"I remember their mission was to recruit only commoner Soul Masters."
Dean Lin gave Li Mingzhu a surprised look.
He said, "I didn't expect you to know so much, kid. But the Blue Tyrant Academy isn't that simple."
"Judging by your temperament, you don't like being tied down, either.
"The Blue Tyrant Academy is a complicated place. Although it recruits commoners, it doesn't exclude people from clans.
"Think about it yourself. What difference is there between Soul Master clans and the nobility?
"You need to understand that imperial academies and sect-run academies are completely different. Academies controlled by sects almost always have their core descendants studying there. Outsiders find it hard to truly fit in.
"Besides, those sects and clans are a tyrannical bunch. Unless you become their dog, you get nothing-no soul hunting, no resources. They might even kill you to silence you.
"If your talent is worse than theirs, they look down on you. If it's better, they won't tolerate you.
"From my beginnings as an ordinary commoner to becoming a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, I've seen far too much darkness."
"The Blue Tyrant Academy calls itself a commoners' academy, but it still has a sect standing behind it.
"Besides, its resource allocation is among the worst of all advanced academies. Neither soul hunting nor the cultivation environment is guaranteed, and relations among the students aren't peaceful, either.
"The only reason this academy can stay afloat is the name 'Blue Tyrant.' Without the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, it wouldn't be worth a damn.
"You have to understand that descendants of great clans will never think much of ordinary Soul Masters. If your talent stands out at the Blue Tyrant Academy, Soul Master clans will try to recruit you, too. It's no different from being recruited by a sect. They all want to take you in as their dog."
After hearing Dean Lin's explanation, Li Mingzhu felt that it made sense. After all, Tai Long of the Strength Clan had attended the Blue Tyrant Academy in the original story.
If Tang San hadn't had powerful backing in the original story, who knew how badly the level-eighty-six Tai Tan would have bullied him!
Feeling that he had said enough, Dean Lin told Li Mingzhu solemnly, "Mingzhu, remember this: a genius who hasn't matured is nothing. Be careful around sects in the future."
After listening to Dean Lin talk for so long, Li Mingzhu wondered, Could Dean Lin have had a grudge against a sect when he was young?
Seeing Li Mingzhu standing there in a daze, Dean Lin waved a hand. "It's rare for someone to listen to me talk for this long. If there's nothing else, go back and rest."
"That's everything. I'll be going, then."
With that, Li Mingzhu turned and left the office.
Just as Li Mingzhu stepped through the door, Dean Lin's voice came from inside.
"Oh, right. That bastard Yu Xiaogang has been asking about you again these past few days. Who knows what trouble he's cooking up? Be careful."
"You don't need to worry too much about his clan's influence. Yu Xiaogang cares too much about saving face to ask his clan to do anything for him. If he asks you for something, just refuse."
Even long after Li Mingzhu had left, Dean Lin was still staring at the spot where he had stood, lost in thought.
Li Mingzhu had certainly given him a tremendous surprise. Neither arrogant nor impatient, the boy would amount to something someday. Once he got him into the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, if he became a Soul Ancestor at eighteen and a Soul King at twenty-three, he might well lead the Heaven Dou Royal Academy into the finals.
When that happened, his recommendation would count as a contribution. He might even receive something for it.
Yu Xiaogang had come to him frequently over the past few days, asking him to hand Li Mingzhu over as an experimental subject. How could he possibly agree?
"Yu Xiaogang, oh, Yu Xiaogang. You want to snare a white wolf with your bare hands-something for nothing. Then don't blame me for showing you no consideration."
Peals of laughter echoed through the empty office. Someone seemed to be celebrating his future advancement.
On his way back to the dormitory, Li Mingzhu looked up at the dean's office upstairs.
From what Dean Lin had just said, Li Mingzhu could tell that he was nowhere near as kindly as he appeared.
Although his information had been mostly accurate, he had been subtly steering Li Mingzhu toward the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Who knows what medicine that old fox is hiding in his gourd? Still, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy is my goal anyway. I might as well push the boat along with the current.
As for that asshole, if he dares bother me, just watch how I deal with him.
By exploiting Yu Xiaogang's obsession with breaking past level twenty-nine, he might well be able to toy with him using whale rubber.
He stopped dwelling on it and hurried back to the dormitory to cultivate.
Once he returned to his room, he tidied up a little and began cultivating. After all, he was nearing the level-fifteen bottleneck.
For two days, Li Mingzhu lived a proper, orderly life. Each day revolved around just three things: classes, meals, and cultivation.
His days were going perfectly well, but there was always someone looking for trouble.
Having somehow heard that Li Mingzhu had returned, Yu Xiaogang was venting his fury inside his house.
After raging for a long time, Yu Xiaogang finally stopped, panting, and sat on the floor in exhaustion.
He kept cursing, "Damn that Lin Nuo! How dare he disobey me? He won't even give me an experimental subject!"
After confirming last time that Li Mingzhu did not have twin martial souls, Yu Xiaogang had left in disappointment. But upon thinking it over later, he realized that they both had mutated martial souls. Why did Li Mingzhu have innate full soul power, while he had only half a level of innate soul power?
How could some lowly mud-legged peasant compare to someone born into the clan with the greatest beast martial soul in the world?
Afterward, the more Yu Xiaogang thought about it, the angrier he became. Even the food he ate at others' expense lost its flavor. Prone to backing himself into a dead-end obsession, he suddenly wondered why he couldn't look for a way to break through his mutated martial soul's bottleneck by studying Li Mingzhu.
The idea instantly revived Yu Xiaogang's spirits. He went straight to Dean Lin to ask for the boy. Seeing that no benefits were being offered, Dean Lin merely humored him, saying they could discuss it once the boy returned from vacation.
Yet Li Mingzhu had now been back for two days, and Lin Nuo still hadn't informed him. He truly had a knack for courting death.
Li Mingzhu was at the academy? He couldn't easily force him to cooperate, so he could only go to Lin Nuo again.
Yu Xiaogang stormed over and kicked open the office door. Walking up to Dean Lin, he slammed both hands on the desk.
"Explain yourself!"
"Li Mingzhu is back. Why didn't you inform me?
"With him as my experimental subject, my theories are sure to make even greater breakthroughs."
The door being kicked apart had already angered Lin Nuo.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang's flushed face, heavy breathing, and clenched teeth only made him angrier.
Well, well, Yu Xiaogang. Now you're questioning me? If I really handed Li Mingzhu over to you, how would I ever advance?
Determined to overwhelm Yu Xiaogang with his presence, Lin Nuo abruptly rose from his seat.
Bam! He slammed his palm onto the desk, leaving an imprint.
"Enough!" Lin Nuo snapped. "Yu Xiaogang, I am the dean of Nuoding Academy. Whatever you want to do, you must obtain the student's consent."
Seeing Lin Nuo's firm expression, Yu Xiaogang, who suffered from Down syndrome, gritted his teeth and said, "Lin Nuo, you'll regret this!"
With that, he stormed out just as furiously as he had stormed in.
What else could he do if he didn't leave? Fight Dean Lin? Was Yu Xiaogang supposed to blast Dean Lin to death with his level-twenty-nine fart power?
Yu Xiaogang wandered aimlessly through the academy, his confrontation with Lin Nuo still replaying in his mind.
He spat viciously on the ground. He was now filled with hatred for Lin Nuo. The student's consent? Isn't he just jealous that I can make progress? He refused to believe that Lin Nuo, as the dean, couldn't order a commoner student to do something!
If Lin Nuo wouldn't help him, he would have to rely on his personal charm and seek out Li Mingzhu himself!
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