Call You Golden Scale

After leaving Spirit Scholar Village, Uncle Li arrived at the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City.

Ignoring the greetings from his colleagues, he hurried into his room and slammed the door shut.

"What's wrong with Uncle Li?"

"No idea. Something urgent, probably."

The scene set the staff in the hall whispering among themselves. Ever since Uncle Li had been transferred here from elsewhere more than half a year ago, they had always viewed him as a stern senior who rarely showed such behavior.

His strength was also unfathomable. Even the branch master rarely troubled him. He usually kept himself mysterious and out of sight, only occasionally helping with awakening ceremonies in nearby villages. That work had now been taken over by the newly appointed Deacon Su Yuntao.

Inside the room.

Uncle Li wore a grave expression as he wrote on a sheet of paper. Before long, he set down his pen, rolled the finished letter into a tube the size of a cigarette, then went to the window and called over a Pointed-tail Swallow, securely tying the letter tube to its leg.

Pointed-tail Swallows were extremely tiny soul beasts with little offensive power, but their flight speed was exceptionally fast. With only ten years of cultivation, they could leave some thousand-year soul beasts far behind. Major powers across the continent specially bred them to transmit important intelligence over long distances.

It was said that the Pointed-tailed Swift, the inherited martial soul of the Speed Clan, was the superior form of the Pointed-tail Swallow.

After releasing the Pointed-tail Swallow, Uncle Li stood at the window and watched until its figure vanished from sight before turning around.

"I really don't know why the Saintess cares so much about a piece of trash."

Returning to the room, Uncle Li shook his head and could not help grumbling.

Everyone at the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City knew he had been transferred from elsewhere, but they did not know that he was actually one of the trusted subordinates secretly cultivated by the current Saintess. More than half a year ago, he had been assigned here with the task of secretly monitoring and protecting a Level 29 Soul Grandmaster named Yu Xiaogang, while periodically sending letters to report Yu Xiaogang's circumstances to the Saintess.

As her trusted subordinate, Uncle Li naturally would not resist. But after getting to know Yu Xiaogang over the past half year, he had made a basic judgment from an observer's perspective—

What kind of person was that?

Openly, he coasted through life at Nuoding Academy under the title of "Grandmaster." Secretly, he relied on his identity as the young master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

That alone would have been one thing. Uncle Li did acknowledge that Yu Xiaogang possessed considerable theoretical knowledge. But he was arrogant and self-important. Despite having only half a rank of Innate Soul Power, he looked down on those students at Nuoding Academy with two or three ranks of Innate Soul Power. He lived entirely on support from the Nuoding Academy Principal, yet had never considered repaying him by teaching and educating students.

He spent every day looking gloomy, dejected, and faintly proud, like some unrecognized master burdened with talent. Yet he lacked all self-awareness, as though his staying at Nuoding Academy was an honor for the academy itself.

Shaking his head again, Uncle Li thought:

Forget it. I'm just here to do a job. Why should I care so much? Still, I found a child in a nearby village today who awakened the same martial soul as Yu Xiaogang. Tsk, I wonder whether the Saintess can handle that news...

Meanwhile.

Back in Spirit Scholar Village, after awakening his martial soul, Wang Zhao was brought home by Village Chief Old John. This was also where Wang Zhao usually lived.

He was an orphan. According to Old John, his parents had been an ordinary couple from the village. Their martial souls had been Blue Silver Grass and Scythe respectively, and neither had possessed Innate Soul Power. They had died long ago, entrusting him to Old John's family before their deaths.

"Grandpa John, when are we going to Nuoding City?"

Wang Zhao looked up at Old John and asked eagerly.

Since the village chief had told him long ago that he would be sent to study in Nuoding City if he awakened Innate Soul Power, the question did not seem abrupt.

"There are still three months until enrollment at Nuoding Soul Master Junior Academy. If you want to take a look first, Xiao Zhao, Grandpa can take you to Nuoding City tomorrow."

Old John looked kindly at Wang Zhao and smiled.

"Yay! Then I'm going back to my room."

Wang Zhao dashed into his room. Once he closed the door, his expression quickly turned calm.

This change in demeanor did not mean Wang Zhao was particularly wary of Old John. He was simply used to silence and thought, but felt that such traits were unsuitable for a six-year-old child. So he had chosen to disguise himself. Even if it brought no benefit, it could at least prevent trouble caused by standing out too much.

He was a cautious person.

Quietly walking over to sit beside the bed, Wang Zhao circulated his soul power and summoned his martial soul, Luo Sanpao, then began observing it.

The little pale-purple beast had remarkably lively eyes. The moment it appeared, it immediately pounced toward Wang Zhao, only to fall halfway there through carelessness. It could only hurriedly cling to Wang Zhao's leg.

Wang Zhao could not help smiling at the sight.

This Luo Sanpao martial soul was truly a rare oddity. It possessed both intelligence and a physical body, and it could even eat and digest food.

Gently lifting Luo Sanpao into his arms, Wang Zhao stroked and examined it while considering the road ahead.

Half a rank of Innate Soul Power meant that he was destined to be unable to reach the peak by ordinary means. Yet reaching the peak was the simplest wish of a transmigrator like him.

Having come to this fantastical world, whether it was a low-tier fantasy setting or anything else, one always wanted to shine with a brilliance that belonged solely to oneself.

What about relying on Yu Xiaogang?

That was his first thought.

Regardless of Yu Xiaogang's character, as long as Wang Zhao went to him, he could at least attract the interest of this "kindred spirit," perhaps even draw the attention of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Although the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had been rather underwhelming in the original story, it was undeniably a superpower with top experts at its helm.

But after considering it for only a moment, Wang Zhao dismissed the idea.

Setting aside the future prospects, it was indeed a decent path. But it could not support him in reaching the peak, and it was not even certain whether it could guarantee his safety.

After all, given Spirit Hall's ambitions in the future, it was destined to carry out that Soul Hunt Plan.

As for Shrek Academy, Wang Zhao had never considered it. With his talent, there was no way he could get in. Even if he somehow forced his way in, at most he would be a gatekeeper or a logistics errand runner.

He knew his own limits.

What if I use my foreknowledge to guide Third Giegie during the early stages, then get Immortal Herbs and a God Position in one smooth ride, and ascend to the pinnacle of life?

This...

Wang Zhao dismissed that idea the moment it arose.

Leaving aside whether Tang San could successfully carry him to victory in the end, with Tang San's fickle and suspicious personality, one careless move might get him warned about the Path to Death!

Wang Zhao did not believe he had the strength to scheme over the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

As for Spirit Hall...

It was such a massive organization that unless he could attract Bibi Dong's attention, he was destined to disappear among the masses.

But given Su Yuntao's personality, would he really report a Beast Martial Soul with only half a rank of Innate Soul Power?

Wang Zhao had his doubts. Besides, Spirit Hall was full of all sorts of people, with far too many uncertain factors.

"Perhaps I'll ultimately have to walk a path not much different from Yu Xiaogang's. My only advantage is that I'm younger than him, and I haven't added any soul rings yet. Hopefully, the books in Nuoding Academy can bring me some surprises..."

Wang Zhao murmured softly, somewhat lost. Looking at Luo Sanpao in his arms, his resolve quickly returned. After all, it was not as though he lacked potential; his potential simply could not be properly developed.

Although Yu Xiaogang's famous saying—"There are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters"—was somewhat overgeneralized, it truly suited him.

In Wang Zhao's view, Luo Sanpao was clearly a malignant mutation caused by congenital deficiency. Never mind not knowing how to strengthen its origin power—surely he could at least choose versatile Amplification Soul Skills?

Like Yu Xiaogang, choosing an offensive soul skill for the First Soul Ring had forcibly turned a Golden Sacred Dragon hatchling into a farting pig's head, neither fish nor fowl. Even Thunder Breath could only be called Farting Like Thunder...

"Come to think of it, Luo Sanpao was the name Yu Xiaogang gave his farting pig. Mine definitely can't be called that."

"Luo~ Luo~"

"A Golden Scale is no creature of the pond; when wind and clouds meet, it becomes a dragon... I'll call you Golden Scale."

"Luo~"

Spirit City, in a quiet courtyard.

A breathtakingly beautiful woman sat alone on the stone steps. A breeze stirred her pale pink hair, yet she seemed unaware of it, merely stiffly plucking at the petals in her hands. The light in her eyes was scattered, and her loneliness was impossible not to pity.

At that moment, a small Pointed-tail Swallow flew in from afar. The woman looked over, and her eyes instantly brightened with joy. She hurried over to the bird and carefully untied the letter tube from its leg.

Afterward, the woman opened the letter. No one knew what she saw, or what she thought of, but her expression, which had carried a trace of nostalgia, suddenly darkened.

"Xiao Die."

"Here."

A maid dressed in black stepped out from the shadows and accepted the letter handed over by the beautiful woman.

"Immediately investigate the background of this child named Wang Zhao. I want all of his information."

"And..."

"Within three days, I want to see him here."

"Yes."

The maid Xiao Die nodded. With a flash of her figure, she vanished into the distance with the letter.

The beautiful woman gazed toward the sky. Her body swayed faintly before she leaned weakly against the wall, murmuring:

"Xiaogang..."