Decision, Enrollment

Tang Wuyang did not listen carefully to Tang Ziran on the way home, his head feeling dizzy and heavy.

After returning to his room, he plunged headfirst onto his bed and quickly drifted off to sleep, completely unaware that Tang Wulin and Lang Yue had come by.

Not long after the door closed, Tang Wuyang's body began twisting on the bed, and his skin gradually turned red.

If Tang Ziran, Lang Yue, and Tang Wulin had been beside him at that moment, they would have discovered that Tang Wuyang's body temperature was rising at an astonishing rate.

His flushed skin gradually became translucent, with the veins beneath it faintly visible. One could even vaguely see the blood flowing through them.

At that moment, Tang Wuyang's blood circulated at an incredible speed, at least three times faster than usual.

The golden patterns that had appeared in the Awakening Room emerged on his forehead once more. Still web-like, they spread from his head down toward his feet, then slowly extended upward again.

After several such cycles, the golden patterns quietly vanished back into Tang Wuyang's body. At the instant they disappeared, the bones throughout his body seemed to make faint cracking sounds.

A moment later, the Strange Phenomenon gradually subsided. Tang Wuyang's temperature returned to normal, and he fell into an even deeper sleep.

In his dream, Tang Wuyang arrived on a grassland made entirely of Blue Silver Grass. Before him, a Qilin cub rubbed against his calf.

Yet strangely, the sky there was a translucent gold. It was as though some enormous creature had opened its maw and charged toward him. Before Tang Wuyang could see it clearly, he was swallowed whole.

"Ah!"

Tang Wuyang abruptly sat up. His entire body felt sticky and clammy, making him terribly uncomfortable.

His family's modest circumstances had made him and Tang Wulin more sensible than children their age.

Tang Wuyang did not wake his parents or older brother. He took off his clothes himself and ran to the bathroom to wash up.

While bathing, Tang Wuyang was surprised to discover that although he was drenched in sweat, his body carried a faint fragrance.

However, once he finished bathing, that scent vanished as well.

"Hm? Where's Yangyang?"

Just as Tang Wuyang was drying himself off, Lang Yue's voice sounded outside.

"Mom, I'm here. I was taking a bath."

Wearing only a pair of briefs, Tang Wuyang hurried out of the bathroom.

Lang Yue scolded him fondly, "Go put on some clothes. Don't catch a chill."

She pinched her younger son's soft pink cheek, then pushed him back into his room.

After closing the door, Lang Yue murmured to herself, "Why does Yangyang's skin seem to be like Linlin's now? It's become softer and more elastic too. Mom's going to get jealous of you two."

After changing clothes, Tang Wuyang came out and saw the night outside the window. Only then did he realize he had slept the entire afternoon away.

Tang Ziran had taken the day off, so he had been home the whole time.

He sat at the dining table with Tang Wulin and waved at Tang Wuyang, who had just stepped out of his room. "Yangyang, come here."

Tang Wuyang sat beside Tang Ziran, directly across from Tang Wulin.

Tang Ziran was just about to say something when Tang Wuyang's stomach let out a loud growl.

For a moment, everyone at the table except Tang Wuyang burst into laughter.

Tang Wuyang chuckled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Mom, I'm so hungry. Can I eat now?"

"Go ahead." Lang Yue handed him a bowl of rice, then served another bowl for Tang Wulin. As she passed it to him, she glared at her husband, signaling for him to wait until after dinner.

By the time Tang Wuyang lifted his bowl for the fourth time, Tang Ziran and Lang Yue's faces were filled with shock.

At lunch, the couple had already been startled by Tang Wulin's increased appetite. They had never expected their younger son to be even more impressive.

Even if he had skipped lunch, he should not have been able to eat this much!

Normally, the two children ate no more than about one and a half bowls each.

But now, Tang Wulin had nearly finished his second bowl and was ready for a third. Tang Wuyang was even faster—he had already finished his third and was asking for a fourth.

"Mom, it's so good! I want more!" Tang Wuyang looked at Lang Yue with shining eyes.

Tang Ziran and Lang Yue had barely eaten anything. Nearly all the food on the table had been swept into their two sons' stomachs like a whirlwind.

Even so, the brothers still looked as though they wanted more.

"Linlin, Yangyang, are you turning your grief and anger into appetite?"

Only after the last bit of food had gone into the children's stomachs, and Lang Yue had sternly stopped them from eating anything else, could Tang Ziran no longer hold back from speaking.

Tang Wuyang looked at his father in confusion. "Dad, why would we be sad and angry?"

Tang Wulin also looked at Tang Ziran in puzzlement. After lunch, his father had worn the same hesitant, conflicted expression.

Tang Ziran looked at his two sons. "Now that Yangyang is awake, Dad wants to ask you both something. Do you plan to enter the Soul Master class, or should Dad help transfer you to a regular class?"

Tang Wulin said, "Of course I want to enter the Soul Master class! I want to become a powerful Soul Master."

Tang Wuyang nodded beside him. "Since I have Soul Power, of course I should work toward becoming a Soul Master."

Tang Ziran looked at Tang Wulin and said seriously, "Linlin, although you have Twin Martial Souls, one of them is Blue Silver Grass."

"Although there is the legend of the Tang Sect's Founding Ancestor."

"Blue Silver Grass is still one of the most ordinary Martial Souls. Cultivating it will definitely be very difficult."

"As for your other Martial Soul, based on what you sensed, it should be a Tool Martial Soul called the Holy Dragon Spear—a long spear."

"Though the Holy Dragon Spear Martial Soul clearly has more potential than Blue Silver Grass in terms of quality, Dad discussed it with you this afternoon. Since you want to cultivate the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul first, you will definitely face many difficulties on the path of a Soul Master."

Tang Ziran shifted his gaze to Tang Wuyang. "Now, Yangyang. Your Martial Soul is a Qilin. Honestly, it should be considered a fairly good Martial Soul."

"But your Innate Soul Power is only Level Three. That means your cultivation speed will be very slow. You'll have to put in much more effort than children with Innate Soul Power at Level Eight or level nine to catch up to them."

Tang Ziran's gaze moved between Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin. "Are you truly sure you want to walk the path of Soul Masters?"

Tang Wulin nodded firmly. "Mm! I want to become a Soul Master. If I become a Soul Master, I can protect Mom and Dad."

Tang Wuyang echoed, "That's right. And once we become Soul Masters, we can earn lots of money, so Mom and Dad won't have to work so hard."

The two children's voices were young and childish, yet filled with extraordinary determination.

Hearing this, Lang Yue could not help but redden her eyes.

These two children had always been especially well-behaved and considerate.

"Fine." Hearing the determination in their words, Tang Ziran did not try to dissuade them further.

"Since you've decided, Dad and Mom will support you."

"If one day in the future you regret it, just tell Dad. Dad can help transfer you to another class then."

"Linlin, Yangyang, remember this. Mom and Dad have never wanted you to become great figures. As long as you grow up happy, we'll be satisfied."

"To your mother and me, nothing is more important than watching you grow up happily. Do you understand?"

Tang Wulin and Tang Wuyang exchanged a glance, then nodded together. "Mm, Dad, we understand."

Aside from his increased appetite like Tang Wulin's, Tang Wuyang had also become sleepier. After dinner, he went to bed early.

Early the next morning, when the sky had only just begun to brighten, Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin were called up by their father.

Today was the day they enrolled in school.

The two would officially enter Red Mountain Academy, and into the Soul Master class at that, beginning at least nine years of study.

According to Sun Moon Federation regulations, elementary academies and intermediate academies both provided free compulsory education.

Elementary academies taught for three years, while intermediate academies lasted six years.

After graduating from an intermediate academy, there were several ways to continue one's studies and enter a higher academy.

The first was to gain admission through outstanding grades.

The second was to spend a large sum of money to purchase an enrollment slot.

If neither condition could be met, one could also choose to enter a vocational academy and learn a specialized skill.

Tang Ziran walked the two children to the academy gates. Since the academy was close to home, he reminded them to return home directly after school. Only after watching them head through the gates did he turn and leave for work.

The Soul Master class had a dedicated teacher waiting at the academy entrance to receive students, and its treatment was clearly much better than that of the regular classes.

Regular classes only provided standard cultural education. The Soul Master class, in addition to that, focused more on teaching students born with Soul Power how to become Soul Masters, as well as the knowledge needed to become one, laying a foundation for their future entry into an intermediate academy.

This year's Soul Master class had only sixteen students in total.

After all, children who awakened with accompanying Soul Power during Martial Soul Awakening were exceedingly rare, especially in a small city like Aolai City.

Having sixteen students this year was already considered quite a lot.

"Hey, you two look alike. You're brothers, right? What are your Martial Souls?" A short, somewhat chubby boy came over to Tang Wulin and Tang Wuyang and asked.

They were all children of the same age, and each was full of curiosity about the Soul Master class life ahead.

Tang Wulin said proudly, "Blue Silver Grass, just like the Tang Sect's Founding Ancestor."

As he spoke, he opened his right hand. Blue light surged in his palm, and a stalk of Blue Silver Grass appeared there.

What Tang Wulin did not notice was that his Blue Silver Grass differed from ordinary Blue Silver Grass. The white patterns found on normal Blue Silver Grass had turned light gold on his.

Tang Ziran had previously instructed Tang Wulin not to reveal his talent for Twin Martial Souls. After all, Aolai City was only a remote small city, where children capable of becoming Soul Masters were already rare. If people learned that one child possessed Twin Martial Souls, who knew whether someone might do something extreme out of jealousy?

It would not be too late to reveal that talent after he and Tang Wuyang advanced to an intermediate academy in a somewhat larger city.

Therefore, Tang Wulin intended to listen to his father and show only his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul at the academy. Besides, he had originally planned to cultivate the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul first anyway.

"Tch." Little Fatty said disdainfully, "Blue Silver Grass? That's the classic Useless Martial Soul."

Tang Wulin protested, "Then what about you? What's your Martial Soul?"

Little Fatty snorted and waved his right hand. A flash of cold light appeared, and a short blade materialized in his hand. "See this? My Martial Soul is a knife."

"If I can cultivate to become a Title Douluo someday, I'll call myself the Blade God Douluo."

"I'm a genius with level five Innate Soul Power. I could chop your Blue Silver Grass into pieces whenever I wanted."

Tang Wulin looked at the short blade in Little Fatty's hand, then at the Blue Silver Grass in his own palm. Suddenly, he remembered what Tang Ziran had told them the night before.

Would cultivating the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul truly be so difficult?

After saying that, Little Fatty turned his gaze to Tang Wuyang. "What about you? You look exactly alike. Don't tell me you've got some Useless Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass too!"

Sensing the contempt in Little Fatty's eyes, a powerful aura burst from Tang Wuyang. His imposing Qilin Martial Soul emerged.

"My Martial Soul is a Qilin. You say my brother's Blue Silver Grass is a Useless Martial Soul, so that knife of yours—the one belonging to the future Blade God Douluo—is probably a Useless Martial Soul too."

"After all, my brother's Innate Soul Power is also level five."

"Doesn't that mean your knife is the same quality as Blue Silver Grass?"

Little Fatty was left speechless by Tang Wuyang's words. He slunk off to the side, muttering inwardly, How could someone with a Useless Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass have Innate Soul Power as high as mine?

The other students also began showing off their own Martial Souls, each with its own distinct traits.

Perhaps because they had seen that Tang Wulin's Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass, none of the other students came over to speak with him again. Even Tang Wuyang beside him was ignored by the students.

Noticing Tang Wulin's disappointment, Tang Wuyang patted his shoulder. "Brother, let's work hard together!"

Seeing Tang Wuyang's encouraging gaze, Tang Wulin clenched his fists and nodded heavily.

After everyone chatted noisily for a while, a woman who looked quite young entered the classroom. She stood at the podium and clapped her hands, signaling everyone to quiet down.

"Hello, everyone. I'm your homeroom teacher, Lin Ximeng."

"For the next three years, I'll teach you the foundational knowledge related to Soul Masters."

"Now, let's start with introductions. State your names, Martial Souls, and Innate Soul Power Levels."

There were only sixteen students, so the introductions went quickly. When Lin Ximeng heard Tang Wulin introduce his Martial Soul as Blue Silver Grass, a look of astonishment appeared on her face as well.

At once, the other students burst into laughter.

Tang Wulin's little face flushed red, as if a fire were burning inside him.

Noticing her older brother's helplessness, Tang Wuyang shot to his feet with a bang!

"My name is Tang Wuyang. My Martial Soul is a Qilin, and my Innate Soul Power is Level Three."

After saying that, he ignored the sudden silence in the classroom and sat back down.

Seeing Tang Wuyang's face, which resembled Tang Wulin's, Lin Ximeng had assumed that both their Martial Souls were Blue Silver Grass. She had not expected his to be an entirely different Beast Martial Soul.

Although Tang Wuyang's Innate Soul Power was relatively low, the Qilin Martial Soul was clearly much better than a classic Useless Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass!

Her professional composure allowed Lin Ximeng to quickly recover. Smiling, she said, "Today is your first day of class. First, I'll explain the classifications of Martial Souls. This afternoon, I'll guide you through preliminary Meditation."

"Meditation is the only way to train and increase your Soul Power. If you want to become true Soul Masters, you'll have to work hard."

"As everyone knows, every person in our world possesses their own Martial Soul. Once they reach the age of six, they can participate in an Awakening Ceremony and awaken the Martial Soul within their body."

"A Martial Soul can be any kind of existence. Those born with accompanying Soul Power upon awakening can become Soul Masters through cultivation. That means all of you here."

"So, what classifications of Martial Souls are there?"

"First, Martial Souls are divided into two major categories: Beast Martial Souls and Tool Martial Souls. Those that manifest as living creatures are Beast Martial Souls, while those that manifest as nonliving objects are Tool Martial Souls. Of course, there are exceptions, such as the extremely rare Body Martial Souls."

"However, no matter what form they take, Martial Souls can be enhanced through cultivating Soul Power. Once your Soul Power Level breaks through Level Ten, you can officially become a Soul Master."

"Soul Masters also have two major categories: Battle Soul Masters and Tool Soul Masters. Those who cultivate Martial Souls for combat are Battle Soul Masters, while those who cultivate them for non-combat purposes are Tool Soul Masters."

"Whether Martial Souls or Soul Masters, there are many more detailed classifications..."

Listening to Lin Ximeng explain the classifications of Martial Souls and Soul Masters was like having a brand-new door opened before the students, revealing the colorful path that lay ahead toward becoming Soul Masters.