more ridiculous.

A Great Soul Master in his twenties whose Martial Soul could only fart—Xu Changqing was genuinely afraid Yu Xiaogang would ruin him through teaching. After all, his Martial Soul was also a rare mutated Summoning System Martial Soul!

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(End of Chapter)