Nuoding Academy, Peerless Twin Prodigies (1)

"Young friend, are you here to enroll too?" Yu Xiaogang asked, his tone carrying a scholar's pride. "My name is Yu Xiaogang. Su Yuntao should have mentioned me to you."

Tang San followed behind him. When he saw Lin Chen, a flicker of confusion crossed his eyes. Hadn't the other child with Innate Full Soul Power from Holy Soul Village left the village long ago? Why was he only arriving now?

Xiao Wu hid behind Lin Chen, looking curiously at Yu Xiaogang and then at Tang San. She whispered, "Brother Lin Chen, who are they?"

"Deacon Su Yuntao did mention the Grandmaster," Lin Chen said mildly. "He said you were the foremost authority on Martial Soul Theory and had a theory of Ten Core Competencies."

Yu Xiaogang stroked his chin, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face. "That's right. On the path of a Soul Master, talent is important, but direction matters even more. Your Martial Soul is the Chaos Pearl? I heard Su Yuntao say it was an unknown type of tool Martial Soul. If you take me as your teacher, I can help you chart the most suitable path of cultivation. Your future achievements will be limitless."

As he saw it, for a child from a remote village to become his disciple was an immense honor. There was no reason to refuse.

Tang San was also watching Lin Chen. He had just become the Grandmaster's disciple and had complete faith in his theories. He was curious whether this genius, who was just like him, would become his fellow disciple.

But Lin Chen shook his head.

"I've heard some of the Grandmaster's theories." His tone was calm, but every word was clear. "However, there are three flaws in them that I can't agree with. There's no need for me to become your disciple."

The smile on Yu Xiaogang's face froze.

"Flaws?" His voice turned colder. "You're a six-year-old child, and you dare presume to judge my theories? You really don't know how high the heavens are or how vast the earth is."

"Whether I'm presuming to judge them, Grandmaster, you'll know once you hear me out."

Lin Chen raised his first finger.

"First, in your Core Competencies, you said that the maximum age of a Soul Ring a Soul Master can absorb is determined absolutely by their Soul Power Level. A level-ten Soul Master can absorb a Soul Ring of at most 423 years. But you overlooked the variables of Martial Soul quality and physical strength. With a top-tier Martial Soul and a tough, resilient body, absorbing a Thousand-Year Soul Ring at level ten isn't absolutely impossible."

Yu Xiaogang's pupils contracted sharply.

His theory had been derived from the vast majority of ordinary Martial Souls. He had never studied the exceptional cases of top-tier Martial Souls in depth, nor was he willing to admit that his theory had exceptions.

Before he could refute him, Lin Chen raised a second finger.

"Second, you said the greatest advantage of Twin Martial Souls is that the Second Martial Soul can be used without having Soul Rings attached to it, allowing the Soul Skills of both Martial Souls to be combined. But you never mentioned that if the attributes of the Soul Rings of Twin Martial Souls clash, it can cause a Martial Soul backlash. In a mild case, the Soul Power is damaged; in a severe case, the Martial Souls shatter. You speak only of the benefits and not the drawbacks. Isn't that one-sided?"

This time, Yu Xiaogang's face went completely pale.

He had vaguely suspected the risk of backlash from Twin Martial Souls, but he had never revealed it publicly. This was a hidden flaw in his theory. How could a six-year-old child possibly know about it?

Tang San stood to the side, astonished.

He himself had Twin Martial Souls. The Grandmaster had only told him about their benefits and had never mentioned the risk of backlash.

But how did Lin Chen know so much? That was what surprised him. His father had indeed been right to tell him to beware of Lin Chen.

Lin Chen raised a third finger.

"Third, you asserted that Trash Martial Souls absolutely cannot evolve and that their defects can only be compensated for with Soul Skills. But Martial Souls aren't set in stone. Heavenly treasures, bloodline awakening, and guidance from external forces can all potentially cause a Martial Soul to evolve. Even Blue Silver Grass has the possibility of transforming into an emperor. Where does 'absolutely' come into it?"

Those three statements left Yu Xiaogang speechless.

He staggered half a step backward, staring at Lin Chen in disbelief. Some of these things were subjects he had only vaguely touched upon after years of research; others were directions he had never even considered. How could a six-year-old child possibly know so much?

"Arrogant! You... you're talking utter nonsense!" Yu Xiaogang's voice turned somewhat shrill, carrying the anger of wounded pride. "It's all twisted logic and heresy! Martial Soul Evolution? That's sheer fantasy!"

Lin Chen smiled faintly and argued no further.

"Our paths differ, so we cannot work together. Grandmaster, your theories are suited to ordinary Soul Masters, but not to me. Farewell."

With that, he took Xiao Wu's hand and turned toward the dormitory area. From beginning to end, he never spared Yu Xiaogang another glance.

Yu Xiaogang stood where he was, his face alternating between pale and ashen, a trace of venom flashing in his eyes. The theories he had spent his entire life researching had been utterly demolished in public by a child. He had lost an enormous amount of face.

"Teacher..." Tang San said quietly. "What he said..."

"Pay him no mind." Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart. "He's just a child with a bit of cleverness who's grown arrogant. Little San, remember this: only my theories are the true path of cultivation for Soul Masters. Let's go."

Despite his words, a thorn had already lodged itself in his heart. Lin Chen's three statements were like three thunderclaps, blasting his beliefs of many years until they teetered on the brink of collapse.

Elsewhere, Xiao Wu skipped along after Lin Chen, her face full of admiration.

"Brother Lin Chen, you're amazing! You left that uncle speechless!"

"I only stated the facts." Lin Chen smiled. "Let's go to the dormitory. I asked around, and there aren't many people in Dorm Seven right now, so we'll live there."

He had deliberately chosen Dorm Seven. In the original story, Tang San had met Xiao Wu there, and they had become roommates. Now, he intended to claim that place for himself once and for all.

He pushed open the door to Dorm Seven. The room wasn't large, with a dozen or so wooden beds arranged inside. It was clean and tidy, and some of the beds already had bedding on them.

"This will be our dormitory from now on." Lin Chen put down his bundle.

"Wonderful!" Xiao Wu cheered, throwing herself onto the bed by the window and rolling around. "I want to sleep over here!"

Watching how happy she was, Lin Chen's lips curved slightly upward.

Life at Nuoding Academy officially began today.

He knew Tang San was at this very academy, and with Yu Xiaogang's guidance and the Tang Sect Secret Arts at his disposal, his growth would be anything but slow. But Lin Chen knew even better that the cards in his own hand were no worse than Tang San's.

After completing the enrollment registration, Lin Chen took Xiao Wu to the academic affairs office to make up her Martial Soul Awakening and Soul Power test.

The clerk at the academic affairs office was a balding, middle-aged Soul Master named Teacher Su. Seeing Lin Chen in a new student's uniform, accompanied by a little girl as pretty as a porcelain doll, he was somewhat impatient at first. He waved a hand and said, "There's no need for a test. Go back. An auditing student only needs to complete the registration. Martial Souls are innate, so testing her would be a waste of time."

Xiao Wu wrinkled her nose and hid behind Lin Chen without saying a word.

Lin Chen gently slid a Silver Soul Coin to the corner of the desk. "Sorry for the trouble, Teacher, but please go through the procedure so she can be entered in the school records."

The Silver Soul Coin felt heavy in his hand, and Teacher Su's expression immediately softened. Muttering, "What a needless fuss," he nevertheless took out the awakening crystal and the Soul Power testing orb.

"Come on, put your hand on it. Focus your mind and calm yourself."