"Xiao Shan, you must never reveal your Blue Silver King Martial Soul in public from now on. Do you understand?" Ah Yin solemnly repeated her warning.
"I know, Mom." Tang Shan playfully stuck out her tongue, then buried her face in Lan Yu's arms and cooed, "Besides, I still have my big brother to protect me~"
Watching the warm scene before her, Ah Yin's lips curved upward despite herself.
Can you see this, A Hao? The two children are so much like we used to be.
Ah Yin put aside the sadness in her heart and gathered herself before turning to Lan Yu. "Xiao Yu, show me your Martial Soul."
"Okay."
"Three Qi Return!"
Lan Yu roared, and his Martial Soul possessed him in an instant. A pair of curved dragon horns emerged from his forehead, his neat black hair rapidly grew longer, and a layer of fine, glimmering dragon scales covered his neck and arms. His dark pupils turned into golden, vertical slits, sharp and fearsome.
"This... is this a Body Martial Soul?! Xiao Yu, do you have to chant a soul incantation to activate Martial Soul Possession?" Ah Yin was taken aback. She couldn't help reaching out to feel the scales on Lan Yu's arm.
"I just thought the line sounded impressive, that's all." Lan Yu scratched his cheek, making such a slightly chuuni gesture for the first time.
Ah Yin couldn't help smiling. The usually steady, sensible boy had finally shown a childish side.
Wait, does anyone in Douluo I even know about Body Martial Souls?
Lan Yu scratched his head, looking bewildered.
"Mom, what's a Body Martial Soul?" Tang Shan held out her fair little hand and gently picked at the dragon scales on Lan Yu's hand, her eyes full of curiosity.
"A Body Martial Soul is one where your own body serves as your Martial Soul. The part that awakens varies from person to person. Xiao Yu's is a full-body type, but I don't know why it comes with dragon horns and scales."
"Then are Body Martial Souls strong?" Tang Shan rose onto her tiptoes again and reached for the dragon horns on Lan Yu's forehead.
"Body Martial Souls are very weak in the early stages~"
Seeing Tang Shan's adorable tiptoeing, Lan Yu gave a helpless chuckle and scooped her up.
Tang Shan gripped his curved dragon horns. After hearing Ah Yin's answer, she raised a sweet smile. "Then there's nothing for it. I'll just have to protect my big brother~"
With that, she gently pressed her soft, fair cheek against Lan Yu's chest.
Since Mom won't let me reveal my Blue Silver King, I'll just have to focus on cultivating the Haotian Flood Dragon!
Then let's see who dares hurt my beloved big brother!
A faint fragrance lingered at Tang Shan's nose.
Big brother smells so good~
Lan Yu looked down at the little loli clinging to him, a trace of puzzlement rising in his heart. Is Xiao Shan a little too clingy?
Three months flew by, and before long, it was the opening day of Notting Academy.
"Xiao Yu, Xiao Shan, don't be so sad. Ah Yin... may have had no choice." Old Tom drove the carriage, glancing back as he tried to comfort the children.
Ah Yin wasn't the sort of person who spent all day drinking and abandoned her children!
How could she bear to leave the two of them behind and go off alone?
Wait! Why did I say "either"?
Lan Yu rubbed his brow with one hand and gently comforted Tang Shan with the other as she secretly wiped away her tears. He stared at the letter Ah Yin had left behind, utterly weary.
They're all such lousy teammates! Ah Yin, you're not Haozi! No matter how badly injured he was, Haozi was still an attacking-type Titled Douluo. Why are you, a support-type Douluo, copying him?!
A father who sacrificed himself, a mother who wandered off, a clueless little sister, and him, left speechless!
That morning, Lan Yu had been sleeping in a daze when he heard Tang Shan crying outside the bedroom. He jolted awake, flipped out of bed, and rushed out without even managing to get dressed properly.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw Tang Shan crouched outside Ah Yin's room, clutching a letter and sobbing. Her fair little face was streaked with tears, as pitiful and lovely as a rain-soaked pear blossom.
Lan Yu's heart ached at the sight. He hurried over, gathered Tang Shan in his arms, and gently comforted her.
Once Tang Shan had calmed down, he took the letter and opened it. Its message was blunt: Ah Yin had something to do and needed to leave. Just like Haozi in the original story.
The carriage traveled for another half a day before the three of them finally reached the gates of Notting Academy.
Lan Yu looked around. He really wanted to see what Gangzi was like in this world.
"Little brother, these two children are work-study students from our Holy Soul Village this year." At Old Tom's prompting, Lan Yu handed over the Martial Soul certificates issued by Si Si.
The young gatekeeper took them and looked them over, then nodded. "You can go in. Parents, please wait here."
"Take your Martial Soul certificates and go to the Academic Affairs Office on the second floor of the teaching building to register." The gatekeeper turned and pointed roughly in the right direction.
Then he opened the academy gates for them.
"Go on. Xiao Yu, look after your little sister." Old Tom gave them a reminder, then turned to leave.
"Big brother, let's go in." Tang Shan tugged on Lan Yu's sleeve.
Does this gatekeeper have a brain?
Lan Yu suppressed his confusion, took Tang Shan's little hand, and led her into Notting Academy. They soon arrived at the Academic Affairs Office.
He raised his hand and knocked.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Come in!" a middle-aged man called from inside.
Lan Yu led Tang Shan in.
"Hello, teacher. We're new students enrolling this year." Lan Yu looked up and saw a male teacher of about fifty seated directly across from them.
"Oh, new students! You can call me Teacher Liu."
"Give me your Martial Soul certificates, and I'll get you registered."
Lan Yu hurried forward and handed them over.
"Work-study students? Two of them this year." Teacher Liu muttered casually as he scanned the certificates. His speech suddenly faltered. "Innate Full Soul Power."
"What?! Innate Full Soul Power?!" With a startled cry, he shot to his feet, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Did I read that right?! Innate Full Soul Power—and there are two of them!" Teacher Liu rubbed his eyes and checked again.
"Big brother~ This teacher is so strange," Tang Shan whispered timidly, startled by Teacher Liu's reaction as she hid behind Lan Yu.
Lan Yu patted Tang Shan's head, frowning slightly. "Teacher, is there a problem?"
"No, no. It's just my first time meeting geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power, so I got a little too excited. Please wait here for a moment."
Before he even finished speaking, Teacher Liu hurried out of the office.
"Big brother, what's going on...?" Little Tang Shan clutched Lan Yu's sleeve.
"It's okay. Don't worry."
Less than fifteen minutes later, a commotion of footsteps sounded outside. Teacher Liu came in first, followed by a middle-aged man with a wild hairstyle and a goatee.
"Grandmaster, these are the two children," Teacher Liu reminded him quietly.
The man hurried over, his gaze fixed on the two of them. He got straight to the point. "Would you be willing to take me as your master?"
Who the hell are you?! That's way too abrupt!
Hearing the familiar words and looking around at where he was, Lan Yu couldn't help thinking of a name.
Could this be Grandmaster Gangzi?!
Seeing Lan Yu fall silent, the wild-haired man realized he had been too presumptuous and quickly softened his tone. "Children, my name is Yu Xiaogang. Others call me Grandmaster."
"If you're willing to take me as your master, then under my guidance, Martial Soul Evolution won't be a dream. You could even become Titled Douluo before long!"
Yu Xiaogang spoke faster and faster. Hadn't he waited all this time in Nuoding City just to prove his theory of Martial Soul Evolution?
And today, he had actually encountered two peerless geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power!
Heaven has finally answered my prayers!