Yu Xiaogang Threw Up

On the academy playground.

Students from both lower and upper grades gathered in small groups.

Among them were quite a few academy teachers watching from the shadows.

Wang Sheng sidled up to Jiede and whispered, "What do we do? I'm getting a little nervous. Tang San is so strong even without using soul skills. I'm afraid I can't beat him."

Jiede laughed aloud. "Weren't you pretty confident just now? Why are you chickening out now?"

"If I were fighting him myself, then losing would just be losing."

Wang Sheng sighed. "But I'm representing you now. If I lose, it'll be your face that gets disgraced."

"Ahem. You'll definitely lose, but just do your best." Jiede patted Wang Sheng on the shoulder.

"Damn it, can't you say something nicer?"

"Come here. I'll tell you Tang San's secret."

Wang Sheng leaned in close.

"Tang San uses hidden weapons. Be careful during the fight, especially things like pebbles.

"Also, Tang San possesses self-created soul skills...

"And his first soul skill is..."

"Really?" Wang Sheng was skeptical.

"Absolutely true."

Jiede nodded. "Even if you lose, just don't let Tang San win too easily."

Wang Sheng took a deep breath. "Understood."

"As long as you force him to use his first soul skill, we win."

Jiede encouraged him, "Go for it, young man!"

Tang San stood in the center of the playground, his heart equally unsettled.

He could not understand why, after things had escalated this far, the teacher still insisted on taking Jiede as a disciple.

Wasn't having one disciple already enough?

Wang Sheng and Tang San quickly began fighting.

"First soul skill, Strength Enhancement!"

Wang Sheng summoned his Battle Tiger martial soul, sharp tiger claws springing from both palms.

"A hundred-year soul skill..."

Yu Xiaogang was somewhat surprised. A commoner's first soul skill was already a hundred-year one. He wondered whether Tang San could withstand it.

Tang San did not dare use a soul skill. He activated Mysterious Jade Hands to meet the attack, his feet moving through Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track as he weaved between the claws.

After more than a dozen exchanges, Wang Sheng remained at a disadvantage, but Tang San had not gained much of an upper hand either.

With everyone watching, Tang San did not dare use hidden weapons such as the Silent Sleeve Arrow.

He could only seize an opening to kick up a stone from beneath his feet and send it flying at Wang Sheng's face.

Wang Sheng had been prepared. He deflected it with his tiger claws. "No martial virtue! Sneak attack!"

"Winning is all that matters!"

Tang San retorted. Then his hand curled into a claw. "Crane Control, Dragon Seize!"

An invisible pulling force surged forth, and Wang Sheng felt his body rush uncontrollably toward Tang San.

Rather than retreat, he advanced instead. Borrowing that force, he lunged at Tang San, his tiger claws aimed straight at Tang San's face.

Normally, someone affected by that pulling force should have been caught completely off guard, but Wang Sheng seemed prepared for it.

Damn it, what's going on?

Have my Tang Sect techniques been exposed?

Could it be Jiede?

Impossible. This is the first time I've ever shown Crane Control, Dragon Seize.

Could Wang Sheng's combat talent really be that terrifying?

In the instant Tang San lost focus, Wang Sheng's tiger claws were already right before him.

"Little San, don't get distracted!"

At the critical moment, Yu Xiaogang shouted.

"Blue Silver Entanglement!"

In that flash of lightning, Tang San had no time to think and instinctively unleashed his first soul skill.

Blue vines instantly wrapped around Wang Sheng's arms.

With that momentary obstruction, Tang San used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to slip behind Wang Sheng in an instant, then struck him with a backhanded punch that sent him flying.

Wang Sheng flew far away and landed sprawled on the ground. His soul power had long been exhausted, and he could not get back up.

"That's shameless! They're fighting, so why is there outside coaching? That's disgusting! If you can't afford to lose, don't fight!"

Students close to Wang Sheng cursed indignantly.

"A loss is a loss. Stop making excuses!" Tang San remained unmoved.

Wang Sheng barely propped himself up, swung both arms, and effortlessly shattered the Blue Silver vines around them.

"What kind of soul skill is this? It's way too fragile. It breaks at a touch."

"Oh? So this is the disciple you guided, Yu Xiaogang?"

Standing beside Yu Xiaogang, Jiede mocked, "A white Soul Ring for a first soul skill. Truly terrifying."

"Jiede, do you have to take things this far with me?" Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth.

"I'll say it again: you take your broad road, and I'll cross my single-log bridge."

Jiede said, "My teacher must be a powerful Soul Master. I don't want my first soul skill to come with a white Soul Ring."

Yu Xiaogang glanced around at the people nearby and lowered his voice. "Tang San's first soul skill wasn't obtained with my help. Do you believe me?"

"No!"

Jiede blurted it out without a second thought.

"Let's end today's matter here. Don't pester me again in the future. I'm only a support-type Soul Master. I can't help you with anything."

Jiede gave him a deep look.

"And I don't want to be a lab rat for someone's research."

Yu Xiaogang's heart clenched. A child had actually seen through his little scheme.

He stared fixedly at Jiede. "Tell me what your first soul skill is, and I'll never pester you again."

"Pale Blue Jellyfish."

Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened as he stared at him in disbelief. "Your martial soul really is a food-type martial soul?"

"What else would it be?"

Jiede's Mystic Pellets stank so horribly that Yu Xiaogang had never dared consider that possibility.

"First soul skill, Root Consolidation, Origin Nourishment. It can only be used on myself." Jiede glanced at Yu Xiaogang.

Yu Xiaogang's heart stirred. "It can't be used on others?"

"Of course not."

"Then what use is that soul skill? Your first Soul Ring is wasted. A food-type soul skill that cannot be used on teammates is utterly meaningless." Yu Xiaogang lamented his failure to meet expectations.

"If a commoner like me wants to go farther, I can only build a solid foundation for myself. There's no other way. Have I made myself clear enough, Master Yu?"

Jiede no longer paid Yu Xiaogang any attention. He helped Wang Sheng up and prepared to leave.

"Can I try your first soul skill?" Yu Xiaogang caught up and shamelessly asked.

"You really have no shame." Wang Sheng cursed. "Jiede, let's go."

"Since you still won't give up, I'll grant your wish."

Jiede directly tossed Yu Xiaogang a Mystic Pellet, an ordinary one that had not been enhanced by any soul skill.

The moment the Mystic Pellet landed in his hand, a greasy texture met his fingers, while the stench assaulted his nose.

In fact, after absorbing the Pale Blue Jellyfish Soul Ring, the Mystic Pellets had undergone a slight mutation.

They had become even smellier.

Their surfaces were also coated in thick, watery black slime, making them look even more disgusting.

"Urgh—"

As a young nobleman, Yu Xiaogang was nearly sickened by the smell.

But for the great cause of researching martial souls, he endured.

"Do it."

Yu Xiaogang pinched his nose and swallowed it in one gulp.

"Holy shit, Master Yu ate shit."

"Get away from that freak!"

The surrounding students covered their noses and fled.

Even Tang San could not help backing away several steps, while Xiao Wu fled far away with a terrified expression.

The instant the Mystic Pellet went down his throat, Yu Xiaogang could no longer endure the nausea and began violently vomiting on the spot.

"Cough, cough, urgh—"

Wang Sheng hurriedly urged, "Let's go, let's go! Yu Xiaogang is making me want to puke."

After Jiede and Wang Sheng had gone some distance, they looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"Yu Xiaogang is such an idiot. I'm dying here. He insisted on suffering for nothing—he deserved it." Wang Sheng clutched his stomach and laughed.

"I doubt he'll dare take me as a disciple ever again." A wicked smile curled Jiede's lips.

After laughing for a while, Wang Sheng suddenly remembered that he and Jiede were on the same side.

If Jiede truly had a food-type martial soul, then Wang Sheng would inevitably have to eat his stinking pellet soul skills in the future. His expression immediately stiffened.

"Is there really no cure for how bad your martial soul smells?"

Jiede saw through his thoughts at once. "Don't worry. What I gave him wasn't my first soul skill, just an ordinary stinking pellet without soul skill enhancement.

"My first soul skill doesn't stink. You'll find out eventually."