Chapter 1

"Blue Silver Grass with innate full soul power? A barnyard hen dreaming of becoming a phoenix—you must be out of your mind!"

At the gates of Nuoding Academy, Li Sen watched the familiar scene unfold and took a deep breath to settle his nerves.

He had transmigrated into the world of Douluo twenty years ago. Both his parents were alive, both were Soul Emperors, and he had twin martial souls. His life could be considered comfortably well-off.

Unfortunately, he had arrived in the era of Douluo I, just in time for Tang San to destroy Spirit Hall and sweep countless Soul Masters and ordinary people into the disaster.

His twin martial souls were poor: Blue Silver Grass and Luo Sanpao. With only level-two innate soul power, fourteen years of hard work and his parents' full support had barely brought him to level thirty.

If he wanted to grow stronger, become a god, and keep his parents safe, he had to attach himself to Tang San.

Li Sen remembered that Tang San was starved for affection. He had come from the secluded Tang Sect and had never had contact with the outside world.

In the original story, Tang San had become a god even under Yu Xiaogang's guidance, despite the man's outrageous double standards and mistakes in basic theory. Surely Li Sen could do better.

His innate soul power had been only level two, yet he would attain Title Douluo at twenty, and his cultivation speed was still increasing. His theoretical knowledge, honed to raise Luo Sanpao, was practically unrivaled. Guiding Tang San through the early stages would certainly be no problem.

Of course, he had no confidence when it came to Tang San's moral outlook. After all, Tang Hao's own values were questionable, and he would later take Tang San away to train him.

Seeing the academy gatekeepers mocking Tang San, Li Sen stepped forward to stop them.

"Stop!"

The gatekeepers instinctively turned around. Their pupils contracted, and they said respectfully, "Sir."

They remembered Li Sen, the new teacher who had arrived at the academy a few days earlier. As a Soul Elder, he ranked among Nuoding City's strongest.

Tang San, who had been harboring murderous intent with the hidden weapon in his sleeve aimed at a gatekeeper, paused and looked at Li Sen.

Who was this man?

The gatekeepers were so respectful. Was he a Soul Master?

Li Sen stepped forward and warned them, "Spirit Hall's certificate wouldn't be wrong. You're ordinary people, yet you're mocking a genius. Have you lived long enough?"

He raised his right hand, and a stalk of Blue Silver Grass leisurely sprouted, its roots and stem thick and sturdy. Three Soul Rings rose around it: one yellow and two purple.

The gatekeepers' eyes widened at the sight. "We're sorry!" they said fearfully.

In this world where strength reigned supreme, the number of Soul Rings decided everything.

In Nuoding City, Soul Elders were the strongest people known to the public. The two men promptly backed down.

Li Sen pointed at Tang San. "You should apologize to them."

He was no saint, but he would not casually ruin people's lives, either.

Early in the original story, Tang San's moral outlook had been rather questionable. A passing impulse could have cost these two gatekeepers their lives. It was best to cut that chain of cause and effect here.

At his words, the gatekeepers immediately turned around and apologized to Tang San.

Before Tang San could answer, Old Jack waved his hands. "It's all right."

Among ordinary people in this world, the older generation feared getting into trouble most of all.

Tang San looked at Li Sen. "Thank you."

Li Sen waved a hand and said frankly, "No need to thank me. I happen to teach at this academy. Let me take you in to enroll."

He extended the invitation. After all, if he wanted to take Tang San as his disciple, he had to demonstrate his knowledge.

In the original story, Tang San had only decided to become a disciple after his twin martial souls were exposed.

That sort of thing had to be discussed in private.

Tang San did not refuse Li Sen's invitation.

Old Jack was so excited that his body trembled.

To him, a Soul Grandmaster with two rings was already an important figure. He had never even seen someone with three.

He excitedly pushed Tang San forward. "Little San, this Lord Soul Master is a teacher. Hurry and go inside with him."

Li Sen turned and left, and Tang San followed him.

Once they entered the academy and were walking along a deserted road, Li Sen spoke.

"Your name is Tang San, and your innate soul power is level ten. You're a genius. Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

Tang San froze for a moment. He had not expected Li Sen to suddenly offer to take him as a disciple.

To him, taking a master was a solemn matter. A master held the same standing as a father.

Tang San knew nothing about Li Sen. After some thought, he politely declined. "Teacher, the martial soul I awakened is Blue Silver Grass. Everyone says it's a trash martial soul."

"I'm afraid I'm not qualified to become your disciple."

Li Sen smiled. "Have you heard of the Ten Great Theories of Martial Souls?"

Tang San shook his head. "No."

Li Sen said, "They're theories put forward by a sham grandmaster. Most of them are common knowledge, and there are plenty of misconceptions, too."

"But there's one statement in them that I really like, and I've changed it a little."

"There are no worthless martial souls, only worthless Soul Masters."

Tang San's eyes lit up. He felt that Li Sen truly had a belly full of learning.

Just as in the original story, that single sentence immediately won a measure of his approval.

Li Sen continued, "The strength of a newly awakened martial soul depends largely on innate soul power."

"Your innate soul power is level ten, so your martial soul must be powerful. My guess is that it carries the bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor or a Blue Silver King."

"Yet the martial soul you've shown is Blue Silver Grass. That means you have twin martial souls."

Tang San, who had been listening with keen interest and soaking up this basic knowledge, froze. His body instantly tensed in utter shock.

This was the secret his father had told him to keep. How had someone deduced it from so little information?

He felt no murderous intent, because Li Sen had not made the claim without evidence, and his tone was utterly certain.

Out of caution, Tang San probed, "Teacher, I only have one martial soul. Why do you say I have twin martial souls?"

Li Sen smiled.

He had not expected Tang San, who had been swayed by a single sentence in the original story, to be quite so cautious now.

He paused, then explained, "Because the talent represented by level-ten innate soul power is extremely strong. A martial soul that's too weak would be driven to evolve.

"If you only had one martial soul, your Blue Silver Grass would only manifest in the form of a Blue Silver King or the Blue Silver Emperor."