The Hell Is This, An 8-Year-Old?

Time is like a wild donkey; once it starts running, it never stops.

This morning, after Zhang Yang finished washing up and went downstairs, he saw his three roommates already awake and sitting around the dining table eating breakfast.

"Up?"

"Yeah."

After responding with a lukewarm greeting, Zhang Yang walked over to the table and sat down.

A tray was set before him, and even though he hadn't lifted the cover yet, a rich, savory aroma already filled his nostrils.

Zhang Yang's breakfast today consisted of three meat buns, two vegetable dishes, one meat dish, and a bowl of soy milk.

Although there was one more person at the table, the other three had no intention of engaging with Zhang Yang, continuing to eat and drink while their conversation flowed uninterrupted.

These three roommates were in the same grade as Zhang Yang and could be considered middle-of-the-pack students in their class.

The three roommates had Innate Soul Power levels of seven, eight, and seven, respectively. After two and a half years of study, they had all successfully obtained their soul rings, reaching levels twelve, thirteen, and twelve.

Compared to the little kids in the first grade at Heding City Academy, the students at Martial Soul Hall Academy were indeed more mature overall; their speech and conduct carried a sense of sophistication that made them appear quite steady.

Of course, even so, Zhang Yang's relationship with them remained far from close.

After all, even with their outstanding talent, these people could hardly keep up with Zhang Yang's pace.

Because as of 23:14:18 last night, Zhang Yang had successfully evacuated with 8.7 million in loot on the map "Haagen-Dazs City-Classified," and in the process, raised his own martial soul level to 30.

An eight-and-a-half-year-old Soul Elder—this was a terrifying speed that had never been seen before on the entire continent.

In the soul master world, there are two consensus beliefs: first, one's achievements before the age of twenty determine one's future potential.

Second, level thirty is a crucial threshold; once crossed, one's future prospects are limitless.

Thus, an eight-and-a-half-year-old level 30 Soul Elder represented a height that others could only look up to in awe.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Zhang Yang was sitting there eating with his three roommates, appearing perfectly amiable.

In reality, a thick, invisible barrier had long since stood between them.

After finishing breakfast, Zhang Yang put on his thick coat and braved the freezing cold and snow to head to the teaching building for class.

When the class ended, the other students prepared to return to their dorms to change into their training uniforms and head to the indoor training grounds for the day's practical combat lesson.

Zhang Yang, however, walked over to the podium and said to Dewey, who was tidying up his teaching materials, "Teacher Dewey, there is something I need to tell you."

Dewey paused, pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses with his right hand, and asked, "What is it?"

The students who hadn't left the classroom yet stopped in their tracks, pricking up their ears to hear what this aloof genius in their class had stirred up this time.

"Teacher, just last night, I broke through to level 30."

"What?"

Not just Dewey, but the other students as well, cast astonished gazes toward Zhang Yang.

No way, brother, are you cheating?

"So fast? Didn't you just break through to level 29 at the beginning of last month? How long has it been? Fifty days?" Dewey asked in shock.

"That's right, though for me, taking fifty days to level up once is already quite slow."

Zhang Yang said something that sounded incredibly cruel to everyone else with complete sincerity: "I have never cultivated this slowly before."

Zhang Yang's words were truly infuriating, causing even the usually gentle and refined Teacher Dewey to retort, "Don't worry, after level fifty, your cultivation speed will be even slower."

Level fifty is a hurdle; after crossing this threshold, every soul master's cultivation speed slows down significantly.

Despite saying that, the look Dewey gave Zhang Yang held not only surprise and shock but also a layer of deep emotion.

Zhang Yang breaking through to level 30 didn't just mean he had to go hunt for a soul ring; it signaled that his journey as a soul master had entered a new stage.

At that moment, Teacher Dewey actually felt as if a child was about to leave home and venture out into the world alone.

"I will go report this to the Education Committee immediately. Don't attend any more classes for now; go back to your dorm."

After making arrangements for Zhang Yang, Dewey left the classroom in a hurry.

Watching Dewey leave, Zhang Yang also exited the classroom, leaving behind a group of students whispering among themselves.

Dewey walked quickly to the Education Committee to report the news of Zhang Yang's breakthrough to level 30 to the committee members.

Faced with this sudden news, the committee members looked at each other in dismay.

"A genius, indeed, cannot be measured by conventional standards."

After a long period of sighing about how "the waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves in front," the committee members prepared to follow protocol and report the matter to the Pope Palace.

Clearly, the arrangements for Zhang Yang were no longer something that a few Soul Douluos on the Education Committee could decide.

One must know that at Martial Soul Hall Academy, there is a soul power test every month.

Here, cultivation speed, much like mathematical talent, can never be hidden.

As early as fifteen months ago, when Zhang Yang broke through to level 20, the Pope Palace had already issued an order: any major decision related to Zhang Yang's future must be approved by the Pope Palace before it can be implemented.

Looking at it this way, Zhang Yang was really just a name on the roster at Martial Soul Hall Academy.

The relationship between them was no longer that of an academy and a student.

After dismissing Dewey, the committee members exchanged a few brief words before one of them stood up, left the Education Committee, and headed straight for the Pope Palace within Martial Soul City.

In front of the Pope Palace, the committee member, dressed in a red robe, was intercepted by two palace guards clad in white martial attire.

"Halt. This is the Pope Palace; unauthorized personnel are forbidden from approaching."

The palace guards were elite soul masters, with a minimum requirement of level 51 Soul King to be selected.

"Please report this. I am Sheldon, a committee member of the Martial Soul Hall Academy, and I have an urgent matter to discuss with His Holiness the Pope."

Seeing the red robe that only a Cardinal was permitted to wear, the two guards exchanged glances, and one of them immediately turned and entered the Pope Palace.

Before long, the guard returned accompanied by a Holy Emperor Warrior clad in golden armor.

The Holy Emperor Warriors were a team of soul masters who served directly under the Pope, with a minimum selection requirement of level 61 soul power.

Upon entering the Pope Palace, Sheldon followed the Holy Emperor Warrior through two turns before stopping in front of a three-meter-tall door.

Two Holy Emperor Warriors stood guard at the door.

After another report by the Holy Emperor Warrior, Sheldon finally stepped into the reception hall and saw Bibi Dong.

"Greetings, Your Holiness the Pope."

Sheldon bowed respectfully.

"Rise," Bibi Dong said casually. "Sheldon, you mentioned an urgent matter. What is it?"

"Your Holiness, according to Dewey, the instructor in charge of Zhang Yang, Zhang Yang broke through to level 30 last night."

"Level 30? So fast?" Bibi Dong was quite surprised upon hearing this. "It hasn't even been 50 days since his last upgrade."

"Exactly 50 days."

Bibi Dong frowned slightly at this news.

It was too fast. Zhang Yang's cultivation speed was so rapid that even Bibi Dong found it troublesome.

After a long silence, Bibi Dong nodded and said, "Since he has reached level 30, he should go to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for a soul ring. Have Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan accompany him. Go and make the arrangements."

"Have Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan accompany him?"

The committee member was somewhat startled by the request.