The gate guards were battered and bruised, utterly bedraggled, and had long since lost their previous arrogance.
At the same time, they realized this was no ordinary country child.
That strength was terrifying. He very likely possessed Innate Soul Power, and it was not low-level at that. Someone like him was a ruthless figure they could never afford to provoke in their entire lives!
In their eyes, the youth before them was a living god of death!
"We're the trash! We're the beggars!"
"Yes, yes, yes! I'm a beggar!"
"We know we were wrong!"
The three burly gate guards had been scared out of their wits. There was not the slightest trace of their former arrogance left as they trembled and hastily begged for forgiveness.
A cold, faint smile curved Ao Yin's lips as he approached at an unhurried pace, step by step.
A heavy sense of oppression bore down relentlessly upon the three men.
Their pupils contracted sharply in fright, and even their voices went out of tune.
"Y-you... don't come any closer!"
"Don't!~ (voice cracking!!!)"
Every bone in their bodies ached with piercing pain. Enduring the agony, the three men crawled miserably along the ground, desperate to escape this deathtrap.
They were truly afraid now.
Run!
They had to run immediately!
"You want to leave? Did you get my permission?"
Watching the three men scramble away, Ao Yin casually picked up several fallen leaves from the ground.
A glint of cold light flashed through his eyes. With a sharp flick of his hand, the leaves shot forward.
The three burly guards had just risen to their feet when they felt as though their legs had been struck by a massive blow, and they collapsed again!
This was the combat skill Ao Yin had obtained through signing in at Holy Soul Village: Little Li Flying Dagger. He could use leaves as daggers, and every shot hit its mark!
"Since you despise beggars so much, I'll cripple you today and let you experience what it feels like to be a beggar!"
Holding the Coiling Dragon Staff, Ao Yin walked toward the three men screaming on the ground, clearly intending to smash their damned legs!
"Stop—"
Just as he raised his hand, however, a deep voice abruptly interrupted him.
Hmm!?
Ao Yin turned around and saw a middle-aged man slowly emerge behind him. The man wore a plain gray linen robe and held an ancient book in his hands. His eyes were deep and calm, and he carried an air of steady composure, as though he had seen through all the affairs of the world.
"Yu Xiaogang..."
Ao Yin recognized the newcomer at once. Understanding dawned on him, and a faint smile quietly rose on his lips.
He knew the plot well. Better than anyone, he knew that Yu Xiaogang and Tang San were cut from the same cloth. He had deliberately made such a commotion precisely to draw Yu Xiaogang's attention.
The so-called master who had the most thorough understanding of martial souls on the Douluo Continent and stood undefeated in martial soul theory... Ao Yin truly wanted to see what he was capable of.
The moment the three beaten guards saw Yu Xiaogang, it was as if they had found a lifesaving straw. Looking utterly miserable, they scrambled and crawled to his feet, wailing for help.
"Master, save us! Hurry and save us!"
Old Jack had already been dumbfounded. He had never expected Ao Yin, after awakening his martial soul, to become this powerful!
As expected of a genius with Innate Full Soul Power whom even Spirit Hall wanted to recruit. Even without a Soul Ring's enhancement, he could still utterly crush three burly men in battle.
But after Little Ao had caused such a scene, this would likely be difficult to settle peacefully.
Ao Yin gently supported Old Jack, whose body was trembling, his expression calm and mild.
"Village Chief Jack, no matter who looks down on us, make sure they pay the price!"
At that moment, Old Jack genuinely felt a sense of security unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Pride glimmered in Ao Yin's eyes. If he could not even enter the gates of a junior academy, how could he speak of reaching the peak of the continent in the future and ascending to the Divine Realm?
Then, he spoke first and demanded, "Sir, I wasn't the one who started it. Everyone saw that!"
Ao Yin met Yu Xiaogang's scrutinizing gaze with a calm expression, showing no discomfort whatsoever.
Yu Xiaogang appeared refined on the surface, but deep down, he was more of a coward. So long as Ao Yin did not touch Yu Xiaogang's bottom line, he would never step in over such a minor dispute.
As for the three guards who had abused their authority and bullied others, coldness rose once more in Ao Yin's eyes.
"As the academy's gatekeepers, you judge people by their appearance, insult others at will, and tarnish the academy's reputation. Today, I'll discipline you properly on the academy's behalf!"
"You're the academy's master, right? Remember to give me a Good Samaritan Award later!"
As he spoke, Ao Yin intended to continue punishing the men.
Yu Xiaogang froze on the spot, his brows knitting tightly together.
He had never expected this young boy before him to possess such a fierce and overbearing temperament.
Even in front of him, Ao Yin continued doing as he pleased, showing no intention of restraining himself.
He had never liked involving himself in trivial disputes, and he knew these guards were of poor character and thoroughly detestable.
But this was the entrance to Notting Academy. As the academy's honorary master, he could not allow this farce to continue.
"Enough."
Yu Xiaogang spoke to stop him, his voice steady and stern.
"This is the main entrance of Notting Academy. What kind of conduct is it to fight so recklessly here? Are you trying to ruin the academy's reputation?"
After speaking, his gaze finally settled on Ao Yin, his eyes sharp and profound.
"And you? Who are you? Why are you causing trouble here?"
"Master! These two crawled out from some backwater place and want to pose as work-study students to register for admission!" The bruised gate guard immediately accused them.
"Work-study students?"
Yu Xiaogang raised his brows slightly. It had been a long time since he had heard that term!
When Old Jack heard the guards calling this man Master, he guessed that Yu Xiaogang might be an important figure in the academy. He hurriedly stepped out from behind Ao Yin and explained the entire sequence of events in detail.
He explained everything, from how the two of them had been maliciously obstructed by the guards to how they had been accused of forging their documents.
Then, he carefully picked up the Spirit Hall certificate from the ground, now covered in many footprints, and presented it to him.
"Master, we truly came through the proper channels to enroll. This is the awakening certificate issued by Spirit Hall, and it is Holy Soul Village's only work-study student slot!"
Yu Xiaogang reached out and took the record certificate bearing Spirit Hall's seal. He lowered his head and examined it closely.
The next moment, his mouth fell slightly open, and disbelief appeared on his face.
"A mutated staff martial soul, with Innate Full Soul Power?"
Yu Xiaogang continued reading. The certificate also contained the martial soul illustration recorded by Su Yuntao.
What entered his sight was an utterly ordinary fire poker, though some of its patterns had not been drawn especially clearly.
Then, he looked at the Pangu Staff in Ao Yin's hand, which Ao Yin had not yet put away. The instant his gaze landed upon it, his pupils contracted violently!
"Dragon patterns?"
He came from a top-tier dragon martial soul family and had devoted decades to martial soul theory. He knew all types of dragon-related mutated martial souls like the back of his hand.
Patterns that ordinary people could not decipher were perfectly clear to him.
At that moment, all his attention locked completely onto Ao Yin.
What fighting farce? Who was right and who was wrong?
He had already cast it all beyond the clouds. Compared with his discovery just now, none of it was worth mentioning.
Yu Xiaogang immediately turned to Old Jack and spoke solemnly.
"This admission qualification is completely legitimate. There is not the slightest issue with it."
"Today, the academy guards neglected their duty and abused their authority to bully others. It is due to the academy's poor management, and I apologize to you both."
"These three have vile character and deliberately obstructed new students. On behalf of the academy, I will expel them from Notting Academy immediately and ban them from ever being hired again!"
After saying that, he looked at the youth before him. His eyes were filled with appreciation and anticipation as he spoke in a deep voice.
"Ao Yin, welcome to Notting Junior Soul Master Academy!"
"Are you willing to become my disciple?"
At those words, Old Jack swallowed hard. Previously, a Battle Soul Master had invited Little Ao to join Spirit Hall Academy, and now an academy master was taking the initiative to accept him as a disciple?
Little Ao had already missed one opportunity before. He absolutely could not miss this one too!
Just as Old Jack was about to turn and persuade Ao Yin, Ao Yin's cold voice rang out.
"No."
Old Jack was so angry that he nearly raised his cane and gave Ao Yin two whacks.
Yu Xiaogang, meanwhile, looked somewhat awkward. He coughed twice and asked, "Why are you unwilling?"
"Because you're not worthy."
"Who?"
"You!"
Ao Yin's answer instantly set Yu Xiaogang off. He gritted his teeth and pressed for an answer, only to receive an even more certain reply.
His head immediately buzzed.
Before you continue