The classes at Nuoding Academy were far too basic. First-year students in particular spent most of their time learning to read and write, aside from studying the simplest version of the Meditation Method.
Huang Tian only glanced at the textbook before deciding he had no intention of going to class.
Still, he came to the academy to train and cultivate in his dormitory.
The reason he didn't use the more spacious grounds and better facilities at the manor was that, given a certain assassin's narrow-mindedness and fragile emotional resilience,
there was a very good chance that after obtaining a Soul Ring, he'd decide that the sky had cleared, the rain had stopped, and he was back on his feet—and then come looking for revenge, hoping to reclaim his lost face.
As a qualified transmigrator into the Douluo world, how could he pass up a perfectly legitimate chance to beat Sanzi senseless, especially when Sanzi was asking for it?
That would be a shameful waste.
Sure enough, the next afternoon, around dinnertime—probably just after he'd made it back to Notting City, judging by the distance—
Tang San came looking for him, impatient as ever.
At the dormitory entrance, Huang Tian looked at Sanzi's self-assured face and the fierce hatred burning in his eyes. Knowing perfectly well what was going on, he asked anyway,
"What do you want?"
"Huang Tian, I challenge you. Last time, you could bully me only because your Soul Skill and Soul Ring gave you a physical advantage. But this time, I have a Soul Ring and a Soul Skill too."
He then thought to himself,
We both have Ten-Year Soul Rings, but my Silver Shuttle Snake was very close to a Century Soul Beast. Huang Tian's might not be. Even if his was just as close, at most we'd draw. That's one advantage.
Huang Tian's Soul Skill might be a little stronger, but when it comes to developing and making use of our Martial Souls, my teacher is hailed as a theoretical master. No one would expect that Blue Silver Grass could be given a poison attribute. That's my second advantage.
Besides, I have the Purple Demon Eye, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, Mysterious Jade Hand, and Mysterious Heaven Skill. That's my third advantage.
Today, Huang Tian is sure to lose.
"Fine. Wait a moment."
With a bang, Huang Tian shut the door and went into the bathroom. He rinsed the sweat off with cold water, dried himself, and changed into fresh clothes.
With his life attribute supporting him, his recovery was constant, so he trained with abandon. His old clothes had long since been soaked through with sweat.
In less than three minutes, Huang Tian was ready. He came downstairs with Xiao Wu.
Whether Gangzi had been telling people about his disciple, Huang Tian didn't know, but there were even more people gathered on the field than last time. The principal and Teacher Zhao from the Auxiliary Department were there too.
A standard circle, twenty meters in diameter, had also been painted in the middle of the field to serve as a makeshift ring.
The moment Tang San saw his opponent, he let out a cold laugh and took his place at one end of the ring. In a chilly voice, as if delivering a proclamation, he said,
"Huang Tian, my teacher was only a little anxious because I was injured that day. You seized on that tiny mistake and wouldn't let it go,
then took advantage of his restraint and kindness to ambush him and beat him into that state. That's simply intolerable.
Now I have a Soul Ring too, and today I'll make him justice."
The moment he said this, the noisy crowd fell silent. Many people wore utterly strange expressions, and even the principal's mouth twitched several times.
Like master, like disciple. Their way of twisting the truth is exactly the same.
"Ambush"? Wasn't it Yu Xiaogang who agreed to the Soul Fighting match? He even said he'd teach Huang Tian what it meant to know his place.
"Tiny mistake"? "Restraint"? "Kindness"? "Ambush"? What in the world is he talking about? Is the story in his head even the same one the rest of us saw?
Wow.
Huang Tian smiled.
"Come on, why don't you tell everyone exactly what your so-called teacher said about me that day?"
He could figure it out without even thinking. After Tang San woke up, Yu Xiaogang surely hadn't had anything good to say about him. Who knew how badly the truth had been twisted?
Those words startled Gangzi. He hurriedly cut Tang San off before he could speak, calling out loudly,
"Xiao San, words are the most useless thing in the world. There's no point saying more. It'll only make people look down on you and think you're scared. We should just start the Soul Fighting match."
As expected, Sanzi shut his mouth. He simply summoned his Martial Soul as the rules required. Four or five Blue Silver Grass vines, like ropes, coiled in his right hand, their ends hanging down to the ground.
Huang Tian keenly noticed extremely fine black threads running through the Blue Silver Grass vines and leaves. Their overall feel had also shifted toward the gloomy.
Although it hadn't undergone a Second Awakening, its aura was still different from ordinary Blue Silver Grass—it had seemed far more vibrant.
And there was no need to even mention his Blue Silver Saint Emperor.
Soon, as the Martial Soul was released, a hazy white ring of light appeared as well, pulsing and rotating in a steady rhythm.
At the sight of it, the others hadn't even reacted yet when the principal was the first to lose his composure. His eyes widened, and he was instantly stunned.
He turned and demanded angrily,
"A Ten-Year Soul Ring? Xiaogang, how could you give Tang San a Ten-Year Soul Ring?"
The other students were one thing. Those with Innate Soul Power above level two were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Breaking through to Soul Ancestor in their lifetime would already be a blessing from their ancestors.
But Tang San had Innate Full Soul Power. Barring an accident, he was all but guaranteed to become a Soul Saint, and there was a good chance he'd reach Soul Douluo. Even becoming a Titled Douluo wasn't out of the question.
How could a genius like that be treated like an ordinary student?
What if he grew powerful and decided to settle old scores one day?
The principal was beginning to question his own life. Was something wrong with the feng shui here? Two students with Innate Full Soul Power in a row, and both had ended up with white First Soul Rings? Where on earth was he supposed to go to complain about this?
Not far away, a glint appeared in Xiao Wu's eyes, but her face held nothing but a smile.
Good, good, good. Gu Yue, if this is how you want to play it, I'll recognize you as the big sister.
Mm, you're a God King, and Tang San is a God King too. That's fair enough. It doesn't count as bullying someone weaker.
In the previous life, Tang San got a Hundred-Year Soul Ring while Brother Tian was tricked into absorbing a Ten-Year one. In this life, you've turned it around, huh? You really are a genius. Honestly, I'm a little jealous of your talent.
Speaking of which, what Soul Beast did they hunt? If it was a venomous snake, that'd make this even funnier.
Yu Xiaogang's face darkened. No matter how thick-skinned he was, even he couldn't take this.
"Well, something unexpected happened during the Soul Hunting, but it won't happen next time. I'll definitely help him find the perfect Second Soul Ring.
Fortunately, its attributes are a good match, so the impact isn't all that great."
"Ah, if only I'd known, I would've gone with you."
The principal lamented again. He had no connection to Tang San whatsoever, but a Ten-Year Soul Ring on someone with Innate Full Soul Power couldn't even be called a flaw. It was a stain.
Huang Tian's thoughts shifted. Realizing he could make Sanzi suffer and feel miserable, he immediately decided to adjust the age of his First Soul Ring to yellow.
He didn't make it a thousand-year ring because he was afraid Tang San might realize Yu Xiaogang's theories were flawed.
He suddenly cried out in utter shock,
"A Ten-Year Soul Ring? Tang San, you have Innate Full Soul Power. Why did you get a Ten-Year Soul Ring?
If you couldn't beat a Century Soul Beast, you could've asked one of the academy's teachers to help. With a talent like yours, I'm sure they'd have been willing."
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