Two months passed in a flash, and in the blink of an eye, the day had arrived for Xiao Lin and Tang San to begin their school term.
Over these past two months, Xiao Lin had essentially finalized the plan for Tang San's transition into a Food-system Soul Master for his third Soul Ring, as well as his own plan to absorb the Man-Faced Demon Spider.
Beyond that, with the help of the Vajra Imperishable Divine Skill, Xiao Lin's cultivation had soared, reaching Rank 15. Tang San, driven by Xiao Lin's terrifying strength and the competitive atmosphere, had been constantly playing catch-up and had reached Rank 14.
In just a little over two months, both had leveled up twice.
This speed could not be described as anything but fast.
In particular, since both Xiao Lin and Tang San possessed their own cultivation methods, they faced virtually no bottlenecks in their practice. The amount of Soul Power they stored far exceeded that of other genius Soul Masters.
According to Xiao Lin's calculations, if they continued at this pace for another month or two after this year, they might break through to Rank 20. Reaching Rank 20 at nearly seven years old—and that was without even using Whale Glue to boost their speed.
Upon arriving at Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy, Xiao Lin and Tang San walked straight through the main gates, carrying their two admission notices.
This time, there were no guards to block their path.
However, Xiao Lin's eyes were sharp, and Tang San's Purple Demon Eye was equally potent. The moment they stepped inside, they spotted a scruffy-bearded, dispirited-looking middle-aged man peering around near the entrance.
"Oh no, it's the Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang!"
Xiao Lin cursed inwardly, grabbing Tang San's hand and rushing toward the Academic Affairs Office.
He absolutely could not let a loser like Yu Xiaogang entangle them.
Though Tang San didn't understand Xiao Lin's sudden urgency, he immediately began circulating his Mysterious Heaven Skill and utilized Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step to keep pace right behind Xiao Lin.
"Those two..."
Watching the two familiar silhouettes, Yu Xiaogang's body jolted.
A joyful light flickered in his eyes.
"Is that Xiao Lin and Tang San!?"
Yu Xiaogang was certain he wasn't mistaken; after all, these two Innate Full Soul Power geniuses were the existences he dreamt of day and night.
They were the ones who could truly validate his status as a "Grandmaster."
"Hey, you two, wait a moment!"
"Xiao Lin! Tang San!"
Yu Xiaogang immediately broke into a sprint, chasing after them.
However, he was just a useless middle-aged man whose martial soul manifested outside his body—a waste who gained almost no physical benefits from his soul. How could he possibly catch up to two genius youths who sparred daily?
Soon, having been completely ignored by Xiao Lin and Tang San, Yu Xiaogang was left far behind. He couldn't even see their shadows anymore.
Only after shaking off Yu Xiaogang did Xiao Lin heave a sigh of relief.
"Phew, luckily we weren't caught by that loser."
"Loser? Brother Lin, was that man the 'Useless Grandmaster' Yu Xiaogang you mentioned?" Tang San asked curiously as soon as Xiao Lin spoke.
During the months of learning about martial souls from Xiao Lin, Tang San had learned of the existence of a "Useless Grandmaster" named Yu Xiaogang who survived on free meals at Nuoding Primary Soul Master Academy.
Tang San had even heard a bit about the "Ten Core Competitive Theories."
"If it was really him, then it makes sense. Why else would he be chasing us?"
Tang San knew very well that with Xiao Lin's generally kind personality, he wouldn't treat a stranger so poorly without reason.
Xiao Lin was someone who showed great respect even to the lowliest farmers.
Connecting the dots, Tang San linked Xiao Lin's previous warnings to the man they just saw.
"Does this 'Useless Grandmaster' want to take in genius disciples at Nuoding Academy to prove his theories, making us his targets?" Tang San asked as they walked.
"I'm glad you could figure that out, Little San. That is exactly the case."
Xiao Lin nodded and led Tang San directly into the enrollment office of the Academic Affairs Office.
"I think that Yu Xiaogang has gone a bit mad."
As he spoke, Xiao Lin leaned closer to Tang San's ear and lowered his voice.
"You don't know this, but this past month, I found an article in the Spirit Journal written by him. It was something about how to choose Soul Rings and Soul Skills for Staff-type martial souls."
"It didn't sell many copies, but considering this is his first published paper in over a decade, I don't believe it was random. He definitely did it to get our attention, to make us think his wisdom is profound so we would beg him to be our teacher."
"He's already published a paper regarding my soul type. For you, he will definitely try to shock you by claiming you have Twin Martial Souls. Whatever you do, don't let him deceive you."
Xiao Lin's face was solemn, his expression incredibly serious.
"Understood. I won't," Tang San replied with a heavy nod.
If this Yu Xiaogang were truly wise, he wouldn't be squatting at the school gate to chase after them.
A true master would never need to personally scout disciples in such a manner.
Not to mention, his and Xiao Lin's own experiences had already proven that Yu Xiaogang's theories were garbage. After successfully registering as new students, Xiao Lin and Tang San were assigned to the same dormitory—Room Seven—and were given a set of white school uniforms.
On the way to the dormitory building, Xiao Lin suddenly asked, "By the way, Little San, did you buy a quilt?"
"No, I figured I'd buy one directly in Nuoding City," Tang San answered honestly.
As a cultivation fanatic, he wasn't going to waste time carrying a quilt when he could buy one nearby to save time and effort.
"Ah... about that. Little San, you'll have to go buy one alone then. My grandfather bought mine in advance and brought it over." Xiao Lin said sheepishly, feeling a bit guilty for not being able to join his brother.
"It's fine. It's the same whether I go alone or not."
Tang San didn't see it as a hassle. He handed his school uniform to Xiao Lin and turned to head out to buy his bedding.
"Little San, watch out for the loser!" Xiao Lin shouted at Tang San's retreating back.
Tang San flashed back an "OK" gesture, and Xiao Lin nodded in satisfaction.
The "OK" sign was something Tang San had picked up from Xiao Lin's habits.
Carrying the uniforms, Xiao Lin headed straight for Room Seven.
The dormitory building of Nuoding Academy wasn't large, consisting of only seven rooms, so Xiao Lin found it quickly. These dorms were either for students who lived far away or for working-class students.
Consequently, the conditions were mediocre, with several people sharing a single room. Room Seven was the worst of the bunch; only working-class students lived there.
It was communal, regardless of age or gender.
Xiao Lin recalled this being some sort of famous "trope" from his past knowledge.
Fortunately, Xiao Lin didn't have high standards for his living environment. He had slept in the Spirit Hall library before, so this was no problem at all.
Pushing open the door to Room Seven, Xiao Lin found the space surprisingly large—better than he had imagined. It was a three-hundred-square-meter room with fifty beds, though only eleven of them actually had quilts on them.
At that moment, several children between the ages of eight and twelve were playing inside. Seeing Xiao Lin enter, the younger ones immediately looked at him like hunters eyeing prey.
"Finally, a new little lackey!"