"Teacher, do you have any suggestions?"
Xiao Yan had understood Grandmaster's explanation, but he still wanted to hear Grandmaster's opinion first. After all, of his two Martial Souls, Bone Spirit Cold Flame clearly fell under the category of Tool Martial Souls, while Soul Division... probably counted as a Beast Martial Soul... right?
Hearing Xiao Yan's question, Grandmaster pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Little Yan, your Martial Soul is a flame, and flames possess tremendous explosive power and the ability to burn. For you, I'm more inclined to recommend the path of a Battle Soul Master. With the explosive power of your fire Martial Soul, the might you unleash will definitely make everyone's eyes light up!"
When Grandmaster finished, he saw Tang San standing nearby with his eyes shining and continued:
"Little San, for your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, I'd recommend the control path. Blue Silver Grass looks fragile, but it's actually very tough. And the control path lies between the combat and support paths, so it will allow you to bring out the full potential of your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul!"
"Okay!"
After hearing Grandmaster's advice, Xiao Yan decided to develop as a Battle Soul Master. Still, he had a feeling that his Martial Soul seemed capable of further changes...
With Grandmaster's advice, Xiao Yan and Tang San naturally settled on their respective paths of development.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to hunt for Soul Rings. You don't need to worry about the opening ceremony; I'll speak to the academy. As for the Soul Power lessons you'll miss, I can help you catch up on those as well."
Grandmaster spoke to the two with a faint smile on his lips.
Xiao Yan and Tang San nodded, then said goodbye to Grandmaster and headed for Dorm Seven.
"Finally, it's time to hunt for Soul Rings."
Tang San sighed. Xiao Yan nodded and said with a smile, "My Soul Power still hasn't broken through. I don't even know whether my training over the holiday did any good."
Hearing that, Tang San immediately stopped and looked at Xiao Yan with burning eyes. He suddenly said, "Xiao Yan, how about we have a fight?"
"A fight?"
Xiao Yan was a little surprised, but a spark of fighting spirit flared up in his heart.
During the holiday, both of them had seen the other cultivating, but each had his own arrangements and plans, so they hadn't talked much.
Now, by a twist of fate, they had both become Grandmaster's disciples and both possessed Twin Martial Souls. Naturally, they felt a kinship with one another.
"Sure! We became Teacher's disciples together, so how about we use the result of this fight to decide who's the senior brother?"
Xiao Yan nodded and looked toward the back of the dormitory area, where there was a small grove that few people usually visited.
In the grove, Xiao Yan and Tang San faced each other from about ten meters apart, each watching the other.
Tap!
Xiao Yan and Tang San moved at the same time. Pushing off the ground, the two small figures sped toward each other.
Before Tang San reached Xiao Yan, his hand was already reaching to seize Xiao Yan's shoulder. Xiao Yan didn't dodge. His right fist roared out, driving a straight punch at Tang San's descending hand.
With that first exchange, both were testing the other's strength.
Palm and fist collided in midair, and the force of the impact shocked them both.
I spent the entire holiday forging that piece of meteorite iron. Who knows how much stronger I've grown, yet I only just managed to match him?
Tang San's strength is incredible! Is that really the kind of power a six-year-old boy can possess?
Both took a step back, understanding that if they competed on strength alone, neither had the upper hand.
"Swift Step!"
Xiao Yan called it out silently. His figure moved like a ghost, his speed increasing severalfold. He quickly arrived in front of Tang San and reached for his waist.
"Mysterious Jade Hand!"
A hint of purple appeared in Tang San's eyes. Only by pushing Purple Demon Eye to its limits could he barely make out Xiao Yan's movements. He roused the internal power within him, and his hands looked as though they had donned white gloves, their skin becoming incomparably hard as he held them in front of him.
Xiao Yan's attack was blocked, and he suddenly noticed the change in Tang San's hands.
That technique didn't look like an application of a Martial Soul. Xiao Yan already had a suspicion, and the Soul Power within him began to circulate.
"Sky-Rending Claw!"
The hand that had been reaching for Tang San's waist curled into a claw and swept sideways toward Tang San's hand.
A sharp presence surged. Tang San struck out again with Mysterious Jade Hand, blocking Sky-Rending Claw with his left hand, only to feel a prickling pain. He could hardly believe it.
He struck out with his right palm toward Xiao Yan's chest, hoping to neutralize Xiao Yan's attack with that blow.
Besieging Wei to rescue Zhao?
Seeing Tang San's move, Xiao Yan deliberately used an idiom from his previous life, only to find that Tang San showed no reaction at all.
Xiao Yan withdrew his hand and tapped the ground with his toes, shooting backward. The Mysterious Jade Palm grazed the clothes over his chest by the narrowest of margins.
When Tang San didn't react, Xiao Yan understood that whether or not Tang San was a transmigrator, at the very least, he wasn't from the same place as Xiao Yan.
In truth, Xiao Yan had long suspected as much. If Tang San had grown up in a greenhouse like him, how could he have shown killing intent merely because the gatekeeper had made things difficult for him back then?
"Stone Shattering Palm!"
Tang San's eye technique and his method of hardening his hands were also formidable, so Xiao Yan didn't have to worry about actually hurting him.
The Soul Division Martial Soul merged into his body, and Xiao Yan's perception and acuity rose several levels. The Soul Power within him gathered in his hand.
Xiao Yan floated forward, and the Soul Power he had gathered burst from his palm, colliding with Tang San's Mysterious Jade Hand.
Bang!
This time, with Soul Power reinforcing it, the might of Xiao Yan's Dou Technique was naturally beyond what Tang San could withstand.
The tremendous force sent Tang San flying backward.
Even as he was sent flying, disbelief lingered on Tang San's face. How had Xiao Yan unleashed such terrifying power?
Thud!
Tang San fell flat on his back, his face full of shock, until a hand reached out in front of him.
"Sorry, I used too much force."
Tang San looked at Xiao Yan, who was smiling as he held out his hand, and bitterness filled his heart. He couldn't even beat a six-year-old child...
"It's all right. You really are very strong!"
Taking Xiao Yan's hand, Tang San stood up and smiled bitterly. Then he cupped his hands toward Xiao Yan. "Senior brother!"
"Hahahaha..."
Xiao Yan smiled, put an arm around Tang San's shoulders, and walked with him toward Dorm Seven.
"Don't worry, junior brother. I'll definitely take you with me to roam the continent unhindered!"
The moon sank lower. Xiao Yan and Tang San had just reached the dormitory entrance when they saw Xiao Wu squatting by the door, holding her chin in both hands.
"Boss Xiao Yan, Tang San, why are you only coming back now?"
Xiao Wu gave the two a curious look. Xiao Yan simply patted Tang San on the shoulder, smiled at Xiao Wu, and entered Dorm Seven.
Before long, Tang San and Xiao Wu returned to Dorm Seven together as well.
With the hunt for Soul Rings on their minds, Xiao Yan and Tang San could only ask the others to take care of their work-study tasks for the time being. They would resume them when they returned.
When the other work-study students heard that Xiao Yan and Tang San were already going to hunt for Soul Rings, envy appeared on their faces.
After all, a rank-ten Soul Scholar and a rank-eleven Soul Master were only one rank apart, but the treatment their respective statuses received was vastly different.
Among them, even Wang Sheng, the strongest, was still only a rank-nine Soul Scholar.
"Hey, classes haven't even started, and you're already going to hunt for Soul Rings. Are Soul Rings really that important to you?"
Xiao Wu's complaint drew surprised looks from everyone.
After all, for Soul Masters, there really was nothing more important than obtaining a Soul Ring.
Tang San thought Xiao Wu was complaining because the work-study students would have too many tasks once they left. Xiao Yan likewise thought it was just a young girl's simple complaint and gave it no further thought.
"Sorry to trouble you with my share. How about I take care of all your work for the rest of the semester when I get back?"
Tang San spoke softly to Xiao Wu. She composed herself, her bright smile returning as she nodded.