Seven Challenges

At the entrance to Dorm Seven, Xiao Wu had just run back to Yan Zu. Aggrieved, she threw herself into his arms, her voice tinged with lingering fear. "A-Zu, Tang San just confessed his feelings to me. I made it clear that I rejected him, but he didn't seem to believe me, and he even blamed you!"

Yan Zu gently patted her back. The Qilin's auspicious presence quietly spread out, calming her slightly panicked emotions, though a hint of gravity flashed in his eyes. "I understand. I'll be more careful from now on. I won't let him hurt you."

Little Jade also leaped down from Yan Zu's shoulder and nuzzled the back of Xiao Wu's hand, making a soft "Yiya" sound, as if comforting her.

"The look in his eyes just now was so frightening." Xiao Wu buried her face in Yan Zu's embrace, her voice muffled. "I'm a little afraid he'll do something bad later."

"Don't be afraid." Yan Zu gently ruffled her hair, his voice steady and firm. "With Little Jade and me here, he can't hurt you. Don't spend time alone with him from now on. If anything happens, I'll go with you."

Xiao Wu nodded and held Yan Zu's arm tightly, as if she had found the firmest support.

As night deepened, Nuoding Academy fell silent.

In the darkness some distance away, Tang Hao leaned against a tree trunk, drinking mouthful after mouthful of wine. Now and then, he glanced toward Tang San's dormitory, complicated feelings flashing in his eyes before finally turning into a sigh no one heard.

By the time the autumn wind of the third school year swept through Nuoding Academy, Yan Zu was nine years old.

The boy had grown taller again, and his shoulders were beginning to show the lean outlines characteristic of an adolescent.

Years of cultivating the Nine Yin Manual had made his bearing increasingly composed. The light settled deep within those black eyes no longer held the clarity a child's should have.

The changes in Xiao Wu were even more pronounced. The girl had shot up in height, and her soft pink hair now fell to her waist, often woven into a lively scorpion-tail braid.

Most of the childishness had faded from her features, replaced by her distinctive liveliness and the budding beauty of a young girl.

Only when she looked at Yan Zu were her large eyes still filled with unreserved trust and attachment.

The two walked side by side along the academy's main path, the fluctuations of their Soul Power already faintly brushing against the threshold of level thirty. This was unprecedented in Nuoding Academy's history-a peak Soul Grandmaster at nine meant they could break through and become Soul Elders at any moment.

On his ninth birthday, Yan Zu completed his sign-in in the morning light.

[Ding! Today's sign-in successful!]

[Congratulations to the host for reaching the nine-year growth milestone and triggering an annual critical reward!]

[Obtained: Soul Tool: Livelihood Improvement Kit]

[Contents: Complete blueprints for a "Soul Guidance Water Purifier," "Soul Guidance Automatic Tiller," and "Soul Guidance Automatic Harvester," adapted to run on low-level Soul Power (operable by Soul Masters below level five).]

[Notice: If this kit is widely adopted, it can greatly improve agricultural productivity and free up labor.]

As Yan Zu felt the intricate blueprints flooding into his mind, a slight ripple stirred in his heart.

These designs were far more complicated than the Soul Guidance Lamp and Soul Guidance Heater he had previously "recreated," involving multiple fields such as energy conversion, mechanical transmission, and Soul Power regulation.

But the system had thoughtfully provided complete manufacturing flowcharts and even marked out substitute materials available on Douluo Continent.

"Perfect." Yan Zu looked toward the western part of the city. "The rice trial planting was a success. The next step is to spread it. And spreading it requires greater efficiency... These machines came at just the right time."

Over the past year, the hybrid rice from "Seed of Civilization: Hundred Grains Compendium" had yielded a rich harvest in the small experimental field behind the Su Medical Clinic.

With Su Qing's careful tending and occasional help from Yan Zu's Qilin vitality, that one-mu experimental field had produced an astonishing five hundred jin-more than three times the yield of traditional rice varieties.

On the day of the harvest, Su Qing held the heavy heads of rice in her hands, which were trembling.

Yan Hu's eyes widened even further as he murmured, "This... If this could be planted all around Nuoding City, who would still go hungry?"

But after the joy came caution.

"A-Zu, we can't rush this."

After calming down, Su Qing's first concern was to caution him,

"Our family can't weather any storms right now. This rice seed is too extraordinary. Once word gets out, either a major power will seize it by force, or people with ill intentions will set their sights on us."

Yan Zu wholeheartedly agreed.

Although he had accumulated some reputation and wealth through his identity as "Wen Yansheng," he was still vulnerable before truly powerful people.

Tang Hao's shadow, the Spirit Hall's probing, the covetous gazes of forces on all sides... All of these meant he had to fortify every step.

"Don't worry, Mother. I understand."

Yan Zu carefully sealed away the harvested rice seed.

"We'll keep only a portion of this seed to continue breeding it. Once the time is right-once I have enough strength, or find a reliable ally-it won't be too late to spread it."

Nuoding Academy, training ground.

"Bang!"

Tang San's body flew backward, tumbling several times through the air before he barely managed to land.

He dropped to one knee, his right hand pressed against his chest. Two yellow Soul Rings flashed violently beneath his feet. He had just unleashed his second Soul Skill, Parasite, only for his opponent to evade it with ease.

Meanwhile, Yan Zu's face had also "just happened" to turn pale, and his body swayed "unsteadily."

"He lost again..." someone among the watching students murmured.

"Tang San challenged Yan Zu seven times this past year and lost all seven. They were all 'narrow defeats,' but..."

"Thank you for going easy on me." Yan Zu cupped his fists, pretending to breathe hard, though there wasn't even any sweat on his forehead.

His gaze casually swept toward the thousand-year-old locust tree at the edge of the training ground. There, a terrifying presence flickered in and out of perception. It was Tang Hao.

Towering rage surged in Tang San's heart.

Over the past year, under Yu Xiaogang's "special training," he had absorbed his Second Soul Ring and reached level twenty-three in Soul Power. He had also made Tang Sect Hidden Weapons, including the Godly Zhuge Crossbow and Silent Sleeve Arrow.

Full of confidence, he had challenged Yan Zu, only to find that his opponent was like a bottomless pool. Every time he thought he had seen the bottom, his opponent revealed new depths.

Seven challenges, seven defeats by a "slight disadvantage."

What Tang San didn't know was that Yan Zu really was hiding his abilities.

Every time they fought, Yan Zu's Illusion-Breaking Spirit Eyes could clearly detect the terrifying presence flickering behind the old locust tree at the edge of the training ground. Tang Hao, the missing Clear Sky Douluo, had been watching his own son from the shadows all along.

Yan Zu didn't dare make himself too conspicuous.

A "genius" was worthy of admiration, but a "monster" could invite a fatal calamity.

He deliberately suppressed his Soul Power to just above level eighteen, keeping every "spar" with Tang San within the bounds of "winning by a narrow margin." That left Tang San frustrated without making Tang Hao feel that his son had been "crushed" and stirring murderous intent in him.

A low-level Soul Master defeating a "Blue Silver Grass Trash Martial Soul" user above level twenty was not particularly surprising.

"That's enough for today." Yan Zu turned to leave. Xiao Wu came to meet him, handed him a waterskin, and naturally linked her arm through his.

"Little Brother A-Zu, that Tang San is so annoying. He's lost seven times and still won't leave you alone." Xiao Wu pouted, but her voice was loud enough for Tang San to hear.

Tang San watched the two walk away, close together, his eyes bloodshot.

He reached for the Godly Zhuge Crossbow in his sleeve. It was his latest finished creation, capable of firing eighteen bolts in an instant, enough to threaten someone at the Soul Elder level.

But he did not attack. After all, killing someone at the academy merely because he had lost a match would be such an egregious act that even his teacher could not protect him.