Nuoding Academy

"Good! Good!"

"As long as he can become a spirit master, that's all that matters!"

Upon hearing this, Village Chief Su Meiqian immediately became excited.

He did not care whether it was a useless martial soul or not. All he needed to know was that Mo Bai truly could become a spirit master!

In the end, the village's only Work-Study Student slot went to Mo Bai.

According to Village Chief Su Meiqian, the village's Work-Study Student slot had gone unused for ten years!

In other words, not a single child with the potential to become a spirit master had appeared in the village over the past decade.

Mo Bai could not help but sigh inwardly. Were spirit masters really so far removed from ordinary villagers?

Three months later, Village Chief Su Meiqian personally took Mo Bai in an ox cart to Nuoding City, the largest city around Meilin Village.

The academy Mo Bai would attend was Nuoding Academy, the Junior Spirit Master Academy within Nuoding City.

Only the spirit master academies there accepted Work-Study Students!

The speed of an ox cart was easy enough to imagine.

They set out early in the morning, but Mo Bai did not arrive in Nuoding City until the following day.

Village Chief Su Meiqian had come here once before, so he knew where Nuoding Academy was. He led Mo Bai straight to its entrance.

"We're not lying! Look, this is the certificate issued to us by Spirit Hall's Steward Su Yuntao. Little San really is a Work-Study Student here!"

The moment they arrived, Mo Bai witnessed a familiar scene.

An old man and a child had been stopped by Nuoding Academy's gatekeeper and refused entry.

"That's Tang San?"

Mo Bai's gaze immediately settled on the ordinary-looking child.

As if sensing Mo Bai's stare, Tang San turned and looked directly at him.

However, Tang San did not notice anything unusual and soon looked away.

What sharp senses!

Mo Bai thought to himself, no longer daring to underestimate Tang San.

As expected of the protagonist destined to become a Douluo—he was indeed far from ordinary.

Even so, it did nothing to lessen Mo Bai's contempt for Tang San. His martial soul was Blue Silver Grass, yet he had actually chosen the Control System. Utterly contemptible.

"Holy Spirit Village... martial soul Blue Silver Grass... and Innate Full Soul Power too..."

"Haha, in all my years here, I've never seen a student with Innate Full Soul Power. And you still say this isn't fake?"

"Get lost! Leave this place at once..."

After examining the certificate Old Jack, the village chief of Holy Spirit Village, had produced, the gatekeeper burst into mocking laughter. He casually tossed the certificate to the ground and told Old Jack and Tang San to get lost.

"Martial soul Blue Silver Grass! Innate Full Soul Power!"

"Little Mo Bai, that child is actually the same as you—Innate Full Soul Power and a Blue Silver Grass martial soul!"

After hearing the gatekeeper's mockery, Village Chief Su Meiqian, standing beside Mo Bai, was astonished and could not help speaking to him.

Bang~

Just as the gatekeeper was about to drive Old Jack and Tang San away, his body suddenly flew backward and crashed onto the ground.

Tang San had made his move, shoving the gatekeeper aside with one hand.

Tang San stood there with a cold expression, watching the gatekeeper rise to his feet as though ready to strike again at any moment.

"Stop!"

However, just as Tang San was preparing to fire his sleeve arrow and kill the gatekeeper, Master appeared as he had in the original story. He passed by Mo Bai and stepped between Tang San and the gatekeeper.

"Master!"

The gatekeeper's expression immediately changed upon seeing Master.

"My apologies. On behalf of the academy, I apologize to you. Our academy was at fault in this matter!"

Master ignored the gatekeeper and turned to apologize to Old Jack.

"N-No need, it's fine..."

Old Jack hurriedly waved his hands to say it was nothing. Being apologized to by someone who was obviously an important figure made him extremely uneasy.

"May I see your certificate?"

Master's gaze then fell upon the certificate Old Jack had picked up.

"Yes, here you are!"

Hearing that, Old Jack quickly presented it with both hands.

From the side, Mo Bai saw Master take the certificate with a hint of urgency and begin examining it.

"This bears Spirit Hall's seal, no mistake. This certificate is genuine!"

When Master saw Innate Full Soul Power and the Blue Silver Grass martial soul, he could not help but become somewhat excited. After confirming that the certificate had indeed been issued by Spirit Hall, he suppressed his excitement and spoke to Old Jack.

"And that elderly gentleman, if you don't mind, could I also take a look at your certificate?"

Right after that, Master suddenly turned to Village Chief Su Meiqian, who had been watching from the side.

"O-of course, just wait a moment!"

"Little Mo Bai, hurry and take out the certificate!"

Village Chief Su Meiqian beside Mo Bai probably had not expected Master to suddenly do this, but he quickly agreed respectfully and urged Mo Bai to show Master the certificate.

He did not want them to suffer the same treatment Tang San and Old Jack had just received.

What else could Mo Bai do? He had no way to refuse, and there was nothing to hide anyway. He casually took out the certificate Su Yuntao had issued for him.

Whoosh—

Village Chief Su Meiqian reached out and snatched it over, then hurried forward and respectfully presented it with both hands, handing it to Master.

After taking it, Master quickly examined it as well.

"It's actually genuine too!"

After seeing Mo Bai's certificate, shock appeared in Master's eyes once more.

"This certificate is genuine as well. If you don't mind, I'll take Tang San and Mo Bai inside to register."

Afterward, Master forcefully suppressed his excitement and looked up at Old Jack and Village Chief Su Meiqian.

"Of course, of course you can!"

"Yes, yes!"

"Then we'll have to trouble you!"

"Please!"

Old Jack and Su Meiqian were overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly agreed.

"Little Mo Bai, after you register with Master, you must work hard at the academy, understand?"

Then Village Chief Su Meiqian began reminding Mo Bai.

"I understand, Grandfather Village Chief. Don't worry. By the time I return during break, I might already be a Spirit Master!"

Mo Bai nodded with a smile.

"Good, good, good! Then work hard, Little Mo Bai. I believe you can do it. Grandfather Village Chief will wait in the village for your good news!"

Village Chief Su Meiqian was delighted to hear that.

"Tang San, Mo Bai! You two, come in with me!"

Once Master saw that both village chiefs had finished giving their instructions, he spoke to Tang San and Mo Bai.

"Yes!"

Tang San replied.

"Mhm!"

So did Mo Bai.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the two village chiefs, Mo Bai and Tang San followed Master into Nuoding Academy.

"This is the first time, and it will be the last. If it happens again, you won't need to stay here."

As they passed the gatekeeper, Master coldly rebuked him.

"Yes, Master!"

Cold sweat poured down the gatekeeper's back as he hurriedly agreed and stepped aside.

The author's old book, Douluo: Starting by Detonating Soul Rings, is already well-stocked and ready to read, and is nearing completion!