News that Qi Dao had reached level ten soon spread throughout the academy, even drawing the attention of Director Su and Headmaster Hans.
But if anyone took it hardest, it was Yu Xiaogang.
In his room, Yu Xiaogang sat behind his desk, scratching his head and racking his brains without finding an answer.
"How is this possible?"
"We both had Innate Half-Level Soul Power. How could he cultivate so quickly?"
Yu Xiaogang himself had cultivated quickly back then, reaching level ten in just five years.
But he had managed that speed because he had the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan behind him, with access to a Mimicry Cultivation Environment and vast resources.
Yet Qi Dao, a Commoner Soul Master, had cultivated even faster than he had.
How was that possible?
Bang!
Yu Xiaogang slapped the desk, his face full of resentment.
"I know! Qi Dao must not have told me the truth back then. His Martial Soul must be hiding some other secret."
"Even his Innate Soul Power might have been a lie."
"He can't have had Innate Half-Level Soul Power. Otherwise, he could never have cultivated this fast."
"Nine levels in three years? That talent might rival some Soul Masters who started at innate level seven."
Yu Xiaogang's expression shifted again and again. Deep down, he stubbornly refused to believe Qi Dao could have reached level ten in only three years with the talent of Innate Half-Level Soul Power.
Because this was his obsession.
In his eyes, anyone born with poor talent was destined never to achieve much in cultivation.
Only by blazing another trail could he prove to the world that he was not worthless!
So, to Yu Xiaogang, if you started with Innate Half-Level Soul Power, you were destined to be worthless—unless you became a world-renowned scholar like him and created a theory of Soul Masters accepted across the entire continent.
And Qi Dao could not possibly have started with Innate Half-Level Soul Power.
Otherwise, he could never have cultivated faster than Yu Xiaogang, who had the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan behind him!
Qi Dao, of course, had no idea that his cultivation speed was gradually driving Yu Xiaogang into an obsession.
After obtaining his First Soul Ring, Qi Dao had not grown restless. He cultivated exactly as he had before.
Time passed, and another two years went by.
This was also the year the original story began in earnest.
Qi Dao was eleven years old, and his Soul Power had reached level nineteen.
For an ordinary Soul Master who had started at innate level six or seven, that might not have been remarkable.
But for someone who had started with Innate Half-Level Soul Power, it was enough to shock the world.
No one at the academy knew Qi Dao's exact level, though. Judging from when he had reached level ten, they guessed he was around level fifteen or sixteen.
In the academy dining hall.
Qi Dao, Xiao Chenyu, and the others had gathered for a meal.
Just as they were about to climb the stairs, Liu Long spotted a dozen or so people approaching from a distance.
"Huh, isn't that Wang Sheng?"
The others stopped when they heard him.
Qi Dao also looked toward Wang Sheng.
Besides the usual members of Dorm Seven, there were two new faces beside Wang Sheng: a boy and a girl.
The girl wore a little pink dress, with her hair in a scorpion braid and a pretty, rosy face.
The boy wore plain blue clothes and trousers. He had wheat-colored skin and ordinary features.
One look at them, and Qi Dao knew who they were.
Tang San and Xiao Wu!
After that single glance, Qi Dao immediately looked away.
Tang San might have been the protagonist of the original story, but his reputation was hardly good. He had somehow played the hero like a villain.
There were far too many labels attached to him.
Hypocritical, selfish, full of double standards...
Qi Dao had always kept his distance from people like that.
Tang San held no grudge against him, and their interests did not conflict. Naturally, Qi Dao had no intention of looking for trouble.
Of course, if he could manage it in the future, he would stop Tang San from destroying Spirit Hall.
Qi Dao did not care whether Bibi Dong lived or died.
But the continent needed Spirit Hall!
Commoner Soul Masters needed Spirit Hall too!
Over the years, even Qi Dao's family had benefited greatly from Spirit Hall.
"Wang Sheng!" Qi Dao called out with a smile.
Wang Sheng grinned. "What a coincidence, boss. I run into you the moment I get to the dining hall."
Qi Dao smiled. "Want to come upstairs and eat with us?"
"Not today, unfortunately," Wang Sheng said. "Two newcomers joined our dorm today, and I promised to treat them."
"All right!"
Qi Dao did not press him and headed straight upstairs with Xiao Chenyu and the others.
After they left, Xiao Wu asked curiously, "Wang Sheng, who was that? Why do you respect him so much?"
"He's the boss of our whole academy," Wang Sheng said, admiration on his face. "And he's the person I owe the most."
"Hm?"
"What do you owe him for?" Xiao Wu asked, her face full of curiosity.
Wang Sheng recalled the past with open admiration. "When I first came to the academy, the others in my class looked down on me because I was a work-study student. It was the boss who changed how they saw me, and he pushed us to cultivate through his own example."
"Without him to look up to, I wouldn't have reached level ten last semester."
"And do you know how I got my Hundred-Year Soul Ring?"
"The boss found someone to hunt it for me!"
At that, everyone else from Dorm Seven looked envious, apart from Tang San and Xiao Wu.
After all, it was a Hundred-Year First Soul Ring.
For Commoner Soul Masters like them, it was a ring they barely dared dream of.
Tang San did not yet know what a Hundred-Year First Soul Ring meant, but he could tell from the others' expressions how rare it was.
Xiao Wu, meanwhile, gave it little thought. Something else was on her mind.
"Then who do you think is stronger, him or me?"
Wang Sheng smiled and shook his head. "Sister Xiao Wu, you and Tang San are both strong, and you both have Innate Full Soul Power. Your futures are boundless."
"But right now, the gap between you and the boss is as vast as heaven and earth."
"You both had a hard enough time beating me. Against the boss, you wouldn't even be able to block one swing of his sword."
Though Wang Sheng had absorbed his First Soul Ring, he had still lost to Tang San. Tang San had then lost to Xiao Wu, so Xiao Wu had become the head of Dorm Seven after all.
As for why Wang Sheng did not call her boss?
To Wang Sheng, Qi Dao was his one and only boss!
Xiao Wu looked surprised. "He's that strong? What level is he?"
Wang Sheng shook his head.
"I don't know that either!"
Hearing this, Xiao Wu muttered to herself.
Hmph. He's only a sixth-year student. How strong can he be? Once I condense my First Soul Ring, I'll challenge him.
If I beat him, I'll be the boss of the whole academy!
As they talked, two more people approached from a distance.
Tang San saw one of them and hurried forward.
"Teacher, you've come to eat too!"
The newcomers were Headmaster Hans and Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San, a faint smile on his stiff face. He patted Tang San's shoulder and asked, "Have you put everything away?"
"Yes," Tang San said. "Thank you for the bedding, Teacher."
Yu Xiaogang nodded, then said, "In that case, come eat with me on the second floor. Afterward, I'll show you where to find me."
Tang San shook his head. "Teacher, I'd rather eat with my roommates."
After all, Wang Sheng had just turned down Qi Dao's invitation for their sake. What would the others think of Tang San if he accepted his teacher's invitation now?
Yu Xiaogang glanced at Wang Sheng and the others, then gave a faint smile. "All right. I'll go on ahead. Wait for me at the dining hall entrance when you're done eating."
With that, he left with Headmaster Hans.
Wang Sheng stared after them, his face full of disbelief.
"You actually took Grandmaster as your teacher?"
Before you continue