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Yu Xiaogang had once published the "famous" Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul in the Soul Master world, earning himself the title of Grandmaster.

He was also one of the more important supporting characters on the Douluo Continent.

The plot Gu Yi intended to alter later had a great deal to do with him.

However, Gu Yi had not expected to encounter Yu Xiaogang as soon as he arrived at Nuoding Academy.

Judging by the tea on the table before Yu Xiaogang, he seemed to have been waiting for quite some time.

Even though Tang San had not yet reached the point where he was supposed to appear.

Gu Yi's thoughts turned, and he quickly understood why Yu Xiaogang was here.

Today was Nuoding Academy's opening day. Most children from Nuoding City and the surrounding villages who possessed Innate Soul Power would come here.

The reason Yu Xiaogang was sitting in a teahouse not far from the academy gates was most likely to see whether any children among them had high Innate Soul Power and were worthy of taking as disciples.

He had probably done this every year during the years he had been freeloading at Nuoding Academy.

Unfortunately, Nuoding City was merely an ordinary city. Its strongest Soul Master was only a Soul Ancestor.

The chances of a genius being born here were far too low.

Even if a minor genius with Innate Soul Power above rank five appeared,

they were either born to nobles and sent by their parents to noble junior academies in the provincial capitals or even Heaven Dou City,

or they were commoners who, after their martial souls awakened, were recruited by Spirit Hall and chose to join it, heading to the Spirit Hall Junior Academy thousands of miles away.

Thus, after several years, Yu Xiaogang had still failed to find a suitable disciple—another reason being that he thought far too highly of himself.

Despite having Innate Soul Power of only rank 0.5 himself, he looked down on the children at Nuoding Academy whose Innate Soul Power surpassed his.

Otherwise, during his years at Nuoding Academy, he would not have refrained from teaching even a single class.

"No wonder Yu Xiaogang appeared to stop them the moment Tang San clashed with the gatekeeper in the original plot." Gu Yi shook his head. "So he had been waiting here all along."

Yu Xiaogang might even have known long ago that three geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power would be coming to Nuoding Academy today.

After all, he was a friend of Nuoding Academy's dean. It would have been effortless for him to view today's enrollment list.

With an amused glint in his eyes, Gu Yi did not stop walking and still chose to enter the teahouse.

Yu Xiaogang's appearance would make his plan to alter the plot proceed even more smoothly.

Inside the teahouse, Yu Xiaogang sensed someone approaching and looked Gu Yi over.

Seeing that Gu Yi appeared to be around six or seven years old, Yu Xiaogang's eyes immediately lit up.

Judging by his age, he should be one of Nuoding Academy's new students this year. Could he be one of those three geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power?

Yet when Yu Xiaogang saw the fine fabric of Gu Yi's clothes, he secretly shook his head.

According to the enrollment list, the three geniuses preparing to enroll are all Work-Study Students from poor villages outside Nuoding City. They shouldn't be able to afford such fine clothes.

This child should be a local from Nuoding City.

At that thought, Yu Xiaogang's interest instantly faded, and he continued sitting in his chair, drinking tea.

Other than those three geniuses, none of Nuoding Academy's new students this year had Innate Soul Power above rank five. None were worth his attention.

Gu Yi, on the other hand, had no idea what Yu Xiaogang was thinking. He ordered a whole table of food and drinks for lunch.

Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang became even more convinced that Gu Yi was not a Work-Study Student and could not be one of the three geniuses.

And so, Gu Yi ate while waiting for Tang San's arrival.

The sun slowly moved westward, and before long, it was afternoon.

In the distant street, an old man and a child appeared, walking toward Nuoding Academy's gates.

Gu Yi, who had been watching the gates closely, shuddered. An imperceptible smile rose at the corner of his lips. They're finally here. The first infamous scene is about to unfold...

The arrivals were none other than Tang San and Old Jack, the village chief of Holy Soul Village.

When Yu Xiaogang, not far away, saw Tang San and Old Jack's clothing, he too perked up. He hurriedly circulated his Soul Power and pricked up his ears to listen to the voices carrying over from that direction.

As a rank 29 Soul Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang was still capable of something like that.

At this moment, Old Jack and Tang San had reached the gates. A young gatekeeper appeared and stopped them.

"What are you here for? Is this a place country folk like you can come to?"

"...Can a golden phoenix really emerge from a grass nest? Someone from a tiny village has Soul Power? The academy hasn't had a Work-Study Student in years..."

"Blue Silver Grass martial soul? And Innate Full Soul Power?... This certificate from Spirit Hall must be forged."

Just as in the scene Gu Yi remembered, Tang San and Old Jack came into conflict with the gatekeeper.

Especially after the gatekeeper mockingly called Holy Soul Village a "beggar village," the conflict escalated further, and it looked as though they might come to blows.

Meanwhile, when he heard the gatekeeper say, "Blue Silver Grass martial soul, Innate Full Soul Power," Gu Yi, who kept his eyes and ears open to everything around him, immediately caught the flash of delight across Yu Xiaogang's face and knew he was preparing to step in.

Gu Yi narrowed his eyes and took out his martial soul certificate from his pocket. Pretending not to hold it properly, he let it drift on the wind toward Yu Xiaogang, who was about to rise.

After three months of training, Gu Yi possessed this much control. As long as he calculated the wind direction and angle properly, he could send it precisely where he wanted.

The certificate flew toward him. Yu Xiaogang frowned, reached out to catch it, and was about to return it to Gu Yi.

But at that moment, his eyes shifted, catching sight of the words written on the paper.

"Name: Gu Yi. Resident of Maple Leaf Village... Martial Soul: Blood Martial Soul. Innate Soul Power: Rank Ten—issued by Spirit Hall Deacon Su Yuntao."

Yu Xiaogang's heart shook, and his eyes instantly widened.

"Innate Full Soul Power! This child is one of the three geniuses?"

Yu Xiaogang hurriedly examined the martial soul certificate carefully and found that what it said matched the list he had seen from the dean exactly.

Clearly, the child who had spent so long in the teahouse with him was the very candidate he had been seeking to take as a disciple!

It seemed he had misjudged Gu Yi based on appearances and failed to recognize his true identity.

But that did not matter. It was not too late now that he knew.

Yu Xiaogang rejoiced inwardly. I never expected to find two geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power at once, and their martial souls are most likely Twin Martial Souls. Heaven truly favors me.

It seems I may gain one or two excellent disciples today. In the future, they will help me prove to the world that my theory of the Ten Core Competencies is correct!

Yu Xiaogang's thoughts raced. He organized the speech in his mind, intending to use his vast martial soul knowledge to win over Tang San and Gu Yi and make them willingly take him as their master.

Having dropped the certificate, Gu Yi hurriedly ran over to Yu Xiaogang and thanked him. "Uncle, thank you for picking up my certificate. Otherwise, it would have blown away."

"It's nothing." A stiff smile appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face as he handed the certificate to Gu Yi. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Child, I see from this certificate that you are a new student at Nuoding Academy. I happen to be returning to the academy myself. How about I take you there to register?"

However, Gu Yi refused to follow the script at all and did not go along with Yu Xiaogang's words. "No need, Uncle. I can go to the academy myself."

With that, Gu Yi took back the certificate and strode directly toward Nuoding Academy.

Yu Xiaogang's expression stiffened, and a trace of displeasure flashed through his eyes.

What a rude child...

But with such a genius possessing Innate Full Soul Power and Twin Martial Souls before him, he could not let him slip away.

Yu Xiaogang immediately moved to catch up with Gu Yi.

The other genius with the Blue Silver Grass martial soul was also at the gates, being harassed by the gatekeeper. He could bring them both in together...

As long as he won them over with knowledge on the way, he, Yu Xiaogang, would gain two peerless geniuses with Twin Martial Souls!

"Ah!"

Yu Xiaogang had barely taken two steps when a shrill scream rang out ahead.

The gatekeeper, who had just been arguing with Tang San and Old Jack, had already collapsed to the ground. Jets of blood spurted from his throat, staining his clothes and the ground around him red.

Someone had died!

Yu Xiaogang's pupils constricted, and he immediately sprinted toward Nuoding Academy's gates at top speed.

Article Three of the Tang Sect's Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record General Principles: once you determine that your opponent is an enemy, if they have a reason to die, show no mercy. Otherwise, you will only bring trouble upon yourself.