Level 10, Yu Xiaogang's Targeting!

As for Tang San?

Honestly, Xiao Lin had no particular dislike for the original protagonist. They were both transmigrators; as long as Tang San did not provoke him, he could not be bothered with Tang San's nonsense.

Unfortunately, some people were simply destined not to let you have any peace.

That evening, Xiao Lin had just finished playing a rendition of "Three Variations on the Plum Blossom" and was about to rest when a set of footsteps suddenly came from outside the woods.

Someone was coming.

Xiao Lin raised a brow and quietly tucked the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute into his sleeve. Xiao Wu also stopped dancing and turned curiously toward the source of the sound.

Under the moonlight, a little boy with black hair walked in from outside the woods.

Tang San.

He wore a gray, rough-cloth outfit, and there were several little holes burned by sparks on his trouser legs. He had clearly just returned from the blacksmith shop.

His expression was not very pleasant. A trace of gloom filled his blue eyes as his gaze swept back and forth between Xiao Lin and Xiao Wu before finally settling on Xiao Wu.

"Xiao Wu, you come here every night instead of sleeping?" Tang San's voice was slightly muffled, as though he were suppressing something.

Xiao Wu blinked and said matter-of-factly, "Yeah, I come to listen to Xiao Lin play the flute. It sounds really nice! Do you want to sit down and listen too?"

"Play the flute?" Tang San turned his gaze on Xiao Lin, sizing him up and down. The corner of his mouth curled in disdain. "What's so nice about it? Blowing away here in the middle of the night—isn't that just making noise? Do you know you're disturbing people?"

The atmosphere immediately turned cold.

The smile on Xiao Wu's face froze. She frowned and said unhappily, "Tang San, how can you talk like that? He obviously plays very well!"

"Sounds good?" Tang San snorted. "Isn't it just a broken pipe going woo woo woo? It sounds like the wind blowing through torn window paper. What's good about that? I think he's just deliberately showing off here to attract attention."

The more he spoke, the more worked up he became. With his hands on his hips, he put on an indignant expression:

"Xiao Wu, don't let him fool you. I've seen plenty of people like this—relying on some flashy little trick to strut around and deceive others. Instead of wasting time listening to him play the flute, you might as well come watch me forge! I've been practicing casting lately. It's really interesting—one hundred times better than listening to him play this piece of junk!"

"Tang San," Xiao Lin said lazily, his tone carrying a trace of teasing, "you say I'm disturbing people. Then let me ask you: does anyone even live nearby?"

Tang San froze. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

This little grove lay in the most remote corner of the academy. There were no residents within several hundred meters—there was not even a ghost in sight. Disturbing people? Disturbing whom? The birds in the trees?

"No one lives here, right?" Xiao Lin smiled. "So how am I disturbing people by playing the flute? Did I disturb you? If you think it's noisy, you can just go farther away. I never invited you to listen."

Tang San's face instantly flushed red.

"What's so interesting about blacksmithing? Clanging away all night, sweating until you stink, getting covered in soot—I'm not going to watch that!"

Xiao Wu chimed in as well.

Tang San was left speechless by their retorts. His face changed from red to Bai, then from Bai to green. It was quite a sight.

He opened his mouth several times, wanting to argue, only to find that he could not come up with a suitable reason at all.

This man has earned himself a death sentence!

Tang San had already marked Xiao Lin as an enemy in his heart.

In the end, he stomped his foot, turned, and left. He walked so quickly that it seemed he was afraid he would be angered to death if he stayed another second.

Watching Tang San's retreating back, Xiao Wu curled her lips. "What was that about? He's completely ridiculous."

Xiao Lin shrugged, too lazy to take it to heart.

Put it Bai, Tang San was just too possessive. Seeing Xiao Wu close to him made Tang San uncomfortable, so he came looking for trouble.

Yet Tang San had no legitimate reason, so he could only make unreasonable arguments and ended up humiliating himself.

Still, this reminded Xiao Lin of something—although Tang San was still a child, his mind was that of an adult, and he acted with purpose.

Since Tang San had set his sights on Xiao Wu, he would probably come looking for trouble again in the future.

He would deal with soldiers as they came, and dam the flood with earth as it arrived.

Xiao Lin was about to continue practicing when his expression suddenly changed.

A faint crack sounded from within his body.

It was as if some tightly shut door had burst open at that moment.

His Soul Power had broken through.

Level ten!

Xiao Lin abruptly closed his eyes and examined himself internally. The Soul Power inside his body was like a surging river, breaking through an invisible barrier and becoming fuller and more condensed.

It felt as though a previously blocked river channel had suddenly been cleared, allowing the water to rush forward freely and bringing an unprecedented sense of exhilaration.

"Can I finally obtain my first Soul Ring?"

Xiao Lin was somewhat excited. Possessing his first soul skill was the true starting point of the path of a Soul Master.

Early the next morning,

Xiao Lin went to find his homeroom teacher and requested to hunt a Soul Beast to obtain his first Soul Ring. It was best to have a teacher accompany him when hunting for a first Soul Ring.

His homeroom teacher was surnamed Liu, a middle-aged man in his forties with level thirty-five Soul Power. He had taught at Nuoding Academy for over a decade and had always been known as a good-natured man.

After hearing Xiao Lin's request, however, the expression on his face became extremely subtle. He hemmed and hawed for a long time before finally forcing out, "Well... Xiao Lin, about this... I've been a little busy lately and really can't get away. How about... you try asking another teacher?"

Xiao Lin did not think much of it at the time. He nodded and went to find another teacher.

The second teacher reacted the same way. Either he claimed to be unwell or said he had something to do and could not leave. In short, there were only three words: no time.

Xiao Lin approached five teachers in a row and received identical responses. No matter how slow he was, he should have realized there was a problem by then.

He directly stopped a young teacher who usually treated him fairly well and asked bluntly, "Teacher Li, tell me the truth. What is going on? Is someone causing trouble behind the scenes?"

Teacher Li looked around. Only after confirming that no one was nearby did he lower his voice and say:

"Xiao Lin, I won't hide it from you. Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang gave the order: no one in all of Nuoding Academy is allowed to accompany you to hunt Soul Beasts."

Xiao Lin narrowed his eyes. "What gives him the right?"

"Because he is the headmaster's honored guest." Teacher Li sighed.

"Although Yu Xiaogang is only a level twenty-nine Soul Master, he bears the title of 'theory grandmaster' and has a certain degree of influence throughout the Soul Master world. The headmaster is very close to him personally, so his words at Nuoding Academy are practically imperial decrees. How could small-time teachers like us dare defy him? Wouldn't that be smashing our own rice bowls?"

Xiao Lin fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

That smile was cold.

Yu Xiaogang, Yu Xiaogang, you really are something. A dignified adult, a theory grandmaster, actually using such despicable methods to retaliate against a six-year-old child.

Just because I refused to take you as my teacher and refused to follow the support path you arranged, you want to cut off my future and keep me from even obtaining my first Soul Ring?

Your mind is probably smaller than the tip of a needle.

"Xiao Lin, how about... you go soften up to the grandmaster?"

Teacher Li cautiously suggested, "The grandmaster may be stubborn, but you're only a child. As long as you lower your head and admit your mistake, he probably won't hold it against you."

"Admit my mistake?" Xiao Lin raised a brow. "What did I do wrong?"

Teacher Li opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

That was right—what had Xiao Lin done wrong? He merely had his own ideas and did not want to walk a path arranged by someone else. How was that a mistake?