Luo Chen packed up his things. As agreed, he was supposed to meet his teacher, Meng Shenji, at the cafeteria. It happened to be mealtime, so the four of them went together.
When they reached the cafeteria, Luo Chen headed up to the second floor. Meng Shenji was already waiting for him outside a private room.
The table was laden with food, much of it Soul Beast meat, though there was only enough for two people.
"Little Chen, you're here. Sit down." Meng Shenji beckoned Luo Chen over, then said, "Come on, eat up. The food at Heaven Dou Royal Academy is the best among all the academies on the continent. Give it a try. Once you start cultivating, your appetite will only grow."
Luo Chen obediently sat down. Meng Shenji continued, "Little Chen, your Martial Soul is incredibly special! You could say it's one of a kind in the world. Gulu Ball is a strange name, but it can form contracts with Soul Beasts. I've never seen a Martial Soul like it."
"Teacher, my Martial Soul can't form contracts with Soul Beasts with a hundred percent success rate. The more badly injured a Soul Beast is when I try, the higher the chances of success. Most importantly, my Martial Soul has several forms. Its ordinary form can establish contracts with regular Soul Beasts and let them help me fight. Whenever I break through to a new realm, I'll receive a special Gulu Ball that can capture a Soul Beast directly and grant me its Soul Ring and Soul Skills!"
Meng Shenji asked, "So you don't have to wait until you break through to capture a Soul Beast?"
"That's right, teacher. If I'm lucky... perhaps I'll be able to put many powerful Soul Beasts to use!"
"Are there any restrictions based on their attributes or anything else? For example, do they all have to be mental-type, or something along those lines?"
Luo Chen shook his head. "No. Aside from the Soul Beast that provides me with a Soul Ring, the attributes of all the others have no effect on me. In fact, the more varied their types, the better. That way, I can deal with all kinds of unexpected situations."
Meng Shenji slapped the table and cried out in delight. "What an incredible Martial Soul! Little Chen, just tell me what Soul Beasts you need. When the opportunity comes, I'll take you to capture them and help you grow quickly!"
Then he took out a ring and handed it to Luo Chen. "Little Chen, since you've taken me as your teacher, I naturally have to give you some gifts. I came across this Nightmare Ring by chance. It's a Storage Soul Tool with a capacity of one hundred cubic meters. It's yours now."
Luo Chen accepted the ring and thanked him repeatedly. So it was true that becoming someone's disciple could get you good things.
Meng Shenji urged Luo Chen to open it and take a look. Luo Chen sent his mental power into the Nightmare Ring and found several things arranged neatly inside.
"There are clothes and daily necessities for you, as well as some things I've collected over the years to nourish mental power. From today onward, you're my personal disciple!"
Luo Chen was deeply moved. He hadn't expected Meng Shenji to treat him so well. He'd thought they were simply making use of each other—that Meng Shenji had seen the potential in his Martial Soul and wanted to win him over.
But Meng Shenji's expression didn't look feigned. His feelings were genuine.
How could Luo Chen have known how happy Meng Shenji was to meet such a talented and obedient student, when he had no successor? He was determined to cultivate talents for the empire, but some children of the powerful relied on their gifts and status instead of working hard. So he wanted to take a gamble and cultivate a true pillar of the empire—a guardian who could stand as an army all by himself!
Luo Chen knew nothing of this. Instead, he heard the Evil Emperor's voice in his mind.
"Kid, there's an origin essence of my Evil Eye Clan inside that ring. If you use it to cultivate, you'll surely reach new heights."
"The origin essence of the Evil Eye Clan?"
"It's the remains of a ten-thousand-year-old Evil Eye Tyrant that failed its tribulation. You might be able to refine it into a third eye in the middle of your brow. Unlike the Soul Bone that forms a true eye of its own, I can help you with this."
Luo Chen was only half convinced. He believed it could be refined into a true eye, but he wasn't strong enough yet. If the spiritual impact severely damaged his mental power and the Evil Emperor took advantage of the opening, he'd be in trouble.
"I understand. We'll discuss it later."
Then Luo Chen ignored him and continued talking with Meng Shenji.
"Hey, kid! Don't you want to get stronger? Don't you want to become a top expert as quickly as possible...?"
Luo Chen temporarily cut off their mental link. Meng Shenji continued, "There's also a little manual on cultivating mental power in the ring. I came across it by chance. I wasn't talented enough to master it completely, but it still benefited me greatly. Your talent is better than mine, so you should be able to understand it. I'm sure it'll shine in your hands."
"Hmph. That cultivation method is all flash and no substance, but it does suit you," the Evil Emperor chimed in again.
"Thank you, teacher," Luo Chen said.
Finally, Meng Shenji handed Luo Chen a token engraved with the character "Meng."
"You can come find me with this token. After class each day, you can come cultivate in my private training room. We both cultivate mental power, so perhaps you'll gain something extra there."
"Thank you, teacher."
After saying goodbye to Meng Shenji, Luo Chen ran into his three roommates, who had just finished eating. The four of them headed back to the dormitory together.
The day passed quickly. The Shi Brothers had already lain down, while Luo Chen and Su Heng went to wash up together.
When no one else was around, Su Heng lowered his voice and asked, "I heard the head instructor took you as his personal disciple?"
"How did you know?" Luo Chen asked.
"The whole school's talking about it now, including the intermediate and advanced divisions. I hear a lot of people are green with envy!" Su Heng said jokingly.
Luo Chen understood, of course. He was a commoner, and his exceptional admission to Heaven Dou Royal Academy had already shocked people. Then the chief of the Education Committee had personally welcomed him and taken him on as a disciple. That was bound to make people even more jealous.
As they spoke, their eyes met. Luo Chen clearly saw the complex, profound look in Su Heng's eyes.
This person is no ordinary man, Luo Chen thought.
Then Su Heng said, "Be careful in everything you do. More and more people are bound to set their sights on you."
"Thanks for the warning."
It was their first meeting, yet they seemed to understand each other so well, as though it were fate.
"Kid, that guy just now isn't ordinary either. His Martial Soul seems to contain a trace of a divine beast's bloodline, though it also seems somewhat incomplete."
The Evil Emperor's voice came unbidden. These days, he was like a system, reminding Luo Chen of things from time to time.
Luo Chen was quite happy about it. Who wouldn't want an "old grandfather" like that?
The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, Luo Chen got up and went for a jog. Afterward, he bought some breakfast and ate it back in the dormitory.
Su Heng was the second to get up, Shi Mo the third, and Shi Mo was the last to wake. The three of them hurriedly washed up, then all four rushed toward the classroom building.
They made it through the classroom door at the very last moment before the bell rang, taking the four seats in the back row.
The classroom door opened, and everyone fell silent at once.
"Knock, knock, knock." Footsteps sounded, and everyone looked toward the door.
Before you continue