"Almost three years have passed in the blink of an eye. Time really flies."
Inside an office at Nuoding Academy, a white-haired man with a somewhat scholarly air murmured to himself.
Yu Xiaogang smiled and shook his head. It had been almost three years since he transmigrated.
He recalled how, in his previous life, after learning that Mr. Mu would no longer be illustrating the Douluo Continent manga, he had picked up the manga books he had been buying since childhood to reread them, perhaps to commemorate his vanished youth.
Then his vision had suddenly gone black. When he opened his eyes again, he had arrived on the Douluo Continent, transmigrating into Yu Xiaogang, the teacher of the original story's protagonist, Tang San.
Yu Xiaogang, whose innate soul power was half a rank and who could never break past rank thirty in his lifetime.
However, this Yu Xiaogang seemingly was not the Yu Xiaogang from the original novel, but the manga version.
That had offered his newly transmigrated heart a little comfort.
The manga's Yu Xiaogang was good. He could practically be called an entirely different person from the original novel's Yu Xiaogang, whether in looks, knowledge, character, values, or anything else.
If the Yu Xiaogang from the original novel or animated adaptation was truly worthless...
Then the manga's Yu Xiaogang was a true god.
Over these three years, he had already fully integrated the original Yu Xiaogang's memories. Their souls had fused perfectly. He was both the Douluo Continent's Yu Xiaogang and Blue Star's Yu Xiaogang, as though they were his past and present lives.
As a transmigrator, he had naturally awakened his own cheat.
The God-Level Disciple-Accepting System.
However, the system had not yet been fully activated. As its name suggested, the God-Level Disciple-Accepting System focused on accepting and teaching disciples.
And the prerequisite for activating it was to accept a disciple with the potential to become a god.
This was also why Yu Xiaogang had remained at Nuoding Academy throughout these three years.
He was waiting for Tang San. The world he currently inhabited was not the world of the original Douluo Continent novel, but one somewhat similar to the manga's setting.
The manga's Tang San had virtually no shortcomings in any respect. His talent, aptitude, temperament, and values could all be called perfect, and he absolutely met the system's standards for accepting disciples.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
The office door was pushed open, and a tall, burly middle-aged man walked in.
Yu Xiaogang turned and smiled. "Brother Liu."
"Hahaha, Xiaogang, I have good news for you! Your brand-new martial soul theory, 'Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul,' has been recognized by Spirit Hall. It's already been added to Spirit Hall's library. Congratulations!"
"Really?"
"Would I lie to you? Your new Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul was only published less than two months ago, and it's already been included. Looks like Spirit Hall really values you. That's you for you."
Yu Xiaogang smiled. It was most likely because of Dong'er. Although he had long since left Spirit Hall, he still received some care from it, both openly and discreetly, over the years. He knew whose doing that was without even thinking about it.
"Heh, just a few shallow observations and an empty reputation. Nothing worth mentioning."
Liu Bai slung an arm around Yu Xiaogang's shoulders and gave him two heavy pats. "You're still so modest. This is wonderful news! Come on, you have to treat me today. Let's go have a proper drink."
Yu Xiaogang did not refuse. "All right."
The two headed outside together and reached the academy gates.
"What are you here for? Is this a place for country folk like you?"
A sudden commotion drew their attention. Turning to look, they saw a white-haired old man and a little blue-haired boy being stopped by the gatekeeper.
"Young man, we're from Holy Soul Village. This child is the work-study student our village chief sent this year. Could you tell me what formalities we need to complete?"
The gatekeeper frowned and was about to make a few mocking remarks when he caught sight of Yu Xiaogang and Liu Bai approaching out of the corner of his eye. He quickly abandoned the thought of mocking them and went up to greet the pair. "Headmaster, Grandmaster Yu, are you heading out?"
Yu Xiaogang nodded, looking at Tang San. "Sir, let me see the martial soul certificate."
Old Jack could tell at a glance that these two were no ordinary people. Had the gatekeeper just addressed one as headmaster? Could this be the headmaster of Nuoding Academy?
"Teacher, here's our Xiao San's martial soul certificate. Please take a look."
Yu Xiaogang took it, while Tang San, standing behind Old Jack, also studied him carefully.
Today, Yu Xiaogang wore a light black robe, his white hair hanging loose. His features were handsome and his eyes deep, and his whole bearing carried a faintly melancholy air.
"Tang San, innate full soul power, martial soul: Blue Silver Grass."
It really was Tang San. Joy stirred in Yu Xiaogang's heart.
"Brother Liu, it seems I'll have to disappoint you today."
Liu Bai immediately understood what Yu Xiaogang meant. They had been friends for years, after all; one look at Yu Xiaogang's eyes told him everything. "All right, I won't disturb our Grandmaster Yu, then. I'm off, I'm off."
Yu Xiaogang smiled and looked back at Old Jack and Tang San. "Sir, I'm a teacher here. Just leave Tang San with me. I'll take him to register."
"Thank you. Thank you, Lord Soul Master."
Old Jack thanked him repeatedly, not forgetting to instruct Tang San behind him. "Xiao San, once you're in the academy, you must study hard. When you become a soul master, you'll bring glory to our Holy Soul Village and its ancestors!"
"Don't worry, Grandpa Jack. I'll definitely cultivate diligently."
Tang San smiled as he spoke.
Then Yu Xiaogang led Tang San into the academy.
"Tang San, may I call you that?"
"Of course."
As they walked, Yu Xiaogang asked, "What do you think of your Blue Silver Grass martial soul?"
Tang San was puzzled. Why would the teacher before him ask such a question? "Teacher, the villagers and the deacon from Spirit Hall all said that Blue Silver Grass is universally recognized as a trash martial soul. It usually has no soul power."
"Heh, Blue Silver Grass is indeed a trash martial soul, but your martial soul isn't Blue Silver Grass. If I'm not mistaken, you should have a second martial soul, shouldn't you?"
Tang San's gaze sharpened.
His father's earlier warning instantly rang out in his mind.
Remember, keep the 'hammer' in your left hand hidden. Don't let others see that soul mark lightly.
Tang San's gaze grew grave. "How do you know?"
Seemingly unaware of Tang San's unusual reaction, Yu Xiaogang continued, "According to my research, innate full soul power is extremely rare. And as for someone with innate soul power whose martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, apart from you... there isn't a second person in the world."
"Given that the amount of innate soul power is directly proportional to the quality of the martial soul, your Blue Silver Grass martial soul must not be ordinary Blue Silver Grass. Yet there is no difference whatsoever on the surface. Thus, I suspect your martial soul is in a latent, unawakened state."
"And a martial soul in that state clearly cannot meet the requirements for innate full soul power. Thus, you should have a second martial soul, and that second martial soul... must be an extremely powerful one."
What Yu Xiaogang said was also his original conjecture.
Tang San's original martial soul should not have included the Clear Sky Hammer. After all, his innate soul power had not actually been full at the very beginning. His innate full soul power had been raised to that level through his subsequent cultivation of the Mysterious Heaven Skill.
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