Another Provocation

The rising sun lit up the sky.

After finishing his meditation, Xiao Yu silently rose from the floor. He washed up, changed into the uniform he had collected from the Academic Affairs Office yesterday, then left the dormitory and headed for the teaching building.

As he passed the dorm manager's office, Xiao Yu went in to file another report. He explained that his bed board had cracked, requested a replacement, and paid the fee.

When the dorm manager heard that Xiao Yu had cracked the bed board on his first day moving in, his eyes widened. After all, because of Miao, a Soul Sage, the dean had repeatedly stressed the importance of Xiao Yu's accommodation. Everything in Xiao Yu's dormitory had been brand-new, top-quality goods.

But seeing that Xiao Yu was still just a little kid, the dorm manager assumed he had been fooling around and jumping on the bed. He merely reminded Xiao Yu not to be so mischievous.

Xiao Yu gave an awkward smile and nodded. He could hardly tell the dorm manager that his Soul Power eruption had caused it.

After leaving the dormitory building, Xiao Yu ate breakfast in the cafeteria before leisurely making his way toward the teaching building.

The dean and the director of studies had told Xiao Yu where Elite Class Two was yesterday. With the academy's signposts, he easily found the classroom. It was spacious, with plenty of empty seats. Xiao Yu had learned yesterday that because there were few students in the elite classes, there were generally no assigned seats. Students could choose wherever they liked, first come, first served.

Xiao Yu immediately picked a seat by the window. Even in his previous life, he had always been fond of that spot. Whenever he was bored, looking at the potted plants, greenery, birds, and flowers outside could help improve his mood.

The class schedule at Soul Master Academy was somewhat similar to the university schedule from Xiao Yu's previous life. One class lasted roughly a full period, around an hour and a half. Once a class ended, the morning's theory lessons were over. Students could arrange the remaining time before lunch however they wished—meditate and cultivate, spar and exchange pointers at the Martial Arts Arena, or simply slack off and go back to sleep.

Xiao Yu had gained a great deal from this lesson. Though he had read the original novel in his previous life, nearly every character in it possessed top-tier martial souls and extraordinary talent, so basic theoretical knowledge had barely been covered.

Only after this introductory class did Xiao Yu gain a rough framework of the Soul Master system. He had filled four whole pages with notes.

Just as Xiao Yu finished packing up his desk and was about to return to continue cultivating, he heard a desk scrape forward. Six or seven burly students surrounded him. In particular, the person standing at the far left wore a vicious expression, as though he wanted to swallow Xiao Yu whole.

This person was Yao Yi, the grandson of Yao Liang, the vice dean who had been dismissed yesterday. After Gao Huan truthfully reported the matter to the major factions and sects backing the academy, they learned that Yao Liang had offended a Soul Sage. Several elders who had once been close to them quickly cut ties. It was foreseeable that their family would have a hard time ahead. And the root cause of all this was Xiao Yu. How could Yao Yi not hate him?

That morning, he had also learned from a teacher close to him that the academy's upper management seemed to have already decided to expel him. Humiliated and enraged, he thought that since he was going to be expelled anyway, he had nothing left to fear. Before leaving, he would teach Xiao Yu a lesson and vent his anger. Even if that Soul Sage came looking for trouble afterward, he would already be gone. The ones left with headaches would be those academy leaders who loved to curry favor with the powerful and trample the weak.

So, before news of his grandfather had spread among the students, he gathered several of the class's stronger students who had been flattering and currying favor with him to come trouble Xiao Yu.

"Do you need something?"

Xiao Yu swept his gaze over them and spoke calmly.

"Kid, I heard you made things difficult for Yao Yi the moment you enrolled!"

The leader, a burly student who stood clearly half a head taller than the others, glared fiercely at Xiao Yu.

Yao Yi?

Xiao Yu paused slightly. Following the burly student's pointing finger, he saw that the man with a face full of bitter hatred bore some resemblance to the vice dean who had run into trouble yesterday. Considering his surname, how could Xiao Yu not understand?

"Oh, I did bully him. What are you going to do about it?"

Xiao Yu sneered. If others did not offend him, he would not offend them. But if they did, he would strike back. They had come right up to his face; he had no intention of swallowing his anger.

"As long as you admit it!"

The burly student looked down arrogantly at Xiao Yu, who was nearly a head shorter than him. "We're not here to bully you. As long as you apologize to Old Yao and calm him down, we'll let you go!"

"Do you deserve that?"

Xiao Yu looked at the burly student with disdain. "Three seconds. Get out of my sight, or I'll be the one who won't let you go."

For a moment, the burly student stood frozen. Only in the next instant did he react, rage surging into his heart as he pointed at Xiao Yu and shouted, "Y-You've got some nerve!"

Slap!

Xiao Yu casually slapped away the burly student's pointing finger. "I hate it when people wave their fingers in front of me!"

"Good, good, good!!!"

The burly student was so angry that he laughed instead. He immediately said to Xiao Yu, "You've got guts, kid. If I don't beat you into submission today, how am I supposed to show my face around the academy in the future? Soul Duel Stage. Are you coming or not?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Xiao Yu already had a mission to become the students' chief. Judging by the situation, this burly student was likely one of the best in the class. They would have to face each other sooner or later.

In order to develop students' practical combat ability, the academy generally encouraged students to spar. By the time Xiao Yu and the others arrived at the Martial Arts Arena, quite a few students were already sparring there.

"Zhu Wang, Level Nineteen, one-ring assault-type Soul Master. Martial soul: Berserk Bear."

The moment the burly student stepped onto the Soul Duel Stage, he activated his martial soul. A brown bear covered in long black fur instantly merged into his body as he stared murderously at Xiao Yu in the distance.

"Xiao Yu, Level Thirteen assault-type Battle Soul Master. Martial soul: Underworld Apostle."

Xiao Yu calmly activated his martial soul and looked at Zhu Wang ahead of him. "Hurry up. Don't waste my time!"

"Kid, you really want to die!"

Zhu Wang's anger flared even higher. With a roar, he charged forward, raising his palm high and slamming it toward Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu shook his head. From his fight with Chang Hao yesterday, he had discovered that most students with assault-type martial souls only knew how to rely on their martial souls' toughness and charge recklessly. They had no combat technique at all.

Focusing his mind and calming his breath, a sharp glint flashed through Xiao Yu's eyes. He instantly caught Zhu Wang's opening, moved like lightning, seized the joint of Zhu Wang's arm, and executed a clean shoulder throw that sent him flying.

Compared to his match with Chang Hao yesterday, Xiao Yu struck much more heavily today. Yesterday had been an enrollment test, and Chang Hao had had a good attitude. But today, someone had come to provoke him, and Zhu Wang's cocky demeanor had made Xiao Yu extremely displeased.