Yu Xiaogang, You Have Courted Death!

"No! You can't!"

Yu Xiaogang, who had been slumped on the ground, saw Tang San about to take Xu Linjiu as his master and instantly panicked, crying out to stop him.

He had searched painstakingly for so many years before finally finding such a perfect specimen as Tang San.

He had been counting on this genius with innate full soul power to personally push him to the rank of Titled Douluo, thereby proving the correctness of his Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls and washing away the humiliation of half his life.

But now, Xu Linjiu had barged in and, with only a few words, was about to shatter his entire plan.

Yu Xiaogang did not even bother with the dirt on his robes. He scrambled up from the ground on all fours, his previously affected air of profundity completely gone.

"Tang San! You cannot take him as your master! He knows nothing about the secrets of twin martial souls! You possess twin martial souls. In all the world, only I have come into contact with a twin martial soul possessor. Only I can teach you how to avoid backlash and cultivate both martial souls! Follow him, and your talent will be utterly ruined!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he abruptly turned his head, his bloodshot eyes glaring fixedly at Xu Linjiu.

"And you! You're nothing but a stinking country schoolteacher. What do you know about martial souls?! I have studied theoretical knowledge since childhood and read extensively through Martial Soul Hall's collection. You're just an ignorant country bumpkin, and you think you're worthy of discussing how to teach and nurture others with me?"

"Enough!"

Before Xu Linjiu could react to Yu Xiaogang's frantic abuse, Tang San spoke first instead.

As the saying went, Heaven, Earth, ruler, parents, and teacher. As a steadfast feudal warrior, Tang San would never permit anyone to insult his teacher, especially when this teacher had just bestowed upon him an enormous opportunity.

Tang San stomped off the ground, shooting forward like an arrow.

His fair, tender palm instantly turned jade-colored, and he struck Yu Xiaogang solidly in the abdomen.

Yu Xiaogang let out a muffled groan and flew backward, his back slamming heavily into the tree behind him. A trace of blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Although Yu Xiaogang was a twenty-ninth-rank Grand Soul Master, his mutated external martial soul had not enhanced his physical abilities in the slightest.

Moreover, he had not taken Tang San, a child who had yet to obtain his first soul ring, seriously. Caught off guard, he was actually injured by a six-year-old child.

A cold glint flashed through Tang San's eyes, and killing intent nearly overflowed from them.

First, he had tried to deceive him with honeyed words, and now he insulted his benefactor and teacher. Yu Xiaogang, you have courted death!

As the thought crossed his mind, Tang San raised his left hand. Beneath his concealed sleeve, a sleeve arrow faintly gleamed with cold light.

"That's enough, Little San!"

At the critical moment, Xu Linjiu stepped in and stopped Tang San.

Yu Xiaogang was indeed useless, but the connections behind him could not be underestimated.

Leaving aside the distant Pope Bibi Dong or Yu Yuanzhen, the sect master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, merely bringing up the closest Four-Eyed Cat Owl, Flender, was enough to give Xu Linjiu a serious headache.

Only after seeing his teacher intervene did Tang San suppress the killing intent in his heart and silently return to stand behind him.

Xu Linjiu slowly walked over to Yu Xiaogang and looked down at him, curled up on the ground like a stray dog.

"Master Yu, you say I'm ignorant? Then let me broaden your horizons!"

With that, Xu Linjiu turned to the student who had been following behind them. "Come, Wang Sheng. Show Master Yu something!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Sheng quickly walked over to them.

"Ha! Martial soul possession!"

With a low shout from Wang Sheng, his body instantly changed.

The nails on his hands grew longer, whiskers sprouted from his cheeks, and faint king-shaped markings appeared on his forehead.

The moment his martial soul possessed him, white light suddenly burst from Wang Sheng's hands, gathering into a pair of energy claws that covered them.

Then Wang Sheng fiercely swung both claws forward.

Crack!

The claw strike slammed hard into the nearby tree, leaving behind ten deep claw marks.

Yu Xiaogang furrowed his brows, his eyes filled with confusion.

Although the power of Wang Sheng's soul skill was decent, it was only within the normal range for a hundred-year soul skill. He truly could not understand why Xu Linjiu had deliberately displayed it.

As if he had seen through Yu Xiaogang's thoughts, Xu Linjiu coughed twice and said to Wang Sheng, "Introduce yourself."

Wang Sheng immediately withdrew his martial soul, stood straight, and declared loudly, "My name is Wang Sheng. I'm eleven years old and currently a fifth-year student at Notting Academy. My soul power is rank nine!"

Rank nine!

Those two words were like a bolt of thunder, leaving Yu Xiaogang's mind completely blank.

It was impossible for someone with rank nine soul power to possess a soul ring. This was an unchangeable iron law.

Wang Sheng's Mad Tiger martial soul was utterly ordinary, nor did it resemble a rare type born with an innate talent soul skill.

That left only one possibility.

Wang Sheng had used a self-created soul skill!

This young man had spent only a single year forcibly creating a soul skill for a child with an ordinary martial soul!

Pfft—!

His theories could not compare, his cultivation could not compare, and now even his ability to teach and nurture others had been crushed beyond recognition.

All three blows struck at once. Blood and qi churned in Yu Xiaogang's chest, and he spat out a mouthful of old blood. His vision went black, and he fell stiffly backward, completely fainting.

Seeing this, Xu Linjiu merely stood up, dusted off his hands, and said indifferently, "Little San, Wang Sheng, let's go!"

"Yes, Teacher!"

After Xu Linjiu finished handling Tang San's enrollment procedures, he escorted them all the way to the work-study student dormitory.

He turned to Tang San beside him. His tone softened, losing the sharp edge he had shown while confronting Yu Xiaogang. "You'll stay here for now. The work-study students do not have many rules. You only need to help the academy with some daily chores, and it will not delay your cultivation."

Tang San nodded in agreement.

"This is the bedding I prepared for you. The work-study dormitory does not provide these things, so I prepared them for you."

Xu Linjiu took a set of bedding from his storage space and placed it in Tang San's hands.

Tang San accepted the bedding with both hands. As his fingertips touched the soft fabric, the warmth in his heart deepened.

"There is one more thing you must remember."

Xu Linjiu lowered his voice slightly, his gaze sweeping over Tang San's sleeve.

"Those little toys in your sleeve, as well as those unusual methods you possess—do not reveal them unless absolutely necessary. Soul masters of Douluo Continent have countless methods. Concealing your trump cards is the foundation of survival."

Tang San's heart tightened, and he quickly bowed. "This disciple will remember Teacher's instruction."

He had thought he had hidden them extremely well, never expecting that his teacher had noticed long ago. His admiration for Xu Linjiu grew even deeper.

Once everything was ready, Xu Linjiu patted Tang San's shoulder. "All right, it's getting late. Go back and rest. Tomorrow morning, leave with me. Your teacher will take you to obtain your first soul ring."

"Yes!"

"And you too, Wang Sheng."

Xu Linjiu turned to the youth standing nearby. "Although your talent is a little lacking, don't be anxious. Take it slowly. Building a solid foundation is what matters most. Once you break through to rank ten, your teacher will naturally take you to hunt a soul beast."

"Yes!"

Only after watching the two enter the dormitory and close the door did Xu Linjiu turn and leave.

Rather than returning to his teacher's dormitory, he headed toward the secluded forest on the academy's back mountain.

When the surroundings had become completely quiet, Xu Linjiu finally stopped. With his back to the shadows of the trees behind him, he spoke calmly.

"Your Excellency Haotian, you have followed me for so long. It is time to come out and meet, isn't it?"