Tang Hao stared at the young boy in disbelief. He hadn't expected his formidable presence to be so easily countered—especially by someone who looked no older than five or six. Yet, despite his youthful appearance, Qian Yu radiated a composed maturity far beyond his years. Tang Hao instantly realized: this child was no ordinary soul master.
Qian Yu remained calm under Tang Hao's gaze; his tone casual as he spoke. "As you can see, Uncle, I'm just a kid who recently awakened his Martial Soul. Is there anything else you need?"
Tang Hao examined the boy more closely. He didn't recognize him, and even if he had, he wasn't the kind to harm a child. Still, he could sense something exceptional. This child... he would not remain unknown for long. Someday, all of the Douluo Continent would hear his name.
Suddenly, Tang Hao burst into laughter. "Hahaha! No, nothing else," he said, voice rich with amusement. "But I do have high expectations for your future."
Qian Yu gave no reply. Without another word, he turned and walked away, heading back to Old Jack's house. He was surprised Tang Hao had approached him at all. While he knew he couldn't match Tang Hao's strength yet, with the abilities of his Wings of Void Martial Soul, he could instantly teleport into the void to avoid danger—making it nearly impossible for even a Title Douluo to capture him.
Still, Qian Yu understood one thing clearly: he needed to grow stronger—and fast. He was no ordinary soul master; he was a god who had reincarnated nine times. Allowing even a single Title Douluo to threaten him in this small Douluo world would be unacceptable.
Over the following days, Qian Yu trained relentlessly in the forest. Mastering ten Martial Souls was no simple feat. He had to learn not just to control each one but to switch between them seamlessly in the heat of battle.
"Wind!" he called out, and two blades of wind shot from his hands, slicing through a thick tree like paper. Even without soul rings, his elemental wind Martial Soul allowed him to manipulate the air freely shaping it into blades, arrows, or gusts. The same applied to his other elemental souls.
"Earth Shield!" he shouted next. A massive wall of hardened earth surged from the ground, shielding him completely. With this level of control, even Soul Sect-level enemies would find him difficult to match—despite the absence of a single soul ring.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
It was finally time for Qian Yu and Tang San to head to Nuoding Academy. Tang San bid his father farewell, and Old Jack accompanied both boys on the journey to Nuoding City. Though they traveled together, Qian Yu largely ignored Tang San.
There was no animosity—he simply didn't like the boy and had no intention of babysitting him, even if they were from the same village.
The journey wasn't long. The trio walked for half a day, sharing a humble meal of dry rations along the way. By afternoon, the walls of Nuoding City came into view. Although it wasn't a major city, its defenses were sturdy—Nuoding was located near the border of the Heaven Dou Empire, after all.
Once inside, they made their way to the west side of the city where Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy stood. Old Jack asked for directions multiple times before finally leading them to a grand stone archway. It spanned twenty meters in width and stood over ten meters high, crafted from solid rock. Below, two heavy iron gates loomed—dark and formidable, clearly forged from high-grade metal.
Beyond the gates, a tree-lined path led into the academy grounds. Etched into the archway were four bold characters: "Nuoding Academy." Even at a glance, it was clear how prestigious the profession of a Soul Master was in this world—and this was only a junior academy.
As they approached the gate, a young guard stepped forward, blocking their path with a sneer. "What do you bumpkins want? This isn't a place for country folk."
Old Jack, still dressed in the modest but respectable garb of Holy Soul Village, quickly bowed and smiled. "Young man, we're from Holy Soul Village. These two children are work-study students chosen this year. Could you tell us the admission process?"
The gatekeeper scoffed; eyes full of scorn. "A backwater village like yours has two kids with soul power. Golden phoenixes don't come from chicken coops. Are you sure you're not trying to sneak in?"
Before the guard could finish his insult—Boom! A loud crash echoed across the entrance.
The gatekeeper was sent flying, smashing against the iron railing with a heavy thud. All eyes turned in shock—Qian Yu stood where the gatekeeper had been, his expression calm and cold.
Tang San and Old Jack were stunned. Though they had traveled with Qian Yu, they hadn't truly seen his strength until now.
"You…" the gatekeeper gasped, struggling to rise. "You dare hit me?"
Qian Yu stepped forward and planted a foot on the guard's chest. From his robes, he pulled out the Spirit Hall certificate given by Su Yuntao and thrust it in the guard's face. "Open your dog's eyes and look closely. If you still can't see clearly… I can help you."
His voice was icy and razor-sharp. The gatekeeper's face paled. The certificate was real—he couldn't afford to provoke someone endorsed by Spirit Hall.
"Y-Yes, this is a genuine certificate," the guard stammered. "You… you may go in."
Qian Yu nodded and gave the guard a final cold look. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Terrified, the gatekeeper immediately knelt. "Sirs, I was blind and ignorant! I'm sorry—I shouldn't have judged you!"
Only after the apology did Qian Yu step back. Turning to Old Jack, he bowed slightly. "Thank you for taking care of me these past few days. I'll head in now. One day, I'll return this favor."
Still in shock, Old Jack could only nod silently.
Tang San, too, was shaken. He'd thought Qian Yu was just a quiet child, but now... it was clear that his strength was extraordinary. Could I even defeat him with the Tang Sect's techniques? he wondered.
That moment, something sparked inside Tang San—a fighting spirit. He had found his first true rival.
"Grandpa Jack, I'll go in as well," Tang San said, resolute.
"Alright," Old Jack replied softly, watching both boys walk through the gates of Nuoding Academy. Their figures soon disappeared down the tree-lined path. He couldn't shake the feeling that Qian Yu wasn't just talented—he was destined for greatness.
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