Nuoding Academy Registration: Were Some Trash Martial Souls Better Than Others?

"Two work-study students?"

The gatekeeper held the two Martial Soul certificates, making little effort to conceal the suspicion on his face.

"One has Blue Silver Grass and innate full soul power."

"The other has a nameless Black and White Bear, innate soul power at rank six, and even broke the testing crystal?"

He looked up at Tang San and Dong Jian, the corners of his mouth gradually curling upward.

"Can't you even make your forged Spirit Hall certificates believable these days?"

Old Jack's face turned red in an instant.

"A Spirit Hall deacon issued these certificates himself!"

"You're just a gatekeeper. What gives you the right to call them fake?"

The old village chief of Iron Bamboo Village also stepped forward.

"They even bear Lord Su Yuntao's seal!"

"Look carefully before you speak!"

Surrounded and confronted by the two old men, the gatekeeper's expression soured as well.

He had served as Nuoding Academy's gatekeeper for several years, and every year he saw plenty of villagers trying to squeeze their children into the academy.

Some of them had indeed forged certificates.

But Blue Silver Grass with innate full soul power, and an unknown bear-type Martial Soul with abnormal soul power-these two certificates were simply too absurd.

"Spirit Hall seals can be forged too."

The gatekeeper waved the papers in his hand.

"In the nearby villages, several years can pass without a single child with soul power appearing."

"But this year, we've got two geniuses at once."

"What kind of place do you take Nuoding Academy for?"

Old Jack raised his cane in anger.

"You-"

Tang San reached out to steady him.

"Grandpa Jack, don't get angry yet."

He looked at the gatekeeper, his tone still calm.

"Whether the certificates are genuine can be verified by an academy teacher or someone from Spirit Hall."

"There's no need for you to draw a conclusion now."

The gatekeeper sneered.

"A little kid dares tell me how to do my job?"

He gave a forceful tug with his right hand.

He seemed ready to tear the certificates apart on the spot.

Tang San's gaze turned cold.

His left hand, concealed in his sleeve, was already holding a sharpened piece of iron between its fingers.

If the gatekeeper really tore up the certificates, the piece of iron would strike his wrist first.

But someone was faster.

Dong Jian reached out with his right hand and seized the gatekeeper's wrist.

"Let go!"

The gatekeeper pulled hard, trying to wrench his hand back.

Dong Jian did not match strength against strength.

He turned his wrist in the direction of the pull and stepped half a pace to the side.

The gatekeeper had already braced himself for resistance.

But the force before him suddenly vanished.

His body jerked backward.

At that moment, Dong Jian gently pressed his wrist down.

Thump!

The gatekeeper dropped to one knee at the academy entrance.

The two certificates in his hand remained completely intact.

Many students passing by stopped in their tracks.

Seeing the gatekeeper kneeling before a six-year-old child, they immediately let out a ripple of chuckles.

"You dare lay hands on someone from the academy?"

The gatekeeper's face flushed red as he struggled to stand.

But the harder he strained, the more his wrist hurt, and the harder it became to lift his body.

Dong Jian did not apply any more force.

"You can doubt me."

"But the certificates bear the Spirit Hall seal."

"You have no authority to declare them invalid on Spirit Hall's behalf."

Standing nearby, Li Man had already opened her record book.

"Nuoding Academy's gatekeeper took it upon himself to tear up Soul Master certificates issued by Spirit Hall."

"He impersonated an examiner and prevented qualified Soul Scholars from enrolling."

"Submitting these two records to the Spirit Hall Branch should be enough to make the academy find another position for its gatekeeper."

The gatekeeper froze at once.

He could bully villagers who didn't know the rules.

But he didn't dare actually let the matter reach Spirit Hall.

"I was just conducting a routine inspection..."

"An inspection doesn't include tearing up certificates."

Li Man said.

The gatekeeper opened his mouth, but no more words came out.

"Enough."

A slightly hoarse voice came from inside the academy gates.

A middle-aged man dressed in black walked over slowly.

He had an ordinary appearance and a somewhat pale complexion, and his hands were clasped behind his back out of habit.

It was Yu Xiaogang, who had been observing Dong Jian from inside the academy just moments ago.

The gatekeeper looked as though he had found a savior.

"Grandmaster!"

"These country folk forged certificates and even dared to start a fight at the academy gates!"

Yu Xiaogang ignored his explanation.

He picked up the two certificates from the ground, checked the seals first, then examined the soul power marks on the paper.

"The certificates are genuine."

The gatekeeper's face went pale.

"But how could Blue Silver Grass possibly-"

"You only need to see to the gate."

Yu Xiaogang gave him a calm look.

"It's not for you to judge Martial Souls."

The gatekeeper lowered his head, not daring to argue further.

Dong Jian released him.

The gatekeeper immediately scrambled to his feet and retreated behind a gatepost.

There was still resentment in his gaze as he looked at Dong Jian, but he did not dare stand in their way again.

"Thank you."

Old Jack spoke up at once.

"Are you an academy teacher?"

"I'm not really an academy teacher."

Yu Xiaogang handed the certificates back.

"You may call me Grandmaster."

Hearing the title, Dong Jian felt a slight stir in his heart.

They had finally met.

Yu Xiaogang did not immediately notice Dong Jian's expression.

His gaze fell first on the Martial Soul certificate.

"Tang San."

"Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass, innate full soul power?"

"Yes."

Tang San nodded.

"Release your Martial Soul."

Tang San did not immediately do as he was told.

He first glanced at Old Jack.

Only when he saw that the old man had no objection did he raise his right hand.

Pale blue light gathered in his palm.

A tiny sprig of Blue Silver Grass slowly grew out of it.

Yu Xiaogang stepped closer and carefully examined its leaves, roots, and soul power fluctuations.

"No obvious signs of mutation."

"Yet it possesses innate full soul power."

At this point, he suddenly looked at Tang San's left hand.

"Do your parents both have ordinary Martial Souls?"

Tang San's expression shifted slightly.

"I don't know what my mother's Martial Soul was."

"My father's is a hammer."

Yu Xiaogang nodded.

"The inheritance of Martial Souls and soul power is usually linked."

"Ordinary Blue Silver Grass can hardly bear innate full soul power."

"If it hasn't undergone an overt mutation, then your power most likely comes from somewhere else."

Tang San subconsciously clenched his left hand.

Yu Xiaogang took note of the movement.

"You should have another Martial Soul."

Old Jack and the Iron Bamboo Village chief looked utterly bewildered.

Li Man, meanwhile, raised her head slightly.

She too had judged in the carriage that Tang San might possess hidden power.

But because she had no evidence, she had only written down "power source uncertain."

Yu Xiaogang, however, had gone straight to Twin Martial Souls as the answer.

Tang San was silent for a long time.

"Why are you so certain?"

"Because innate soul power doesn't appear out of thin air."

Yu Xiaogang said:

"The parents' Martial Souls, the quality of the Martial Soul, and the body's capacity to bear it all determine innate soul power."

"Your Blue Silver Grass cannot account for full soul power."

"The most reasonable remaining answer is Twin Martial Souls."

The wariness in Tang San's eyes gradually gave way to respect.

The man before him, who called himself Grandmaster, had come close to his most deeply hidden secret with only a glance at the certificate and the Blue Silver Grass.

At least where knowledge of Martial Souls was concerned, he was indeed far beyond ordinary people.

Dong Jian, however, was not surprised by this.

Yu Xiaogang's reasoning made sense.

But it was more like arriving at an answer by ruling out possibilities based on an abnormal phenomenon.

Being able to guess that Tang San had a second Martial Soul did not mean that every one of his Martial Soul theories was correct.

"Your turn."

Yu Xiaogang looked at Dong Jian.

"An unknown black-and-white bear-type Martial Soul, innate soul power at rank six, and damage to the testing crystal."

"Release your Martial Soul."

Dong Jian did not refuse.

Black and white light appeared behind him.

The round, plump Panda Martial Soul slowly took shape.

As soon as it appeared, it first glanced at Yu Xiaogang.

Then the panda yawned and sat down beside Dong Jian.

Clear surprise flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes.

A normal Beast Martial Soul, when not possessing its owner, was usually just a Soul Power projection without a fully tangible form.

Yet the Black and White Bear before him moved naturally, and its expressions were clear.

It was almost as if it were truly alive.

"Can it act on its own?"

"When my Martial Soul manifests, it occasionally displays animal instincts."

Dong Jian gave the answer he had prepared long ago.

Yu Xiaogang did not entirely believe him.

He walked around the panda, examining it.

"A bulky build, sturdy limbs, and fully developed teeth and claws."

"Judging by its appearance, it should be a bear-type Martial Soul."

"The black and white aren't ordinary fur colors."

"They carry noticeably different Soul Power fluctuations."

Li Man set the tip of her pen to the paper.

"How are they different?"

Yu Xiaogang glanced at her.

"The black power is heavier, tending toward bones, strength, and defense."

"The white power is lighter, closer to the spirit and meridians."

Dong Jian's gaze sharpened slightly.

The assessment was not entirely accurate.

But Yu Xiaogang had indeed noticed the difference between the yin and yang powers.

"Does your body weight increase after Martial Soul Possession?"

"Yes."

"Does your speed decrease?"

"It did when I first awakened."

"That fits."

Yu Xiaogang said:

"The strengths of bear-type Martial Souls usually lie in strength and defense."

"For your First Soul Ring, your best choice would be a Thick-Armored Brown Bear, Rockback Beast, or Stone-Skin Rhinoceros."

Dong Jian asked:

"Why?"

"These Soul Beasts can further strengthen your physical advantages."

"A Soul Master's development should play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses."

"Your Martial Soul is already unsuited to speed. There's no need to waste your First Soul Ring compensating for that weakness."

Dong Jian continued:

"Have you studied a Martial Soul identical to mine?"

Yu Xiaogang paused.

"No."

"Then how can you be sure that adding more weight won't make me completely unable to move?"

"Bear-type Martial Souls share similar characteristics."

"There are patterns in how Martial Souls of the same type develop."

"Similar doesn't mean identical."

Dong Jian looked at him.

"If my black and white powers need to remain balanced, what happens if my First Soul Ring strengthens only one side?"

Yu Xiaogang frowned slightly.

"The Martial Soul will adapt to the power brought by the Soul Ring."

"Under normal circumstances, there won't be a serious conflict."

Li Man wrote a sentence in her notebook.

Lacking samples of the same type, individual development was inferred from characteristics common to bear-type Martial Souls.

Yu Xiaogang noticed her note.

"You think there's a problem with my assessment?"

"I can't say for certain yet."

Li Man said:

"Your assessment of the black and white powers is supported by your observations."

"But there are no comparable cases to support your recommendation for his First Soul Ring."

"So it should be recorded as a hypothesis, not a conclusion."

For the first time, Yu Xiaogang's expression changed.

"Martial Soul research can't wait until every case is accounted for before making an assessment."

"Experience is important too."

"Experience can help us put forward hypotheses."

Li Man replied calmly:

"But it can't replace verification."

Tang San stood to one side, his brow gradually furrowing.

Yu Xiaogang had just recognized his Twin Martial Souls at a glance.

In his view, that alone was enough to prove the man's grasp of theory.

Yet Dong Jian and Li Man kept questioning him, which made them seem somewhat ungrateful.

"At least one of Grandmaster's inferences was just proven right."

Tang San spoke up.

Dong Jian looked at him.

"What did he prove?"

"He saw that there was something unusual about my Martial Soul."

"That shows his method of assessment works."

"Being right once doesn't prove that every assessment is right."

Dong Jian said:

"A blacksmith who spots impurities in a piece of iron can't necessarily judge every metal with his eyes closed."

Tang San's tone grew a little heavier.

"You haven't even studied Martial Soul Theory systematically."

"How can you be sure Grandmaster is wrong?"

"I'm not sure he's wrong."

Dong Jian said:

"I just don't have enough evidence to be sure he's right."

Their gazes met.

The silent rivalry that had taken shape in the carriage surfaced again.

Only this time, the dispute was no longer about hidden methods.

It was about how they approached knowledge and authority.

Yu Xiaogang raised a hand to stop Tang San from arguing further.

"Doubt isn't a bad thing."

"But the wrong direction can ruin a Soul Master."

He looked at Dong Jian's Panda Martial Soul again.

Black and white Soul Power circulated slowly across the Martial Soul's surface.

Yu Xiaogang observed it for a long time, then suddenly asked:

"Have these two powers ever lost their balance?"

Dong Jian did not answer.

Li Man's pen also came to a stop.

Yu Xiaogang got his answer from their reactions.

"Just as I thought."

He said in a grave voice:

"Opposing attributes coexisting in one Martial Soul pose an enormous risk to begin with."

"If you choose the wrong Soul Ring attribute and one power grows too strong, it could suppress the other."

"In a mild case, the Martial Soul would go out of control."

"In a severe case, your meridians and spirit would collapse at the same time."

This time, Dong Jian did not immediately argue back.

Because something similar had indeed happened.

The life energy of the Purple Leaf Root had once caused an imbalance between yin and yang.

If he had not completed the second trial of the Divine Dragon Secret Realm, the Panda Martial Soul might well have undergone an unknown mutation.

Yu Xiaogang continued:

"Until you've confirmed the relationship between the two attributes, you can't hunt for a Soul Ring indiscriminately."

"Still less can you rely solely on the traditional path for bear-type Martial Souls."

Dong Jian narrowed his eyes slightly.

Just moments ago, Yu Xiaogang had recommended the Thick-Armored Brown Bear and the Stone-Skin Rhinoceros.

After discovering that the black and white powers might conflict, he had immediately revised his conclusion.

On this point, at least, Yu Xiaogang was not entirely deaf to new information.

"Have you seen a similar Martial Soul?"

Dong Jian asked.

"I haven't seen a complete case."

Yu Xiaogang slowly shook his head.

"But I once read a record in an incomplete document about a Mutated Martial Soul with opposing attributes coexisting within it."

"What was the final outcome?"

"The Martial Soul went out of control for the first time when its owner was seven."

"The second time was after the owner absorbed the First Soul Ring."

"That Soul Master did not live past ten."

The academy entrance suddenly fell quiet.

The panda beside Dong Jian stopped yawning.

It raised its head and, for the first time, looked intently at Yu Xiaogang with its golden eyes.

Yu Xiaogang looked at Dong Jian as well.

"If my assessment is correct-"

"If you choose the wrong First Soul Ring, you too may not live past ten."