A combo even the Sharingan couldn't keep up with

"Do you dare to bet?"

Lin Yang's calm voice echoed in Grandmaster's ears.

"What do you want to bet on?" Grandmaster looked at the boy, who seemed nothing like a child.

"First, I don't have twin martial souls. Your theories are useless to me."

Lin Yang raised one finger, the corners of his mouth lifting. Paired with those eerie eyes, his small figure exuded a presence that rivaled Grandmaster's.

"The bet is simple. You think my martial soul can only serve as support, but I disagree."

"As long as I can develop this martial soul into an agility-attack or power-attack type, I win. How about it?"

Grandmaster stroked his stubbly chin and pondered for a moment, his gaze lingering on Lin Yang's face for several seconds.

"All right. I won't make things difficult for a child, either. You can still come to me with any questions during that time. If I win, you become my disciple. How does that sound?"

"Fine. If I win, you have to grant me one request."

The scarlet faded from Lin Yang's eyes, his face brimming with confidence.

He knew his own situation perfectly well. This was a bet he was certain to win.

Although Grandmaster didn't have much ability, his promises could still come in handy at times.

Grandmaster hesitated, then nodded.

"All right."

Having somehow ended up making a bet with a child, Grandmaster's mouth twitched. Then he turned to Tang San with a hint of anticipation.

"What about you, Tang San?"

But Tang San's response disappointed him. Tang San bowed and cupped his fist, his manner respectful.

"Thank you for your help today, Grandmaster. I'd also like to try things on my own."

At first, when Grandmaster had exposed the secret of his twin martial souls and explained his theories, Tang San had believed him to some extent and entertained the idea of becoming his disciple.

But after hearing Lin Yang's words, he felt he could wait and see.

After running into one wall after another, Grandmaster's eyes dimmed a little. For an instant, his face seemed to age several years, though he still managed a smile.

"That's all right. Just like him, you can come to me with questions at any time. And if you change your mind, I'll be very happy."

"Come along. I'll take you to register at the Academic Affairs Office."

With that, he turned and led the way, his figure looking just a little forlorn.

Tang San's gaze flickered, but he said nothing and simply followed.

Lin Yang looked at Grandmaster's back and silently followed, his gaze inscrutable, his thoughts unknown.

Outside Dorm Seven, Tang San recalled the conversation between the teachers at the Academic Affairs Office. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"Do you think Grandmaster's theories really..."

Grandmaster's theories? His very existence is a contradiction.

"His theories have their merits, but they're useless to me."

Lin Yang cut him off, left him with that remark, and walked inside. Tang San wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent and followed him in.

As soon as they entered, a boy nearly two heads taller than them walked up.

"New here..."

Wang Sheng had barely uttered those words when he seemed to have his throat seized, unable to force out the rest.

"Scram."

The scarlet vanished from Lin Yang's eyes. He uttered the word indifferently, then walked past Wang Sheng and headed farther inside.

Wang Sheng's pupils contracted sharply, as though he had seen something terrifying. He immediately collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.

This was an innate ability of the Sharingan, a little trick played on the mind.

[Madara Uchiha portrayal +1, current: 5]

Tang San glanced at Wang Sheng on the floor. A purple gleam flashed through his eyes, and his brows furrowed slightly. Then he, too, walked past Wang Sheng and headed inside.

A few seconds later, Lin Yang fell silent at the sight of the many empty beds before him. A vein twitched on his forehead. How did I forget about this?

"Don't we have any bedding here?"

Tang San also froze for several seconds before looking toward the others in Dorm Seven.

"We're all work-study students. Where would we get bedding? How about using ours for now?"

Looking at their bedding, yellow in one patch and green in another, Tang San's mouth twitched.

"No, thank you. We'll figure something out."

Only then did Wang Sheng recover. Several students helped him up, and he looked at Lin Yang's back, his gaze shifting slightly downward.

"Sorry. I just wanted us to stick together. From now on, you're the boss of Dorm Seven."

"Don't worry about it. I just don't like playing these games of house. I overreacted a little."

Lin Yang found an empty bed, sat down, and smiled at them. At the end of the day, he wasn't a bad person.

"P-playing house..."

Wang Sheng and the others were briefly at a loss for words. At the sight of Lin Yang's smile, they froze, then hurriedly lowered their heads to avoid those eyes.

Tang San looked at Wang Sheng and the others cowering to one side, then at Lin Yang, who sat on the bed touching his face and muttering, "Am I really that scary?" He sighed.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Tang San, and he's Lin Yang. My martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, and his is the Sharingan."

"The Sharingan... those eyes just now. So scary..."

They murmured among themselves, momentarily forgetting even the surprising fact that Blue Silver Grass could be cultivated.

Just then, a clear, bright voice rang out.

"Is this Dorm Seven?"

A pretty little girl stood in the doorway, her face pink and tender as a ripe peach. A long scorpion braid hung down her back, and her large, dewy eyes studied them curiously.

"Boys and girls can share a room here?"

After several seconds of silence, Tang San asked Wang Sheng in a low voice.

"We're all still children. None of the dorms separate us by gender. They only do that at intermediate academies."

Wang Sheng swallowed and answered quietly, then tilted his head slightly and signaled with his eyes.

"Um... have the boss go put her in her place."

"There's no need for that, is there...?" Tang San froze.

Seeing that no one was responding, Xiao Wu stepped back outside to check the sign, then came in again with a sweet smile.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Xiao Wu. Wu as in 'dance.'"

When Tang San didn't move, Wang Sheng could only steel himself and step forward.

"New here? What's your martial soul?"

"My martial soul is a rabbit, a really cute little white bunny." Xiao Wu blinked.

"Aren't you going to let me in?"

"Dorm Seven has a rule. New arrivals have to show their strength by sparring with our boss... huh?"

As Wang Sheng spoke, he pointed toward Lin Yang, only to discover that Lin Yang had somehow already lain down with his legs crossed, paying no attention to them at all.

"Hmm?"

Xiao Wu tilted her head and looked at the person lying on the bed. Then she set her school uniform aside, a hint of excitement appearing on her face.

"Sure."

As she spoke, she bent slightly and charged toward Lin Yang. Her speed startled even Tang San, leaving only a sweetly scented gust brushing past him.

Lying on the bed, Lin Yang was thinking about his Uchiha portrayal when he suddenly felt a small hand grab his leg. A sensation of weightlessness followed, and he was violently flung away.

He quickly adjusted his posture in midair. His scarlet Sharingan had only just activated when his eyes abruptly narrowed.

He thrust both hands downward, blocking an upward kick, then used the force to backflip and land on his feet.

Before he could do anything else, a small, fair hand appeared in his field of vision. He hurriedly raised his hand to block.

But the next instant, his Sharingan caught her movement. He dropped into a crouch, dodging a whipping kick.

Xiao Wu's whipping kick missed. Using its momentum, she spun impossibly in midair, hooking one foot toward his neck.

Lin Yang's pupils contracted. He suddenly drove himself upright and slammed backward. The next instant, he felt himself collide with a soft body, followed by a warm breath against his ear.

"That hurt a little. But you've lost."

Damn! Before he could react, he felt two legs clamp around him, followed by a gentle yet irresistible force.

Xiao Wu spun in midair with Lin Yang, then abruptly hurled him away.

Lin Yang slammed hard into the floor, but sprang back up the very next instant. He looked at the people before him and their varied expressions.

Without the Sharingan, he would have been knocked out by the very first move.

"So, would someone care to explain?"