At Nording Academy, Tang San had already fought most of the Soul Masters in the academy and gained a bit of fame, but he still wanted to challenge Jiang Nanchen.
Just how strong was this person from Holy Soul Village who possessed the Angel Martial Soul?
Why had he earned the favor and guidance of a Titled Douluo?
"Little San, what's wrong with you today?"
Yu Xiaogang, who had come over to Tang San, noticed that something was off about him.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about Jiang Nanchen. I really want to spar with him."
Tang San was filled with fighting spirit, his gaze firm.
"Spar?" Yu Xiaogang froze for a moment, then shook his head. "Not for now. We don't know where he has gone, or whether he has gone to Spirit Hall."
Yu Xiaogang did not have the slightest confidence right now. If he had even a little, he could have made preparations in advance.
"That's all we can do." Tang San sighed.
Yu Xiaogang patted Tang San's shoulder. "Don't worry, Little San. Your teacher will definitely help you defeat him. Mere Jiang Nanchen is nothing to fear."
Your father is Tang Hao. If Jiang Nanchen dared to show himself alone, Tang Hao would certainly not spare him. He would be as good as dead. But with his intelligence, Yu Xiaogang judged that Tang Hao would definitely not do that.
First, Jiang Nanchen had been taken away by Spirit Hall's Porcupinefish Douluo. Second, Spirit Hall would surely assign someone to protect him separately.
If Tang Hao showed himself, Spirit Hall would definitely hunt him down. A situation where both sides suffered would benefit no one.
Therefore, the safest method was to cripple Jiang Nanchen and make him Little San's stepping stone.
That would allow Tang San to go farther on the path of a Soul Master. Becoming a Titled Douluo was practically guaranteed, but becoming a Peerless Douluo was far more difficult.
Yu Xiaogang also had to prove himself.
"Teacher, I'll work hard."
Tang San was extremely confident. A teacher for a day was a father for life. He would not disappoint his teacher, and his teacher certainly would not disappoint him.
Master and disciple were both full of confidence in the future.
By noon, inside the Heaven Dou Royal Academy cafeteria.
Jiang Nanchen was eating chicken legs, while Ye Lingling sat beside him, watching as she and Dugu Yan took small bites, unlike Jiang Nanchen, who ate with tremendous appetite.
By the time Jiang Nanchen had finished five, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling had only eaten a little over half of one.
"So good!" Jiang Nanchen held chicken legs in both hands and took huge bites.
"Little Nanchen, slow down. I'm afraid you'll choke." Dugu Yan was helpless. It was her first time seeing someone who could eat so much.
"What's there to be afraid of?" Jiang Nanchen laughed.
Dugu Yan spread her hands. "You win. While you eat, let me tell you about Lingling's and my family backgrounds. You should know that the students at Heaven Dou Royal Academy are either rich or noble."
Jiang Nanchen nodded. "Go ahead. I'm listening."
Qian Renxue had already told him once, so he knew it all, but it had not come from the people themselves.
Dugu Yan sat up straight, a trace of pride in her voice.
"My Dugu Clan has used poison for generations. My grandfather is the renowned Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo, a powerhouse at the Titled Douluo level. On the continent, everyone has to show him some respect when his name is mentioned."
After saying that, she looked eagerly at Jiang Nanchen, expecting to see surprise on his face. Instead, Jiang Nanchen kept gnawing on his chicken leg without even lifting his head, only giving a perfunctory "Wow."
Dugu Yan froze, even her chopsticks stopping. "Aren't you surprised at all? That's a Titled Douluo!"
Jiang Nanchen looked up and smiled. "What's so surprising? It's not like I've never seen a Titled Douluo before."
"You're just talking tough. You must be jealous that I have a Titled Douluo grandfather." Dugu Yan snorted and turned her head away. She had wanted to show off, only for her punch to land on cotton. It was terribly frustrating.
She had originally wanted to introduce Ye Lingling as well, but when she turned around, she saw Ye Lingling gently tugging at her sleeve and shaking her head.
"I'll say it myself." Ye Lingling's voice was soft, but every word was clear. "My family belongs to the Nine-Heart Begonia lineage, passed down through a single heir each generation. My mother is somewhat renowned on the continent, and quite a few people have owed the Ye Clan favors over the years."
She spoke calmly, yet there was a trace of her family's deep foundation in her words. The healing ability of the Nine-Heart Begonia was unmatched across the continent. Any Soul Master who had received its grace showed the Ye Clan great respect.
Jiang Nanchen nodded slightly. "The Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul is good, but being passed down through a single line is also a flaw. It can't become a great clan like the major families. That's rather unfortunate."
His tone remained calm.
Dugu Yan curled her lips, muttering inwardly, Come to think of it, Little Nanchen has a point.
Ye Lingling secretly clenched her fists, her fingers digging into the skin of her thigh until it faintly hurt.
Jiang Nanchen was right. The Nine-Heart Begonia's single-line inheritance truly was a flaw. It could not flourish and grow, and in the end, it was only a small family.
Its upper limit was too low, and its lower limit was also restricted.
"Little Nanchen, you seem to know quite a lot. Then tell me, what flaws does the Dugu Clan's Martial Soul have?"
Dugu Yan raised a brow at Jiang Nanchen. "If you're right, I'll buy you chicken legs every day from now on!"
"That won't be necessary. I don't need you to buy them for me every day. No matter how delicious something is, you'll get tired of it if you eat too much." Jiang Nanchen shook his head.
"You're even looking down on me?" Dugu Yan pretended to be angry and glared at Jiang Nanchen. "I, Dugu Yan, am still considered a great beauty."
"Give me a break. Stop being so narcissistic." Jiang Nanchen rolled his eyes, then said, "I should answer your question first."
Jiang Nanchen finished the chicken leg in his hand, spat out the bone, and looked at Dugu Yan.
"The problem with your Dugu Clan lies in your Martial Souls themselves. Although your grandfather is a Titled Douluo, you can ask him how many members of the Dugu Clan have ever reached the Titled Douluo level, and how many have been able to live to a natural old age!"
Dugu Yan's smile froze as she fell silent.
What Jiang Nanchen said made so much sense that she had no response at all.
She had barely heard her grandfather mention the previous generations, and even her memories of her parents were extremely vague.
In theory, the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul was not particularly weak, but it was not especially strong either. It was merely average. Yet Dugu Bo was a Titled Douluo.
That fact alone was enough to establish a sect of its own.
Why were there now only her and her grandfather? She had truly never thought about it that way before.
"That makes a lot of sense. I'll go back and ask Grandpa." Dugu Yan said.
"If you ask, ask the right questions. Ask why there are only two people left in the Dugu Clan, and check whether there's something wrong with your body."
With this reminder, Dugu Yan would surely go ask with doubts in her heart.
"Hey, hey, hey, aren't you going to tell me everything at once?" Dugu Yan grew anxious. "Why are you leaving me hanging?"
What a little brat. Being left hanging was the worst.
No matter what Dugu Yan said, Jiang Nanchen merely smiled without speaking. He simply refused to tell her.
If she had doubts, she would leave the academy that afternoon and find Dugu Yan to seek answers.
If she was impatient, she would want to go home and ask right away.
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