Dorm Seven was the most unconventional dormitory.
Their style was rough and unruly, following a hierarchy where strength dictated leadership. Xiao Lin found this system quite fitting.
After all, the other dorms consisted of students from Nuoding City, whereas Dorm Seven housed working students from various small mountain villages.
With no family or background to rely on, sticking together under a single leader was their best bet against bullying.
Of course, that didn't mean Dorm Seven wasn't bullied itself.
As the lowest rung of the academy's hierarchy, their biggest mistake today was setting their sights on Xiao Lin.
"Hey, new kid! What's your name? Where are you from?"
An eight-year-old boy eyed Xiao Lin's coarse linen clothing, sensing a fellow outcast and directly asked.
"Holy Soul Village. Your future boss."
Xiao Lin was well aware of Dorm Seven's unspoken rules and had no intention of following them. Instead, he decided to flip the tables and claim leadership for himself.
"Hah! Since when do you get to be the boss?"
The eight-year-old was suddenly pulled aside as a much bigger twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy stepped forward. His physique was more robust than his peers.
"I'm Wang Sheng. Martial Soul: Battle Tiger. Leader of Dorm Seven. A future Battle Soul Master. And you? What the hell are you?"
Wang Sheng crossed his arms, looking down at Xiao Lin with a sneer.
As soon as he finished speaking, the rest of the kids burst into laughter, their gazes filled with ridicule, as if looking at a complete idiot.
"I'm Xiao Lin. Martial Soul: Coiling Dragon Staff. Level 15 Battle Soul Master. Now, what do you think I am?"
Xiao Lin chuckled, suddenly finding it amusing to tease these children.
The moment he revealed his Martial Soul and Soul Power level, he casually stepped toward Wang Sheng.
Instantly, the entire dorm fell silent.
Wang Sheng's expression shifted as he instinctively took a few steps back, fear creeping into his eyes.
"Impossible! You're just a kid! How can you be Level 15?"
Wang Sheng suddenly recalled something his teacher had mentioned in class.
There was no way he could believe that someone so young had already reached Level 15!
Xiao Lin merely shook his head, ignoring Wang Sheng and choosing a bed near the dormitory door to place his academy uniform. He then prepared to leave and find Tang San.
Though he had his own bedding, it didn't feel right to take it out in front of Dorm Seven.
Besides, he also needed to meet up with Tang San in his "Xiao Yan" persona to collect his manuscript fees.
Xiao Lin turned and walked away, completely disregarding Wang Sheng and the others.
He was long past the age of playing games with children.
Apart from Tang San, no other kid here interested him.
Later, Xiao Wu might count as half an exception.
A mindless rabbit barely qualified as half a person, and that was only because she was a hundred-thousand-year-old Soul Beast in human form.
Xiao Lin had so many questions about Xiao Wu.
First, the matter of Soul Cores. Then, whether someone like Xiao Wu should be classified as a human, a Soul Beast, or a hybrid of both?
If they couldn't transform, would they still be considered Soul Beasts?
Otherwise, what was the purpose of transforming? What benefits did it bring?
There were so many mysteries, and Xiao Lin was eager to find answers.
"Stop! You're not allowed to leave!"
Wang Sheng was dumbfounded to see Xiao Lin already stepping out of the dormitory. He immediately called out.
But his shout lacked any real authority. If anything, it carried a trace of hesitation and fear.
Xiao Lin turned back, giving Wang Sheng a helpless glance before releasing his yellow Soul Ring.
In the narrow dormitory corridor, his glowing yellow Soul Ring pierced through the walls, making it visible to everyone inside Dorm Seven.
The moment they saw the yellow ring, all the children's eyes widened in shock.
"Y-Yellow…!"
"His first ring is yellow!"
"B-Big Brother, he's way stronger than you!"
"No shit! You think I don't know that?"
"…From now on, he's our boss."
By the time they snapped out of their shock, Xiao Lin was already gone, having left the dormitory to find Tang San.
"When Boss comes back, stop calling me Big Brother. Call me Second Brother instead, got it?"
Wang Sheng scanned the others with a fierce look, trying to save face.
"Yes, Second Brother!"
Meanwhile, at the entrance of Nuoding Academy…
Tang San stood there with a frown, glaring at a scruffy-looking middle-aged man in front of him.
He had come to buy bedding, but somehow, Yu Xiaogang had found out he didn't have any and was now waiting for him at the gate.
Tang San didn't want to start a fight in broad daylight.
Otherwise, with Yu Xiaogang blocking his way like this, he would've already said: You have chosen the path of death!
"Tang San, I am Master Yu Xiaogang. You may not have heard of me, but I can say this with confidence—no one understands your Martial Soul better than I do. I know your secret."
Yu Xiaogang remained patient despite Tang San's irritated expression.
He was certain that, with his intelligence, he would eventually convince Tang San to acknowledge his wisdom.
However, to his surprise, Tang San only frowned, treating him like a joke, and even muttered, "Idiot."
"Tang San! How dare you disrespect your elders?"
Yu Xiaogang was stunned. He might not understand what "idiot" meant, but he could recognize an insult when he heard one.
"Tang San, do you not believe me? I am a recognized elder of the Martial Soul Hall, the only one to have earned the title of 'Wisdom Elder' based on knowledge and theory alone!"
Yu Xiaogang held back his anger.
After all, he knew Tang San's secret—his twin Martial Souls. But he didn't want to expose it in public.
Otherwise, the Martial Soul Hall might take Tang San away.
"Moron."
Seeing that Xiao Lin's insult earlier wasn't effective enough, Tang San followed up with a more straightforward curse.
"You—!!"
Yu Xiaogang nearly lost it.
Tang San had actually called him a moron?
He was Master! He prided himself on his intelligence!
"Fine, Tang San! If you refuse to believe me, then I have no choice but to reveal your secret to everyone."
"You have twin Martial Souls, don't you?"
Yu Xiaogang declared triumphantly, tilting his head up with an arrogant smirk, as if expecting Tang San to kneel in admiration.
Tang San's eyes flickered with surprise as he subtly raised his left hand, as if considering an attack.
The Mysterious Heaven Record had a rule—anyone who posed a threat must be eliminated.
Yu Xiaogang, you have chosen death!
No, killing him would only prove his accusation true.
Instead, Tang San raised his left hand and scratched his head, pretending to be confused.
"Twin Martial Souls? What is that? Why are you saying I have them?"
"Hmph!"
Yu Xiaogang chuckled smugly, shaking his head in satisfaction.
"I have researched over 647 individuals with Blue Silver Grass Martial Souls. Only sixteen of them had Soul Power, and none of them had more than one level."
"My Martial Soul Ten Core Competencies state that innate Soul Power is directly proportional to the quality of the Martial Soul. Blue Silver Grass clearly does not fit this condition, so—"
"So, why can't I be the exception? Maybe my Martial Soul is the King of Blue Silver Grass—the Blue Silver King?"
Tang San interrupted, countering Yu Xiaogang's logic effortlessly.
"Blue Silver King!?"
Yu Xiaogang froze. His mind struggled to process the new idea.
The King of Blue Silver Grass? A Martial Soul mutation?
Clutching his head, he realized—
Had he just made a fool of himself?