Mentor

"Are you her brother, Tang Yin?"

Yu Xiaogang took a deep look at Tang Yin, the corresponding information surfacing in his mind.

Also possessing Innate Full Soul Power, his Martial Soul was a bird-type creature similar to a swallow.

That a pair of biological siblings were both born with Innate Full Soul Power made Yu Xiaogang doubt reality itself the moment he saw the files, followed immediately by a surge of wild ecstasy.

Originally, he had only wanted to find a few children with decent talent to verify his theories through a little guidance; if he were lucky enough for one to stand out, he could ride their coattails to gain some fame.

But the appearance of Tang Sanmei had changed his mind.

Innate Full Soul Power combined with Twin Martial Souls—as long as nothing went wrong, she was destined to reach the Title Douluo realm and shake the continent. If he could take her as his disciple before she fully developed...

Thinking of this, Yu Xiaogang hadn't been able to sleep for days and nights out of sheer excitement. He could already imagine the faces of those in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan who had insulted him, bullied him, and looked down on him.

Thus, for the next period of time, he had been observing Tang Sanmei in secret, even being mistaken for a stalker with peculiar habits on a few occasions.

Only when he felt he understood her well enough did Yu Xiaogang begin his plan.

"Grandmaster, I need an explanation!" Tang Yin ignored Yu Xiaogang's words and demanded.

"What a rude child," a flash of displeasure crossed Yu Xiaogang's face, but considering he was Tang Sanmei's brother and also a genius with Innate Full Soul Power, he didn't take it to heart.

Although he had already decided to take Tang Sanmei as his disciple and could no longer take Tang Yin, he could still provide some appropriate guidance, adding another feather to his future cap of glorious achievements.

"I presume you have both heard of me, so I will skip the pleasantries," Yu Xiaogang said, turning to look out the window with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle.

"I intend to take your sister as my disciple. I believe you should know what this implies, and furthermore," he paused slightly, glancing at Tang Yin from the corner of his eye.

"Furthermore, I can also provide guidance for your Martial Soul cultivation. Through these days of observation, I can confirm that your Martial Soul is a Sharp-Tailed Swift, am I correct?"

"Indeed." Tang Yin wasn't surprised that Yu Xiaogang knew about the Sharp-Tailed Swift; after all, his status was clear for all to see.

"However, let's set my affairs aside for a moment. Regarding your desire to take my sister as your disciple... forgive my bluntness, Grandmaster, but what is your current Soul Power Level?"

Tang Sanmei and Xiao Wu, standing to the side, were also curious. They had only heard various rumors about him in the academy, but no one had ever discussed his actual soul power level.

Yu Xiaogang, who had been wearing an arrogant expression, stiffened. His hands, clasped behind his back, tightened slightly. After ten seconds of silence, he seemed to resign himself to his fate and loosened his fists.

"My innate soul power was only level 0.5. I have now cultivated to level 29. If not for the limitations of my Martial Soul, the mere bottleneck of level 30 would have been shattered with a flick of a finger," the somewhat dejected look on Yu Xiaogang's face suddenly shifted to one of pride.

"Is this not, in itself, a manifestation of genius?"

Tang Yin curled his lip at these shameless words. Level 0.5 innate soul power reaching level 29 could indeed be considered genius, but that was only for ordinary commoner soul masters.

But Yu Xiaogang was different. He was the son of the sect master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the Upper Three Sects. Reaching level 29 with all sorts of cultivation resources and heavenly treasures since childhood was hardly rare.

"Apologies, Grandmaster, but no matter how much of a genius you are, you are only level 29. You lack the cultivation experience of a high-level soul master and naturally cannot provide my sister with subsequent guidance. Let us hear no more of this apprenticeship."

"You—what do you know? Although I am only a level 29 Soul Grand Master, my theories are invincible! I am well-versed in the vast majority of soul beast species and their distributions on the continent, and my understanding of Twin Martial Souls is unparalleled!"

"Furthermore, the core competitiveness of the Martial Soul research I have conducted is even recorded in the Martial Soul Hall's guidebooks for elite soul master cultivation!" Yu Xiaogang's face flushed red, his finger trembling as he pointed at Tang Yin in his agitation.

Seeing this, Tang Yin felt the timing was about right; he couldn't push the man too far.

"However, having said that, Grandmaster is well-read and learned, a walking encyclopedia of the soul master world. If you were to serve merely as a guiding teacher to instruct us on the various soul beasts and Martial Soul knowledge of the world, that would be more than sufficient."

This was what Tang Yin had decided on the way here. On the Douluo Continent, a master held a special significance, almost equivalent to that of a parent.

If he were only a guiding teacher, there would be fewer constraints in the future, and he could refuse many unreasonable demands.

"A guiding teacher?" Yu Xiaogang, who had been on the verge of a rage, finally calmed down and fell into thought, then looked toward Tang Sanmei.

"I listen to my brother," Tang Sanmei noticed Yu Xiaogang's gaze and didn't hesitate; trusting her brother was the right thing to do.

Yu Xiaogang's mouth twitched, but having been a man who had swallowed his pride for most of his life, he quickly adjusted his mindset to consider the arrangements ahead.

For now, he could only settle for being a guiding teacher to stabilize them; he was quite confident in himself.

In his view, the reason these two were rejecting him was simply the childish nature of children who felt it was embarrassing to apprentice under a level 29 Soul Grand Master.

But he was confident that as long as they had more contact in the days to come, once they truly understood him, they would revere him like a god.

They were only six-year-old children, after all; he didn't believe he couldn't handle them.

"Fine. In that case, from today on, I am your guiding teacher."

"I want in too! I want in too! You can't leave me behind!"

Xiao Wu, standing to the side, became anxious. Although she didn't fully understand the specifics, she had finally grasped the last sentence: this Grandmaster would be Sanmei and her brother's guiding teacher from today on. As one of the three siblings, she naturally couldn't be left out.

"You?" Yu Xiaogang's face stiffened again as he flipped through Xiao Wu's information in his mind.

Entering Nuoding Academy didn't necessarily require proof from the Martial Soul Hall; as long as one had awakened a Martial Soul and possessed soul power, one could enroll by paying the tuition.

He had naturally investigated Xiao Wu's background: Martial Soul, Soft Bone Rabbit; as for her innate soul power, since there was no Martial Soul Hall certificate, the file simply listed it as unknown.

"Brother, you can't leave sister behind! We're the three siblings!" Xiao Wu cupped her chin with her hands, fluttering her large eyes and acting cute.

Seeing this, Tang Yin felt a bit helpless and finally looked at Yu Xiaogang.

"Grandmaster, look, since she's already here, Xiao Wu's talent isn't bad either."

Yu Xiaogang nodded expressionlessly. Through his observations over the past few days, Xiao Wu's strength was indeed somewhat unusual; he presumed her innate soul power wouldn't be very low, so it wouldn't be a disgrace to him.

Thinking of this, Yu Xiaogang felt a sense of relief and then perked up. Although he hadn't achieved his intended goal, the current result was still acceptable.

"Very well, it is decided. From this day forward, I shall guide your Martial Soul cultivation. Follow me."

Yu Xiaogang waved his hand, leading the three of them out of the dean's office and toward his living quarters.

"Summon your martial souls for me to see first," Yu Xiaogang instructed hurriedly as soon as they arrived, pulling a notebook from his desk.

"I'll go first!"

Seeing this, Tang Yin did not hesitate; he summoned his martial soul, and a pair of wings sprouted from his back.

Yu Xiaogang leaned forward at the sight, an expression of "as I expected" crossing his face.

"My guess was correct; it is indeed a Sharp-Tailed Swift. It seems you possess..." Yu Xiaogang paused slightly, cutting the topic short.

Hailing from one of the Upper Three Sects, he naturally knew of the sordid affairs within such families; it was common for bloodlines to be scattered outside.

Some things were better left unsaid even if seen through. He himself was a victim of such machinations, his own lover having become his sister.

After a moment of contemplation, Yu Xiaogang thought of the Speed Clan, known for their extreme speed but lack of offensive power, and formulated a plan.

"Your Sharp-Tailed Swift is a martial soul with little offensive capability, yet it possesses an advantage that other low-level spirit masters lack: the ability to fly."

At this, Yu Xiaogang stopped his pen, a glint of wisdom flashing in his eyes.