Leaving the Orphanage

Seeing the expensive clothes on the two men, a trace of trepidation crossed the woman's face, yet she still slowly stepped forward to meet them.

"My lords, is there a problem with my child? Did he commit some offense? Or is there compensation needed?"

"Whatever it is, I will do my best to fulfill it. Just tell me how much money you need."

The woman looked at Shen Ming and Xiao Zhou, wringing her hands slightly, her face etched with nervousness.

Shen Ming glanced at the jagged scar on the woman's face, then calmly shook his head.

"That is not the case. I have good news for you: this child has immense talent, and he is now my disciple."

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shen Ming, and I am the Pagoda Master of the Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda."

As he spoke, Shen Ming extended his hand toward the woman.

An orphanage director would naturally not be qualified to shake hands with him, but since she had raised a genius like Li Ang, she had earned that right.

Looking at the gorgeously dressed middle-aged man before her and hearing his words, the woman was stunned.

She subconsciously wiped her hand on her clothes before carefully taking Shen Ming's hand with both of hers.

"Li Ang has always been a good child, and a very smart one, too."

"Thank you for taking him as your disciple. He will certainly not let you down."

As she spoke, the woman kept her head bowed, her face filled with humility.

Watching the woman's demeanor, Li Ang's expression was rarely complex.

He could never forget how this woman had picked him up from the ground and brought him to that orphanage, which was already on the verge of collapse.

It was also she who had found someone to nurse him, forcibly keeping him alive.

"Director, I have Innate Full Soul Power. I will make something of myself, so please don't worry."

"My master has already agreed to sponsor our orphanage. He will provide 50,000 credits every month and help renovate the building so that the younger ones can live a better life."

Li Ang's voice was calm, but upon hearing this, tears welled up in the woman's eyes from excitement.

Fifty thousand credits meant nothing to a true great family; it was a mere drop in the bucket.

But for an orphanage with hundreds of children, this was an astronomical sum—a lifeline.

With this money, the children would never have to go hungry again.

In winter, most of the children would even be able to wear warm clothes.

Watching this touching scene, Shen Ming coughed lightly, a look of satisfaction on his face.

The Douluo World valued survival of the fittest and did not prioritize loyalty or righteousness.

However, as a teacher, the more loyal and righteous his disciple was, the more satisfied he felt.

Because only then could the resources he invested be transformed into better opportunities that would eventually feed back into his own interests.

"Very well, Director. The money will be transferred to your account tomorrow, and Li Ang will be staying with us from now on."

"Of course, if he has time, he can return to visit the orphanage. We will not stop him."

"Let us not delay any further; let the children behind us proceed with their awakening."

Shen Ming smiled as he spoke, then turned his gaze toward Xiao Zhou.

Xiao Zhou was startled for a moment, then hurriedly nodded.

As Shen Ming left, Li Ang did not follow.

He waited silently by the side of the orphanage director until everyone had finished their awakening, and only then did they return to the orphanage together.

After briefly explaining to the director that he would be fine in the future, he packed his few sets of clothes and found Xiao Zhou, who was waiting in the soul-guided vehicle.

As the boy climbed into the car, Xiao Zhou watched as Li Ang never once looked back at the orphanage, a hint of curiosity appearing in his eyes.

"Do you not miss this orphanage? It is, after all, the place where you have lived for six years."

"What is there to miss? It is not the orphanage I cherish, nor the life I lived here, but the director who saved my life."

"Other than her, this orphanage holds no other meaning for me."

Li Ang glanced at Xiao Zhou, his voice flat, his tone devoid of any ripples.

This left Xiao Zhou somewhat bewildered; he couldn't tell if the child was a fool or a genius.

These philosophical words, coming from his mouth, felt entirely natural.

Is this what a prodigy is like?

Xiao Zhou thought to himself, falling into silence. It didn't really concern him, so he didn't say anything more.

After a quiet nod, Xiao Zhou drove the hover-car back to the Spirit Pagoda headquarters.

It was just past noon, and there were still many families waiting for their awakening, so Xiao Zhou brought Li Ang up to the 20th floor.

"The largest room next to you is the Pagoda Master's office. If you need anything, you can go ask him."

"There is no time now, but tonight, I will take you to choose your spirit."

"The next floor is the cafeteria; it serves food 24 hours a day, so you can go eat whenever you're hungry."

Xiao Zhou gave a brief introduction to the surroundings before leaving the room and heading straight for the top floor.

Shen Ming was busy reviewing files.

One hand was busy signing documents, while the other was carefully examining the detailed file on Li Ang.

Following a knock at the door, Xiao Zhou walked in slowly, his gaze fixed on Shen Ming.

"Lord Tower Master, the investigation is complete. The child's background is clean; he is indeed an orphan."

He appeared at the orphanage for no apparent reason, likely abandoned by his parents.

"Understood. Destroy his information immediately; do not let it appear on the desks of the high-ranking officials at the Spirit Pagoda."

"This child has excellent talent, Innate Full Soul Power, and a Martial Soul capable of causing such a massive phenomenon—it is undoubtedly extraordinary."

"Letting the higher-ups at the Spirit Pagoda notice him this early will only make him a political sacrifice."

Shen Ming shook his head as he spoke.

The situation within the Spirit Pagoda is currently very complex. In the past, he certainly would have reported the child's talent.

He would have let the true powerhouses mentor this peerless genius with Innate Full Soul Power.

But under the current circumstances, he truly could not speak of it.

Seeing Xiao Zhou's expression, he nodded, and the latter bowed before turning to leave.

Inside the room, looking at the soft bed and the savings card in his hand, Li Ang's expression relaxed slightly.

He sat there quietly, gazing at his Martial Soul.

He hadn't sensed it carefully before, but now that he did, he discovered many things that weren't quite right.

His Martial Soul was indeed Douluo Planet, and it was currently divided into two forms: the planet and the planetary core.

Furthermore, regardless of the form, both were providing him with power.

This power was a tremendous boon to him, constantly increasing his mental strength and physical fitness.

The fact that Xiao Zhou's first test showed 512 points and the second showed 514 was not due to a malfunction.

His mental strength had increased by nearly two points in a single second.

Although the rate of growth fluctuated, his mental strength was indeed constantly rising.

However, this also brought a downside: his body might not necessarily be able to withstand it.

Moreover, because Douluo Planet had been completely sealed off by Tang Hao, or rather, because Tang Hao was the Plane Master, the power he could actually utilize was extremely limited.