Unexpectedly, Jiang Che ignored Yu Xiaogang entirely and lashed out with a kick, striking Tang San squarely in the face as hard as if he were kicking a ball.
Tang San was slapped to the ground and lost consciousness completely.
Yu Xiaogang stormed up to Jiang Che and demanded sharply, "A spar should stop at first contact. Tang San already conceded. Why did you keep attacking?"
"Grandmaster, there's nothing wrong with your eyes, is there?"
Yu Xiaogang did not understand what Jiang Che meant by that question. "Of course there's nothing wrong with my eyes."
Jiang Che raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't you mention Tang San's sneak attack just now? Couldn't you see that he kept attacking after conceding, refusing to stop until one of us was dead?"
"If you didn't see clearly, Grandmaster, you can ask everyone here."
With that, Jiang Che ignored the master and disciple and headed toward the Cafeteria.
Fortunately, throughout his fight with Tang San, Jiang Che had completely prevented Tang San's blue silver grass from making contact with him. Otherwise, given Tang San's personality, he probably would have used even his second soul skill just now.
Watching Jiang Che leave, Yu Xiaogang sneered inwardly. A mere level-three innate soul power. Let's see how far you can go! Once Tang San reaches level thirty and obtains his third soul ring, you'll still be struggling bitterly to break through level twenty.
"Grandmaster, you'd better take him to the infirmary first," a student nearby reminded him kindly.
Yu Xiaogang shifted his gaze away from Jiang Che and, with an indifferent expression, ordered two students to carry Tang San to the infirmary.
Atop a tall building outside Nuoding Academy, Tang Hao held a wine gourd in one hand. He looked as though all his vigor had been drained away, even more dispirited than two years before. "Useless! You couldn't even beat a one-ring soul master, and he toyed with you like a dog!"
"Still, this Jiang Che does have something to him," Tang Hao muttered to himself.
When he closed his eyes, spring blossoms were still in full bloom; when he opened them, autumn leaves covered the steps. A month slipped quietly by.
Over that month, Tang San and Xiao Wu had pestered Jiang Che endlessly, coming to challenge him to a spar every so often.
Jiang Che reckoned he had learned just about all Nuoding Academy had to teach about martial soul theory. There was no longer any need to stay, though the main reason was that Tang San and Xiao Wu were simply too annoying.
When Jiang Che pushed the door open and entered, there was only a middle-aged teacher inside, sorting through files.
"Jiang Che, what brings you here?" The middle-aged teacher's face filled with smiles at the sight of him.
"Teacher, I want to withdraw!"
Jiang Che dispensed with pleasantries and spoke concisely.
"What did you say?" The middle-aged teacher failed to react for a moment.
"Withdraw! You want to withdraw?!"
"Yes!" Jiang Che nodded.
He remembered that Jiang Che came from a commoner family, with no family resources supporting him and level-three innate soul power. Yet his soul power had grown at a good pace, making him a promising talent worth nurturing. Just last month, he had defeated Tang San and Xiao Wu, becoming a prominent figure at Nuoding Academy.
Level-three innate soul power was naturally nothing compared to a genius like Tang San, but here in Nuoding City, it was already exceedingly rare.
"Jiang Che, think this through. Nuoding Academy may be a junior academy, but the cultivation resources it provides are among the best of comparable academies."
"My soul power has already met the graduation requirement. Besides, Nuoding Academy can't provide what I need, so I need to walk my own path," Jiang Che said impassively.
The middle-aged teacher wanted to say something, but after looking clearly into Jiang Che's eyes, he ultimately left it unsaid.
In Jiang Che's eyes, he saw none of an eight-year-old child's innocence, only an adult's indifference.
"Sign here!" The middle-aged teacher sighed, took a withdrawal application from his drawer, and pushed it toward Jiang Che.
"All right."
Jiang Che picked up the pen, quickly signed his name, and pushed the form back.
In Nuoding Academy's teaching building, Tang San watched Jiang Che's retreating figure dejectedly. "Why is his soul power lower than mine, and why do we both have blue silver grass, yet I still can't beat him!"
"Don't lose heart, Tang San. Jiang Che chose to withdraw precisely because he fears you. His innate soul power was only level three, so his potential is ultimately limited, whereas you have innate full soul power and are the third person on the entire continent to possess twin martial souls."
Yu Xiaogang turned his gaze toward Tang San. "Tang San, remember this: Jiang Che is merely an insignificant pebble on your path through life. You will become a Titled Douluo, someone forever beyond his reach. In the future, he'll be nothing more than an ant you can casually pinch to death."
Yu Xiaogang patted Tang San's shoulder and comforted him. "Rest assured, Tang San. After you graduate from Nuoding Academy, I'll take you to an academy that only accepts monsters!"
An academy that only accepts monsters! Tang San thought to himself, delight shining in his eyes after hearing that.
Jiang Che stood on a street in Nuoding City and drew a deep breath.
The midday sunlight felt warm against his skin. "I should've eaten before leaving."
Ever since he began cultivating the Qi Condensation Shield, he had noticed a considerable increase in his appetite.
"It's already been half a year since I went home. I should go back for a visit."
Jiang Che headed toward the Hundred Medicine Pavilion in the north of the city.
On this trip back to the village, he was determined to bring Lanhe Village some decent gifts, and Soul-Enhancing Pills were among them.
When he returned home half a year earlier, he had asked around and learned that seven children in Lanhe Village would awaken their martial souls next year. Refining seven Soul-Enhancing Pills would suffice.
Jiang Che had already notified the people at the Hundred Medicine Pavilion, so he could buy all the ingredients for the Soul-Enhancing Pills at that one shop.
Jiang Che was not worried that someone would learn how to refine Soul-Enhancing Pills after discovering their ingredients.
Leaving aside whether they knew the method for refining Soul-Enhancing Pills, there was not even a single alchemist on the entire continent.
"I'll buy some books to take back, build a library, and then buy some new farming tools." Jiang Che put all these things into the System Storage.
The villagers of Lanhe Village treated him like family and deserved the best repayment.
The wheels rolled over the dirt road, giving off dull creaks.
Inside the carriage, Jiang Che rested with his eyes closed, his Nuoding Academy junior soul master uniform kept immaculately neat.
On the driver's seat, Old Wang, the coachman, was a sturdy, dark-skinned man in his prime, but at that moment he could not sit still.
He kept stealing glances at the curtain, rubbing his palms against his knees over and over. Mustering a fawning smile, he said, "Lord Soul Master, as you can see, this road is a little bumpy. Please bear with it! For this old wreck of mine to carry someone as distinguished as you, I must've cultivated blessings for eight lifetimes."
Jiang Che had no desire to talk and merely gave a faint "Mm."
Far from making Old Wang restrain himself, that cold response was like oil poured onto a fire, stoking his enthusiasm even higher.
"You're truly remarkable, Lord Soul Master! A soul master at such a young age! You really bring glory to your village and honor to your ancestors!"
He paused. Seeing that there was still no reply from behind the curtain, and that Jiang Che had not even raised his eyelids, he continued on his own, lowering his voice a little.
"Well... Lord Soul Master, with your noble status and a future bright as brocade ahead of you, is there... anyone at home to take care of those little personal matters for you?... Such as... um... you know."
Before you continue