✨ 300 gems = 1 bonus chapter
✨ 500 gems = another bonus chapter
***********
At the gates of Nuoding Academy, two gatekeepers stood on duty. One of them took the Spirit Hall certificate and glanced over the old man and the plainly dressed boy beside him. Both of them wore simple, somewhat shabby clothes, clearly marking them as villagers from a poor background.
The gatekeeper's eyes filled with open disdain as he sneered and said, "Where did these beggars come from, trying to sneak into our Nuoding Academy? How dare you claim to have tenth-level soul power with such a useless Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass? Do you really think we are fools?"
With that, he tossed the Spirit Hall certificate back, waved his hand, and scolded,
"Take your forged Spirit Hall certificate and get out of here. Otherwise, don't blame us for being rough with you."
Old Jack, the village chief of Holy Soul Village, quickly picked up the certificate and tried to explain, his face full of worry.
"You two young brothers, this Spirit Hall certificate is real. It was given to our Xiao San by a Battle Spirit Master from Spirit Hall. If you let us in, the teachers at the academy will be able to tell if it is genuine."
The gatekeeper's expression changed, his voice turning sharp.
"Old man, who are you calling brother? Get lost now. Don't force us to drive you away."
The old man wanted to explain further, but the child beside him suddenly moved. In the narrow space by the gate, a sudden force pulled the gatekeeper forward, catching him completely off guard. The boy quickly seized the moment, grabbing the gatekeeper's wrist and stopping him from fighting back. Then, using his whole body, he drove his elbow hard into the gatekeeper's stomach.
A cry of pain rang out as the gatekeeper collapsed to the ground. There was a faint click as a hidden sleeve arrow on the boy's arm unlocked, ready to strike if things escalated.
The second gatekeeper, face twisted with anger, stepped forward, fists clenched and ready for a fight.
"Old man, little brat, not only do you try to sneak into our Nuoding Academy, but you even dare to hit people. I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"
Old Jack was stunned by the sudden turn of events. The dark and thin child beside him now had eyes full of cold, naked killing intent, as if he had already decided the gatekeeper's fate.
Just then, a cold voice rang out.
"Enough. Stop it, all of you!"
Both gatekeepers froze. One quickly helped the other to his feet, and they stood aside, no longer daring to act out.
A tall, thin, middle-aged man with sunken cheeks and a stern expression walked over to the old man and the boy. This was Yu Xiaogang, known as the Grandmaster. Every year, he came to the academy in hopes of finding a child of humble origins with exceptional talent to prove his Martial Soul theories.
He spoke in a calm, serious tone.
"Old sir, young friend, this matter is the academy's fault. May I see your Spirit Hall certificate?"
Hearing this, the old man's face lit up with relief. He quickly handed over the certificate and replied eagerly, hoping this respected teacher could help them. "Teacher, this is our Spirit Hall certificate. Our Xiao San's Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, but he truly has tenth-level soul power."
Yu Xiaogang examined the certificate closely, a spark of excitement flickering in his eyes. By all logic, Blue Silver Grass should not allow for such high soul power. There could only be one explanation: this child must have another Martial Soul, and it had to be of exceptional quality.
Suppressing his excitement, Yu Xiaogang cleared his throat and addressed the old man and Tang San with a serious tone.
"There is no problem. This is a genuine certificate from Spirit Hall. Old sir, please leave this child to me. I will personally take him to register at the academy."
Old Jack nodded gratefully, relief washing over his face as he entrusted the boy to the Grandmaster's care.
Old Jack's face lit up with gratitude.
"Thank you, Teacher. I'll leave everything to you."
He turned to Tang San and encouraged him,
"Xiao San, go with this teacher. Study hard and cultivate well."
Tang San glanced at the two gatekeepers, thinking to himself that they were lucky. If things had gone differently, there might have been bloodshed today. He lowered his head and replied,
"I understand, Grandpa Jack."
Yu Xiaogang, hoping to leave a good impression on Tang San, turned to the two gatekeepers and spoke coldly,
"You judge people by their appearance. If this happens again, you will not be allowed to stay."
The two gatekeepers, though they had some connections in the academy, were still ordinary people. Facing Yu Xiaogang, a Soul Master, they did not dare to argue. They exchanged nervous glances and replied together,
"Grandmaster, we understand."
Yu Xiaogang then looked at Tang San, managed an awkward smile, and spoke gently,
"Xiao San, let me call you that for now. Come with me."
Tang San nodded and followed Yu Xiaogang through the gates, stepping into a new chapter of his life.
Tang San glanced at Jack, then followed Yu Xiaogang through the academy gates.
At the same time, Wang Ping and Wang Li had witnessed the entire scene from nearby. Wang Ping quickly tugged Wang Li toward the academy entrance, urging him in a low voice,
"Xiao Li, let's hurry over. That must be a teacher from the academy, and he looks very important. If we follow him, we should be able to register without any trouble!"
Wang Li, however, was in no rush. He had watched the commotion with great interest. This was a classic scene: Nuoding Academy's gatekeepers making things difficult for Tang San, and Tang San nearly resorting to violence.
In truth, if they had simply mentioned Su Yuntao's name, the problem would have been solved right away. These were just two ignorant gatekeepers. To question a certificate issued by Su Yuntao was to question Spirit Hall itself, something they would never dare to do.
With Su Yuntao's status, he was already someone these gatekeepers could not afford to offend.
Arriving at the gate of Nuoding Academy, Wang Ping handed Wang Li's Spirit Hall certificate to the two gatekeepers and gestured toward Wang Li.
"This is Wang Li from our village. This is the Spirit Hall certificate issued by the Battle Spirit Master after his Martial Soul awakening."
The two gatekeepers, still simmering from the earlier incident, immediately changed their attitude at the mention of the Battle Spirit Master from Spirit Hall. All hostility vanished as they examined the certificate in surprise.
"Another Blue Silver Grass? Mutated Blue Silver Grass and third-level soul power. What's going on this year? One after another, all Blue Silver Grass."
Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, who had not gone far, overheard these words. A hint of surprise flickered in Yu Xiaogang's eyes, and Tang San was just as intrigued. The gatekeepers returned the certificate, looked at the familiar sight of an old man and a young boy, and waved them in.
"Go on in. Don't wander around. Go straight to the Academic Affairs Office to register."
***********
Get access to advanced chapters at my P@treon.
p@treon.com/meowthtl