Sing the Praises of the Medicine King, Extol the Medicine King

Yao Shi immediately sat up and saw two boys walk in. One was short and fat, the other tall and thin. They seemed to be from farming families as well, their skin darkened by the sun.

The chubby boy was the one who spoke. He was slightly startled upon seeing Yao Shi's face. "Miss, did you enter the wrong dormitory?"

Yao Shi froze at his words. I may have become a little more dashing, but surely I don't look like a girl? Only then did he notice that his originally short hair had somehow grown to his shoulders. In the window's reflection, he really did look somewhat like a girl now.

Strange, why had his hair grown so quickly?

Yao Shi stopped dwelling on it and quickly explained, "I didn't enter the wrong place. I'm a boy."

"Holy shit, bro, you're really a guy? Even Xiao Cui from my village isn't as pretty as you."

Even after hearing Yao Shi's words, the chubby boy still found it hard to believe. The other boy beside him felt the same.

"Oh, right. My name is Tian Dali. My martial soul is a sickle, and I have level two soul power. This is Niu San. His martial soul is a kitchen knife, and his soul power is level two too. We're from the same village."

The chubby boy did not press the matter further and introduced himself in a forthright manner, gesturing toward the boy beside him as well.

"My name is Yao Shi. My martial soul is a tree branch, and my soul power is... level twelve."

"Damn, brother, that's awesome! You cultivated so fast that you've already become a Soul Master?"

Upon hearing Yao Shi's soul power level, Tian Dali and Niu San excitedly crowded closer.

"Hehe, just luck, just luck. My innate soul power was relatively high, and I didn't enroll until I was seven, so I cultivated for an extra year compared to you two. That's why it's so high."

Other than the Awakening Master who had awakened his martial soul and Yao, who knew that he possessed full innate soul power, Yao Shi could not be bothered to publicize it.

"So you're a year older than us. But your soul power cultivates so quickly, so your talent must be incredible. From now on, we'll call you Brother Yao!"

Tian Dali was quite bold and straightforward. Once the two learned Yao Shi's age, they immediately acknowledged him as their big brother.

Yao Shi repeatedly waved his hands in refusal. "Don't say that."

In the end, he could not outstubborn the two of them. Tian Dali kept saying that strength was supreme; since Yao Shi had the highest level, he was the boss. Thus, Yao Shi somehow became their big brother.

"Oh, right, Brother Yao. Since you're level twelve, you must have your first soul ring already, right? What's your soul skill?" Tian Dali asked.

"Mm—my first soul skill is healing. In theory, it should be able to treat any injury or illness."

Although asking about someone else's soul skill was considered a major taboo among Soul Masters, Yao Shi felt that it was merely a healing ability and nothing worth hiding, so he told them directly.

The three gradually became familiar with one another. Through their conversation, Yao Shi learned that the two were neighbors. Tian Dali's family farmed as well, and they had quite a bit of land. After producing enough food for themselves, they sold the surplus, so the family had some savings. Niu San was the third child in his family, hence the name Niu San. His family raised cattle and was somewhat wealthier than Tian Dali's. His two older brothers had both undergone martial soul awakening, but neither had possessed soul power.

This year, the two had just reached the right age, so both sets of parents scraped together some money to take them for martial soul awakening. To their surprise, both boys had soul power. Though it was low, their families at least had hope of producing Soul Masters, so they sent them here to study at this junior Soul Master academy.

To be honest, after hearing their stories, Yao Shi felt somewhat envious. After personally experiencing how exhausting it was to save money over the past three years, he truly felt it had been far too hard. Fortunately, all those problems were now resolved, and everything was moving in a better direction. From here on, he only needed to cultivate properly.

God Realm.

A figure stood amid the clouds. Looking closely, one could see that he was a man with waterfall-like blue hair cascading all the way to his feet.

"Third Brother, what are you doing?"

A soft voice called out. The newcomer was a woman wearing a pink dress, her hair braided into a scorpion braid.

The man drew the woman into his embrace and sighed softly. "One day in the God Realm is one year in the mortal world. I never expected that after twenty years had passed in the God Realm, ten thousand years would have already passed on the Douluo Continent, and the Tang Sect had withered away."

The woman in pink said, "Third Brother, don't think too much about it. In a sense, doesn't the decline of the Tang Sect also signify the progress of the times?"

The blue-haired man nodded. "But the Tang Sect was ultimately founded by my own hands. I still cannot bear to see it perish. And as a law enforcer of the God Realm, I cannot interfere with the lower realms..."

At this point, the man paused. The corners of his mouth curved upward as he continued, "However, it seems that a rising star has emerged on the Douluo Continent. He will have countless ties to my Tang Sect. Perhaps he can help me restore the Tang Sect to its former glory."

"If even you call him a rising star, then he must be an excellent candidate." The woman smiled in his embrace.

"Eh!"

The blue-haired man stared at the Douluo plane and let out a startled sound.

"What is it, Third Brother?"

"I think I just saw a calamity star descend upon the Douluo Continent. He may change the entire continent's balance in the future, but the instant I saw him, he vanished."

"Oh, Third Brother, perhaps you've been too busy lately and saw it wrong. Your most urgent task now is to go back and get some proper rest."

"I hope I really did see it wrong..."

Could a rising star and a calamity star truly be born at the same time?

The blue-haired man was still somewhat worried, but he nevertheless left with the woman in pink.

The next day, Yao Shi officially began classes.

The teachers at the junior academy were mostly Soul Masters with two or three soul rings. Thus, they taught only basic Soul Master theory and occasionally sparred with the students. Opportunities for actual combat against soul beasts were extremely rare, because these teachers' cultivation levels might not be enough to guarantee the students' safety.

Yao Shi spent each day studying theory and sparring with his classmates, while Yao found work as a blacksmith in town. The income was fairly good.

Day after day passed. The daily expenses of a Soul Master's cultivation were still very high. One day, as Yao Shi was worrying about living expenses, Tian Dali suggested that he could use his soul skill to treat people and earn money.

Those words reminded Yao Shi. From that day onward, whenever he was not cultivating, he would hold up a cloth banner reading "Miraculous Healing" and practice medicine in town. At first, people thought he was a swindler because he was so young. But after he healed a man whose finger had been severed by a sickle right before their eyes, people gradually began seeking him out.

At first, it was farmers injured while working who came to him for treatment. Yao Shi charged them only one copper coin. Gradually, some nobles began coming to him as well. Naturally, he charged more when treating them.

His first soul skill was extremely powerful. Whether it was a cold, fever, cuts, broken legs, erectile dysfunction, or premature ejaculation, there was nothing Yao Shi could not cure with a single use of his soul skill. His reputation began to grow, and some nobles even offered high prices to recruit him. Yet he refused them all. His life had only just improved, and he had no desire to be controlled by others.

The commoners Yao Shi had treated gradually gave him a title—the Medicine King.

Rumors began spreading from Bluestone Town: The Medicine King was benevolent. He was a god sent by Heaven to aid the common people. He walked among mortals to save the world and deliver all living beings!

And so, five years quietly passed after Yao Shi awakened his martial soul.