Nuoding Academy Doesn't Admit Trash, Only Research Materials

As soon as the gatekeeper finished speaking, Tang San's steps noticeably quickened.

He could overlook seventeen people impersonating him.

But they actually wanted to claim Xiao Wu as their little sister ahead of him?

Those people really didn't treat themselves like outsiders!

"Slow down."

Xu Zhou grabbed Tang San.

"The registration office is on the left. You're heading right, toward the cafeteria."

Tang San stopped, without the slightest trace of embarrassment on his face.

"I was just familiarizing myself with the academy grounds first."

"Then why were you staring in the direction of the Seventh Dormitory?"

"Just taking a look."

Xu Zhou couldn't be bothered to expose him.

Xiao Wu had arrived three days early anyway. If someone had really claimed her first, they would have done so long ago. The gatekeeper had said those seventeen people were still at the academy, which meant none of them had succeeded.

Of course, it was also possible that anyone who had succeeded had been beaten so badly they couldn't leave.

"You two, don't run around yet."

Old Jack held their Martial Soul certificates and was about to lead them to the academic affairs office when the gatekeeper blocked their path again.

"Tang San can enter. Xu Zhou cannot."

Xu Zhou froze for a moment.

"Why?"

"Nuoding Academy only admits students with Soul Power."

The gatekeeper unfolded Xu Zhou's certificate.

The contents were perfectly clear.

Xu Zhou, Martial Soul: Black Book. Innate Soul Power: none.

Having a Martial Soul but no Soul Power was little different from having no Martial Soul at all.

Even if he entered the academy, he would never become a Soul Master.

"See that clearly?"

The gatekeeper handed the certificate back.

"The academy teaches Soul Masters how to cultivate. It doesn't teach ordinary people how to read."

The Black Ancient Book trembled slightly within Xu Zhou's consciousness.

[The target believes the host cannot become a Soul Master.]

[Judgment incorrect.]

[Cognitive Bias collected.]

A thread of Soul Power flowed into his body through the pages.

Xu Zhou had originally been a little displeased, but his gaze toward the gatekeeper immediately softened considerably.

Not being allowed in was one thing.

But this big brother sure knew how to speak nicely.

"Master, what do we do now?"

Old Jack turned to look at Yu Xiaogang.

"I have already discussed this matter with the dean."

Yu Xiaogang stepped before the gatekeeper.

"Xu Zhou is not entering as an official student, but as a special Martial Soul research subject. I will personally take responsibility for everything afterward."

"A research subject?"

The gatekeeper examined Xu Zhou again.

"Research material," Yu Xiaogang explained.

The smile on Xu Zhou's face froze.

Although the two expressions meant roughly the same thing, they sounded completely different.

A research subject was still a person, at least.

Research material was not necessarily one.

The gatekeeper immediately stepped aside.

"You should've said so earlier."

"The academy doesn't take trash, but it does take research materials."

The Black Ancient Book trembled again.

Xu Zhou took a deep breath.

Forget it.

For the sake of the Soul Power, he wouldn't hold it against him.

The gatekeeper pulled out a registration form from beneath the desk and handed it to Yu Xiaogang.

"Sign here."

"Sign what?"

"A safety guarantee."

The gatekeeper pointed at a line of tiny print at the bottom.

"During research at the academy, if problems arise such as Martial Soul loss of control, Soul Power rampage, biting teachers or students, burning down dormitories, and so on, the guarantor will bear full responsibility."

Yu Xiaogang frowned.

"How could a Book Martial Soul bite teachers or students?"

"I don't know."

The gatekeeper shook his head.

"Last year, a child awakened a cookbook. After absorbing his first Soul Ring, a pot crawled out of the book and chased a cafeteria teacher around, biting him for half the day."

"Why would a pot bite people?"

"That's exactly why it needs to be researched."

Yu Xiaogang found himself unable to refute that.

He picked up the pen and signed his name. Only then did the gatekeeper let them through.

After watching the entire exchange, Old Jack suddenly asked, "Do research materials get meals?"

"Yes."

"What about lodging?"

"That too."

"Can he receive a subsidy?"

"No."

A look of regret appeared on Old Jack's face.

"If meals are covered, why not hand out some money while you're at it?"

"How about I give him the gatekeeper's salary too?"

"Can you?"

"No!"

The gatekeeper's face darkened.

He had figured it out.

This old man hadn't failed to understand. He simply wanted to take advantage.

The group entered the academy and soon arrived at the academic affairs office.

The person responsible for registering new students was a plump teacher.

He accepted Tang San's certificate without any surprise in his eyes. His expression did not change at all.

"Tang San. Blue Silver Grass. Innate Full Soul Power."

"Work-study student. Seventh Dormitory."

Tang San waited for a while.

The plump teacher was already preparing to register the next student.

"Teacher, aren't you surprised?"

"Surprised about what?"

"Blue Silver Grass. Innate Full Soul Power."

"I knew about it three years ago."

The plump teacher pointed at the corner of the wall.

A thick stack of documents sat there.

The cover on top read: <Tang San Enrollment Reception Plan, Twelfth Revision>.

"There are original novel fans at the academy, anime fans, and even a few game fans."

"They've been researching your cultivation path since three years ago. They submitted more than eighty plans for your first Soul Ring alone."

Tang San's eyes lit up.

"Is there a better plan for me?"

"No."

The plump teacher answered decisively.

"Half recommended the Mandrake Snake. The other half recommended not listening to the first half."

"What about the rest?"

"The game fans recommended spending money."

Tang San fell silent.

He should never have expected anything from that group.

The plump teacher picked up his pen, preparing to write control-type in the cultivation direction column.

"Wait."

Tang San hurriedly spoke up.

"I might not take the control-type path."

"If Blue Silver Grass doesn't go control-type, what will it be?"

"Life-type, or perhaps assault-type."

The plump teacher looked up at him.

"You're planning to whip people with Blue Silver Grass?"

Tang San wanted to argue, but an image surfaced in his mind of Ah Yin whipping Tang Hao with blades of grass.

It had made quite a loud sound.

And the results had been pretty good.

"That didn't seem impossible."

The plump teacher couldn't be bothered to argue with him and simply wrote "undecided" after cultivation direction.

After all, Tang San had yet to obtain his first Soul Ring. Anything written now was merely for reference.

When it was Xu Zhou's turn, the teacher spent noticeably longer examining his certificate.

"No Soul Power?"

"It didn't show up during the test," Xu Zhou answered.

"Then you don't have any."

"Grandmaster Yu said my Martial Soul is rather special."

The plump teacher turned toward Yu Xiaogang.

"Master, what is your assessment?"

"His Innate Soul Power is at least level ten. It is merely temporarily sealed by his Book Martial Soul."

"At least level ten?"

"That's right."

"Do you have evidence?"

"Not at present."

The plump teacher put down the certificate, looking somewhat helpless.

He could sound so certain without any evidence.

That was truly Yu Xiaogang.

"In yesterday's letter, you said his Martial Soul was a door."

"That was merely a preliminary judgment."

"Someone sent another letter this morning, saying it might be a spiritual projection."

"That is also a possibility."

"The gatekeeper just said you believed it connected to other spaces."

Yu Xiaogang fell silent for a moment.

"Research requires bold hypotheses."

Xu Zhou's eyelids twitched as he listened from the side.

How far was it from Holy Soul Village to Nuoding Academy?

Yu Xiaogang had already given his Martial Soul three different versions.

If he kept guessing, by tomorrow it might become an entrance to the God Realm.

In the end, the plump teacher took out a wooden tag.

"Auditing student, temporarily assigned to the Seventh Dormitory."

"Cannot receive subsidies, cannot enter the Soul Hunting Forest alone, and cannot freely use the academy's research equipment."

Xu Zhou accepted the wooden tag.

His name was written on the front, while a cage was drawn on the back.

"Why is there a cage?"

"It indicates an observation subject."

"Can it be changed to a book?"

"To make a new one costs two silver soul coins."

Xu Zhou tucked the wooden tag into his clothes.

The cage was pretty good.

It looked safe at a glance.

With the registration complete, Old Jack finally prepared to return to the village.

"Little San, cultivate well at the academy."

"Xu Zhou, don't let them research you to death."

Xu Zhou felt somewhat uncomfortable hearing that.

"Can't you say something nicer?"

"Then do your best to come back alive."

"Let's stick with what you said before."

Old Jack nodded, turned, and headed out of the academy.

Tang San suddenly remembered the seventeen impostors the gatekeeper had mentioned and hurriedly asked, "Grandpa Jack, did you sell my identification papers?"

Old Jack paused.

"No."

"Really?"

"At most, I sold six copies."

"You just said you didn't!"

"Six isn't that many."

Old Jack quickened his pace and soon disappeared behind the teaching building.

Tang San wanted to chase after him, but Yu Xiaogang stopped him.

"Go to the dormitory first."

"What about those seventeen people?"

"You're the real one. What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid Xiao Wu will pin the blame on me."

That was indeed a problem.

Yu Xiaogang could not guarantee that a rabbit harassed by seventeen fake older brothers for three days would still be able to calmly tell real from fake.

Just as they were preparing to head to the Seventh Dormitory, an academy teacher suddenly ran over from afar.

"Who is Xu Zhou?"

"I am."

"Don't go to the dormitory yet."

The teacher glanced at the auditing-student tag on his chest, his expression extremely strange.

"The headmaster, people from Spirit Hall, and people from the City Lord's Residence are all in the conference room."

"They want to test your Soul Power again."

Xu Zhou frowned.

"Didn't I just register?"

"It was after you registered that they learned you had arrived."

The teacher caught his breath.

"Also, Grandmaster Yu just told the headmaster that you might have innate level twenty Soul Power."

Xu Zhou slowly turned his head.

Yu Xiaogang silently looked away.

"Grandmaster."

"What is it?"

"From now on, could you please make fewer guesses?"