The Great Stage of Douluo, My Name is Qian Xunji

Tang San, who practiced the Mysterious Heaven Skill and possessed knowledge of Hidden Weapons, was not actually very worried about the hunting of Soul Beasts to obtain Soul Rings that Kai had just mentioned.

Having suffered from the monopoly of knowledge in his past life, he placed extraordinary importance on knowledge and theory in this one.

The persona of Yu Xiaogang—a master and expert with rich theories and profound knowledge—held a fatal attraction for him, and it was difficult for Tang San not to be moved.

However, because Kai had just shattered the masterly aura of Yu Xiaogang, Tang San still held some doubts about him.

"Mutated Martial Soul, what is that?" Tang San asked. This was a probe, but also a genuine desire to know.

This question touched upon the very subject Yu Xiaogang had studied most deeply. His own Luo Sanpao was a mutated Martial Soul, and a malignant mutation at that. To improve his own strength, Yu Xiaogang had spent a vast amount of time researching, reading various ancient texts, and could recite the information with his eyes closed.

The Master immediately began to speak: "To understand this, we must first discuss how Martial Souls are inherited. A person's Martial Soul has a direct relationship with the Martial Souls of their parents. The most normal situation is inheriting the Martial Soul of either the father or the mother. This is familial Martial Soul inheritance. The exceptions are what we call mutated Martial Souls. The source is still the parents' Martial Souls, but because there is a certain degree of variation between the father's and mother's Martial Souls, the inheritor's Martial Soul undergoes a mutation, resulting in a new type of Martial Soul. Mutated Martial Souls can mutate to be powerful, even resulting in Innate Full Soul Power. However, the vast majority of mutated Martial Souls only become weaker..."

Yu Xiaogang spoke eloquently. As Tang San listened to the detailed, theoretical, and uninterrupted confident posture that required no thought, he was finally moved.

Tang San nodded, then stepped back to increase the distance between himself and the Master. Immediately after, he knelt on both knees and kowtowed respectfully to the Master three times.

"Teacher," Tang San called out respectfully, "please accept me as your disciple."

In the village where Tang San had lived in this world, he had never seen the apprenticeship rites of this world.

This was the apprenticeship rite from his past life, and it was because of this grand gesture that the saying "a teacher for a day is a father for life" existed.

After all, a man's knees are worth gold; one only kneels to heaven, earth, and parents. After this kneeling, the master was considered half a father.

This kneeling also shocked Yu Xiaogang. Due to the unique nature of Martial Soul inheritance on the Douluo Continent, families were exceptionally united, and blood relations were far more important than the relationship between master and disciple.

The bond between master and disciple was actually not very close. In his own Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, most disciples accepted were members of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Those from other families who joined the sect were at most used as handymen or cannon fodder subordinates, and the relationship between master and disciple was not very good.

This was his first time seeing someone kneel to become a disciple, and it was a genius with Innate Full Soul Power kneeling to a Soul Grand Master with only level 29 Soul Power and a weak Martial Soul.

To be honest, Yu Xiaogang felt great and very happy; even the unpleasantness of being retorted by the other child named Kai had dissipated.

"What are you doing?" Yu Xiaogang said this, but he did not move to stop him, accepting the kowtow.

Then, he nodded with satisfaction and accepted Tang San as his disciple.

It was not until much later, when he learned what Tang San's other Martial Soul was, that his face turned green.

After the apprenticeship ended, Yu Xiaogang, in a good mood, sent his new disciple to the Academic Affairs Office and left after giving instructions.

The teachers at the Academic Affairs Office knew more or less that this Yu Xiaogang, who called himself a Master and lived off the school's payroll, had a background. Although they looked down on him, they did not want to offend him, so they agreed.

However, after seeing the Master walk away and discovering that Tang San had Innate Full Soul Power, one of the young teachers couldn't help but offer a reminder.

He told him that one should not just acknowledge any master, as any Soul Master could only have one teacher, and urged Tang San to think it over. The result was naturally met with a counter-question from Tang San.

"What is inappropriate about it?"

Tang San was at a peak moment; having just taken a master, the influence of his past life's education and the ideology of respecting teachers and valuing the Way made him subconsciously defend Yu Xiaogang, the Master he had recognized.

Director Su glared at the young teacher beside him and said, "Although the Master's personality is a bit eccentric, from a certain perspective, he is an 'invincible' existence in terms of Martial Souls. Anyway, your Martial Soul is also Blue Silver Grass, so it doesn't matter if you take him as your teacher. Alright, that's it. These are your things, provided free by the academy. You will live in Dormitory Room 9. Go."

Director Su did not want to look for trouble. This child, Tang San, didn't appreciate the advice, and the Master, Yu Xiaogang, had a background. If things blew up, he would be caught in the middle, and he might even attract resentment and retaliation. Why get involved in such muddy waters?

Tang San nodded and took the items, his attitude turning cold—or rather, he had always been cold toward people who had no great value to him.

He now had a Master who could represent the school, had a powerful background, and was rich in theory; the other teachers were naturally dispensable.

Just as Tang San walked out of the Academic Affairs Office, the young teacher from before complained, "I wasn't wrong. The Master is indeed 'invincible', but only theoretically invincible. Of course, that's only if his theories can become reality. Director, I still remember the Master's so-called Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul. That is simply ridiculous."

Director Su looked at Tang San's retreating back and said, "Enough. The Master is a friend of the Dean. Do not judge him recklessly. Although no one has proven his theories are correct, no one has proven them wrong either. In the world of Martial Souls, the Master is a famous figure."

These young people really didn't understand the ways of the world. This child had just defended the Master, and now, if he heard them badmouthing him, he might go and tell him. Wouldn't that be offending someone for no reason?

However, Director Su could only try to smooth things over; he couldn't bring himself to praise him against his conscience.

Yu Xiaogang had indeed proposed the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, but he had no evidence to prove the correctness of those theories.

There were quite a few people who could prove the errors in his theories, but out of fear of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan behind him, no one dared to stand up and slap him in the face.

He could even refute those theories himself.

Yu Xiaogang's first theory was that Innate Soul Power level is directly proportional to Martial Soul strength: everyone's Innate Soul Power level determines their potential on the path of a Soul Master.

Then the second theory slapped the first one in the face: there is no such thing as a useless Martial Soul, only useless Soul Masters. If Innate Soul Power determines Martial Soul strength and a Soul Master's future potential, and the Martial Soul's strength is capped, how can there be no such thing as a useless Martial Soul?

However, he himself was a classic example of his first theory: half a level of Innate Soul Power, and despite having the status of a Title Douluo's descendant and receiving massive resources from his family, he was stuck at level 29.

Since there is no such thing as a useless Martial Soul, was Yu Xiaogang, who could never break through to become a Soul Grand Master, saying that he was a useless Soul Master?

The theories were crude and shallow, many without experimental verification, published merely as conjectures. Some were practically chicken soup for the soul, likely something Yu Xiaogang used to motivate himself. The logic was chaotic and even self-contradictory, yet he had the nerve to publish them.

In any case, the teachers at Nuoding Academy looked down on them.

Chapter 24: Dormitory

Yu Xiaogang's theory that there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters, could be said to have insulted all the commoners in the world, including himself, a Soul Master with only half a level of Innate Soul Power.

Because everyone in this world has a Martial Soul.

It was just that many people could not cultivate because their Innate Soul Power was zero.

Those commoners didn't know about this statement of his, and those who did dared not offend the Soul Master who had said it.

Soul Masters with commoner families were also hindered by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect behind him and did not take action.

Yu Xiaogang remained smug about his status as a Grandmaster and the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul he had proposed, completely unaware of how many people he had offended.

If the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan were to disappear one day, and Liu Erlong and Flender were not there to protect him, Yu Xiaogang would undoubtedly be doomed.

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When Kai arrived at the Work-Study Student dormitory, he casually beat up the brats who came to challenge him. His pack only contained a few changes of clothes, and he still needed to purchase daily necessities like quilts, bedsheets, and toothbrushes. He had no time to play with them, so he put his things down and left.

As for Tang San, because he was attending school at his own expense this time, he had been assigned a different dormitory, separating him from Xiao Wu.

After getting to know his roommates and learning their respective martial souls and Soul Power Levels, Tang San did not feel very enthusiastic about interacting with them.

Children are the most straightforward, and they did not know much. In their understanding, Blue Silver Grass was a trash martial soul. Furthermore, the dormitory did not separate students by age, so many were older students who already had their own cliques and friends. Tang San, a new student who had suddenly been inserted into their midst, wearing plain clothes and looking like he didn't belong, was naturally ostracized.

One of the more curious classmates spoke up, "Where are your parents? How did you come here with just such a small pack? How are you going to sleep at night?"

Children who could afford to attend school at their own expense came from decent backgrounds. They could not understand why this new classmate, Tang San, could afford the tuition but could not dress himself better; it was just too shabby.

Tang San's expression was not very pleasant. "It's all about the same."

His father, Tang Hao, had tossed him a sum for tuition before he left in the morning and had not cared about him since, let alone accompanied him to school.

In truth, Tang San did not understand why his father would act this way either.

"Tang San, we're going to the cafeteria to eat. Do you want to come with us?" The classmate next to Tang San checked the time and asked.

"No." Tang Hao was a rough man who did things in a crude manner. He said he would provide tuition, so he really only provided tuition; he never thought about what the child would eat at school or provided any living expenses.

When Tang Hao was in the Clear Sky Sect, his food and lodging were fully covered by the clan, so he never needed to spend money, and he had never lacked money while out training.

Previously, he had even been capable of making a child do the laundry and cooking to serve him, a grown man, which showed just how heartless he was.

When he first learned that Tang San's martial soul was Blue Silver Grass, his attitude had been cold. If Tang San hadn't awakened Twin Martial Souls, whether Tang San could even become a soul master would have been a mystery. People who have given up on themselves always drag those around them down.

Tang San figured the dry rations he brought would last a few more days, and he would have to find work at a blacksmith shop to earn his living expenses for the future.

Having been rejected, the classmate nodded and said, "Alright then, we'll head out first."

With that, he left with his friends toward the cafeteria.

The dormitory suddenly fell silent.

The dormitory for self-funded students was indeed much better than the one for work-study students. It was a four-person room with beds 1.5 meters wide and two meters long, enough for a soul master child to sleep in until they were twelve. There were also desks, chairs, and a bathroom nearby, which was far better than the large communal sleeping area of the work-study students.

The other three beds were kept very comfortable, with quilts and mattresses that were soft; just looking at the fabric, it was better than the clothes on Tang San's back. On the nearby tables were books, pens, ink, and some snacks and fruits. The fruits even had water droplets on them, looking very fresh, likely just delivered.

It was clear that these classmates' families were not only wealthy but also very concerned about them.

In comparison, Tang San, who had only brought a small pack with food and a change of clothes, looked very pathetic.

After organizing all his things, the space still looked empty.

Tang San suppressed his emotions and sat in the chair, eating the coarse flatbread he had brought.

Just then, a teacher in his thirties walked in from outside. "Is the new student named Tang San here?"

Tang San was the only one in the dormitory, and the teacher's gaze fell upon him.

Tang San stood up. "Hello, Teacher. I am Tang San."

The teacher said, "My name is Mo Hen. You can call me Teacher Mo. Tang San, this is the bedding from the Grandmaster."

Tang San took the bedding. Although the quilt cover was not ornate, a fresh, dry scent wafted from it; it was all brand new. There was even a pillow included.

Tang San felt a warmth in his heart.

Mo Hen watched Tang San take the quilt and continued, "Tomorrow is the opening ceremony. Classes officially begin the day after tomorrow. The first grade meets in Classroom One on the first floor of the teaching building. Just be there on time the day after tomorrow."

After saying this, Mo Hen left. He was unhappy about being ordered around like an errand boy by that "Grandmaster," but he had no backing and could not afford to offend him...

Tang San naturally paid no attention to the errand-running teacher who had brought him the bedding; in his heart, he was only grateful to the Grandmaster who cared for him.

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Chapter 25: Clear Sky Hammer... Blue Silver Grass... Six Years Old

By the time Kai returned from purchasing supplies, he happened to run into Xiao Wu and Wang Sheng's group of children, who had just finished eating and were talking in the dormitory.

As soon as he saw Kai enter, Wang Sheng's eyes lit up. "Boss, someone wants to challenge you."

Xiao Wu also turned to look at the door and happened to lock eyes with Kai. Meeting that cold, piercing gaze, Xiao Wu inexplicably recalled the night her mother died and couldn't help but take a step back in fear.

Kai was carrying quite a few things. He walked over, set them down, and then looked at Wang Sheng to ask, "What happened? Who is challenging me?"

Kai did not mind the status of being the Work-Study Student boss, because according to what Wang Sheng said, the noble students at this school liked to bully the work-study students, and Kai himself was within the range of those people's bullying.

Since that was the case, he might as well accept the title of boss. Rather than waiting for others to come and cause him trouble, it was better to take the initiative to solve the problem and resolve everything at once.

"I'm the one who wants to challenge you. Are you the boss Kai that Wang Sheng mentioned?" The person who spoke was Xiao Wu. She had learned the rules of Seven Dorm from Wang Sheng and was eager to challenge Kai.

Her long black hair was styled into a scorpion braid that hung past her hips. Her large eyes were watery, and her pretty little face was white with a rosy flush. She looked as tender and soft as a ripe peach, though the girl's expression was currently unpleasant. The Nuoding Academy uniform she wore showcased her young, green body curves to the fullest.

Standing beside her, Wang Sheng's cheeks were flushed red, and he didn't even dare to look in Xiao Wu's direction.

Kai looked at her, speechless. "And who are you? Besides, this isn't the girls' dormitory, is it?"