Future Plans

Tang San heard Wang Sheng's tone, and his brow furrowed slightly.

He could tell Wang Sheng had not the slightest respect for his teacher.

Tang San, who had always respected his teachers and held their teachings in high regard, did not like that at all.

Still, he replied calmly, "That's right. Is there a problem?"

Wang Sheng gave him an odd look. "Grandmaster is something like a Guest Elder at our academy. They say he only gets to stay because he's close to the headmaster. To put it bluntly, he's a freeloader."

"I hear he isn't very talented. He's almost fifty and still stuck at rank twenty-nine. He'll probably never break through in his lifetime."

"You and Xiao Wu just arrived, so you might not know this, but he once wanted to take our boss as his disciple. Our boss turned him down flat."

"Tang San, you're very talented. It's a shame you chose him as your teacher."

By the time Wang Sheng finished, Tang San's expression had grown stern and dark.

"Wang Sheng, I consider you a friend, but you shouldn't speak of my teacher that way."

"This is the first time, and the last!"

"I don't think I'll be taking you up on that meal after all!"

With that, Tang San turned and left without looking back.

Wang Sheng stared after him in surprise, then scratched his head. "Forget it. Let's eat!"

He had only wanted Tang San to know what kind of person Yu Xiaogang was, and everything he had said was true.

But if Tang San refused to listen, Wang Sheng would not force him.

Xiao Wu, however, had grown curious about something Wang Sheng had said. "Wang Sheng, you said Grandmaster wanted to take your boss as his disciple. Does your boss have Innate Full Soul Power too?"

Wang Sheng shook his head. "No. Our boss only had Innate Half-Level Soul Power!"

"Innate Half-Level?" Xiao Wu's little mouth fell open in astonishment.

"How is that possible? Aren't you all in the same year? How is he stronger than you with only Innate Half-Level Soul Power?"

Wang Sheng said proudly, "So what if he only had Innate Half-Level?"

"The strong never complain about their circumstances. Our boss is a true genius. Even with only Innate Half-Level Soul Power, he's every bit as good as geniuses like you who were born with higher Innate Soul Power."

"You make him sound incredible. How strong could someone with Innate Half-Level Soul Power really be?" Xiao Wu said dismissively.

Wang Sheng shook his head. "You don't know our boss. If you did, you'd never say that."

Xiao Wu thought to herself, Hmph. Once I condense my First Soul Ring, I'll go see for myself whether he's as amazing as you claim.

After they went up to the dining hall's second floor, Hans said with a sigh, "Xiaogang, I never thought you'd take a disciple after all. His name is Tang San, right?"

At the mention of Tang San, a smile involuntarily appeared on Yu Xiaogang's stiff face.

"That's right, Hans. His name is Tang San, and his Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass. But you know me. I've never looked down on Trash Martial Souls!"

"Xiao San's Martial Soul may only be Blue Silver Grass, but I'm confident I can raise him into a formidable Soul Master."

"I believe in him, and I believe my theory will succeed!"

Hans fell quiet as he watched Yu Xiaogang speak with such high spirits.

One line in particular stayed with him: I've never looked down on Trash Martial Souls.

They were friends, but Hans had to admit that Yu Xiaogang had always looked down on Trash Martial Souls, and even on ordinary Martial Souls.

Otherwise, he would not have spent all these years as a Guest Elder at Notting Academy without teaching a single student.

His contribution to the academy was nowhere near Qi Dao's.

Qi Dao had set an example that inspired his entire class to cultivate diligently, and he even taught his classmates from time to time.

Besides, when Hans had hoped Qi Dao would become Yu Xiaogang's disciple, Yu Xiaogang had not even spared the boy a glance!

Now that a student with Innate Full Soul Power had arrived, he could not resist taking a disciple.

The thought left a knot in Hans's heart, but he still smiled. "Heh. I'm sure you'll have the chance to put your talents to use."

Yu Xiaogang's face reddened slightly. Holding back his excitement, he looked ahead with anticipation.

"I'll prove to everyone that there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters!"

"Xiao San is a gift from the heavens!"

Hans: ...

Meanwhile, Qi Dao and his close friends sat together.

Over the years, the childishness had faded from their faces.

At eleven, they were practically half-grown.

People on Douluo Continent grew up early, after all. Ordinary people often married and had children at twelve or thirteen.

They chatted about their plans for the future.

Ling Feng and Liu Long were both rank-twelve Soul Masters, while Xiao Chenyu had reached rank thirteen.

At their levels, getting into an intermediate Soul Master Academy would be a breeze.

Xiao Chenyu asked, "Boss, we'll graduate in another year. Will you come to an intermediate Soul Master Academy with us?"

"Liu Long and I are planning to go to Fasnuo Province Intermediate Soul Master Academy."

Fasnuo Province Intermediate Soul Master Academy was the best intermediate Soul Master Academy in Fasinuo Province. Even its least accomplished teachers were Soul Grandmasters.

Qi Dao shook his head. "I won't be going. To me, an intermediate Soul Master Academy is no different from a junior one."

Disappointment flashed in the three boys' eyes.

After all these years, Qi Dao had become the pillar they relied on. Unfortunately, they could not keep following in his footsteps.

Seeing their expressions, Qi Dao smiled. "Why the long faces? Do you need me there to tell you how to cultivate?"

"I've already mapped out your cultivation paths, and your century-old first rings have given you a solid foundation. You'll have to walk the rest of the road yourselves."

The three nodded firmly.

After dinner, Qi Dao returned to the dormitory. Xiao Chenyu's question lingered in his mind, prompting him to take a hard look at his own plans for the future.

If he wanted to make something of himself on Douluo Continent, cultivating alone was the least reliable option.

For one thing, obtaining Soul Rings would be a major problem.

His own First Soul Ring was a case in point.

If he had the backing of a major power, he could have hunted for a more suitable Soul Ring in the Star Dou Great Forest or Sunset Forest.

The Soul Hunting Forest was safe, but it had too few kinds of Soul Beasts and lacked beasts with powerful bloodlines.

Qi Dao also planned for his Second Soul Ring to come from a thousand-year Soul Beast.

When the time came, even if Qi Father and Qi Mother wanted to help, they would be powerless.

Hunting a thousand-year Soul Beast at the Soul Elder level could get them killed with a single misstep.

So joining a faction or an academy had become an urgent matter for Qi Dao.

He simply had not decided which one to join.