Three Months Later, Notting Academy!

Three months passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time for enrollment to begin at Notting Academy.

[Using Empty Handed on target Tang San...]

[Empty Handed judgment in progress... Judgment successful!]

[Congratulations! Lucky Critical Hit triggered!]

[Copying Tang San this time obtained: the cultivation method for "Purple Demon Eye"!]

"The cultivation method for Purple Demon Eye?" Xia Yuan's eyes lit up.

This was a good thing.

Over the past three months, he had come to understand just how low the chances of triggering a Lucky Critical Hit were.

Most of the time, he got Copper Soul Coins, watered wine, ironware forged by Tang Hao and Tang San, or sometimes even food cooked by Tang San.

Unfortunately, the difference in cultivation between Xia Yuan and Tang Hao was far too great. Most attempts ended in failure.

So Xia Yuan mainly used Empty Handed on Tang San, fleecing him for all he was worth.

However, after the day they awakened their Martial Souls, Xia Yuan had succeeded only once when using Empty Handed on Tang Hao. Although it had not triggered a Lucky Critical Hit, he had copied a map.

There were no words or explanations on the map, but based on its drawings and markings, Xia Yuan guessed that it showed the location of Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Emperor!

This time, he had finally triggered a Lucky Critical Hit on Tang San and obtained Purple Demon Eye, a method for cultivating spiritual power.

Moreover, Purple Demon Eye could break through illusions. In Xia Yuan's view, Purple Demon Eye was even more valuable than Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill!

The next day, Xia Yuan began packing his belongings.

His parents had both died, and he had no other relatives. He earned supplies by helping the villagers with odd jobs.

Xia Yuan did not have much to bring. After packing a large bundle, he headed straight to Old Jack's home.

"Grandpa Jack, I'm ready."

"Good." Old Jack had also changed into a set of decent-looking new clothes.

After Tang San arrived as well, Old Jack led the two of them toward Notting City.

It was not until the afternoon that the three of them finally entered Notting City and arrived before the gates of Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy.

The gatekeeper was a yellow-haired young man, and there was more than a little disdain in the way he looked at them.

"Stop! You country bumpkins, do you know what place this is?"

At the entrance of Notting Academy, the young gatekeeper sat with one leg crossed over the other, glancing sideways at Xia Yuan and the others with undisguised mockery curling at his lips.

"This is Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy! Are mud-legged peasants like you worthy of entering?"

Old Jack hurriedly forced a smile. "Sir, I'm Jack, the village chief of Holy Soul Village. I've come today to enroll these two children. Here are their certificates from Spirit Hall..."

He shakily handed over Xia Yuan and Tang San's certificates, but the young gatekeeper did not even look at them before swatting them aside.

"Don't try to fool me with that junk!"

"Can a golden phoenix really fly out of a grass nest?"

"Looking as poor as you do, what Soul Power could you possibly have? What a joke!"

"Kid, what's your Martial Soul? Blue Silver Grass? Or a hoe?"

Old Jack's face immediately flushed red. "You—"

"What about me?" The young gatekeeper rose to his feet and looked arrogantly at the two of them. "You want to go in? Fine."

He rubbed his fingers together. "Pay an 'entrance fee' first. Seeing how you look like beggars, I won't ask for much. Ten Copper Soul Coins will do."

He held out his hand as if it were only natural.

Old Jack finally understood why the gatekeeper had been making things difficult for them. He trembled with anger. "This is extortion!"

"Extortion?" The young gatekeeper's expression turned cold. "Old man, say that again and see what happens. Believe it or not, I'll have you thrown out!"

"Holy Soul Village? It looks more like Beggar Village to me!"

Just then, a small hand suddenly reached out and grabbed the young gatekeeper's wrist.

The young gatekeeper froze. He felt an overwhelming force surge from that thin, frail hand, leaving him completely unable to move!

The one holding the young gatekeeper down was Xia Yuan.

Seeing Xia Yuan make a move, Tang San lowered the arm he had slightly raised.

This gatekeeper had dared insult him, so he already deserved death. Tang San had been about to kill him with his Sleeve Arrow.

"Do you have Soul Power?" Xia Yuan asked calmly.

"What the hell does that have to do with you? If you have no money, get lost! Don't waste my time!"

The young gatekeeper struggled fiercely, trying to break free from Xia Yuan's grip, but he could not pull himself loose at all.

Tang San's gaze sharpened.

If he possessed Innate Full Soul Power, he could do this much too!

Hearing the young gatekeeper's words, Xia Yuan almost laughed.

In the original story, this young gatekeeper had made things difficult for Old Jack and Tang San over such a trifling profit, and Tang San had nearly killed him on the spot.

If Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang had not appeared at just the right moment, he would have been dead long ago.

Xia Yuan also felt that this man was an absolute idiot.

Anyone who came here to enroll possessed Soul Power.

So long as they were not truly useless, even if it took ten or twenty years, they could eventually cultivate into Soul Masters.

Yet this gatekeeper actually dared charge these people a fee?

Xia Yuan truly did not know where he got the nerve to act like this.

His horizons were truly narrow!

Xia Yuan did not release his hand. Instead, he continued asking, "I asked whether you have Soul Power!"

"I..."

Unable to break free, the young gatekeeper was already beginning to feel afraid. Yet embarrassment turned into anger, and he snapped, "So what if I don't have Soul Power? A mud-legged peasant like you thinks you're worthy of questioning me?"

"Oh—so you don't have Soul Power." Xia Yuan drew out his words, his tone suddenly turning icy.

"Then where did you get the nerve to be so arrogant?"

"Do you think I'll never become a Soul Master?"

The young gatekeeper's face stiffened. A few drops of cold sweat rolled down his forehead, and his back was soaked through in an instant.

"You, you..."

"What about me?" Xia Yuan looked at the young gatekeeper.

"I seem to remember that I have Innate Full Soul Power. As long as I absorb a Soul Ring, I can become a Soul Master, right?"

"Oh dear, what if I accidentally meet the headmaster and accidentally tell him that a yellow-haired gatekeeper made things difficult for me... Or what if I accidentally injure a yellow-haired man while testing my soul skills..."

Thud!

The young gatekeeper's legs went limp, and he dropped to his knees, his face deathly pale.

"Stop, please stop talking!" The young gatekeeper knelt on the ground and scrambled forward, trying to grab Xia Yuan's leg.

"I was blind, sir! Please spare my life! I'll never dare do it again!" Tears and snot streamed down his face, twisting his features into a grotesque mess.

Xia Yuan stepped back in disgust, his gaze indifferent. "I preferred how arrogant you looked just now. Why don't you go back to that?"

"Ten Copper Soul Coins, right? Want me to give them to you now?"

"I won't dare! I won't dare!" The young gatekeeper frantically kowtowed to Xia Yuan and Old Jack. "You noble sirs, please show mercy and let this little one go!"

Old Jack stood to the side, utterly dumbfounded.

Just then, a somewhat hoarse voice rang out from nearby.

"Stop!"