Taking a Master as Teacher

"They were not of noble birth, yet they possessed Innate Full Soul Power. Such anomalies were caused by Mutated Martial Souls. According to my many years of research into Mutated Martial Souls, no Martial Soul can mutate in conjunction with Blue Silver Grass. And your Blue Silver Grass is ordinary Blue Silver Grass, so I can be completely certain that my judgment is correct."

"Mutated Martial Souls? What are those?" Tang San asked.

Master patiently explained, "First, we must discuss how Martial Souls are inherited. A person's Martial Soul is directly related to their parents' Martial Souls. Under normal circumstances, one inherits either the father's or mother's Martial Soul. This is familial Martial Soul inheritance. The exceptions are what we call Mutated Martial Souls. They also originate from the parents' Martial Souls, but because the father's and mother's Martial Souls possess a certain degree of mutability, the inheritor's Martial Soul may mutate and produce an entirely new Martial Soul. A Mutated Martial Soul may become powerful, even granting Innate Full Soul Power. But most Mutated Martial Souls only become weaker. Mutated Martial Souls are like the product of incestuous marriage: the chances of producing an idiot are high, but there is also the possibility of producing a sage far beyond ordinary people."

Tang San nodded. Suddenly, he stepped back, putting some distance between himself and Master. Then he dropped to both knees and respectfully kowtowed three times to Master.

This time, Master was stunned. "What are you doing?"

"Teacher," Tang San said respectfully. "Please accept me as your disciple."

Master smiled, a deeply satisfied smile. He bent down and pulled Tang San to his feet. "Silly boy, why kowtow when taking a master? Don't you know that this is a ritual reserved for rulers and parents? A bow is all that is needed."

The customs of Douluo Continent were clearly different from those of Tang San's first life, but Tang San did not think his gesture excessive. He solemnly said, "A teacher for a day is a father for life. You deserve my kneeling."

The Tang Sect had been extremely strict in its teachings on etiquette. Having grown up under that education, it had long been deeply engraved in Tang San's heart.

Master looked at Tang San with emotion. "A teacher for a day, a father for life. Good, good. It seems I truly did not choose wrong." Small details revealed greater truths, and details determined success or failure. Although this master and disciple had not known each other for long, Master had already gained a considerable understanding of the child before him.

"Come, I'll take you to register at the Academic Affairs Office." Master took Tang San's hand again. His once dry, broad hand was slightly damp with sweat from excitement.

Notting Junior Soul Master Academy was not as large as it appeared from the outside. It was mainly divided into several areas: the main teaching building, the training ground, and the dormitory building east of the training ground.

Though it was only a Junior Soul Master Academy, its requirements for students were extremely strict. Even if a student lived right beside the academy, they were required to stay on campus and accept unified management.

The Academic Affairs Office was on the first floor of the main teaching building. The person specifically responsible for receiving new students was a teacher who looked to be in his sixties, assisted by two younger teachers under thirty.

Master placed the certificate on the desk and said to the older teacher, "Headmaster Su, this is a work-study student sent from Holy Soul Village this year. Please help him register."

Headmaster Su beamed. "Master, what brings you here? You're a rare visitor. Have a seat for a while."

Master shook his head and said to Tang San, "Register yourself here. These teachers will tell you what to do. I'll be leaving now. I'll come find you later."

Tang San nodded and respectfully said, "Goodbye, Teacher."

Master smiled,

He patted Tang San's head before turning and leaving.

Hearing Tang San address Master that way, Headmaster Su seemed quite interested. "Young man, you call Master your teacher? He isn't a teacher at our academy."

"But he is my teacher," Tang San replied.

Headmaster Su froze. "You took Master as your teacher?" His expression was somewhat strange, as though he wanted to laugh but was forcing himself not to.

Tang San asked, "Is there anything inappropriate about that, Teacher?"

Headmaster Su repeatedly shook his head and laughed. "No, no. I never expected Master to take a disciple. Still, you are a student of this academy, and you must abide by its rules and regulations from now on. Do you understand?"

Tang San nodded.

The two young teachers beside Headmaster Su were not as composed as he was. One of them took the Spirit Hall certificate and looked it over, smiling. "Tang San, right? As an academy teacher, I should remind you that you can't just acknowledge anyone as your master. Any Soul Master, whether they graduate from an academy or not, may only acknowledge one master. Otherwise, they will not be tolerated by the world. Do you really think Master is suitable? Oh, you have Innate Full Soul Power. What a pity your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass."

When they saw the words Innate Full Soul Power on the certificate, all the teachers present showed surprise. But Blue Silver Grass turned their surprise into regret.

Tang San looked somewhat puzzledly at the three academy teachers before him. "What is unsuitable about him?"

Headmaster Su glared at the young teacher beside him. "Although Master's personality is somewhat strange, in a certain sense, he is an invincible existence when it comes to Martial Souls. In any case, your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass too, so there is no harm in taking him as your master. All right, that's enough. These are your things, issued free by the academy. You will stay in Room Seven of the dormitory building. The teacher in charge there will arrange your work as a work-study student. Go on."

"Thank you." Tang San accepted the items Headmaster Su handed him, bowed, and turned to leave the Academic Affairs Office.

Headmaster Su had given him a standard Notting Junior Soul Master Academy uniform. The white material looked very clean. Just as Tang San walked out of the Academic Affairs Office, he faintly heard the voice of the young teacher who had spoken earlier. "Master is indeed invincible, but only invincible in theory. Of course, that depends on whether his theories can become reality. Headmaster, I remember Master had some theory called the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, right? It's simply laughable."

"Enough. Master is the headmaster's friend. Do not judge him carelessly. Although no one has proven his theories correct, no one has proven them wrong either. In the Martial Soul world, Master is quite a famous figure."

"That's not right, Headmaster. He should be a famous clown. Everyone treats him as nothing more than a joke."

Hearing the conversation inside, Tang San's steps paused only slightly before he continued walking out. A faint trace of disdain appeared at the corner of his lips, directed not at the teacher he had just acknowledged, but at the three teachers in the Academic Affairs Office.

Could someone who had deduced from a simple certificate alone that he possessed Twin Martial Souls, and had even determined that his other Martial Soul was extremely powerful, truly be nothing more than a joke?

Invincible in theory? Theory was exactly what he needed most right now. A master's strength could not be passed on to a disciple; what could be passed on was knowledge. These people could not even understand that, yet they were academy teachers.