Friday mornings meant a lot to the students of Nuoding Academy. The week's classes were about to end, and the two-day weekend was a rare chance to rest.
Outside the window, sparrows chirped away in the branches, as if discussing the coming weekend too. Inside the classroom, the students' minds had already flown beyond the school gates.
Xiao Wu and Na'er, sitting in the front row, were huddled together, whispering.
"Brother Gu Tian, how about we go eat the sweet-and-sour ribs from that place this weekend?" Na'er twirled a silver strand of hair. Her little face was flushed with excitement. She'd been distracted all day; her textbook was still open to the first page, and her mind was busy making a list of all the delicious places in Nuoding City she hadn't tried yet.
Xiao Wu nodded repeatedly in agreement. Her long rabbit ears swayed as she whispered, "I heard a new dessert shop opened in the north of the city. Their fruit pudding is incredible! We've got to get Brother Gu Tian to take us."
Sitting between them, Gu Tian listened to the two little foodies' grand plans and smiled helplessly. Gu Yue sat nearby. Though her expression remained cool, a hint of ease showed in her dark green eyes. Here at the safe Nuoding Academy, the task her elder sister had given her had become much easier.
Just then, the crisp sound of footsteps drew closer and stopped outside the classroom.
The noisy classroom fell silent in an instant.
A thin, stiff-faced middle-aged man walked in. He wore a gray robe washed so pale it had nearly lost its color, with his hands clasped behind his back and chin tilted up. His eyes were as still as an ancient well, and filled with the pride of a man who fancied himself a sage.
It was none other than Yu Xiaogang, hailed as the foremost authority in Martial Soul Theory.
"Teacher!"
Tang San, who had been sitting in the back row, sprang to his feet the moment Yu Xiaogang entered. He moved so abruptly that he even knocked over the ink bottle beside him. He strode out from behind his desk and bowed deeply to Yu Xiaogang.
He called out "Teacher" so loudly, it was as if he were announcing to the whole class: Look, this is my master—the legendary Grandmaster who knows everything.
Tang San's upright back radiated smug superiority. He glanced sidelong at Gu Tian and sneered inwardly. So what if you're strong, Gu Tian? Before a true master of theory, you're nothing but a brute who came up through the back roads.
Yu Xiaogang looked at his beloved disciple, and a ghastly smile tugged at his stiff face. He raised a hand as if to help Tang San up. "Xiao San, sit down. The dean asked me to give you all a public lesson today on the basic principles of Martial Souls."
His gaze swept the classroom, then landed precisely on Gu Tian and the three girls beside him.
At that instant, Yu Xiaogang's pupils contracted. As the bearer of a dragon-type Martial Soul, he had an exceptionally keen sense for the aura of dragons.
Though Gu Tian and the three girls had all concealed their Soul Power, to Yu Xiaogang, the four of them sitting together looked like four slumbering primordial dragons, radiating an oppressive presence that made his very soul tremble.
Such pure dragon blood... Their Mutated Martial Soul really did come from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
Yu Xiaogang's breathing quickened. He'd thought Tang San had exaggerated the terrifying pressure, but seeing it for himself, he realized he'd still underestimated the boy's potential.
This was the finest research material Heaven itself could have sent him!
The bell rang.
Yu Xiaogang picked up a chalk stick and wrote several large characters on the blackboard: [Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul].
"Students, many people believe that a Martial Soul determines everything. But today, I'll tell you this: there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters." Yu Xiaogang's voice was hoarse and confident. "The choice of a Soul Ring and the limits of its age are governed by rigorous mathematical logic. For example, the maximum age of a First Soul Ring is 423 years. If you exceed that limit, your meridians will burst because they can't withstand the energy."
He looked at Tang San and asked, "Tang San, what should you do if you come across a Soul Beast over five hundred years old?"
Tang San stood ramrod straight and answered loudly, "Teacher, according to your theory, I should give up without hesitation. Absorbing a Soul Ring beyond the limit would be no different from suicide. Soul Masters should seek the best solution within reasonable bounds, rather than blindly challenging the unknown."
"Excellent. Sit down." Yu Xiaogang praised him with evident satisfaction. "As expected of my foremost disciple. You understand the theory very well."
The two of them played their parts so smoothly that many of the common-born students in the class looked on with admiration. But to Gu Tian, it was more ridiculous than a circus act.
"Four hundred and twenty-three years?"
Gu Tian leaned back in his chair, a mocking smile curling his lips. He'd seen Xiao Wu absorb a seven-hundred-year Soul Ring with his own eyes, and his own First Soul Ring had directly fused with the divine power of the Fire Dragon King. This so-called limit was nothing but a cage drawn by someone as mediocre as Yu Xiaogang to hide his own incompetence.
Tang San seemed to notice Gu Tian's sneer. He turned around, his eyes full of provocation. "Classmate Gu Tian, you seem to disagree with my teacher's theory? I suppose that makes sense. After all, some people's cultivation comes from unknown sources. They might not understand what it means to cultivate scientifically."
Gu Tian didn't even raise an eyelid. He simply spat out one word. "Showing off."
"You!" Tang San's face turned livid with anger, and he was about to lash out, but Yu Xiaogang stopped him with a look.
Throughout the lesson, Yu Xiaogang had subtly shown off Tang San's excellence, hoping the contrast would make Gu Tian feel that the self-taught were inferior to academy-trained Soul Masters. It was all groundwork for recruiting him later.
At last, the bell rang.
The students rushed out of the classroom, eager to enjoy their weekend freedom.
"Gu Tian, Gu Yue, Na'er, and Xiao Wu, you four stay behind."
Yu Xiaogang straightened his collar, his expression turning solemn and grave. "As a specially appointed teacher of the academy, I'd like you to come to my room for a private discussion. I have some very valuable advice regarding the traits of your Martial Souls. It could affect your futures."
He turned and beckoned to Tang San. "Xiao San, you come too. Show them the way."
Tang San followed immediately, like a bootlicking guide, chin held high as he led the way.
Gu Tian looked at Yu Xiaogang's thin back, then at Xiao Wu and Na'er, whose faces plainly said they didn't want to go. He smiled.
"Come on. Let's see what kind of truths this Grandmaster has hidden in his room."
A short while later, they arrived at the single room Yu Xiaogang occupied on the top floor of the teachers' dormitory.
The room was small, only about thirty square meters. Compared with Gu Tian's luxurious apartment, it was rather shabby.
As the door opened, the dense scent of old books washed over them. The room was crammed with notebooks and ancient texts, and the light was dim.
Yu Xiaogang sat behind a broad solid-wood desk and lit a Soul Guidance Lamp. Its glow fell across his stiff face, making his expression seem even more inscrutable.
He interlaced his fingers on the desk and stared fixedly at Gu Tian, as if trying to see through his skin and examine every bone beneath.
"There's no one else here now." Yu Xiaogang's voice dropped. "Gu Tian, I've been watching you for a long time. Your Martial Soul must be some kind of divine dragon-type Mutated Martial Soul never recorded before, right? Let's speak frankly. I want to know how you cultivated such a terrifying aura without proper guidance."
Tang San stood to one side, his eyes glinting with glee. As far as he was concerned, once his teacher made a move, all Gu Tian's tricks and secrets would be laid bare.
But Gu Tian simply picked a chair and sat down, even crossing one leg over the other as he watched the Grandmaster's performance with interest.
"You want to learn how strong we are?" Gu Tian looked at him with a half-smile. "Grandmaster, are you sure your body can handle finding out?"