Graduating Early and Heading to Heaven Dou City

As Huo Linfei finished speaking, fiery-red Soul Power instantly covered his body, and the enormous phantom of a flaming fist condensed from Soul Power appeared!

The instant the flaming fist appeared, the temperature around them shot up, and the air grew dry beneath its scorching heat!

The Blue Silver vines hurtling toward him slowed as they sensed the heat, shrinking back as though they feared it by instinct.

But under Tang San's control, they paused for only an instant before surging toward Huo Linfei again.

"Come on!"

Huo Linfei gave a low shout and threw a punch!

The enormous phantom fist drove forward with overwhelming force. The moment it touched the Blue Silver vines, it burned through them like dry twigs!

"That... that's powerful!"

Outside the arena, everyone sucked in a cold breath at the pressure the flaming fist gave off and the force it displayed.

The sight made Yu Xiaogang's and Xiao Wu's hearts sink.

"Should we ask Brother San to concede?"

Xiao Wu looked worriedly at Tang San in the arena, then turned to Yu Xiaogang and spoke softly.

"No. Little San can't concede. He has to win!"

Yu Xiaogang's face darkened at once, and he sharply rejected her suggestion.

Xiao Wu fell silent. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came.

In the arena.

Watching the flaming fist bear down on him, Tang San felt defeat and helplessness for the first time.

He had no idea how to stop it. His First Soul Skill was useless, and he had yet to master the Tang Sect Secret Arts well enough to block it. That left only his Hidden Weapons, but they couldn't defend him. They were good for catching someone off guard, wounding or killing them—nothing more.

The flaming fist burst apart just before it reached Tang San, never striking him.

Huo Linfei's voice came then, calm and unruffled, as though winning the fight meant little to him:

"You lost."

Tang San said nothing. Head lowered, his expression dark, he ground his teeth and shot Huo Linfei a sidelong glance filled with venom.

Where did this guy come from?

Why don't I remember him at all from my previous life?

I, Tang San, won't allow anyone more formidable than me to exist. You've already found your path to death!

No... your death is certain.

But until he was sure he could defeat Huo Linfei, he could only bide his time. Getting his father to act would likely be impossible.

His father was a mighty Titled Douluo. He would never stoop to dealing with a six-year-old child. He would tell Tang San to handle it himself and make Huo Linfei a whetstone for his growth.

Tang San buried his murderous intent deep, so Huo Linfei noticed nothing.

After the match, Yu Xiaogang's face was black as thunder. His fists clenched behind his back as he stewed in bitter emotions, and a trace of venom showed in his eyes when he looked at Huo Linfei.

He did not even react when Tang San came up and called him "Teacher."

Director Su, by contrast, grinned from ear to ear.

To him, Huo Linfei's performance marked him as a true prodigy.

Tang San was impressive too, but beside Huo Linfei, he fell far short.

Beating Tang San stirred little feeling in Huo Linfei.

In the days that followed, training and classes went on as usual. Tang San issued no more challenges, and nothing else happened.

And so, three years passed quietly.

Huo Linfei cultivated at such an astonishing pace that in just three years, he met Noding Academy's graduation requirements.

He had only just turned nine, yet his Soul Power had reached rank twenty-nine. He was a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster, already nearing the rank of Soul Elder.

His Soul Rings, naturally, were Thousand-Year Soul Rings, with one approaching three thousand years in age.

His cultivation speed left Tang San eating his dust, stunned beyond belief.

Tang San had not even reached the threshold of rank twenty, while Huo Linfei stood one step from becoming a Soul Elder.

Tang San's confidence wavered. A crushing sense of defeat welled up inside him.

No matter how hard he worked, he feared he could spend his whole life chasing Huo Linfei without catching up, let alone defeating him.

Even Xiao Wu had no idea how to comfort her Brother San.

Huo Linfei's cultivation speed was absurd. She could make no sense of it and could not imagine how Tang San might catch up. Even taking an Immortal Herb might not be enough.

But Yu Xiaogang was the most dumbfounded of all.

The grandmaster of theory, who had passed fifty and reached only rank twenty-nine, was being compared with Huo Linfei.

Naturally, he was the cautionary example getting rubbed into the dirt.

"How is this possible? It makes no sense! Doesn't he have an ordinary Guard Dog Martial Soul? How can he cultivate so fast?"

In his office, Yu Xiaogang smashed things across the floor, his face twisted with humiliation and fury.

Beside him, Tang San trembled and dared not speak. It was the first time he had seen his teacher lose his composure like this.

Yu Xiaogang glanced at Tang San and found him more irritating the longer he looked. How could the gap be so wide?

If Tang San had not possessed Twin Martial Souls and been Tang Hao's son, Yu Xiaogang would have walked away, found some place like he had before, and drowned himself in drink.

The world had gone mad. It had strayed beyond everything he thought he knew.

Huo Linfei returned to Soul King Village and gave Old Jero half the Gold Soul Coin stipend he had collected from Spirit Hall over the past three years.

Old Jero had not been able to help him much, but he had been the first person to show him warmth since he came to this world.

A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring.

Seeing how well Huo Linfei had done, Old Jero wept, tears and snot streaming down his face.

He hated to see Huo Linfei go, but he knew he could not limit the boy's future. Huo Linfei had come back to visit him and given him so many Gold Soul Coins. That was more than enough.

He had not wanted to accept them, but Huo Linfei had found a way. Looking at the bag of Gold Soul Coins that had somehow appeared on his table, Old Jero shook his head helplessly and gazed into the distance through the window.

Back at Noding Academy, Huo Linfei went straight to Director Su.

"Linfei, Heaven Dou City is a long way from here. Be careful and look after yourself. Don't leave the escort caravan on your own. Once you arrive, seek out my old friend. He's a Heaven Dou noble now, so he should be able to help you. This is all I can do for you."

Director Su patted Huo Linfei's shoulder and gave him this earnest advice.

"Yes, Director Su. I understand. I'm leaving now. Take care."

Huo Linfei bowed slightly and answered with sincerity, grateful for his help.

Director Su had done a great deal for him over the past three years. Apart from helping him obtain his First and Second Soul Rings, he had helped in many other ways.

For instance, Huo Linfei did not intend to join Spirit Hall yet and wanted to see more of the world. Director Su had helped him with that too.

"Goodbye. I hope that years from now, I'll hear your name here at Noding Academy!"

"I'll do my best!"

With that, Huo Linfei left the office and walked out of Noding Academy, the junior Soul Master academy where he had spent three years.

He reached the caravan waiting outside, climbed into a carriage, and set off for Heaven Dou City.

In an office elsewhere.

"That brat humiliated me for three years, and he thinks he can leave so easily? I, Yu Xiaogang, will destroy him no matter the cost!"

Yu Xiaogang stood by the window, watching the caravan depart, his face contorted with malice...