Tang San and Wang Sheng

Holy Soul Village, Back Mountain.

While Dugu Qiubai Clone was in seclusion, cultivating and breaking through to the Sword Control realm of the first level of the Intent Sword Body Great Art.

Tang Hao had been drawn over.

Bai Luo simply went along with Dugu Qiubai Clone, using the opportunity to ask Tang Hao about Douluo Continent and deciding to head to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to challenge Sword Douluo Chen Xin.

Since Tang Hao had seen him, Bai Luo intended to establish Dugu Qiubai Clone's identity as his teacher.

Thus, Bai Luo also planned to travel to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with Dugu Qiubai Clone.

So, after bidding Tang Hao farewell.

Bai Luo went home and left behind a letter saying that he was heading out to explore the world. Then, he prepared to leave for Heaven Dou Imperial City with Dugu Qiubai Clone.

Although they were heading for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect near Heaven Dou Imperial City.

Bai Luo did not intend to travel there with Dugu Qiubai Clone by Sword Control.

His cultivation had already reached level nine.

Bai Luo planned to travel to Heaven Dou Imperial City alongside Dugu Qiubai Clone. Once his cultivation reached level ten along the way, he could conveniently enter the Star Dou Great Forest, hunt a Soul Beast, and break through to become a Soul Master.

Meanwhile, Shigang Village, Back Mountain.

In a clearing amid the woods, Ke Zhen'e, dressed in a grayish-brown robe with a black cloak draped over his back and black cloth covering his eyes, held a blind man's cane as he loudly instructed Wang Sheng in martial arts.

After taking Wang Sheng as his disciple, Ke Zhen'e began teaching him martial arts.

As for Ke Zhen'e Clone's martial arts, Ke Zhen'e's template was simply too weak.

Therefore, Bai Luo had given the created Ke Zhen'e Clone quite a few martial arts manuals obtained from treasure chests.

Among them were the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms from a Silver Treasure Chest, as well as portions of the Nine Yin Manual's martial arts.

The background Bai Luo had set for Ke Zhen'e Clone—that of the Gang Leader of the Beggar Gang—was based on the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.

However, Bai Luo had not obtained the Dog Beating Staff Technique. He merely had Ke Zhen'e Clone call a staff technique he had created himself the Dog Beating Staff Technique.

Besides martial arts, since Ke Zhen'e was blind, Bai Luo had also given Ke Zhen'e Clone Aura Power.

Only then could Ke Zhen'e cast off the limitations of his blindness and properly teach Wang Sheng martial arts.

"Move your lower body too! Keep your waist, abdomen, and dantian as the core—your whole body, upper and lower, needs to move! Have you ever seen a snake? Move like one!"

In the clearing, seeing that only Wang Sheng's upper body was moving while his lower body barely moved at all, completely failing to capture the essence of the Movement Technique - Snake-like Somersault, Ke Zhen'e frowned. He immediately struck Wang Sheng's waist with his blind man's cane and loudly berated him.

Wang Sheng was drenched in sweat. While circulating his Soul Power according to the Inner Force circulation route of the Movement Technique - Snake-like Somersault, he hurriedly began moving his lower body as well.

Under Ke Zhen'e's guidance, Wang Sheng continuously darted left and right through the clearing like a snake, swaying his body and rolling about from time to time as he familiarized himself with the use of the Movement Technique - Snake-like Somersault.

After teaching Wang Sheng the locations of the acupoints and meridians, Ke Zhen'e did not immediately teach him internal cultivation.

To give Wang Sheng the strength to defeat Tang San in less than three months.

Learning several martial arts techniques first was certainly more promising than having Wang Sheng master internal cultivation.

As for the martial arts Wang Sheng was to learn, Ke Zhen'e Clone planned to teach him three techniques: Golden Bell Cover, Movement Technique - Snake-like Somersault, and Great Subduing Demon Fist.

All three techniques came from the Nine Yin Manual.

Among them was the Golden Bell Cover recorded in the Nine Yin Manual.

Although it shared the same name as the Golden Bell Covers practiced by lowly, third-rate nobodies in the Jianghu, it was actually entirely different.

The Golden Bell Cover recorded in the Nine Yin Manual was a brand-new Golden Bell Cover created by Huang Shang, using the Jianghu's most supreme Golden Bell Cover as its foundation and combining the essence of many other body-tempering martial arts.

This Golden Bell Cover was divided into two parts: the first half and the second half.

The latter half was naturally much more powerful, more than ten times stronger than the first half. Yet according to the records, only Huang Shang had successfully cultivated it.

But even the first half, once mastered, was enough to run rampant through the Jianghu according to the Nine Yin Manual's description.

In Douluo Continent, as long as Wang Sheng mastered the first half—even if he did not fully master it.

Ke Zhen'e felt that it would be enough to render him immune to most of Tang San's attacks while Tang San was still merely a level ten Soul Scholar.

After cultivating Golden Bell Cover, Wang Sheng would naturally stand in an invincible position.

Combined with the Movement Technique - Snake-like Somersault and the Great Subduing Demon Fist, as long as Wang Sheng gained more combat experience.

If Tang San did not use hidden weapons, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance that he would not be Wang Sheng's match.

During the more than two months Ke Zhen'e taught Wang Sheng martial arts, Ke Zhen'e taught Wang Sheng the Movement Technique - Snake-like Somersault and Great Subduing Demon Fist during the day, then helped Wang Sheng cultivate Golden Bell Cover at night.

As a body-tempering technique, cultivating Golden Bell Cover naturally required external force to temper the body, as well as medicinal paste to assist the training.

When Shi Hao Clone and Crocodile Demon King Clone had stopped Xiao Wu and her mother from being hunted by Spirit Hall in the Star Dou Great Forest, they had killed quite a few of Spirit Hall's Red-Clothed Archbishops and Black-Clothed Bishops.

The storage Soul Tools carried by those Red-Clothed Archbishops and Black-Clothed Bishops had ultimately all been taken by Crocodile Demon King Clone.

With Red Devil Clone's help, Ke Zhen'e had obtained plenty of money from Crocodile Demon King. He was not short on funds to buy medicinal ingredients and make the medicinal paste needed to assist in cultivating Golden Bell Cover.

Thus, during the more than two months that Ke Zhen'e Clone taught Wang Sheng martial arts.

Wang Sheng cultivated Golden Bell Cover, Serpent Walk Cat Turn, and Great Subduing Demon Fist.

As he gradually mastered these three martial arts, barely over a month had passed when Wang Sheng's Soul Power broke through to level ten.

However, he could not simply enter Soul Hunting Forest to hunt a Soul Beast and obtain a Soul Ring whenever he pleased.

He first had to apply to Notting Academy.

During that time, Wang Sheng went to Notting Academy and submitted an application to his sixth-year homeroom teacher.

Afterward, more than another month passed.

During that month or so.

Wang Sheng had made remarkable progress in the first half of Golden Bell Cover. When he circulated his Soul Power, his skin took on the color of yellow bronze.

With Wang Sheng's current mastery of Golden Bell Cover, ordinary sharp objects such as wooden spikes could neither pierce nor cut his skin, leaving only a pale mark behind.

While circulating Golden Bell Cover, Wang Sheng had even tried attacking himself with all his strength to see whether he could injure himself. The result was that it only hurt; it did not wound him.

As Wang Sheng cultivated Serpent Walk Cat Turn and Great Subduing Demon Fist.

Once Wang Sheng had mastered both martial arts, Ke Zhen'e continuously sparred with him, honing his combat experience.

In the blink of an eye, more than two months passed.

At last, the day arrived to register for the new term at Notting Academy.

After leaving Shigang Village, Ke Zhen'e and Wang Sheng arrived in Notting City. Ke Zhen'e rented a courtyard in the city and saw Wang Sheng to the vicinity of Notting Academy.

"I've taught you almost everything I needed to teach. I'll remain in this city to recuperate for a while longer, then I'll leave once I've recovered."

"If you have any questions during this time, you can come find me."

"However, our fate as master and disciple ends here for now. I, Ke Zhen'e, have conditions for accepting disciples."

"Right now, you are only my unofficial disciple. If you can make a name for yourself in this world and always retain a chivalrous heart, then when we meet again in the future, I will formally accept you as my disciple."

At the time of parting, Ke Zhen'e held his blind man's cane and spoke solemnly to Wang Sheng.

"This is the last gift your master will give you."

With that, Ke Zhen'e sighed and took out a martial arts manual, handing it to Wang Sheng.

It was the internal cultivation technique Ke Zhen'e had originally practiced. It was not particularly good.

Still, although it was far inferior to the inner cultivation method of the Nine Yin Manual, it was enough to raise Wang Sheng's cultivation speed from his Innate Soul Power of only level two to around Innate Soul Power level five.

"Teacher, I'll work hard!"

Taking the manual Ke Zhen'e handed him and recalling his teacher's careful instruction over the past two months, Wang Sheng's eyes reddened and his voice choked up.

"Hide the manual well. Burn it as soon as you learn it. Don't let anyone see it, or it will probably bring you no good."

Ke Zhen'e rubbed Wang Sheng's head, his tone somewhat wistful.

"All right! It's time for your master to go."

After giving Wang Sheng's shoulder one final pat, Ke Zhen'e turned and left.

After putting away the manual, Wang Sheng wiped his reddened eyes and heavily knelt to kowtow toward Ke Zhen'e's departing back. Only after Ke Zhen'e disappeared from sight did he rise and walk toward Notting Academy.

Since he was an old student, Wang Sheng naturally did not encounter any trouble from the gatekeeper and entered Notting Academy without issue.

He arrived at the Seventh Dormitory.

"Boss, you're here!"

By the time Wang Sheng arrived at the Seventh Dormitory, all the Work-study Students except him had already arrived.

Seeing Wang Sheng, the group of Work-study Students immediately crowded around him.

Then, in the Seventh Dormitory, Wang Sheng chatted with the Work-study Students as he made up his bed, listening as they talked about their experiences at home during the break.

Just as Wang Sheng finished making his bed and sat down to chat with the Work-study Students for a while.

A series of footsteps suddenly sounded in the hallway outside the Seventh Dormitory and soon reached the door.

Then, the door was pushed open.

A boy who looked six or seven years old stood in the doorway. He wore a plain hemp outfit covered in patches, had short hair, and an ordinary-looking face, though his eyes were exceptionally bright.

"Excuse me, is this the Seventh Dormitory? My name is Tang San. I'm a new student."

Standing in the doorway and holding the academy uniform that had been issued to him, Tang San greeted them politely.

"Boss, a newcomer's here!"

At the sight of Tang San, one of the Seventh Dormitory's Work-study Students' eyes lit up. He leaped down from his bed and called out to Wang Sheng.