At the entrance to Nuoding Academy.
"You're a work-study student? Where's your certificate? Show me your certificate!" the gatekeeper barked.
Old Jack bowed and apologized over and over, taking the certificate from the bundle on his back and handing it to the gatekeeper.
"Blue Silver Grass martial soul," the gatekeeper said with a sneer.
Beside him, Tang San's eyes flashed viciously, and his wrist turned.
Tang Sect Rules: eliminate anyone whose cultivation is inferior to yours and who poses a threat to you.
"Sir, I'm a work-study student too. Here's my certificate." Cao De walked over and took out his own certificate.
The gatekeeper took the certificate and read it.
"Hahahaha! A cleaver martial soul! Hahaha, we've got some real oddballs this year!"
[System successfully activated.]
Excitement surged through Cao De. His system had finally arrived.
[Tang San felt ridicule toward the host. Emotion points: 20. Total emotion points: 20.]
It really does take the protagonist. Just a little ridicule earned me this much. You're the man, Tang San.
Thinking back on everything he had experienced since coming to the Douluo Continent, he felt it had all been worth it.
He had originally been a corporate drone on twenty-first-century Blue Star. One evening, he had opened Kuakua to admire AI pictures of his heroine waifus from Douluo and fallen asleep while "elevating his soul." When he woke up, he was on the Douluo Continent-and had become a six-year-old child.
He had thought he would awaken some sort of cheat, but there had been nothing.
Unwilling to give up, he had gone to a branch of Spirit Hall to awaken his martial soul. Unexpectedly, it had turned out to be a cleaver. Luckily, his innate soul power was level seven, earning him a work-study place that happened to be at Nuoding Academy.
Now that meeting Tang San had awakened his system, Cao De's mood had brightened considerably.
With a system now, he could carry on his ancestors' will!
At that thought, the corners of Cao De's mouth curved upward.
With a mental command, Cao De began inspecting the system.
This emotion system meant that whenever someone felt an emotion toward Cao De, he would receive emotion points. The more influence that person had in the book, the more emotion points they would generate.
As the protagonist, Tang San was undoubtedly the best source of emotions.
System, what are emotion points used for?
[Host, they can be exchanged for cultivation methods, items, soul rings, and more.]
System, if I scare ordinary people, can I earn small amounts of emotion points too? An idea occurred to Cao De.
[Host, the greater a character's influence, the more emotion points they generate.]
Apparently, that would not work. Cao De sighed inwardly in resignation. If it did, he could max out his emotion points in no time.
[Ding! One beginner gift pack available. Requires 50 emotion points to open.]
Cao De closed the system with a thought. With Tang San here, earning emotion points would be as easy as reaching out and taking them.
"What are you doing?" A voice interrupted Cao De's thoughts.
Cao De looked closely.
A man approached, wearing a black coat with two gray patches and a pair of cloth shoes.
This man was Yu Xiaogang.
"Grandmaster, I'm checking these two work-study students' certificates." The gatekeeper bowed slightly, though inwardly he was already cursing up a storm.
He freeloads at the academy, and now he's putting on airs with me.
"A Blue Silver Grass martial soul and innate full soul power." Delight appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face. This matched what was recorded in Spirit Hall's texts-no, in his own Ten Core Competitive Theories.
Yu Xiaogang picked up the second work-study certificate.
"A sickle martial soul, innate soul power at level seven."
[Yu Xiaogang felt mockery and disdain toward the host. Emotion points: 5. Total emotion points: 25.]
Looking at Yu Xiaogang's still-calm face, Cao De was somewhat speechless.
What a sanctimonious hypocrite! What an act!
"Tang San, come with me." Yu Xiaogang clasped his hands behind his back, looking inscrutable.
Tang San followed Yu Xiaogang into the distance.
Knowing the plot well, Cao De followed too. This was an excellent chance to earn emotion points.
Yu Xiaogang led Tang San to a secluded spot.
Seeing Cao De trailing behind them, displeasure flashed in his eyes.
"You can go report to your dormitory now," Yu Xiaogang said coldly.
"I want to go with Tang San." Cao De blinked his big, innocent eyes.
Hey! I'm just a little kid. I'm too young to understand that you're telling me to leave.
[Yu Xiaogang felt displeasure toward you. Emotion points: 5. Total emotion points: 30.]
The system's voice made Cao De even happier.
"I have something to discuss with Tang San. Leave us for now."
Yu Xiaogang's meaning could not have been clearer.
"It's okay. I won't tell anyone." Cao De blinked, looking utterly innocent.
[Tang San felt disgust and anger toward the host. Emotion points: +30. Total emotion points: 55.]
Cao De stole a glance at Tang San.
Tang San's eyes were vicious now. If Yu Xiaogang had not been there, Cao De felt Tang San might have killed him on the spot.
Now that he had the emotion points, there was no point lingering.
"I'll go, then." Cao De waved at the two men, whose faces were livid.
Cao De, was it?
Tang Sect Rules, Article Twenty-Eight: decisively eliminate anyone who disgusts you and is weaker than you!
Cao De! You've already given me a reason to kill you!
In his heart, Tang San had already sentenced Cao De to death.
"Do you have two martial souls...?"
Tang San knelt.
Tang San kowtowed.
"Teacher..."
Cao De had no idea he was already on Tang San's death list. Even if he had known, he would not have cared.
All he could think about now was the beginner gift pack.
System, open the beginner gift pack, Cao De called inwardly.
[Martial Soul Evolution Card ×1: evolves and upgrades a designated martial soul.] [Anti-Tang Sect Manual ×1: a manual developed through research into all Tang Sect martial arts, hidden weapons, and poisons, specifically designed to counter the Tang Sect!] [1,000 Gold Soul Coins.]
Wonderful!
Cao De could not stop the corners of his mouth from rising.
Tang San, we're going to have plenty of fun! Hehehe!
System, learn the Anti-Tang Sect Manual, Cao De commanded inwardly.
[Beginning knowledge transfer.]
Cao De felt his soul become clear and still as countless moves and methods were etched into it.
Counters to Mysterious Heaven Skill: 1. Great Sun Heart Method-boosts the practitioner's yang energy and keeps his spear standing tall. At mastery, grants immunity to all poisons and an undying, indestructible body. (Cultivation begun.) 2. Mystic Maiden's Tears-greatly increases yin energy in practitioners of Mysterious Heaven Skill. Women practicing Mysterious Heaven Skill can use Mystic Maiden's Tears to greatly increase their cultivation. Men practicing Mysterious Heaven Skill can use Mystic Maiden's Tears to convert the yang energy within their bodies into yin energy, transforming from male to female. Counters to Purple Demon Eye: 1. Laser Eyes-beginner level (comparable to thermal imaging; can break mental attacks), intermediate level (quantum frame tracking; slows things down to the quantum level; requires emotion points), advanced level (laser eyes! Requires emotion points). (Cultivation begun.) 2. Dream Heist-traps the target in multiple layers of dreams. Counters to Mysterious Jade Hand: 1. Magnetic Hand-beginner level (works only on Tang Sect Hidden Weapons), advanced level (works on all metals; requires emotion points to unlock). (Cultivation begun.) 2. Aqua Regia-directly renders Mysterious Jade Hand ineffective. Counters to Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track: 1. Reverse Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track-predicts movement and arrives one step ahead. (Already learned.) Counters to hidden weapons: 1. Magnetic Hand.
The smile on Cao De's face simply would not fade. With these things, poor Tang San could only be toyed with in the palm of his hand.
System, how do I get Mystic Maiden's Tears? Cao De had an idea that was not quite fully formed.
[Mystic Maiden's Tears, Dream Heist, and Aqua Regia are all items. They can be obtained through lottery draws.]
Cao De checked the emotion points required to unlock intermediate Laser Eyes.
1,000!
Cao De closed the window. That would have to wait.
Thinking of upgrading his martial soul, Cao De immediately issued a command.
System, use the martial soul upgrade-[Requires five hours. The host must remain still.]
Then he would have to wait until he went to sleep that night.
Closing the system, Cao De headed toward Dorm Seven.
"Do you know where Dorm Seven is?" A soft, sweet voice reached Cao De's ears.
He saw a little girl in a pink dress, with a rosy, plump little face and a rabbit-ear hair accessory that twitched from time to time.
Xiao Wu. The name surfaced in Cao De's mind. The Xiao Wu before him was even prettier than she was in the animation, though she was still young.
But she was adorable even when she was little.
Cao De flashed a smile worthy of his ancestors.
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