School? School, My Ass

The hall abruptly fell silent.

"Twin martial souls..." Xue Qinghe's voice rang out, his usual composure already gone.

Porcupinefish Douluo's smile froze completely, his narrow eyes widening into circles.

As for Snake Lance Douluo, She Long, he stood rooted to the spot. His lips moved twice, yet not a single word came out.

He suddenly strode forward, his voice changing pitch. "Twin martial souls! Little Fei, you... you actually have twin martial souls!"

Zhang Fei had no time to respond.

The Eighteen-Foot Snake Spear in his palm grew heavier and heavier. Its weight made his entire right arm tremble slightly, and a sheen of sweat formed on his forehead.

"Little Fei, withdraw your martial souls with your mind!" She Long immediately said when he noticed Zhang Fei struggling.

Zhang Fei hurriedly held his breath and focused. With a thought, the Eighteen-Foot Snake Spear slowly shrank and sank into his palm, while the phantom Golden Python behind him turned into a strand of golden light and vanished into his back.

The pressure abruptly dissipated. Zhang Fei staggered a step, gasping for breath.

Before he could recover, a crystal ball was held out in front of him.

She Long crouched before him and spoke eagerly. "Quick, Little Fei, let's test your innate soul power."

Zhang Fei reached out and pressed his hand against the crystal ball.

The instant he felt its icy surface, a suction force arose from the ball's center, as though something were being slowly drawn out of his body.

Immediately afterward, a faint glimmer appeared inside the crystal ball. The light rapidly spread, growing brighter and brighter, until the entire ball was soon filled with dazzling blue light.

"Innate full soul power."

She Long grabbed Zhang Fei and hugged him tightly, tears streaming down his aged face.

Squeezed so hard that he could barely breathe, Zhang Fei looked toward Xue Qinghe beside them.

Xue Qinghe regained his composure and spoke slowly. "That's enough, Uncle She."

He considered it for a moment, then continued, "Little Fei's martial soul must have undergone a beneficial mutation, changing from your Blue-Purple Snake Lance into that black snake spear, with the power of lightning as well. And because your tool soul avatar takes on a beast soul form, the martial soul mutation also awakened that beast soul form, turning it into a Golden Python. Twins born from a single whole, and he awakened innate full soul power too."

She Long finally released Zhang Fei, though the delighted surprise on his face had yet to fade. "Little Fei, what are your two martial souls called?"

Zhang Fei said, "Since my martial soul is a snake spear just like Grandpa's, let's call it the Eighteen-Foot Snake Spear. The other one is the Golden Python."

He was puzzled too. Why do I have twin martial souls? Could that bolt of lightning have split the body's original owner in two?

Xue Qinghe nodded, stepped forward, and spoke softly. "Talent like Little Fei's is as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns across the entire continent. One day, he will surely become a mighty powerhouse of our Spirit Hall."

He glanced at She Long, then rested his gaze on Zhang Fei's face. "With talent like this, we mustn't act carelessly. We need to plan his development properly."

She Long and Pufferfish exchanged a glance. Neither rushed to speak.

After a long while, She Long chose his words carefully. "Young Master, I've thought it over. Since this child has awakened twin martial souls, letting him grow up without structured instruction in the residence isn't a lasting solution. In my opinion, we should send him back to Spirit City to receive a systematic education at Spirit Hall's junior academy."

He paused, then added, "The academy has a comprehensive soul power cultivation system and a Mimicry Cultivation Environment. Both would help Little Fei build a solid foundation."

This had been She Long's original plan. Once Zhang Fei awakened his martial soul at six, he would essentially be able to look after himself and could be sent back to Spirit City for school.

But Xue Qinghe did not respond immediately.

He lowered his eyes, turned, and returned to sit behind his desk. Resting both hands on its surface, he tapped it lightly with his fingertips.

Xue Qinghe weighed his options. If Zhang Fei had awakened only one martial soul, even with reasonably good talent, he would have sent him back to Spirit City as originally planned.

But Zhang Fei's talent was simply too great. Not only had he awakened twin martial souls, he also had innate full soul power.

The situation was different now. Zhang Fei had awakened twin martial souls and innate full soul power, transforming in an instant into someone with the finest talent on the continent.

If he sent him back to Spirit City just like that, wouldn't he be handing the Papal Hall a windfall?

Although both belonged to Spirit Hall, the conflict and competition between the Papal Hall and the Worship Hall had intensified in recent years, and his own relationship with Bibi Dong had never improved.

If someone with this kind of talent fell into Bibi Dong's hands, she would spare no effort to win him over.

Besides, over these three years, being close to this child had become something of a habit. He truly felt a little reluctant to send him away.

And while Xue Qinghe tapped his knuckles against the desk, silently weighing his options, a fierce, silent protest was unfolding in Zhang Fei's heart.

As Xue Qinghe deliberated, Zhang Fei was inwardly screaming.

School? School, my ass!

I transmigrated right after finishing my college entrance exams! I'd only just made it through ten years toiling by a cold window, and you're telling me I have to go back to school?

Spirit Hall Academy's teaching is incredibly strict, too, just like the elite secondary schools in my previous life. Six in the morning to nine at night, every single day.

Staying at the Crown Prince's Residence is so much better!

I've got people waiting on me every day, no worries about food or clothing, and I can even get close to the little angel and build our relationship.

You want me to give up this heavenly life for school? I can't stomach even a minute of it, okay?

But before Zhang Fei could speak, Xue Qinghe spoke first.

"There's no need to send him back. He'll stay at the Crown Prince's Residence."

Xue Qinghe continued, "Here at the Crown Prince's Residence, you and Pufferfish can teach and protect him personally. Guidance from two Titled Douluos will be better than instruction at Spirit Hall Academy, and obtaining soul rings will be safer too."

He paused, turned toward Zhang Fei, and curved his lips into a smile. "Besides, Little Fei isn't an ordinary child. He's very sensible and knows what he ought to do."

Zhang Fei smiled back, inwardly giving him a thumbs-up. Sis, you're absolutely right. What do you call this? Meeting each other halfway.

But then another thought struck him. Is this little angel playing a raising sim? Am I going to become a child groom?

While he was thinking, She Long beside him was already beaming with joy.

Since the Young Master had taken the initiative to keep the child here, how could he possibly be unhappy?

He readily patted his chest. "All right, we'll do everything as the Young Master arranges! I won't send him back, then!"

"But, Young Master, Little Fei has twin martial souls. Which should he cultivate first?"

She Long glanced at Zhang Fei and analyzed aloud, "Judging by His Holiness the Pope's experience, someone with twin martial souls should cultivate one of them first. If we returned to Spirit City, I'd have him cultivate the snake spear first. After all, that's the martial soul he inherited directly from me."

He rubbed his chin, looking troubled. "But we're in Heaven Dou City now, and our identities must remain hidden. If Little Fei cultivates that snake spear in the residence every day and someone observant notices, they might connect him to me, She Long."

Hearing this, Xue Qinghe picked up the thread. "Then he should cultivate the Golden Python first. In the early stages, cultivating a beast martial soul and absorbing soul rings temper the body more comprehensively. He can also practice the snake spear's moves along the way."

Zhang Fei kept nodding as he listened beside them. This was exactly what he wanted.

That Eighteen-Foot Snake Spear was over two meters long, a good stretch taller than he was. Just imagining himself miserably swinging that heavy spear every day to practice the fundamentals made his arms ache.

Once his beast martial soul had tempered his body, practicing spear techniques would yield twice the results for half the effort, and he would be less likely to develop hidden injuries.

Besides, his snake spear's attack power was certainly no weaker than that of the world's greatest tool martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer. In the future, once he equipped it entirely with ten-thousand-year soul rings, or even a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, the visual spectacle would be off the charts.

After hearing Xue Qinghe's analysis, She Long nodded in agreement. "All right, we'll do as the Young Master says."

He patted the back of Zhang Fei's head. "Little Fei, starting today, I'll be teaching you personally."