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Early the next morning, just as dawn began to break, Fang Yang was already shaken awake by Lin Ximeng.
Today was his first day of school—he would officially enter the Soul Master Class at Hongshan Academy and begin his journey as a soul cultivator.
Their home wasn't far from the academy, so Fang Yang arrived at his classroom early.
Compared to ordinary classes, the Soul Master Class clearly enjoyed far superior treatment.
While regular classes focused mainly on general academic education, the Soul Master Class went beyond that.
For students born with soul power, this was the place where they learned how to become skilled soul masters—and where they were taught the foundational knowledge essential to their path.
The class had only twenty new students. Those who had awakened a martial soul and possessed innate soul power were exceedingly rare—especially in a modest city like Aolai.
As he sat in class, Fang Yang noticed Tang Wulin entering the room.
He walked over with a friendly smile and greeted him warmly.
"Morning, Wulin!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Tang Wulin turned and saw Fang Yang approaching.
"Morning, Fang Yang," he replied softly—but his eyes betrayed a faint, unmistakable envy.
Fang Yang blinked in surprise. "Wulin… what's wrong?"
Tang Wulin sighed, his voice low and heavy. "My martial soul…is Blue Silver Grass."
He held out his right palm, where a few slender blue blades of grass swayed gently.
"A useless martial soul…"
The moment the words left his lips, his expression sank even deeper into disappointment.
Fang Yang looked at the dejected boy before him, his heart churned with mixed emotions.
Blue Silver Grass? Useless?
This very martial soul carries the triple legacy of the Blue Silver Emperor, the Sea God, and the Asura bloodline—not to mention the Golden Dragon King's divine core sealed within Tang Wulin himself!
To be blunt, Tang Wulin's talent was anything but weak.
Come to think of it, wasn't there an old saying on the Douluo Continent?
"Blue Silver passes to sons—it's essential for charming girls.
Hao Tian passes to daughters—it's perfect for fending off wolves."
The only reason Tang Wulin's innate potential seemed suppressed was because the immense power of the Golden Dragon King's divine core was overwhelming his natural bloodline.
Of course… Tang Wulin himself knew nothing of this.
Despite the storm of thoughts within, Fang Yang placed a reassuring hand on Tang Wulin's shoulder.
"Wulin, you've got to believe in yourself."
His words worked. Slowly, Tang Wulin's confidence and spirit returned.
Just as the two sat down, a round, plump figure waddled over—a chubby boy with a smug look on his face.
"Hey! What're your martial souls?" the boy asked, arms crossed.
Fang Yang merely gave him a cold glance and ignored him.
After a moment's hesitation, Tang Wulin answered honestly: "Blue Silver Grass."
"Tch! Blue Silver Grass? A useless martial soul!" The chubby boy sneered instantly, turning to leave.
Tang Wulin's face flushed red. Clenching his fists, he shot back, "Then what's yours?"
The boy huffed. With a flick of his wrist, a flash of cold light appeared—revealing a sharp, gleaming dagger in his hand.
"See this? My martial soul—a short blade!"
He puffed out his chest proudly. "When I become a Title Douluo, I'll be known as Blade God Douluo!"
He waved the blade dramatically. "And I've got five levels of innate soul power! With just one slash, I could cut your puny grass to shreds."
Tang Wulin stared at the blade, his newly regained confidence wavering again. He lowered his head silently.
Seeing this, the chubby boy grew even more smug. He patted his round belly and declared loudly, "I, Wang Tao, am born with Title Douluo potential!"
Then, he slapped Tang Wulin on the shoulder. "Tell you what—since you look pitiful, just call me 'Big Brother Wang,' and I'll let you follow me. I'll take you under my wing."
His boast echoed through the classroom—and soon, a few students gathered around, showering him with flattery:
"Big Brother Wang, let me follow you too!"
"Your short blade martial soul is so cool!"
"Level five innate soul power? Amazing!"
Wang Tao squinted smugly at the silent Tang Wulin. "Well? Made up your mind yet?"
Tang Wulin's lips trembled—he was about to speak…
But Fang Yang had seen enough.
He stood up abruptly, voice icy cold: "Wang Tao. Haven't you made enough of a fool of yourself?"
Startled, Wang Tao instinctively flinched backward—his round body shrinking slightly.
But he quickly recovered. "What's it to you? Am I bothering you by taking on a follower?"
"I'm not wasting words on you," Fang Yang sneered. "You're not even worth the lesson."
With that, a blazing ball of flame erupted in his right hand!
The classroom temperature spiked instantly. Students instinctively stepped back, eyes wide.
"F-flame… a Flame martial soul!"
Wang Tao's face went deathly pale. His martial soul dagger trembled in his grip.
He could feel the oppressive weight of Fang Yang's soul power—it was definitely beyond level five!
Sweat beaded on Wang Tao's forehead. But he wasn't stupid—he immediately stammered, "B-big… brother! I was wrong!"
Fang Yang fixed him with a sharp look. "I don't care about anyone else—but Tang Wulin is my friend."
"I-I understand! Totally!" Wang Tao nodded frantically, forcing a submissive grin.
He scrambled back to his seat like a frightened mouse, not daring to lift his head again.
The classroom fell deathly silent. Every student now stared at Fang Yang with awe and fear.
Only when Fang Yang retracted his Flame martial soul did the tension ease.
Tang Wulin looked at him with wide-eyed admiration. "Fang Yang… you're amazing!"
Fang Yang smiled and patted his shoulder. "It's nothing. Once your soul power grows, you might be even stronger than me."
Soon after, class began.
The homeroom teacher walked in—a young, strikingly beautiful female soul master.
Both Fang Yang and Tang Wulin's eyes widened in shock.
"Mom?!"
"Auntie Lin?!"
Their homeroom teacher was none other than Fang Yang's own mother—Lin Ximeng.
Standing at the front of the class, she smiled warmly, her voice clear and gentle:
"Good morning, everyone. I'm Lin Ximeng. For the next three years, I'll be your homeroom teacher and will instruct you in the fundamentals of soul mastery."
She turned and wrote her name neatly on the blackboard.
Brushing the chalk dust from her hands, she swept her gaze over the students.
"Now, let's get to know each other. We'll start with self-introductions."
With only twenty students, the introductions passed quickly.
After the last student sat down, Lin Ximeng gave a slight nod.
"Excellent. Now that we've met, let's begin today's lesson."
As Fang Yang listened to his mother explain the classifications of martial souls and soul masters, he realized—even in this so-called "sewer-tier" fantasy cultivation world—there was still much he didn't know.
After all, this wasn't just a storybook setting. It was a living, breathing world.
And after centuries of development, the theoretical framework and knowledge system surrounding martial souls had become remarkably sophisticated and mature.
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