Master!

A plainly dressed middle-aged man in a gray robe, sporting a stylish crew cut, walked toward them with a book in his hands.

Old Jack saw that although the middle-aged man looked ordinary, he carried an indescribable air about him. Thinking he might be some important figure at the academy, he quickly bowed. "Are you a teacher at the academy?"

The man closed his book and smiled. "My name is Yu Xiaogang. I wouldn't call myself a teacher. I'm merely responsible for the academy's theoretical instruction. They all call me Master, and you may call me that as well."

Master?

Jiang Chen recognized him too. This stylish crew-cut man was the legendary theory plagiarist, Yu Xiaogang, the Soul Grandmaster who had reached level twenty-nine in his fifties.

He was also Tang San's future bargain-bin master.

Yu Xiaogang swept his gaze over Jiang Chen and Tang San, smiling. "You two should be this year's Work-Study Students, right?"

Tang San frowned slightly at that.

Wasn't that obvious? Anyone who had seen what happened at the entrance would know they were Work-Study Students.

"Yes, we are Work-Study Students." Jiang Chen smiled.

He was already eager to see what Master would do next.

"Good. Then come with me. I'll take you to register."

After saying that, Yu Xiaogang ignored their reactions and turned to lead the way.

Seeing this, Old Jack gave them a few brief instructions before leaving.

Jiang Chen and Tang San followed behind Yu Xiaogang.

"Brother Chen, what do you think of this man called Master?" Tang San leaned close and asked in a low voice as they walked.

"He seems average. Feels like there isn't much truth in what comes out of his mouth." Jiang Chen answered honestly.

Tang San nodded. It seemed Brother Chen had noticed something was off as well.

They had only just entered the academy, and this man who called himself Master had appeared right afterward. No matter how he looked at it, something was wrong.

Before long, Jiang Chen and Tang San entered an office.

The moment they stepped inside, they saw Yu Xiaogang standing by the window with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle and putting on an unfathomable pose.

"I have read both of your files. Innate Full Soul Power—you barely meet my requirements for taking disciples."

"Do you two wish to take me as your master?"

Tang San: "..."

Jiang Chen: "..."

Seriously? He was going straight for something this cringe?

Seeing that neither of them responded, Yu Xiaogang gave an awkward cough. He turned, picked up a thick notebook from the desk, casually flipped through several pages, and deliberately put a trace of pride into his voice.

"Although my Soul Power Level is not high, when it comes to Martial Soul theory, there are very few people on the entire continent who can stand shoulder to shoulder with me."

He paused, his gaze vaguely sweeping across Tang San. "For example, I summarized the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul. One of them is that Innate Soul Power is directly proportional to the strength of one's Martial Soul."

Tang San's eyes shifted slightly, but he said nothing.

Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang curled his lips into a smile that said he had already seen through everything. He slowly approached and lowered his voice. "Child, your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, correct?"

Tang San nodded. "Yes."

"Blue Silver Grass is a universally acknowledged useless Martial Soul." Yu Xiaogang's tone was certain. "According to my theory, a useless Martial Soul can never possess Innate Full Soul Power."

"So, you must have a second Martial Soul!"

Tang San shuddered, and his pupils suddenly constricted.

Jiang Chen nearly laughed out loud beside him.

Well, damn. The continent's number-one plagiarist truly lived up to his reputation. He put on this act... rather convincingly.

If Jiang Chen had not known the full story, this crew-cut man might really have bluffed him.

To speak so confidently of plagiarism and copying—just that thickness of skin alone put the crew-cut man far beyond ordinary people.

For a moment, the office was utterly silent.

Tang San's little face tightened as he quietly hid his left hand behind his back.

Twin Martial Souls were his greatest secret. Even Brother Chen did not know about them, yet this middle-aged man had inferred it from just a few words. He was clearly no simple man.

Should he kill him now?

At this distance, if Yu Xiaogang was completely unprepared, Tang San was seventy percent confident he could succeed in a sneak attack.

Yu Xiaogang saw Tang San lower his head in thought and assumed he was stunned by his theory. His tone became increasingly smug. "Twin Martial Souls are rarely seen even once in a century. The recorded cases throughout history can be counted on one hand. If you take me as your master, I can tailor a cultivation plan specifically for you."

At that moment, Jiang Chen suddenly spoke. "Master, I have a small question."

Yu Xiaogang frowned slightly but maintained his composure. "Go ahead."

"You just mentioned the 'Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul.'"

Jiang Chen smiled. "Then may I ask, what is the maximum absorption age for a soul master's first Soul Ring?"

The air fell silent for a moment.

Yu Xiaogang's expression stiffened. Clearly, he had not expected this boy to suddenly throw out such a specific question.

He gave a dry cough and tried to maintain his learned image. "According to my research, the first Soul Ring cannot exceed five hundred years at most... To be precise, four hundred and twenty-three years."

"Is that so?"

Jiang Chen patted Tang San beside him. "Tang San, let him see how old your first Soul Ring is."

As soon as he spoke, the deep yellow Soul Ring beneath Tang San's feet quietly emerged. As its light flowed, the Soul Power fluctuations clearly surpassed those of an ordinary hundred-year Soul Ring.

Yu Xiaogang stared at that Soul Ring, his eyes widening sharply.

That color, that aura—it was definitely more than five hundred years old!

"My little brother's first Soul Ring is seven hundred and eighty years old."

Jiang Chen kindly added, driving the blade in a little deeper. "Master, shouldn't you update your Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul?"

Tang San silently withdrew his Soul Ring, and the way he looked at Yu Xiaogang became more guarded.

This guy had been so certain just moments ago, only to get slapped in the face the next second.

Did someone like that deserve to be Tang San's teacher?

Yu Xiaogang's face instantly turned the color of liver as he muttered, "That shouldn't be possible. How could my theory be wrong?"

In truth, there was not much fundamentally wrong with Yu Xiaogang's theories.

But he had forgotten one thing: geniuses could never be judged by common sense.

He could predict most soul masters, but he could not predict that Tang San possessed Tang Sect secret arts like the Mysterious Heaven Skill and Jade Hand.

After all, Yu Xiaogang's talent was destined to ensure that no matter how he speculated or fantasized, he could never deduce a genius's limits.

Geniuses were the very embodiment of breaking limits.

Yet precisely because of this, Yu Xiaogang wanted even more to take Tang San as his disciple.

Only a genius like this could realize his dream!

"Master, why have you gone quiet?" Jiang Chen asked with a smile.

Yu Xiaogang raised his head and forced out a smile. "Th-this is merely an exception. My theory as a whole still stands up to scrutiny!"

"Is that so?"

Jiang Chen continued, "Then what do you think the limit of my first Soul Ring should be?"

"Th-this..."

Yu Xiaogang could also tell that this boy before him was deliberately picking a fight, but he had no choice but to answer.

"Eight... eight hundred years?" Yu Xiaogang asked tentatively.

This was already the absolute limit in his mind. It could not possibly be any higher.

"Ah, I think it's time for Master to update his theory." Jiang Chen shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

Yu Xiaogang's expression darkened. "Do not think that having a little talent means you can look down on everyone and disregard all others."

"I'll say it plainly today: eight hundred years is already the limit for a human soul master's first Soul Ring. No one can exceed that number."

After being provoked again and again, Yu Xiaogang finally lost his temper. He took a belt from a cabinet and slapped it onto the desk.

"If you can find a first Soul Ring older than eight hundred years, this Soul Tool is yours!"