You Have Already Courted Death

"Dad, whatever you ask, I'll agree," Tang San said without hesitation. "Because I know you must have my best interests at heart."

Tang San was someone who had transmigrated from ancient China's feudal society into a Western feudal society. He had no awareness whatsoever of transcending class boundaries.

He believed that anything his father asked him to do was right.

To put it harshly, he had grown so accustomed to psychological manipulation from childhood that he had already lost a normal understanding of many things.

Xiao Yan, however, was entirely different. As a hot-blooded young man tempered by modern society, he naturally possessed a strong rebellious spirit, and he had his own opinions about everything.

At those words, Tang Hao froze briefly before saying, "Little San, no matter how you cultivate your martial souls in the future, you must never add a single soul ring to your hammer martial soul. You mustn't even let anyone see that it exists."

"Okay, Dad," Tang San answered softly.

On a small hill outside Holy Soul Village.

Xiao Yan sat on a large rock at the summit. He had discovered that awakening his martial soul had not only strengthened his body but also allowed him to control his martial soul's shape and use it as a weapon.

His eyes had been half closed when they suddenly snapped open, a streak of multicolored flame flashing through them. He abruptly spread his hand, turning his palm gently upward, and called out, "Emperor Flame, manifest!"

As Xiao Yan's cry fell, his right palm trembled slightly. Immediately afterward, a surging multicolored flame blazed forth, swiftly enveloping his hand.

Soul power surged within him and suddenly poured into the multicolored flame. At once, the wildly irregular flame transformed into a slender needle of fire.

Xiao Yan flicked his hand gently, and the multicolored fire needle spun outward, slicing through the air. In an instant, it pierced straight through a large tree.

Several hours later.

Old Jack arrived at the Blacksmith Shop. Perhaps because they were going to Nuoding City, he had specially put on a new set of clothes that day.

"Little San, Little Yan, let's go. I'll take you to the Soul Master Academy in Nuoding City," Old Jack called. "A few days ago, your father came to see me before dawn. He said the deacon from Spirit Hall hadn't come to pick up Little Yan, and asked me to bring Little Yan along when I took Little San to Nuoding City."

"Our village originally had only one work-study student quota. Fortunately, none of the children who awakened their martial souls in neighboring Emperor Soul Village this year had any soul power, so I went to their village chief and asked for a quota."

Xiao Yan slung his bundle onto his back and walked straight out of the Blacksmith Shop, while Tang San called into the house, "Dad, I'm leaving. The porridge is ready and in the pot. Don't forget to eat it."

A moment later.

The door curtain of the Blacksmith Shop lifted, and Tang Hao's tall figure emerged. There was not a trace of sleepiness in his eyes as he gazed at Tang San and Xiao Yan's retreating backs.

"Little San, the sect's future, and vengeance for your mother, will all depend on you. Your father is nothing but a useless wreck."

Tang Hao stood motionless at the entrance to the Blacksmith Shop, a self-mocking smile lifting the corner of his mouth.

Holy Soul Village was not very far from Nuoding City. The three walked for half a day, stopping to eat something along the way, and had entered Nuoding City by that afternoon.

Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy was located in western Nuoding City. After asking several passersby for directions, Old Jack finally brought Xiao Yan and Tang San there.

From a distance, the three could already see a towering archway. It was more than twenty meters wide and over ten meters tall, built from hard stone, with two dark iron gates beneath it.

Through the iron bars, they could see winding paths leading into secluded greenery, and a broad road stretching straight inside, lined on both sides with tall trees.

At the center of the archway were four large characters-"Nuoding Academy."

After one glance at the gates, Xiao Yan's first reaction was that this academy really was wealthy. It looked considerably grander than the modern university he had once attended.

From the academy's gates alone, Xiao Yan could tell that soul masters occupied an extraordinary position on the Douluo Continent.

After all, this was only a junior soul master academy. The gates of other, advanced soul master academies would probably be even more imposing.

Old Jack had barely brought Xiao Yan and Tang San to the gates when the young gatekeeper stopped them.

"What do you want? Where did you beggars come from?" Seeing Old Jack's plain clothes, the gatekeeper spoke with considerable contempt.

Although Old Jack's clothes looked bright and respectable in Holy Soul Village, here in Nuoding City, he looked every inch a country bumpkin.

As for Xiao Yan and Tang San, there was even less to say. They normally did not even have enough to eat, let alone any fine clothes. Their clothing was ragged and covered in patches.

Despite the gatekeeper's scolding, Old Jack did not get angry. Instead, he offered an apologetic smile. "Young fellow, we're from Holy Soul Village. These two children are the work-study students our village is sending this year. Could you tell us what other formalities we need to complete?"

"Holy Soul Village? Beggar Village sounds more like it. Can a golden phoenix really fly out of a nest of weeds? How could one tiny village have two people with soul power at the same time? Our academy hasn't had any work-study students for years. You're not impostors, are you?" The gatekeeper glanced disdainfully at the three of them, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Hearing this, Xiao Yan's brows immediately drew together. He had never expected that beneath Nuoding Academy's splendid exterior, even its gatekeeper would be so utterly unreasonable.

If the man continued making such a nuisance of himself, Xiao Yan would certainly teach him a lesson.

After speaking, the gatekeeper held out his hand and lightly bounced it a few times, signaling for Old Jack to offer him a little something.

Amusingly, however, Old Jack failed to understand what the gatekeeper meant.

"We're not impostors. We have martial soul certificates." Being insulted like this by a gatekeeper brought a flash of anger to Old Jack's eyes as well. He took out the martial soul certificates issued by the Spirit Hall Deacon.

"You..." The gatekeeper took the martial soul certificates and nearly choked.

The corners of the gatekeeper's mouth twitched, and anger crept into his eyes. Without even looking at the martial soul certificates in his hand, he deliberately made trouble. "One look tells me these martial soul certificates are fake. Get out of here."

With that, the gatekeeper tossed the two martial soul certificates back to Old Jack.

Naturally, the martial soul certificates could not possibly be fake, and the gatekeeper knew that better than anyone. In the past, however, whenever someone brought work-study students here, he would always get them to offer him a little something. Old Jack simply did not understand that rule.

As the saying went, the King of Hell was easy to deal with; it was the little devils who were troublesome.

"Look at this little pauper. His clothes are nothing but patches. I think you'd better find somewhere else to beg." As he spoke, the gatekeeper began driving Old Jack and the others away.

"Who are you calling a little beggar?" Tang San had already been ostracized by the children in Holy Soul Village, leaving his mind somewhat unhealthy. Now that the gatekeeper had called him a little beggar, killing intent rose in his heart, and he immediately glared at the man.

"You. What, got a problem with that?" the gatekeeper retorted.

You have already courted death!-God King Tang

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