The gates of Red Mountain Academy were packed with parents seeing their children off. One step, one backward glance; two steps, reluctant to part; every step lingered in their hearts.
One father and son stood out in the crowd. The father was stocky, and his little rice ball of a son was chubby too. The two round figures, one big and one small, were gazing deeply into each other's eyes.
The father's inner thoughts: Stop looking. I'm just putting on a show, and now you're actually getting reluctant to leave? Just say it if you don't want to go to school.
In the end, the father gave in and spread his hands.
"Okay, guys, all eyes on me! Look at me, look at me! I have an announcement: I'm a dumbass! This is my son, the future Sword God Douluo!"
The surrounding parents and students turned to look in unison. The little fatty's ears instantly flushed red, and his round body stiffened. How could he dare linger now? Mortified, he ducked his head, fumbled twice with his backpack straps, and shot through the school gates.
Nearby, Tang Wulin wore his little backpack, his cheeks still flushed from sleep, and looked at his brother in confusion. "Brother, it's the first day of school today. You really aren't going in?"
"Go inside and be a good little schoolboy. I'm going to the Spirit Pagoda to take care of something personal. I'll pick you up later."
Tang Qingye patted his little brother's head and watched him disappear into the crowd.
Go to school and listen to a teacher talk about Blue Silver Entanglement? What a waste of time.
After sending Tang Wulin off, Tang Qingye turned around and spat out the foxtail grass in his mouth. The languor in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a depth that did not belong to someone his age.
His recent cultivation of the Taiyi Azure Wood Mark had thoroughly cleared the flow of Soul Power within him. As that life force originating from ancient laws quietly altered his constitution, it also seemed to have attached a red karmic thread to Tang Qingye.
Tang Qingye turned away alone and headed toward the three-story, octagonal Spirit Pagoda on the street corner.
Clean marble paved the lobby. The gray-robed Spirit Transmitter behind the counter straight ahead looked up. Seeing a child walk in alone, he asked in some surprise, "Young fellow, where are your parents? You need a parent with you to use our services."
Tang Qingye wasted no words and handed over a dark gold card.
It was the very card Su Yunyang, the Spirit Transmitter leading the team, had slipped him after the awakening ceremony that day.
The Spirit Transmitter looked down at the Core Executive emblem on the card. His expression shifted slightly, and he immediately grabbed the Soul Communication Device beside him.
In less than a minute, Su Yunyang hurried out from the inner corridor, wiping away sweat.
"Young Tang, you're finally here!"
Su Yunyang's eyes lit up the moment he saw Tang Qingye. Someone with innate full Soul Power had awakened under his hands; he thought about it even in his dreams. In those dreams, he seemed to have even met his ancestor.
"You did very well. Since someone awakened Blue Silver Grass with innate full Soul Power under my hands, you are the second person in our family to do so. You deserve a whole page of your own in the family genealogy!"
He pulled Tang Qingye aside and lowered his voice. "Young Tang, you've come at just the right time. Pagoda Master Gu Xian of our Aolai City branch happens to be here today. He's an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo. We'll test your basic stats first, then introduce you to Lord Gu. As long as you agree to sign on with the Spirit Pagoda, I'll absolutely help you secure the very best internal benefits for your first century-old Soul Spirit allocation."
The little abacus in Su Yunyang's mind clattered away.
If a genius with such a top-tier Martial Soul signed up through him, headquarters would certainly give him a referral reward.
Tang Qingye naturally understood. A century-old Soul Spirit cost at least a million. Su Yunyang certainly couldn't afford one himself. Put plainly, he was taking Tang Qingye to the pagoda master to claim credit.
It was merely a mutually beneficial arrangement, but if the big fish was only the pagoda master of Aolai City's Spirit Pagoda, that still fell short of his expectations.
Whatever. Even a mosquito has meat, however small. I'm hungry already-I'll eat anything!
The basic physical and Spiritual Power tests took place in a sealed room off the inner corridor. As the numbers on the strength-testing machine rose steadily before finally stopping firmly at a red line far beyond that of his peers, Su Yunyang's brows visibly knotted, and he could not hide the shock in his eyes.
When Tang Qingye then put on the Spiritual Power testing helmet, the readings on the screen shot straight to the middle stage of the Spirit Connection Realm, making even the middle-aged executive's breathing grow heavier.
"Is this even a human...? A monster..." Su Yunyang muttered, hurriedly leading Tang Qingye toward the Soul Spirit area on the first basement level. "Come on, young Tang. Let's pick you something good. As long as you can successfully fuse with it, I guarantee I can get you the best resources from Lord Gu."
Watching from the side, Su Yunyang had broken into a sweat, his eyes filled with the fervor of someone who had stumbled upon a treasure. Half pulling and half ushering, he brought Tang Qingye into the Soul Spirit area on the first basement level.
"Young Tang, you must release your Martial Soul before choosing a Soul Spirit. Only a connection between your hearts will make it work. Try directing a strand of Soul Power toward them."
Tang Qingye walked up to a row of transparent containers and turned his palm slightly.
An ancient-looking, palm-sized little gourd floated quietly above his palm, its entire surface carrying the weighty quality of dark iron.
The Seven-Colored Heaven-Slaying Gourd.
As his Martial Soul first appeared, a faint trace of keen sword intent spread outward.
The atmosphere in the century-old Soul Spirit area began to turn strange.
The two century-old Wind Wolves next to him whimpered, huddling desperately into the bottommost corners of their containers, instinctively shrinking from the sharpness that stabbed at their souls. The century-old thorny vine's tendrils stiffened slightly as well, slowly curling backward.
The Soul Beasts: "Wait... what the fuck, bro? What are you doing? Are you trying to intimidate me?!"
Tang Qingye looked around, closed his hand, and withdrew the gourd. "Nothing suitable. They're all too weak," he said flatly.
Behind him, Su Yunyang was already dumbstruck.
In all his years as a Spirit Transmitter, he had never seen a Soul Master reveal his Martial Soul and scare every Soul Spirit into collective impotence without even making contact.
Just then, unhurried footsteps sounded from the shadowy passage behind them.
Step.
Step.
The sound was soft, yet in that instant it abruptly stilled the basement's damp, restless air, even adding a faint fragrance.
Tang Qingye turned around.
A woman slowly emerged into the light of the corridor-a woman of extraordinary beauty.
Her snowy white robe did not have a single crease, yet with her leisurely steps, it outlined her tall figure and the graceful curves of her waist and hips to perfection.
Fiery red hair fell behind her head like silk. Her face, untouched by makeup, was breathtakingly beautiful, yet her long, phoenix-shaped eyes were filled with the aloof pride and cool detachment that came only from long occupying a position of power.
She released no fluctuations of Soul Power, but her bearing and the authority of a superior seemed enough to leave people breathless. Su Yunyang beside him gave a fine demonstration of an actor's craft.
The Spirit Pagoda's Deputy Pagoda Master, Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, Leng Yaozhu.
Su Yunyang stared at headquarters' promotional screens every day. He would never mistake that face, even in death.
His legs went weak. Scrambling and stumbling, he dropped straight onto one knee, his voice trembling. "L-Lady Heavenly Phoenix?!"
Tang Qingye stood where he was, his expression calm.
As a transmigrator, he naturally recognized the beautiful woman before him.
But right now, he was merely a six-year-old genius, so he could only retain just the right amount of curiosity in his eyes.
Leng Yaozhu ignored Su Yunyang, who was kneeling on the floor and shaking.
Her phoenix eyes fixed on Tang Qingye with a trace of scrutiny and curiosity.
"Even the century-old ones are afraid of you."
Leng Yaozhu walked up to him, her cool, lovely voice like jade striking stone. "What is your Martial Soul? Could you let me see it, little fellow?"
Tang Qingye raised his right hand, and the ancient-looking little seven-colored gourd appeared in his palm once more.
Leng Yaozhu's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She leaned forward a little, and her delicate feminine fragrance washed over him, leaving him somewhat dazed. A jade-white fingertip gently touched the top of the little gourd.
At that moment, Tang Qingye stopped concealing it. The Taiyi Azure Wood Mark quietly circulated, following the ancient gourd's patterns and transforming into a wisp of green light of utmost purity, silently meeting the Soul Power Leng Yaozhu extended toward him.
The instant the two forces touched, the composure on Leng Yaozhu's stunning, coldly proud face shattered.
What kind of life force was this? It felt as though its level of life was even higher than that old woman Yali's.
There were no impurities, no muddled traces. It was like the very first wisp of undying energy at the birth of the world.
One breath refreshed the mind, two banished fatigue forever, and three granted eternal life.
That vigorous, noble vitality flowed into her body through her fingertip. Even the meridians that had suffered hidden injuries cried out in delight at that instant.
And concealed behind that vitality was a sword intent that pierced the firmament, making her scalp prickle.
Ultimate life, ultimate sharpness.
Two attributes that should have conflicted were instead perfectly blended within a single gourd.
Leng Yaozhu abruptly withdrew her finger, her full chest heaving violently and giving him quite a feast for the eyes.
She stared fixedly at Tang Qingye. In an extremely short span, the horror in her eyes was swallowed by an almost feverish delight.
How was this merely a top-tier Tool Martial Soul? This was clearly the seed of something that could rival the divine Martial Souls of ten thousand years ago!
What top-tier Martial Soul dared try to put itself on the same level? Such insubordination deserved punishment!
If she let this Little Monster slip away to Shrek Academy, those old fellows in the Sea God Pavilion would probably wake themselves up laughing in their dreams.
In the silent room, Leng Yaozhu quietly watched the boy before her.
A moment later, the corners of her lips suddenly lifted slightly, forming an exquisite curve.
She bent her breathtaking figure down. Her cool, fair, jade-like finger gently lifted Tang Qingye's chin with tenderness yet irresistible dominance, forcing him to meet her blazing phoenix eyes.
They were very close, close enough for Tang Qingye to clearly smell her natural fragrance.
"Little fellow, you're quite good-looking."
"The will of heaven guided me to this little place. It seems it was so I could meet you."
The Purgatory Great Flame Demon: "So, I'm the one who connected you two. Why are you thanking heaven's will? I'm chovy! Put some effort into thanking me!"
Leng Yaozhu studied him, her fingertip gently stroking the boy's tender cheek. Her tone carried the imperiousness and indulgence of someone determined to have her way. "From today onward, you are my foremost and final personal disciple. Any resources I possess-just say the word, and your master will shower you with them."
"No refusing, little darling."
Before you continue