Feeling the Soul Skill that had appeared within him, along with the absolute control over water elements he had gained through the Ancient Dragon Authority,
Chen Zhou could clearly feel his overall strength rise dramatically in an instant.
Though he was still weak at this stage, with Neuvillette's help and the Water Dragon Authority he had bestowed upon him continuing to accumulate, Chen Zhou would grow stronger and stronger as his power increased.
At the thought, excitement crept across Chen Zhou's face. "Thank you, Neuvillette. Without you, with only the Water Dragon Martial Soul..."
"The greatest achievement I could hope for in this life would probably be becoming an ordinary Titled Douluo."
[I thought that was your dream: to become an ordinary Titled Douluo and then live out your life in peace.]
Neuvillette's voice was calm, with a natural warmth to it. Chen Zhou shook his head. "Since I've come to this place, of course I have a dream."
"If it's possible, I want to live a better life and achieve greater things."
Chen Zhou smiled after saying this, sounding unconcerned.
More than three hours passed in a flash, and the Soul Guidance Train slowly came to a stop.
Chen Zhou stood up. As soon as he pulled back the curtain, he saw the black-clad young man standing up as well.
The young man in black gestured for him to go ahead.
Since passengers in the luxury cabins were allowed to disembark early, Chen Zhou didn't hesitate. He led the way, and the two of them left together.
But to Chen Zhou's surprise, someone from the Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda had come to meet him.
After all, there was a certain amount of friction between the Spirit Pagoda's branch towers and its main tower. Many branches even held grievances against the Qiangu Clan.
They didn't dare offend the Qiangu Clan, but Chen Zhou figured they wouldn't mind offending a nobody like him.
So he hadn't expected them to be willing to send someone to pick him up.
Once Chen Zhou got into the car, the young man in black merely stood there in silence, waved to him, then turned and headed back into the Soul Guidance station.
In the car, Chen Zhou sat in the back beside a middle-aged man. The man glanced at him and extended a hand in a warm greeting.
"Hello, I'm Shen Mo, the tower master of the Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda. I'll also be your teacher from now on."
The man's voice was gentle. Unlike most people, he showed no prejudice toward Chen Zhou, a six-year-old child; his tone was simply calm and natural.
Looking at the handsome middle-aged man in front of him, Chen Zhou paused, then naturally reached out and shook his hand.
"Hello, Teacher Shen. My name is Qiangu Qingzhou, but you can call me Chen Zhou."
"Chen Zhou? Is that a name you chose for yourself?"
Shen Mo repeated the name, then looked at Chen Zhou.
He knew a fair amount about the boy, especially that the Martial Soul he had awakened was a Water Dragon Martial Soul.
This Martial Soul wasn't quite among the very best, but it still ranked among the top-tier Martial Souls.
Combined with Innate Full Soul Power, the boy had tremendous potential.
The Qiangu Clan hadn't concealed his background. He was merely a collateral relative, and both his parents had passed away. Children like him were the least valued in the family.
If he hadn't awakened a good Martial Soul this time, he would probably have ended up as a hired hand, serving the clan without enjoying any special privileges.
Shen Mo neither hated nor liked the Qiangu Clan.
He was, in a sense, a follower of Leng Yaozhu, the vice tower master, and one of her capable subordinates.
So he quite liked children like this one, who had talent but little backing.
When they returned to the Spirit Pagoda, Shen Mo immediately arranged a place for Chen Zhou to stay: a small room on one of the upper floors.
Of course, "small room" was relative. It was about forty square meters, far better than the secluded little courtyard Chen Zhou had lived in before.
"Chen Zhou, I have some official business to take care of. An older sister will be looking after your daily needs from now on."
"You can tell her if you need anything, and you can also make any requests through her. She'll pass them along to me."
Shen Mo spoke, paused thoughtfully, then reached out and patted the boy on the head.
"Tomorrow, we'll arrange your schooling. You can go straight to East Sea Primary Academy. After three years, you'll be able to move directly up to Eastsea Academy."
"It's the best academy in Eastsea City. I hope you'll study hard and improve yourself quickly."
After speaking, Shen Mo didn't linger and turned to leave.
Chen Zhou was quite satisfied with the room. It wasn't much smaller than the one he'd had before—in fact, the accommodations were much better.
Chen Zhou unpacked his things, hung up his clothes, then made his bed with his sheets and covers.
He lay down. About ten minutes later, someone knocked on the door.
Chen Zhou opened it, and a strikingly beautiful woman appeared before him.
She wore a professional black top, a form-fitting skirt, and black stockings, with red-soled high heels on her feet.
The woman looked at Chen Zhou with a gentle smile.
"Good day, Young Master Chen Zhou. My name is Su Xin. From now on, I'll take care of your daily life and see to any needs you may have."
"You've just awakened your Martial Soul and obtained a Soul Ring. Would you like me to help test your Soul Skill?"
Su Xin's voice was gentle. Chen Zhou looked at her, hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
His First Soul Skill was certainly powerful, but he hadn't actually tested its effects yet.
Su Xin led him to the training room on the seventh floor.
Standing in the spacious training room, Chen Zhou remained still. Su Xin stayed as well.
She had probably been ordered by Shen Mo to inspect Chen Zhou's Soul Skill.
Chen Zhou didn't hide anything about his Soul Skill. After all, a First Soul Skill wasn't important; all he had to do was keep the Authority he had obtained from Neuvillette a secret.
So, looking at Su Xin, he made no attempt to conceal it and casually raised his hand.
A long, slender Water Dragon appeared behind him. Compared with how it had looked a few hours earlier, its body had grown even longer, and its enormous wings had begun to shrink.
Yet the Water Dragon's aura hadn't weakened at all—instead, it had grown significantly stronger.
Looking at its deep blue scales, Su Xin's face held a trace of curiosity.
This Water Dragon was unlike the ones she had heard about. It didn't look like a complete dragon, either; instead, it resembled some strange, elongated creature.
Su Xin studied the creature, intending to remember its appearance and look it up later.
Chen Zhou paid her no mind.
As his First Soul Ring lit up, the Water Dragon opened its mouth as well. Water seemed to flow from within its jaws and the surrounding air, forming a sphere that it spat out.
The stream of water looked perfectly ordinary. At first, Su Xin paid it no attention. But when it struck the wall, something that left her stunned happened.
The wall couldn't stop the attack. The stream of water pierced straight through it, then passed through the most basic training room.