"Soul Power, level two!"
On the grass, Bai Mu's Soul Power trembled, and a sharp gleam burst from his eyes.
Several months after his Martial Soul Awakening, his diligent cultivation had finally allowed him to break through to level one!
This rate of advancement was not particularly fast, but to him, it was an extraordinarily meaningful first step.
He could clearly feel the faint warm current of Soul Power within him grow twice as strong, flowing much more smoothly as well.
More importantly...
"Xiao Ruan, how do you feel?"
Bai Mu immediately directed his consciousness toward his partner on his shoulder.
"Waah~"
Zygarde wore a solemn expression as a faint glow bloomed across its body.
Then, a mass of green light separated from its body, rapidly condensing and taking shape into another cell. Other than its slightly different color, it was extremely similar in form and core.
It simply lay there limply and quietly, like a paramecium.
"Not a bad start!"
Bai Mu excitedly clenched his fist.
Now that he had successfully condensed his first cell, was gathering a hundred cells to summon a "Gundam" really that far away?
"Mm~"
A trace of relief flashed through Zygarde's eyes.
With a new cell, it was finally no longer fighting alone.
"Let me see what you can do."
Bai Mu tried guiding the newborn cell with his consciousness.
The tiny green cell squirmed clumsily yet diligently, crawling up the trunk of a nearby tree according to his will. Then, it turned invisible and vanished.
The next moment, once he activated Telepathy, he quickly saw himself through the cell's vision!
"One cell may not be enough to fuse and transform, but it still gives me another set of eyes."
Bai Mu was greatly satisfied.
Zygarde Cells possessed faint consciousness and intelligence, along with basic sensing and mobility. They could also turn invisible and photosynthesize.
It was precisely because countless cells served as its eyes that Zygarde was known as the Monitor of the Ecosystem.
"As long as I have enough cells in the future, no one on the entire continent—or even in the whole world—will be able to escape my sight!"
His daydreaming over, Bai Mu happily brushed the grass clippings from himself and headed out of the academy while humming a tuneless little song, intending to reward himself with a nice meal at a restaurant.
"Mm~"
Zygarde returned to his shoulder, turned invisible, and disappeared. As for the cell, it remained on the tree like an invisible camera.
"Huh?!"
Having just emerged from the grass, Bai Mu suddenly stopped, his expression gradually becoming more and more interesting.
Ahead, a little boy in patched clothes was kneeling before an older man, knocking his forehead against the ground three times with three loud bangs.
He was saying things like, "Please accept me as your disciple," and, "A teacher for a day, a father for life," leaving the Grandmaster standing there dumbfounded.
One look was enough to tell that this was a veteran soldier of old-fashioned feudalism!
"Good, good. It seems I truly did not misjudge my disciple."
Yu Xiaogang tried hard to maintain a stern expression, but he simply could not suppress the upturned corners of his mouth. His exhilaration at finally holding his head high practically overflowed.
Other than Yu Xiaogang, who else could so easily take in a disciple with Innate Full Soul Power and Twin Martial Souls?
"Holy crap... a live father-recognition—no, a legendary apprenticeship scene!"
Bai Mu sucked in a cold breath as memories from his previous life instantly surged into his mind.
Unfortunately, there were no phones in this era. Otherwise, he definitely would have recorded this classic moment!
The next second, Yu Xiaogang turned around and met Bai Mu's eyes.
The air instantly froze.
"..."
The moment he saw Bai Mu, Yu Xiaogang's excited expression stiffened.
"Congratulations, Grandmaster, on gaining such a fine disciple. Welcome to Notting Academy, junior student. I won't disturb you—I'll be going now~"
With that, Bai Mu ignored whatever reaction Yu Xiaogang might have and headed toward the academy gates while humming.
After leaving the academy, he made his way to a small shop, found a seat, and called inside.
"Boss! Two Xiao Huo Grilled Fish! Make them extra spicy! In all of Nuoding City, this is the only flavor I crave!"
"Coming right up! Just wait a moment!"
Boss Xiao Huo replied enthusiastically.
Before long, two fragrant grilled fish were brought to his table.
As Bai Mu enjoyed the delicious food, he unconsciously looked toward the academy.
"Come to think of it, Tang San enrolled today. Ritien Douluo should be nearby, so Ah Yin ought to be all alone as a blade of grass in that cave, right?"
"What a pity the risk is a little too high. Otherwise, I could totally go fertilize Ah Yin and pick up a wild Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone while I'm at it."
"No need to take that risk. Next time."
"Teacher, that person just now was...?"
Elsewhere, Tang San noticed Yu Xiaogang's emotional shift and asked respectfully.
"Just an ungrateful brat."
Yu Xiaogang snorted coldly. "I saw that his Martial Soul was unusual and that no one was guiding his cultivation, so I took the initiative to offer him guidance. Who would have thought that not only would he show no gratitude, he even implied through his words that I lacked ability..."
With just a few simple sentences, he deftly shifted all blame onto Bai Mu, preserving his own dignity while highlighting his own "appreciation of talent" and "magnanimity."
"There are actually people like that?"
Tang San frowned slightly upon hearing this, and his impression of Bai Mu immediately worsened.
In his eyes, Yu Xiaogang, who had instantly seen through the secret of his Twin Martial Souls, was unquestionably a true Grandmaster with genuine skill!
What an incredible opportunity it was to have someone like that willingly offer guidance?
That Bai Mu had not only refused but even spoken disrespectfully? He truly had no eye for talent!
He would definitely regret it in the future!
"Enough, don't concern yourself with him."
Yu Xiaogang waved his hand, a smile returning to his face.
"His Innate Soul Power is merely level one. Compared to you, he is as far beneath you as clouds are from mud.
In the future, you are destined to be an eagle soaring through the heavens, while he may not even be qualified to look up at you.
Come. I'll take you to the Dean's Office to register first."
Now that he had such an excellent disciple as Tang San to prove his theories, and could even raise a future Title Douluo to slap the world in the face, why would he care about a useless person with level-one Innate Soul Power, a strange Martial Soul, and no willingness to listen?
After that, Tang San's story unfolded just as in the plot. He registered, moved into Dorm Seven, and fought Wang Sheng.
Although Wang Sheng was somewhat stronger than in the original story, he was still no match for the overpowered Tang San. Throughout the entire fight, he could not even touch the latter.
"By the way, do you know Bai Mu?"
After becoming the new Boss of Dorm Seven, Tang San asked out of curiosity.
"Bai Mu... he's a lunatic with endless energy."
Wang Sheng's face was full of emotion, while the other children beside him nodded in agreement.
"A lunatic?" Tang San did not understand.
"Yeah. When sparring with him, if you can't defeat him quickly, then in terms of stamina and willpower alone, even everyone in Dorm Seven taking turns against him can't match him."
Wang Sheng still felt lingering fear. "He seems to never get tired. Whether it's his stamina or his recovery from injuries, both recover rapidly. Everyone guesses it's an ability brought by that strange Martial Soul of his."
Lowering his voice, he added with a hint of schadenfreude, "Come to think of it, that so-called Grandmaster wanted to guide Bai Mu before. He said he could let Bai Mu become a Soul Elder in the future, but isn't he himself still stuck at level twenty-nine even at his age?"
"Do not slander my teacher!"
Tang San's expression darkened as he sharply cut him off. In his heart, Yu Xiaogang was a benefactor and teacher who could not be mocked.
"What? He's your teacher? Are you sure you didn't take the dean as your teacher?"
Seeing Tang San's expression, Wang Sheng curled his lips and said no more.
At that moment, the dormitory door was pushed open, and a crisp voice like silver bells rang out.
"Excuse me, is this Dorm Seven?"
A delicate, adorable little girl with a scorpion braid and large, bright eyes stood prettily in the doorway, curiously looking inside.
"My name is Xiao Wu—the Wu from dancing."
Before you continue