Volume One

Volume One: Chapter Eleven: Don't Talk About a Death-Seeking Path at Every Turn—Use Your Brain! "Even if Soul Masters from ordinary backgrounds attend an advanced Soul Master Academy, it is still difficult for them to graduate successfully. To graduate from an advanced Soul Master Academy, they must obtain three soul rings and reach level thirty Soul Power. That is a height many Soul Masters can never reach in their entire lives." Old Jack held up three fingers as he spoke. After walking for about ten minutes, the three of them arrived at the gates of Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy. After entering Nuoding City, they had a simple lunch. Old Jack asked a passerby for directions, then led Su Xing and Tang San toward the junior Soul Master Academy located in the west of Nuoding City. Looking up, they saw four large characters above the archway: "Nuoding Academy." Hearing this, Old Jack froze for a moment before sighing. "Little San, advanced Soul Master Academies have extremely strict admission requirements. Across the Heaven Dou Empire, fewer than a hundred students are admitted to advanced Soul Master Academies each year, and nearly ninety percent of those places are taken by the children of imperial nobles." One Gold Soul Coin was enough to cover several months of expenses for an ordinary Nuoding City household, and it was also several months' wages for this gatekeeper. Seeing the small pouch of Gold Soul Coins in Su Xing's hand, the gatekeeper not only stopped resisting but immediately stared wide-eyed. I'm a transmigrator, after all. If I use my brain even a little, wouldn't I be able to toy with this little punk? Still, compared to the gates of the various universities Su Xing had seen in his previous life, the gates of Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy were merely average, even rather shabby. As they chatted along the way, the three arrived at Nuoding City's gates. Like the other passersby, they underwent an inspection before entering the city. As he spoke, the gatekeeper raised a hand to shove Old Jack away, intending to drive the three of them off. Although Holy Soul Village had developed quite well over the past few years and earned a bit of money, Old Jack remained frugal. The clothes he and Su Xing wore were still very plain, making them look entirely like country folk, which led the gatekeeper to look down on them. As soon as his words fell, the young gatekeeper held out his hand and lightly weighed it a few times, clearly asking Old Jack to offer him something. [Tang Sect's Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, Rule Three: Once you have determined that an opponent is an enemy, if they have chosen a death-seeking path, show no mercy. Otherwise, you will only bring trouble upon yourself.] Tang San was even more ridiculous. With only Tang Hao's meager income from blacksmithing, the clothes he wore that day were covered in patches, making him look rather like a little beggar. When the gatekeeper saw a six-year-old child suddenly take out so many Gold Soul Coins, his eyes filled with confusion. Could these people be some important figures? "..." Tang San was completely dumbfounded. Could Brother Su have some kind of superpower? He can actually see into my thoughts? Then, lowering his gaze to the two Spirit Proofs on the ground, now covered in footprints, the gatekeeper's legs began to tremble when he saw the words "Innate Full Soul Power." Since Holy Soul Village had been developing rather well in recent years, Su Xing had managed to save a little money. It was not much, but he still had several dozen Gold Soul Coins. "..." The gatekeeper looked utterly bewildered, nearly unable to recover. Old Jack had just led Su Xing and Tang San to the main gate when the young gatekeeper stopped them. "What are you doing here? Is a sacred place like this somewhere country bumpkins like you can come?" At that moment, Su Xing and Tang San acted almost simultaneously. The two small figures threw a punch and a kick, directly knocking the gatekeeper to the ground. Seeing this, the gatekeeper's mouth twitched, and a trace of anger appeared in his eyes. Without even looking at the Spirit Proofs in his hand, he deliberately made things difficult for them. "Work-study students? A tiny dump of a village like yours can produce Soul Masters? You aren't impostors, are you?" "..." Tang San. Tang San, however, was not particularly curious about soul beasts. Instead, he asked, "Grandpa Jack, then what are the admission standards for advanced Soul Master Academies?" Su Xing pulled out a pouch of Gold Soul Coins from his chest. Hearing Old Jack's explanation, Su Xing looked blank and curled his lips, becoming even more curious about soul beasts. Through the iron bars, they could see a winding path leading into a secluded area, with tall trees on both sides and a broad road stretching straight inward. "Xiao Su, Little San, you..." Old Jack stared at the two in astonishment. Hearing this, Old Jack's face stiffened. He knocked Su Xing on the head and said sternly, "You little brat, what do you mean, only level thirty? Do you know that once you enter an intermediate Soul Master Academy, the academy's instructors will no longer help you hunt soul beasts? You must rely on your own strength to hunt soul beasts and obtain soul rings." Su Xing and Tang San were covered in black lines, petrified where they stood. Su Xing did not want to dirty his hands on a little punk like this. Fighting someone like him would only lower his standards and cheapen his status. "..." Su Xing. From afar, Su Xing saw a tall archway. It was twenty meters wide and over ten meters high, built entirely from sturdy stone. Beneath it stood two black iron-bar gates. Seeing the gatekeeper's terrible attitude, Old Jack hurriedly explained, "Little brother, we came from Holy Soul Village. These two children are the work-study students our village sent this year. Look, what procedures do we need to complete?" Tang San's left hand had already risen, and the safety on the Sleeve Arrow inside it had been released. But at that moment, Su Xing grabbed his left hand and reminded him, "Little San, it's just a verbal argument. Don't start talking about a death-seeking path and killing people at every turn. Watch how your brother teaches him a lesson." "Sigh, children from commoner families like ours are already exceptionally outstanding if they can graduate from an intermediate Soul Master Academy. Your martial souls are Blue Silver Grass and a sickle. If you can graduate from a junior Soul Master Academy, this old man will already be very happy." Old Jack smiled. Yet amusingly, Old Jack completely failed to understand the gatekeeper's meaning. He directly took two Spirit Proofs from his chest and placed them in the gatekeeper's hand. "Do you know how dangerous soul beasts are? Every year, who knows how many commoner Soul Masters in the Heaven Dou Empire die while hunting soul beasts in Soul Hunting Forest." After being knocked down by two children, the gatekeeper was stunned at first. Then, feeling utterly humiliated, he climbed to his feet in anger and rushed toward Su Xing and Tang San. After all, Su Xing had never seen a soul beast before, nor did he know what they tasted like. Things like Soft Bone Rabbits, Azure Little Snakes, and Titan Little Apes—he wanted to try them all. "What, not convinced? Look at the clothes worn by that little brat beside you. He's covered in patches from head to toe. If you're looking for a place to beg, you've come to the wrong place!" "You..." Old Jack's expression changed sharply, and he struck his cane against the ground several times. The gatekeeper's words had touched the greatest pride in his heart. After saying that, the gatekeeper threw the two Spirit Proofs in his hand directly onto the ground and stomped on them twice. "Xiao Su, Little San, once you get to the academy, you must listen to your teachers. If you become Soul Masters by the end of this term, Grandpa will set off firecrackers to celebrate when you return to Holy Soul Village." As they walked, Old Jack spoke proudly. "Only level thirty?" Su Xing chuckled.