Yu Xiaogang and Kai / Tang San Becomes a Disciple ...

Chapter 21: Yu Xiaogang and Kai

"Where do I sign up?"

Kai had no desire to get caught up in this, and he didn't believe Yu Xiaogang's claims about cultivating him.

"Could I go register first? You two seem to have a lot to discuss, so I'll leave you to it." After saying this, Kai turned to go.

But Yu Xiaogang wasn't about to let another genius get away. They were both geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power. At their rate of growth, in a few years they might be stronger than him, let alone willing to become his disciples.

If he didn't take them in while they were still young and knew nothing, he might never get such a good opportunity again.

"Wait. Don't you want to know how to cultivate your Martial Soul?" Yu Xiaogang cleared his throat, regained his former air of calm authority, and continued trying to persuade him. "If you became my disciple, I could teach you how to cultivate, too."

"So how would you teach me?" Kai stated plainly, laying out the facts.

"With my talent for Innate Full Soul Power, I won't spend all six years at this junior Soul Master school before meeting the graduation requirements. I'll definitely graduate early."

"And what could you teach me in that time? The teachers here can teach us about Soul Beasts and cultivation methods. You probably wouldn't be willing to share any other cultivation resources, either. That leaves only hunting Soul Beasts to obtain Soul Rings." The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan might have more efficient methods for cultivating Soul Power, but Yu Xiaogang clearly wouldn't pass them on.

"My Martial Soul is obviously a Power Attack System Martial Soul, so the Soul Beasts I hunt will have to be strong. Can you, as my teacher, help me obtain the appropriate Soul Rings?"

Rely on Luo Sanpao, whose only ability was farting and whose combat strength was practically zero, the result of a disastrous mutation?

He might as well go on his own. Both Kai and Tang San were capable of hunting Soul Rings themselves.

"With my talent for Innate Full Soul Power, if I really became your disciple, could you guarantee my safety when hunting Soul Rings before I reach level fifty?"

On the Douluo Continent, most people became disciples for just this reason: to obtain suitable Soul Rings safely.

In the original story, Yu Xiaogang made Tang San stay at Nuoding Academy for all six years before finally letting him leave. Tang San had reached the age when he had to graduate and couldn't repeat another year, of course. But he was also already level twenty-nine, and Yu Xiaogang didn't have the strength to help him obtain his next Soul Ring. That was why he let Tang San go to Shrek Academy.

According to Nuoding Academy's graduation requirements, students only needed to reach level ten and obtain a Soul Ring to graduate. Tang San should have left long ago. Staying at this school was a waste of time. With his talent, why not go to a higher-level academy, get better resources, and use a Mimicry Cultivation Ground?

Instead, he stayed in this little place, didn't cultivate seriously, and sometimes went off to work at the forge. The teachers at Nuoding Academy thought there was something wrong with the boy.

But Yu Xiaogang was a Grandmaster with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect behind him, so no one dared to say what they really thought.

Tang San stood to one side, listening to the two of them. A glint flashed in his eyes.

He had just asked the Grandmaster whether he would help him cultivate, too, but Yu Xiaogang had dodged the question.

For the moment, Tang San couldn't figure out what kind of background this self-proclaimed Grandmaster had, and he wasn't sure whether he should become his disciple.

Tang San wanted a teacher to guide him into the world of Soul Masters. In his previous life, he had suffered from having no teacher and no backing. No matter how talented he was, he couldn't enter the inner sect or learn its secret techniques, the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record.

The Grandmaster had made a good impression just now. He acted as if none of the teachers at Nuoding Academy could compare to him, and he could even speak on behalf of the school. Tang San had already been somewhat tempted.

He was still a little hesitant, but it wouldn't have been appropriate to press the Grandmaster about his background and abilities.

Now Kai, with his straightforward nature, had asked all those questions outright. Tang San immediately perked up his ears to listen.

The answers would determine whether he became the Grandmaster's disciple.

As Yu Xiaogang listened to Kai's blunt, practical questions, his face darkened.

His theories were precious, priceless. He was willing to use his valuable knowledge to cultivate them. That alone was their good fortune.

How could mere resources and Soul Rings compare?

"That's enough! Shut up!" Seeing that Kai was about to continue, Yu Xiaogang shouted to cut him off.

He glared at the silver-haired boy in front of him. When a Soul Master got angry, an ordinary child might have grown frightened and backed down in alarm.

But Kai wasn't afraid at all. There wasn't the slightest trace of fear or regret on his face as he met Yu Xiaogang's gaze.

Gradually, Yu Xiaogang's anger faded. He realized that this child wasn't easy to fool—not some clueless country boy.

He hadn't even enrolled yet, but he already knew that Soul Rings were the most important thing when advancing as a Soul Master. He dared to negotiate with Yu Xiaogang, understood that someone with Innate Full Soul Power would graduate early, and knew about Power Attack System Soul Masters and the attributes of the Soul Beasts they hunted...

After weighing the pros and cons, Yu Xiaogang decided to back down.

"Tang San, let's go!" Having made up his mind, Yu Xiaogang flicked his sleeve, clasped his hands behind his back, and regained his former calm, composed demeanor as he strode away with Tang San.

Tang San hesitated for a second, then chose to follow him.

Chapter 22: Tang San Becomes a Disciple

Some things didn't need to be spelled out. When Tang San saw the man who called himself the Grandmaster once again dodge Kai's questions, he understood.

Not answering was an answer in itself. This Grandmaster wasn't as capable as Tang San had imagined. He seemed to be putting on a bit of a show.

Still, he had dared to reprimand the gatekeeper and speak on behalf of the academy, so he must have had some backing. It just wasn't as impressive as he'd initially pretended.

Born in a small village, Tang San had never even seen a Soul Beast, and before his Martial Soul awakened, he hadn't known even the most basic facts about Soul Masters. He urgently needed a guide to help him understand the world of Soul Masters, so he chose to follow Yu Xiaogang.

This time, though, he would think carefully and wouldn't become his disciple lightly.

Kai watched the two of them walk away. His silver hair drifted softly in the breeze, and his cool, aloof air made people think twice before approaching him.

Kai headed into the academy, asked a student for directions, and found the registration office.

Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy wasn't as large as it looked from the outside. It was divided into several main areas: the main classroom building, the sports field, and the dormitory building east of the sports field.

The Academic Affairs Office was on the first floor of the main classroom building. A teacher who looked to be in his sixties handled new student admissions, assisted by two teachers in their thirties.

Kai didn't run into Tang San or Yu Xiaogang at the Academic Affairs Office. The two of them must have gone off to discuss something again.

Kai handed over his certificate from Spirit Hall. "Hello, teacher. I'm a Work-Study Student sent from Holy Soul Village this year. Do I register here?"

The young teacher's surname was Su. He was in charge of registering new students that week. Looking at the child who had come to enroll, he spoke gently. "Let me see. Your name is Kai, right? Have a seat for a moment. It'll take me a little while to record your information."

"Your Martial Soul is a blade, and your Innate Soul Power..." Teacher Su paused as he filled out the form and reached the next field. His voice rose. "Full power?" He sounded almost disbelieving.

"You're the first student with Innate Full Soul Power I've ever met!" Teacher Su looked at the boy in front of him with the fondness of a teacher seeing great potential in a student.

"A blade-type Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power—your future is limitless!" Teacher Su encouraged him, then changed his tone. "Still, you're a student at this academy, and you'll have to follow its rules like everyone else. Do you understand?"

He was worried that the child might become arrogant and cause trouble at school. That sort of thing often happened with children from Soul Master families, and the academy saw it every year.

"I understand. Thank you for your concern, teacher." Kai nodded politely to show his gratitude.

"All right, these are your things. The academy provides them for free. You'll be staying in Dorm Seven. The teacher in charge there will assign you your Work-Study Student duties. Off you go." As he spoke, Su handed over the uniform and other items. Looking at the handsome, elegant, and well-mannered child, he softened and added, "If anyone bullies you, come find a teacher. The academy will stand up for you."

Students at Soul Master academies fought viciously among themselves. The Work-Study Students in Dorm Seven liked to choose their leader by fighting, and students from noble families also liked to bully those from ordinary backgrounds.

"Got it. I'll remember. Thank you." Kai took the things and walked out.

He hadn't gone far when he faintly heard voices from the Academic Affairs Office. "That's a good kid. A blade Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power. I'm almost tempted to take him as a disciple myself."

"Don't even think about it, you fool. A quasi-Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power would never become the disciple of a Soul Grandmaster like you. Just stick to teaching students."

"Fair enough..."

Meanwhile, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang took Tang San to a secluded spot and stopped.

"What I said earlier still stands. Will you become my disciple? After all, you're the third person in a hundred years to have Twin Martial Souls. I can't bear to see you waste your talent." This time, Yu Xiaogang didn't bother putting on airs or beating around the bush. He got straight to the point.

Those words shocked Tang San.

His gaze toward the Grandmaster changed at once. His left wrist had already lifted ever so slightly, and suspicion and uncertainty showed in his eyes.

Yu Xiaogang didn't realize he was in danger. He continued confidently, talking about his theories and conjectures. "Are you wondering how I knew you had Twin Martial Souls?"

As he spoke, he shook the certificate Old Jack had given him. "It's because of this certificate. Other people might not notice the flaw in it, but if I couldn't, I wouldn't deserve the title of Grandmaster."

"I once investigated six hundred and forty-seven people with Blue Silver Grass Martial Souls. Sixteen of them had Soul Power, a rate of less than three percent. And not one of those sixteen had Soul Power above level one. You, however, have level ten Innate Full Soul Power. According to one of the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul I've studied, a person's Innate Soul Power is proportional to the quality of their Martial Soul. Blue Silver Grass clearly doesn't fit the bill, so I'm certain you must have another Martial Soul—and a very powerful one."

Of course, Yu Xiaogang couldn't have awakened Martial Souls one by one and investigated them all. Born into a noble family, he considered such work beneath him. At least, he didn't think commoners were worth his time.

He couldn't use his token to access records at Spirit Hall directly, but Yu Xiaogang had at least come from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. With money to bribe people, he could obtain some basic information.

That didn't stop him from using it now to show off.

But when he said all this, he overlooked one of the basic facts about Soul Masters: a child could only inherit the stronger Martial Soul of their parents. A weak Martial Soul couldn't be passed down successfully.

If the other Martial Soul really was that powerful, how could the ordinary Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul have been inherited?

Yu Xiaogang had already met Bibi Dong, one of the Twin Martial Soul users, and witnessed her two top-tier, compatible Martial Souls. Yet he could still say something so thoughtless.

Yu Xiaogang had simply worked backward from the result and guessed half the answer. He had figured out the Twin Martial Souls, but he couldn't see what made the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul special.

Those with Innate Full Soul Power had never had weak Martial Souls, not once in all of history.

Still, Yu Xiaogang's words had an effect. At least, they were enough to convince Tang San.

After hearing his deductions and theories, Tang San's gaze gradually settled. He argued, "There are exceptions to everything. Why couldn't I be one?"

Chapter 23: Theories That Contradicted Themselves

The Grandmaster nodded seriously. "That's right. There are exceptions to everything. But your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, so you clearly aren't one of them. Over the past hundred years, the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire have seen Twin Martial Souls appear only twice, but there have been nineteen people born with Innate Full Soul Power. I've carefully studied each of their Martial Souls, and every one of them was powerful. The youngest is already a Soul Grandmaster. Fourteen inherited powerful Martial Souls from their family bloodlines, and the other five were exceptions."

This was also why Yu Xiaogang was certain Tang San's Martial Soul had to be powerful.

The data spoke for itself. He only had to state the result.

"They weren't born into noble families, but they still had Innate Full Soul Power. The reason for these exceptions is the existence of Mutated Martial Souls. And based on my many years of research into Mutated Martial Souls, no Martial Soul can mutate with Blue Silver Grass. Your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul is ordinary, too. So I can say with absolute certainty that my judgment is correct."

Yu Xiaogang spoke with firm conviction.

In truth, no rigorous researcher would ever make a statement like that.

Just because you'd never seen Blue Silver Grass mutate didn't mean it couldn't.

He was self-centered and extremely stubborn, fond of taking things out of context and willing to do anything to succeed.

But Tang San, who knew nothing about any of this and was still a novice in the world of Soul Masters, had just been correctly identified as someone with Twin Martial Souls. He fell for the Grandmaster's argument.

Watching Yu Xiaogang speak with such certainty and confidence, citing all kinds of data and examples, Tang San felt tempted.

He began weighing the pros and cons.