[Ding!] [Killed 151 Soft Bone Rabbits. Gained 5 skill points.] [Current skill points: 644.]
Suotuo City, Balak Kingdom, Heaven Dou Empire.
After making a long detour from the Star Dou Great Forest, Jiang Che finally returned to the Heaven Dou Empire. It had taken him almost a month.
"Going by the current timeline, Tang San has probably already joined Shrek Academy. Yu Xiaogang has probably arrived there too."
By the time Jiang Che entered the city, the streets were already bustling. White steam rose from the steamed bun shop, and clanging rang out from the blacksmith's shop.
Jiang Che planned to stay in Suotuo City for a long time.
As for Heaven Dou City, Jiang Che would not go there yet. It was too dangerous-the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Strength Clan, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family...
There were too many major powers in Heaven Dou City. With bad luck, even a casually tossed stone might hit someone he could not afford to offend.
Some clans and sects, in particular, had plenty of spoiled disciples whose elders were fiercely protective of their own.
Jiang Che had not gone far when he heard a familiar voice. "Stop!"
The voice was not loud, but it was condescending, as though scolding a student.
Jiang Che stopped and turned his head to look.
Two people sat at a roadside tea stall. One was a black-haired boy with fairly ordinary features, while the other was someone Jiang Che could not have been more familiar with: Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.
From that, Jiang Che could guess that the person sitting beside Yu Xiaogang was the twelve-year-old Tang San.
Jiang Che glanced at them, his face expressionless, then turned to leave.
Who do you think you are? You tell me to stop, and I have to stop? Jiang Che muttered inwardly.
"I told you to stop!" Yu Xiaogang raised his voice, looking somewhat displeased.
At the same time, Tang San darted in front of Jiang Che, blocking his path. "My teacher told you to stop. Didn't you hear him?"
Tang San also looked somewhat displeased. In his eyes, disrespecting his teacher was extremely rude.
But soon, Tang San noticed something vaguely familiar about the features of the aloof, handsome boy before him.
Moreover, the aura radiating from him actually made Tang San feel an urge to kneel and submit.
This was the Blue Silver Emperor's bloodline suppression of lower-ranked plant martial souls. Even though Tang San was a Blue Silver Emperor whose bloodline had yet to awaken, he still could not escape this suppression. What was more, Jiang Che's current bloodline rank was even higher than the Blue Silver Emperor's.
Jiang Che looked at Tang San without speaking.
Yu Xiaogang looked Jiang Che up and down a few times, and that lofty expression appeared on his face again.
Jiang Che could not quite understand what gave Yu Xiaogang the confidence to put on such a lofty expression.
"You're Jiang Che?"
Jiang Che said nothing.
Hearing the name Jiang Che, Tang San briefly looked surprised, but that surprise was soon replaced by even deeper anger.
After all, losing to Jiang Che had been the most humiliating thing he had experienced at Nuoding Academy.
Jiang Che was also somewhat surprised that Yu Xiaogang had recognized him amid a sea of people.
Just how deep a grudge did he hold?!
A full four years had passed, and martial soul evolution had changed Jiang Che's appearance considerably. The fact that Yu Xiaogang could still recognize him genuinely surprised Jiang Che.
Besides, at this point in the timeline, shouldn't Yu Xiaogang have yet to come to Suotuo City?
Could his presence have caused a butterfly effect?
Seeing Jiang Che remain silent, Yu Xiaogang snorted coldly, his arrogant expression growing even more pronounced.
"Back then, I told you that refusing to take me as your teacher was the stupidest thing you would ever do in your life."
"It has been nearly four years. If I'm not mistaken, you still haven't broken through to become a level-twenty Soul Master."
"That stands to reason. With level-three innate soul power and without my guidance, you would struggle to break through level thirty in your lifetime."
"Look at Tang San. Under my guidance, his soul power is already close to breaking through level thirty."
Yu Xiaogang spoke slowly, with a self-righteous air, as though certain that Jiang Che could never become a Soul Elder in his lifetime.
Jiang Che did not rush to speak. Instead, he watched Yu Xiaogang with interest. In his eyes, Yu Xiaogang was no different from a clown.
Yu Xiaogang sighed to himself.
"You children simply don't apply yourselves. You lack talent, yet you refuse to work hard and spend all day wandering around. How many times have I told you that cultivation requires perseverance? If you fish for three days and then leave your nets out to dry, what could you ever amount to?"
Seeing him remain silent, Yu Xiaogang assumed Jiang Che was too ashamed to show his face. His tone softened somewhat, but his eyes still held the same look reserved for an inferior.
"You find certain things annoying when I repeat them, but they have to be said. Rotten mud can't be plastered onto a wall-that describes people like you," Yu Xiaogang said with certainty.
Yu Xiaogang's words also drew many people to stop and watch, their faces filled with curiosity and delight at another's misfortune.
Tang San stood beside Yu Xiaogang without speaking. Although Jiang Che had made him lose a great deal of face four years ago,
the Jiang Che of today was no longer worthy of his notice.
Teacher is right. Jiang Che's innate soul power is only level three. I can't stoop to arguing with a small fry like him. In the future, I will surely stand at the pinnacle of the continent, while Jiang Che will probably be dead in some forgotten corner by then.
But soon, Tang San's gaze lingered on Jiang Che, and he suddenly noticed something wrong. His pupils contracted slightly.
Tang San looked at his teacher, who was still hurling insults at Jiang Che. After considerable hesitation, he tugged at his teacher's clothes and said quietly, "Teacher, he seems to have already broken through level twenty."
In fact, Tang San was already certain that Jiang Che's soul power had surpassed level twenty, but he had phrased it less definitively to leave his teacher some dignity.
Yu Xiaogang's expression froze, and the surrounding onlookers fell silent for a moment.
Yu Xiaogang's face flushed red. "What?" His voice almost cracked.
Seeing this, Jiang Che said mockingly, "Trash can only teach trash."
Jiang Che's words undoubtedly insulted both Yu Xiaogang and Tang San.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes reddened, and his body trembled. "What did you say?!"
Tang San's expression changed too.
Jiang Che said, "Are you deaf? Can't you understand words?"
"I said you're trash, and the student you teach is trash too."
Pfft!
A sharp gust shot toward Jiang Che.
A poisoned silver needle hung suspended three centimeters from the point between Jiang Che's eyebrows.
Jiang Che cursed inwardly. Goddammit, good thing I put up my defenses in advance.
Jiang Che's right hand hung behind his back, his fingers slightly spread. Fluctuations of soul power rippled outward, and two yellow soul rings appeared beneath his feet.
"You're not allowed to talk about Teacher like that!"
When the surrounding onlookers saw that there was actually a Soul Master among the three, they all moved a little farther away, afraid of getting caught up in trouble.
Yu Xiaogang's chest heaved violently, anger held in his eyes. But other emotions lurked deep within them too: self-respect laid bare, dignity trampled to pieces, and fear he refused to admit.
He was afraid that Jiang Che was right.
"Tang San, step back. Let your teacher teach someone like this what rules mean!"
Yu Xiaogang's soul power erupted as he released his martial soul.
Gray-white light surged out, taking the form of an animal.
It looked extremely wretched-a purple creature resembling a pig, yet somewhat different.
Two yellow soul rings rose from beneath his feet, slowly revolving.
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