"We're finally almost at Nuoding City."
After several days in a carriage, Yu Xiaochuan finally ended the grueling journey and arrived at Nuoding City.
The driver the clan had sent to bring Yu Xiaochuan there went back after handing him over to Yu Xiaogang.
Unfortunately, Yu Xiaochuan did not have guards to protect him like Yu Tianheng did.
After all, even Yu Xiaogang did not receive such treatment. In the old clan leader's eyes, Yu Xiaochuan was even more useless than Yu Xiaogang, so there was naturally even less need for it.
Of course, this was also a good thing for Yu Xiaochuan.
Nuoding City could only be considered a small, remote city, but since it was close to the Star Luo Empire, near the border between the two great empires, its commerce was relatively prosperous.
Otherwise, a junior Soul Master academy would not have been located here.
"Grandmaster Xiaogang, it's been a long time. You're as distinguished as ever."
"Distinguished? Hardly... I'm merely spending what remains of my life in this little junior academy. Your situation, on the other hand, astonished me, Xiaochuan."
Yu Xiaogang shifted his gaze from the Spirit Hall certificate in his hand, which listed Yu Xiaochuan's Innate Soul Power as rank nine, to Yu Xiaochuan himself.
He had never expected Yu Xiaochuan to rise from half a rank of Innate Soul Power to rank nine in just a few short months.
Even he had been shocked, but fortunately, he learned that Yu Xiaochuan could no longer advance.
For some reason, Yu Xiaogang actually breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, he and Yu Xiaochuan both had half a rank of Innate Soul Power, and both had external beast martial souls.
Moreover, they were both children of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Thus, Yu Xiaogang hoped Yu Xiaochuan would do well, yet also hoped he would not do too well. It was quite a contradictory mindset.
Otherwise, Yu Xiaogang would not have given Yu Xiaochuan the Soul Power circulation route he had compiled back then.
"Grandmaster, you've read the clan leader's letter too. You know this certificate is nothing but a useless piece of paper. Rank-nine Innate Soul Power merely sounds nice."
"Unfortunately, I may have to break the promise I made you back then. From now on, I intend to focus on studying martial soul theory. I hope I can receive your guidance."
Yu Xiaochuan still remembered what he had told Yu Xiaogang back then.
He had said that he intended to add a Blue Silver Grass Soul Ring as his first Soul Ring and help Yu Xiaogang verify martial soul mimicry theory in the process.
"It's all right. This isn't your fault. The ways of the world truly are unpredictable."
Yu Xiaogang could not help glancing at the Spirit Hall certificate in his hand again before handing it to Yu Xiaochuan and telling him to keep it safe.
This Spirit Hall certificate was not a forgery.
It was genuine.
After all, Yu Xiaochuan's Soul Power level rising from half a rank to rank nine in such a short time was simply too astonishing.
If word got out, there was no telling how great a storm it would stir up. It would do harm rather than good.
Rather than saying his Soul Power had risen from an innate half-rank to rank nine in just a few months, it was better to simply treat it as rank-nine Innate Soul Power.
Yu Xiaochuan was still only six years old, too.
Thus, after a Spirit Hall deacon was asked to test his Soul Power, he was issued a certificate of rank-nine Innate Soul Power to facilitate his enrollment at Nuoding Academy.
"Xiaochuan, since you want to study under me, would you be willing to become my stepson? As long as you're willing, I'll pass all my knowledge on to you without holding anything back."
Yu Xiaogang had thought that, since Yu Xiaochuan had come to Nuoding Academy to study, getting him to become his stepson was practically in the bag.
He had not expected Yu Xiaochuan to refuse.
"There's no need, Grandmaster Xiaogang. I'm grateful that you taught me the Soul Power circulation route you compiled, and I'll care for you in your old age and see to your funeral. But don't bring this up again. Even without you, I can still become a theoretical grandmaster!"
Seeing that Yu Xiaogang still had not abandoned that idea, Yu Xiaochuan spoke far less tactfully this time.
Last time, the old clan leader had been present, so Yu Xiaochuan had given Yu Xiaogang some face and phrased his refusal very delicately.
This time, it was just him and Yu Xiaogang, so he simply spoke more bluntly.
Gangzi, I'm glad you taught me that Soul Power circulation route. Caring for you in your old age and seeing to your funeral isn't out of the question, but if you want to be my dad, you can dream the hell on!
"Hmph! Then study on your own! I'd like to see how you become a theoretical grandmaster!"
Yu Xiaogang grew angry too. He was a grandmaster, after all. Twice now, his kind intentions to take Yu Xiaochuan as his stepson had been rejected. Unable to save face, he flicked his sleeves and left.
He would see just how Yu Xiaochuan became a theoretical grandmaster!
"This works too..."
Watching Yu Xiaogang leave in anger, Yu Xiaochuan had no intention of stopping him.
He had not come to Nuoding Academy out of a genuine desire to study. He had come to find the Blue Silver Emperor and the Blue Silver Emperor's Soul Bone.
Actually studying under Yu Xiaogang would instead be a waste of time.
It was not that acquiring knowledge was unimportant, but he could not put the cart before the horse. In the world of Soul Masters, strength ultimately decided everything.
Yu Xiaochuan knew where things stood.
He was only six and had plenty of time to acquire knowledge. Becoming a theoretical grandmaster would not be difficult, but that was his last choice.
Compared to becoming a Titled Douluo, or even a god, theoretical grandmaster was merely a useless title.
If he could not find the Blue Silver Emperor and the Blue Silver Emperor's Soul Bone, he could still pin his hopes on immortal herbs.
Yu Xiaochuan had prepared on both fronts.
He happened to be at Nuoding Academy, so once Tang San enrolled, he could build a good relationship with him.
The child was a little starved for affection. Ideally, they could become sworn brothers, with him taking Tang San as his younger sworn brother. That might give him a chance to obtain the nine-grade purple ganoderma.
After Yu Xiaogang left, Yu Xiaochuan went to find the student dormitories himself.
He was a first-year student, but he was joining midyear. Several months had already passed since classes began for the first years.
Yu Xiaochuan soon found the first-year student dormitory and entered Dorm One.
Nuoding Academy had one large dormitory for each year. The dormitories for the first through sixth years were Dorm One through Dorm Six, while all work-study students stayed together in Dorm Seven regardless of their year.
There was hardly anyone in Dorm One. The students were all in class, so Yu Xiaochuan found an empty bed and laid out the bedding he had collected from the academic affairs office.
Yu Xiaochuan was an ordinary tuition-paying student, unlike the work-study students who had no bedding provided.
After making his bed and washing up, Yu Xiaochuan went to sleep. He had been traveling for the past few days and had not slept well, so this was a good chance to catch up on sleep.
When he woke up, Yu Xiaochuan found himself surrounded. The students had finished their classes.
"Are you the new transfer student? I'm the boss of the first years. You can call me Boss Xiao."
In just these few short months, Xiao Chenyu had brought the first-year students under his control and become their boss.
After all, he was the city lord's son, his Innate Soul Power was rank two, and his Martial Soul was an offensive beast martial soul-a wolf.
At Nuoding Academy, he was undoubtedly a genius.
"What's your name, what's your Martial Soul, and how much Innate Soul Power do you have?"
Faced with the new transfer student, Xiao Chenyu had the idea of taking him in as a lackey.
"Yu Xiaochuan. Just call me Xiaochuan. My Martial Soul is Caterpie, and as for Soul Power... rank-nine Innate Soul Power."
"Aah-"
Yu Xiaochuan yawned, slowly getting out of bed and putting on his clothes and shoes.
"Caterpie? A bug I've never heard of. But if it's a bug, it must be weak. Even though you have rank-nine Innate Soul Power, Xiaochuan, you have a trash martial soul, right?"
"Like I said, I'm the boss of the first years. You have to call me Boss Xiao!"
After hearing what Yu Xiaochuan's Martial Soul was, Xiao Chenyu felt he had the measure of him.
It was only a Caterpie Martial Soul. Despite his innate rank nine, it was merely a trash martial soul with little combat ability.
He could keep his position as boss of the first years!