Qian Yu and Tang San walked in.
"Wait..."
Just then, a voice rang out.
Qian Yu turned around and saw a medium-sized, slightly thin man had appeared beside them at some point.
He looked to be in his forties or fifties, with short black hair parted three-to-seven. His features were unremarkable, but he carried himself with a peculiar aura, his eyes exuding a lazy, weary air.
Qian Yu recognized him immediately: this must be Yu Xiaogang, the Douluo Continent's number one scumbag.
Qian Yu despised Yu Xiaogang even more.
Though he himself had lived nine lifetimes on the Douluo Continent and had been with many women, he had always taken them all into his harem, never betraying any of them.
Yu Xiaogang, however, was different.
He had betrayed Bibi Dong and was now involved with his own blood-related sister.
Qian Yu loathed such scum.
Moreover, Yu Xiaogang called himself "Master" and proclaimed himself the Douluo Continent's foremost theoretical expert.
Lacking sufficient strength himself, he exploited Tang San to prove his theories, forcing Tang San to act as his unquestioning lackey.
Indeed, this seemed to be a case of birds of a feather flocking together.
In any case, Qian Yu had no desire to have anything to do with this "Master."
Moreover, Qian Yu had read *Douluo Continent*. Though the story took place in a distant past, he had personally tested many of its principles in this world. His understanding of Martial Soul theory was certainly no less than that of the scoundrel Yu Xiaogang. He refused to believe that his nine lifetimes of divine experience could be surpassed by the superficial research of an ordinary man.
Thus, when facing Master, Qian Yu's gaze held only disdain.
"Hello, Master. Can I help you?" Tang San, unlike Qian Yu, was eager to curry favor with everyone. When Qian Yu first arrived, Tang San had tried to do the same with him, but was rebuffed by Qian Yu's icy demeanor.
Tang San was calculating. Seeing that this "Master" seemed extraordinary—likely someone with influence in the school—he sought to use him for his own ends. Thus, when Master approached, he immediately greeted him politely.
"I'm just a guest here, mooching food and lodging," Master replied. "Like everyone else, you can call me Master. That's what everyone calls me. I've even forgotten my real name."
"By the way, could you show me your Martial Soul certification?" Master asked with a smile.
Master had already noticed Qian Yu's extraordinary potential. He wanted to use Qian Yu to prove his theory, which was why he had eagerly approached.
Qian Yu replied calmly, "There's no need. My certification is issued by the Martial Soul Hall. Since you're not a teacher at this academy, I have no reason to show it to you."
Hearing Qian Yu's icy words, a flicker of surprise appeared in Master's eyes. He hadn't expected the boy to speak to him so boldly. Even though he wasn't a teacher at the academy, he was still an adult, not someone a child should defy so casually.
However, remembering Qian Yu's earlier display when he'd beaten up the gatekeeper, Yu Xiaogang still felt a lingering unease.
Just then, Tang San handed over his Martial Soul Hall certification.
Instantly, Master's eyes lit up with excitement as he turned to Tang San.
"Teacher, what's wrong?" Tang San asked.
Master composed himself and looked at Tang San. "Don't call me 'Teacher.' The terms 'Master' and 'Teacher' have completely different meanings. Don't confuse them in the future. Unless..."
At this point, Master paused, but his eyes burned with intense fervor. "Unless you're truly willing to accept me as your teacher."
"Are you going to teach me how to cultivate my Martial Soul?" Tang San asked.
Master stopped and faced Tang San squarely. "Then are you willing?"
Tang San naturally halted, looking up at Master. Now that he was observing him up close, from below, he noticed Master's mouth was rather large, with thick lips. He remained silent, neither agreeing nor refusing.
Master gazed into Tang San's eyes, fixed on him, and that stiff smile reappeared. "Very well. You truly are a clever child."
Tang San's silence had two meanings: first, to avoid hastily rejecting Master and offending him; second, to silently ask Master, *Why should I take you as my teacher?*
Master gently patted Tang San's head. "Outstanding talent and such keen intelligence. It seems I must be persistent this time. After all, you're only the third person in a century to possess Twin Martial Souls."
Hearing Master's words, Tang San was utterly shocked. His gaze shifted, and his left wrist subtly rose, his eyes reflecting a mix of astonishment and suspicion.
Master observed him calmly, a smile playing on his lips. "Aren't you curious as to how I knew you possessed Twin Martial Souls?"
As he spoke, he shook the certification Old Jack had given him. "It's all because of this document. Perhaps others wouldn't spot the flaws, but if even I couldn't see through it, I wouldn't deserve the title of Master."
"I once investigated 647 individuals with Blue Silver Grass as their Martial Soul. Of those, only sixteen possessed Soul Power, a rate of less than three percent. Even among those sixteen, none had Soul Power exceeding level one. Yet you possess Innate Full Soul Power at level ten.
According to one of the Ten Core Competitiveness of Martial Souls I've researched, innate Soul Power is directly proportional to the quality of the Martial Soul. Blue Silver Grass clearly fails to meet this criterion. Therefore, I can confidently assert that you must possess another Martial Soul—one of extraordinary power."
Tang San's expression gradually steadied. "There are exceptions to every rule," he countered. "Why can't I be one of them?"
Master nodded earnestly. "That's true, there are always exceptions. But since your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, you clearly aren't one of them.
In the past century, both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire have seen only two cases of Twin Martial Souls, yet nineteen individuals with Innate Full Soul Power have emerged.
I've thoroughly studied each of their Martial Souls, and without exception, they are all immensely powerful. The youngest among them has already reached the level of Great Soul Master. Fourteen obtained their powerful Martial Souls through family lineage, but five were exceptions."
"They came from humble backgrounds yet possessed Innate Full Soul Power. These anomalies are due to Variant Martial Souls. Based on my years of research into Variant Martial Souls, none have ever been observed to result from a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.
Moreover, your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul is of the ordinary variety. Therefore, I can confidently assert that my judgment is correct."
"So, are you willing to accept me as your master?" Master asked, looking intently at Tang San.