The Helplessness of Commoner Soul Masters

"Of course. This is one of the ten core competitive strengths in the Soul Master World that I proposed through my personal research: Martial Soul Mimicry Theory." Yu Xiaogang smiled, his eyes brimming with confidence as he launched into another lengthy explanation.

Seeing Tang San's eyes grow brighter as he listened, no longer paying attention to him, Lin Manshan secretly sighed in relief and pretended to listen attentively.

Before long, Yu Xiaogang finished speaking. Tang San nodded, then suddenly took a step back, widening the distance between himself and Yu Xiaogang. He dropped to both knees and solemnly kowtowed three times. "Teacher, please accept me as your disciple."

He does have the rare Innate Full Soul Power. Perhaps this Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul truly has something unique about it. He barely qualifies to be my disciple. Yu Xiaogang smiled in satisfaction and bent down to help Tang San up. "Silly boy, why kowtow when taking a master? Don't you know this is a rite only used before monarchs and parents? A bow is enough when taking a master."

"A teacher for a day, a father for life. It is only proper." Tang San spoke solemnly.

Yu Xiaogang was immediately moved. "A teacher for a day, a father for life. Good, good, good. It seems I truly did not choose wrong."

"Come. Your teacher will take you to the Academic Affairs Office to register." Yu Xiaogang took Tang San's hand again.

As though he knew Lin Manshan would follow on his own, he strode straight ahead.

"..." Lin Manshan twitched his lips, hurriedly lowered his head as though he had done something wrong, and quickened his pace to follow.

Tang San glanced at Lin Manshan from the corner of his eye. His gaze flickered, but he said nothing.

Nuoding Academy was mainly divided into three areas: the Teaching Building, the Playground, and the Dormitory Building east of the Playground.

Though it was only a Primary Soul Master Academy, Nuoding Academy's rules were extremely strict. Even if a student's home was right beside the academy, they still had to live in the academy dormitories and accept the academy's unified management. In addition, the academy's teaching staff and Mentors were generally around the Soul Grandmaster level, roughly Rank 25, and all were Soul Grand Masters with one white and one yellow Soul Ring.

As for the Dean, although he was a Rank 42 Soul Ancestor, his Soul Ring configuration was white, yellow, yellow, and purple, all of them with rather low age limits.

Listening to Yu Xiaogang's casual introduction, Lin Manshan's mood gradually sank to rock bottom.

A Soul Ring configuration whose first two rings combined do not even reach four hundred years—could people with such strength defeat a Power Type Spirit Beast with more than four hundred years of cultivation? Even if several Mentors could defeat one together, would they be willing to spend a great deal of time in the perilous Soul Hunting Forest, risking their lives to help me search? And the Dean... I'm a Commoner Soul Master with Innate Level Three Soul Power. Could I possibly ask him to do it?

He clearly could not rely on status, and he could not afford to pay.

As for asking Yu Xiaogang to help or hire someone, that guy could not beat one either, and he would not give a damn about him.

"Looks like I'll have to find a way to obtain my First Soul Ring myself." Lin Manshan sighed inwardly. "My Soul Power is only Rank 4 right now, and it will still take some time to reach Rank 10. During that time, I must start learning forging as soon as possible, become a blacksmith, and make the Hidden Weapons."

"And I can't use the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer in the Blacksmith Shop. Professional circles are small. If Tang San finds out, the consequences will be unthinkable."

"But it doesn't matter. With just my blade techniques and experience, plus a few of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer's techniques incorporated into forging, I'll definitely be better than most blacksmiths. The only thing I lack is practical experience, and I can slowly build that up at the Blacksmith Shop." Lin Manshan's thoughts raced. Although he had learned the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, he had only integrated it into his Blade Art so far. As for forging...

He had learned it in his head from watching Tang Hao and his son forge, but knowing it with his mind and being able to do it with his hands were two different things.

He could only enter the Blacksmith Shop and slowly become proficient.

"Besides, I can complete Destiny Artifact Infusion for my Martial Soul in advance, injecting Soul Power into my Life Weapon to greatly increase my Martial Soul's power. It will also help my body cultivate and accumulate more Soul Power. Then, with my ability to sense the souls of living creatures to avoid danger and find Spirit Beasts, combined with the Void Evasion Technique and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, I should be able to ambush and kill a Hundred-year Spirit Beast of an appropriate age with Hidden Weapons."

"No, that won't work. There's another problem." Lin Manshan's gaze flickered. "For a Spirit Master to enter the Soul Hunting Forest and hunt Spirit Beasts, they must first undergo a strength assessment at Spirit Hall to confirm that they truly need to hunt a Soul Ring. Then they need the approval of three nobles before an Order Token will be issued."

"If I complete Destiny Artifact Infusion in advance, I won't even pass Spirit Hall's assessment."

"I can only do it after entering the Soul Hunting Forest."

"Of course, that's the normal route. I could also borrow an Order Token from Yu Xiaogang through Tang San, or simply ask the Dean for one." Glancing at Yu Xiaogang from the corner of his eye, a scene immediately formed in Lin Manshan's mind. Why go by yourself? Why not have the academy teachers help you hunt one?

"What? You want to hunt a Hundred-year Spirit Beast? Child, that is far too dangerous. As the Dean, I must be responsible for my students. I cannot bear that responsibility, nor can I watch you throw your life away. Child, do not aim too high. For a Commoner Soul Master, a First Soul Ring of a few decades is enough."

Commoner families... they don't even have the right to pursue their dreams. He could not help thinking of Xiao Chenyu from the original story. Even the city lord's son had a Ten-Year Spirit Ring as his First Soul Ring. Then he thought of the academy Mentors, all with white rings. In a small city like Nuoding City, in such an environment, among the commoner class, absorbing a Hundred-Year Spirit Ring as one's First Soul Ring seemed to have become an unattainable dream.

The Dean and Yu Xiaogang refusing to provide an Order Token suddenly seemed only natural.

No money, no power, no connections—everything had to be done himself... No wonder there were so many people outside the Soul Hunting Forest forming teams to hunt Spirit Beasts in the original story. The Primary Soul Master Academy had limited Mentors and limited strength. They would not take great risks to hunt the optimal-age Soul Ring for a student with ordinary talent. Without a background to find someone for help, one could only do it personally.

In the original story, Yu Xiaogang even seemed to look down on those Spirit Masters who formed teams. He truly did not know what right the man had to look down on them. If not for his background, and for meeting Flender and Liu Erlong, how could someone unable to defeat even a Hundred-year Spirit Beast have possibly obtained optimal-age Soul Rings for his first two rings?

Glancing at Yu Xiaogang from the corner of his eye, Lin Manshan sighed inwardly. "It seems I can only obtain an Order Token through Spirit Hall."

"As for joining Spirit Hall and becoming a Spirit Master exclusive to Spirit Hall, relying on Spirit Hall's Spirit Masters to help hunt suitable Soul Rings, I would have to withdraw from Nuoding Academy and enroll in an academy specifically run by Spirit Hall to train Spirit Masters."

"Withdrawing from Nuoding Academy is definitely not something I can hide. If Tang San finds out I joined Spirit Hall, that will also be a hidden danger. Even for the safety of Old Jack's family, I must consider it carefully."

"Ah, what a headache..."

Under Yu Xiaogang's explanations along the way, the three of them soon arrived at the Academic Affairs Office. The Mentor specifically assigned to receive new students on the first floor was an elderly man who looked to be around sixty. He sat before a Long Table with his eyes closed in a light doze, while two young Mentors around thirty sat on either side of him.

Yu Xiaogang placed two certificates on the table and looked at the elderly man seated in the middle.

"Director Su, these are the Work-Study Students sent from Sacred Soul Village this year. Please help register them."

"Two?" Director Su's eyes snapped open. He looked somewhat surprised at the two certificates before him, then raised his head. A broad smile immediately spread across his face. "Master, I didn't expect you to come. What a rare guest, what a rare guest. Would you like to sit for a while?"

Yu Xiaogang shook his head and looked down at Tang San. "Xiao San, register here yourself. The teachers will guide you through the process and tell you how to get to the Dormitory. I still have matters to attend to. I'll come find you later."

"Alright, goodbye, Teacher." Tang San nodded respectfully.

"Goodbye, Master." Lin Manshan echoed.

Under the guidance of several Mentors, the two quickly completed their registration. Naturally, there were still some unpleasant moments during the process. After seeing Tang San's Martial Soul information and hearing that he had already taken Yu Xiaogang as his master, the reactions of the Mentors visibly displeased Tang San.

After receiving their academy uniforms, the two followed the directions toward the Dormitory.

"A'man, why didn't you take Master as your teacher with me just now?" Not long after leaving the Academic Affairs Building, Tang San suddenly turned to look at Lin Manshan. There was a trace of scrutiny in his gaze, though he wore a smile. "I think you have quite a talent for learning theoretical knowledge."