Is the New Boss Really This Arrogant?

"Phew."

In the early hours of the morning, Chu Chen opened his eyes in the woods behind Notting City Junior Soul Master Academy. He sat cross-legged and slowly breathed out.

"Finally broke through to the Sixth Stage. I knew I was a genius!"

A flash of delight crossed Chu Chen's eyes.

Maybe beating up Gangzi had put him in such a good mood. Chu Chen had thought he needed another two or three days of cultivation to break through, but he had managed it on his first night at the academy.

Of course, this also confirmed his earlier suspicion.

Powerful Soul Force really did help with cultivation under the Dou Qi system.

There was a limit to how fast his body could improve, but strong Soul Force helped Chu Chen sense the energy of the world more clearly.

It had taken him a year to reach the peak of Third Stage Dou Qi. Now he had broken through three stages in just three months!

At this rate, I could become a Dou Zhe in another six months. But what am I going to do about a cultivation technique...?

Once the excitement faded, Chu Chen found himself troubled again.

If Tang Hao weren't a threat, he would already have a high-grade Xuan Tier cultivation technique. He wouldn't have to worry about this at all!

Damn you, Tang Hao. You've signed your own death warrant!

As he cursed Tang Hao inwardly, Chu Chen checked the Dou Qi within his body.

As before, without a breakthrough in his Soul Master cultivation, he couldn't convert all his Dou Qi into Soul Power. Now that he had reached the Sixth Stage, even more Dou Qi remained unconverted.

It left him feeling restless.

Getting my first Soul Ring has to become a priority!

But what Soul Beast should I use for it?

Chu Chen turned the question over in his mind.

His physique followed the template of an Alchemist from the Dou Qi Continent: his Dou Qi was fire-aspected, with a trace of Wood Qi.

In other words, fire was his primary attribute.

The same held true for his Martial Souls. His Fire Element Martial Soul was considerably stronger than his Wood Element Martial Soul.

And that was precisely the problem.

The Fire Element Martial Soul was stronger—too strong.

Chu Chen could release his Wood Element Martial Soul without any strain. But when he released the Fire Element Martial Soul, his Soul Power poured out like water through an open floodgate. He couldn't hold it back, and it ran dry in no time.

It was like Little Scumbag's Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul: even releasing it placed a heavy burden on him. Chu Chen faced the same problem.

Fortunately, Twin Martial Souls came with a benefit. Adding a Soul Ring to either one was enough to break through normally.

His best option was to cultivate the Wood Element Martial Soul first and save the stronger Soul Rings for his more powerful Fire Element Martial Soul.

He still needed to research where to get that first Soul Ring before deciding. Even if his Wood Element Martial Soul was the weaker one, Chu Chen had no intention of wasting a precious Soul Ring slot.

Just because I've disguised my Martial Soul as a mutated Blue Silver Grass doesn't mean I should use a ten-year Lone Bamboo for its Soul Ring, right?

Chu Chen grinned at the thought. Then he stood and headed toward the dormitory, planning to rest before visiting the Library tomorrow.

That was about all the Soul Master Academy had to offer him. He wasn't worried about cultivation, but its books—especially those on Soul Beasts—could still prove useful.

And if he didn't find a target he liked, that was fine too!

As Chu Chen strolled through the campus, his gaze drifted to the Flame Ji Ring on his finger.

If all else fails, I'll use Little Scumbag's mother for my first Soul Ring!

She was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, after all, with an emperor-grade bloodline. She gave up her cultivation, returned to her original form, and started over. She's even a plant-type Soul Beast. She should be highly compatible with my Wood Element Martial Soul...

Shame that idiot Tang Hao planted her in a cave. Who knows how much cultivation she'll recover in six years? If she drops a white Soul Ring, I'll be a laughingstock. I'll need to plan this carefully...

Chu Chen was still thinking it through when the dormitory entrance came into view.

To his surprise, someone was standing watch outside, even though it was already late at night.

At first, Chu Chen thought the Soul Master Academy took security seriously. But as he drew closer, he saw that something was off.

The person at the entrance wasn't a guard. It was a student Chu Chen had only just met!

A work-study student from Dorm Seven, its former boss—Wang Sheng!

"Hey, Wang Sheng, why aren't you asleep?"

Chu Chen's voice made Wang Sheng, who had nearly dozed off on his feet, jolt awake.

When Wang Sheng turned around, Chu Chen grew even more puzzled.

Wang Sheng's face was bruised and swollen. He had clearly been beaten, and whoever did it hadn't held back!

Seriously? Is bullying at the Douluo Continent's schools this bad?

"Boss! You're finally back!"

Before Chu Chen could say another word, Wang Sheng let out a wail. The boy was barely in his teens and looked ready to cry.

"If something happened, just tell me. We're roommates. Cut it out with the 'boss' stuff!"

Chu Chen waved him off and sidestepped Wang Sheng as the boy lunged toward him.

Wang Sheng looked even more dejected. He lowered his head and muttered, "Right. Dorm Seven does have a new boss now..."

Chu Chen said nothing, but he had a good idea what had happened.

Either Little Scumbag had arrived, or that Rabbit Spirit Xiao Wu had, and they had fought Wang Sheng.

There was only one work-study dormitory at the Soul Master Academy, so they were bound to cross paths. Chu Chen wasn't surprised.

Wang Sheng's explanation confirmed his guess.

After Chu Chen left, Wang Sheng said, a girl had arrived at the dormitory and declared that she wanted to be its boss the moment she walked in.

As Dorm Seven's former boss, Wang Sheng had refused. But they fought, and he lost.

The title of Dorm Seven's boss had officially changed hands. Wang Sheng hadn't taken it too hard, though.

As far as Wang Sheng was concerned, he had lost the title the moment Chu Chen stomped a crack into the marble floor. He was already no longer the strongest in the dormitory, so falling another place didn't matter much.

After his defeat, he had taken all the work-study students into Notting City to buy Chu Chen bedding. They had eaten out together while they were there and come back stuffed.

But when they returned to the dormitory, things had taken a turn.

The new boss of Dorm Seven, a girl named Xiao Wu, was fighting another unfamiliar new student over a quilt.

Once Wang Sheng returned, Xiao Wu stopped fighting that student and set her sights on the new bedding in his arms.

There was no discussion. She simply announced that she was taking the bedding Wang Sheng had bought for Chu Chen. If he refused, she would beat him.

That was why Wang Sheng had been waiting outside the dormitory for Chu Chen in the middle of the night.

"So the new dorm boss is that arrogant..."

Chu Chen gave an incredulous laugh when Wang Sheng finished. Then he strode into the dormitory building.

"Come on, Wang Sheng. Let's go settle the score!"