Tang San: Yu Xiaogang, You Have Courted Death!!

Old Jack led the two children, dusty from the journey, all the way to Nuoding City.

Before Nuoding Academy's vermilion gates, two guards in gray cloth uniforms leaned lazily against the pillars, listlessly cracking sunflower seeds.

Seeing three country folk in patched clothes approaching, one of the guards immediately frowned and stepped forward to block them.

"Stop! What are you doing here?"

Old Jack hurriedly forced a smile and handed over two admission notices. "Lord Soul Master, these two children are from Holy Soul Village. They awakened Soul Power this year and have come to enroll at the academy."

The guard impatiently took the notices, glanced over the registration information, sneered, and tossed the papers back.

"Bullshit! Holy Soul Village? I've worked here for five years and never seen a kid from that lousy village with Soul Power."

"Two with Innate Full Soul Power, too! Who are you trying to fool?!

"One has Blue Silver Grass, and the other has a body Martial Soul! The two most useless Martial Souls on the continent, and they can have Innate Full Soul Power?"

He looked Gu Qing and Tang San up and down, his eyes filled with contempt.

"I think you got fake seals stamped on these notices and came to the academy looking for free food and lodging. Get lost, or I'll sic the dogs on you!"

Tang San's gaze instantly turned cold.

He actually dared slander the future Tang Sect Master!

You lowly little guard, you have courted death!!!

Her fingertips silently slid toward her waist. A Dragon Whisker Needle coated in deadly poison was already pinched between her fingers. With a light flick, it could pierce the guard's throat in an instant.

Gu Qing caught Tang San's small movement from the corner of his eye and calmly reached out to press down her wrist.

Tang San froze and looked up at Gu Qing.

Gu Qing shook his head slightly and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"San, someone like this doesn't deserve death yet. Just beat him up and let him understand what a difference in strength looks like."

The moment he finished speaking, Gu Qing vanished from where he stood.

Slap! Slap!

Two crisp, resounding slaps rang out.

The guard was sent spinning three times on the spot. Half his face immediately swelled like a pig's head, and several teeth flew from his mouth.

"Y-you dare hit me?!" The guard clutched his face, shocked and furious, then drew the saber at his waist and slashed at Gu Qing.

"Stop!"

A sharp shout rang out.

An ordinary middle-aged man in a blue robe, with slightly graying hair, walked over. It was none other than the future Master Yu Xiaogang, who would be "level twenty-nine even at fifty"!

Yu Xiaogang glanced at the guard on the ground, then at Gu Qing and Tang San. His gaze narrowed slightly.

"What happened?"

The guard immediately put on a miserable face and complained, "Master! Master! These three country bumpkins forged admission notices and even attacked me!"

Yu Xiaogang ignored him. Instead, he stepped forward, took the admission notices from Old Jack, examined them, then carefully looked Gu Qing and Tang San over. His eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Then Yu Xiaogang immediately turned around, glared at the guard, and rebuked him.

"These are official notices issued by Spirit Hall. How could they be fake? I recognize Su Yuntao's seal. Why aren't you apologizing to these two children and this old gentleman?"

The guard shuddered in fright and hurriedly apologized, then lowered his head and dared not speak again.

Yu Xiaogang paid him no further attention. Turning to Old Jack, Gu Qing, and Tang San, he revealed a gentle smile.

"Sir, I'm sorry. The guard was being unreasonable. My name is Yu Xiaogang, and I'm a teacher at this academy. I'll take you inside to register."

"Thank you, Teacher! Thank you, Teacher!" Old Jack quickly said gratefully.

When they reached the academy entrance, Gu Qing took a Gold Soul Coin from his clothes and pressed it into Old Jack's hand.

"Grandpa Jack, keep this for living expenses. Be careful on your way back. When school is out, San and I will come back to see you."

Old Jack looked at the heavy Gold Soul Coin in his hand, and his eyes immediately reddened.

He gripped Gu Qing's hand, his voice trembling. "Good children, such good children! Take good care of yourselves at the academy, study hard, and become powerful Soul Masters one day! Grandpa will wait for you in the village!"

After saying that, he looked at Tang San again, wiped away his tears, and walked off with his cane, looking back every few steps.

Yu Xiaogang led the two of them into the academy and turned onto a secluded, deserted tree-lined path.

He suddenly stopped, clasped his hands behind his back, and turned around. Deliberately raising his eyes half a beat late, he swept his sharp, all-seeing gaze over Gu Qing and Tang San, a self-satisfied, unfathomable smile curling across his lips.

Yu Xiaogang deliberately lowered his voice and slowed his speech, every word carrying the carefully cultivated tone of a great expert.

"You two, one awakened Blue Silver Grass, while the other awakened a body Martial Soul, and both of you have Innate Full Soul Power.

"That is impossible!"

"Blue Silver Grass is universally acknowledged as a useless Martial Soul. The vast majority of body Martial Souls have mediocre talent. Since ancient times, no useless Martial Soul has ever produced someone with Innate Full Soul Power."

Yu Xiaogang paused, waiting to see the two children reveal confused and shocked expressions, only to find that neither reacted at all.

He edged another half-step closer, his tone becoming even more certain, filled with the smugness of someone who had seen through everything.

"So..." Yu Xiaogang suddenly raised his voice, his burning eyes fixed on them as though he were finally about to reveal a world-shaking answer.

"There is only one explanation. You two both possess Twin Martial Souls! You concealed your truly powerful second Martial Souls!"

After saying that, Yu Xiaogang raised his chin slightly and crossed his arms, wearing an expression that practically said, "Hurry up and worship me, hurry up and be shocked."

He had already prepared himself for the children's stunned gasps. He had even thought of what to say next to guide them into becoming his disciples.

However...

Tang San stood still, her face completely calm, though a trace of icy killing intent flashed deep in her eyes.

He had actually guessed Gu Qing's Twin Martial Souls.

He knew too much.

This man had already courted death!!!

Her fingertips silently reached for the hidden weapon pouch at her waist again. With a single nod from Gu Qing, three Bone-Piercing Nails would shoot through Yu Xiaogang's throat the next second.

Gu Qing, meanwhile, crossed his arms and watched Yu Xiaogang show off with great interest, nearly laughing out loud.

That's it? Pretty ordinary!

And he had the nerve to show off something like this!!

He could only fool the original Tang San, who had never seen the world.

Yu Xiaogang waited for a long time, but instead of the shock and admiration he expected, he saw one child looking at him coldly and the other smiling without really smiling. The grin on his face immediately stiffened.

He gave a dry cough and tried to save face. "What? Did I hit the mark? There's no need to be surprised. My Martial Soul theory system reached this conclusion long ago."

"My name is Yu Xiaogang. People call me Master. I'm willing to take you two as my disciples. Follow me, and I guarantee that you'll become the continent's greatest powerhouses in the future!"

Yet Yu Xiaogang was secretly pleased. After studying Martial Soul theory for so many years, I've finally found two perfect test subjects... no, perfect disciples!

Gu Qing raised a brow and sneered inwardly.

You, Yu Xiaogang, think you're worthy?

With your half-baked theories, you want to take me as your disciple?

Gu Qing crossed his arms and looked at Yu Xiaogang with a faintly mocking smile.

"Oh, you want to take me as your disciple? Then are you a Titled Douluo? Even my blacksmith uncle is a Soul Sage. If you aren't a Titled Douluo, I won't acknowledge you as my teacher."

Yu Xiaogang's smile froze on his face.

He had not expected Gu Qing to ask that.

Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. "Although I'm not a Titled Douluo, I'm the continent's number one Martial Soul theory master. My theories are more useful than the teachings of any Titled Douluo."

"Oh?"

Gu Qing feigned surprise. "So you're that Yu Xiaogang, the Soul Grandmaster who's only level twenty-nine and will never break through level thirty in his entire life!"

Gu Qing shook his head with a regretful expression. "You can't even break through yourself. How do you have the nerve to claim you can teach others to become top powerhouses?"

"I'm afraid that if I study under you, I'll end up as useless trash stuck at level twenty-nine for my whole life too!"

"You!" Yu Xiaogang trembled with rage, pointing at Gu Qing but unable to say a word for a long while.

Before he could recover, Tang San stepped forward and stood in front of Gu Qing. She looked coldly at Yu Xiaogang, her voice filled with undisguised contempt.

"Fuck, what kind of trash are you?! You think you're worthy of being Brother Gu Qing's teacher?!"

"With your level twenty-nine strength, you aren't even qualified to be Brother Gu Qing's guard dog! Get lost and stop being an eyesore!"

Yu Xiaogang's face turned pale with fury. A surge of Soul Power suddenly erupted from his body as he prepared to attack the two of them.

But just as he raised his hand, he remembered what Gu Qing had said: Gu Qing had an uncle at the Soul Sage level.

A Soul Sage!

As a level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster, he did not even have the right to fight back before a Soul Sage.

Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth and forcibly suppressed his Soul Power. He shot the two of them a vicious glare, snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and turned to leave in disgrace.

Watching Yu Xiaogang flee in embarrassment, Tang San turned to Gu Qing and said seriously.

"Brother Gu Qing, that man knows the secret of your Twin Martial Souls. Keeping him alive will definitely be a future danger. How about I secretly go take care of him tonight? I guarantee no one will find out."