As Grandpa Jack and the gatekeeper continued to argue, a middle-aged man with a buzz cut, stubble, and a somewhat disheveled appearance arrived.
Su Ming looked over and, seeing that the man matched the description he knew, realized that this must be the so-called "theory master" Yu Xiaogang.
While watching Yu Xiaogang approach, Su Ming simultaneously used his mind to write in his journal.
In his previous life, he could only watch these characters on TV, but now, they were appearing before him in real life. Su Ming found this deeply amusing.
Perhaps Su Ming still saw this world as an anime and himself as someone who had reincarnated into it. He hadn't yet fully integrated into this world and still viewed the people and events around him with a detached, outsider's perspective.
This was understandable; if you found yourself in a completely unfamiliar world, it would take time to adapt and blend in.
[Oh, let's put aside Tang San's grudge against me and Grandpa Jack for now. The one who'll save the day has arrived.]
[As expected, Yu Xiaogang has shown up!]
At Blue Tyrant Academy.
Liu Erlong, who was watering flowers while reading the journal, suddenly froze. The watering can fell from her hands as her eyes filled with tears. She muttered to herself, "Xiaogang, after all these years, I finally know where you are!"
Originally, Liu Erlong had viewed the journal with curiosity but wasn't deeply invested. After all, her heart was still focused on Yu Xiaogang, and she didn't care much about anything else.
However, reading the journal daily and getting a soul power reward every seven days was a nice perk. She figured, why not take advantage of it as a form of entertainment?
As for the additional rewards, they required Su Ming to mention her frequently in the journal. That would involve seeking him out and drawing attention to herself, something she had no interest in doing.
But now, upon learning from the journal that Yu Xiaogang was at Nuoding Academy, Liu Erlong became overwhelmed with emotion. After the incident years ago, they hadn't seen each other since.
Even after discovering that they were cousins, she couldn't abandon her feelings for him. She had fallen for him long before knowing their blood relation. His deep understanding of martial souls and his intelligence captivated her.
She couldn't help but love him. Even when she found out they were cousins, her feelings didn't change. After all, love doesn't need a reason!
Just as she was about to set off for Nuoding Academy to find Yu Xiaogang, she suddenly remembered the journal's rule: No one could discover the journal's existence, or they would face elimination.
Given her fiery temper, Liu Erlong was naturally inclined to challenge such a rule. She was headstrong and wanted to test it.
But testing it meant certain death.
She deliberately showed the journal to one of the academy's teachers, placing it right in front of him and asking if he saw anything.
The teacher, confused, shook his head.
Liu Erlong, still skeptical, started to say, "Can't you see this jour—"
The moment she uttered the first syllable, she felt an overwhelming force locking onto her, filling her with dread. She realized that if she said even one more word, she would be killed on the spot!
Quickly waving the teacher away, Liu Erlong struggled to regain her composure. She couldn't stop trembling, her heart pounding as if it might burst from her chest. Unable to bear the pressure any longer, she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The journal didn't take kindly to her recklessness, offering a small but stern warning.
Recalling the terrifying experience, Liu Erlong withdrew her steps. She couldn't just show up in front of Su Ming like this—he would surely notice something amiss.
If Su Ming realized she had a copy of the journal, it would be over for her.
Su Ming knew the storyline, and she couldn't act impulsively.
Although she didn't know why she had been granted the journal, Liu Erlong believed that one day, she would meet Su Ming.
Taking a deep breath, Liu Erlong thought to herself: For now, I'll just keep reading the journal and tracking Xiaogang's whereabouts. I've waited this long, so a little more time won't hurt.
Back at the entrance to Nuoding Academy.
Yu Xiaogang stepped in, stopping the argument between Grandpa Jack and the gatekeeper. He scolded the gatekeeper, saying, "You're just a lowly gatekeeper. You don't have the authority to decide whether a child with innate full soul power can become a working student!"
Yu Xiaogang had overheard their argument from a distance and quickly understood why Tang San and Su Ming were being blocked. He snatched the two recommendation letters from the gatekeeper's hands.
The gatekeeper, intimidated by Yu Xiaogang's scolding, wanted to speak but hesitated. Yu Xiaogang was rumored to be a friend of the academy's dean and was a level-29 Grand Soul Master. Although some people secretly called him a failure, the gatekeeper, who had no soul power, couldn't afford to provoke him.
The gatekeeper himself wasn't sure why he had acted so irrationally. Perhaps it was out of jealousy, or maybe he thought these two newly awakened children were easy targets. Likely, it was a mix of both.
Yu Xiaogang carefully examined the information on the recommendation letters about Su Ming and Tang San's martial souls. He had only overheard part of the argument and hadn't yet learned what martial souls these two boys had or what their talents were.
Su Ming's martial soul was the Wood Element, and he had innate level-seven soul power.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up. Innate level-seven soul power—this boy was a genius! If he trained properly and didn't meet an early demise, his future would at least see him becoming a Soul Douluo!
Yu Xiaogang's thoughts quickly turned to taking Su Ming as a disciple. He had always wanted to prove the correctness of his "Ten Core Theories of Martial Souls" to the world. Even though his own power was lacking, he believed he could train a disciple who would prove his worth.
Then he turned to the second letter: Tang San, martial soul Blue Silver Grass, innate level-10 soul power!
Initially, when he saw the words "Blue Silver Grass," his excitement faded. But the moment he saw "innate level-10 soul power," he became thrilled again!
A genius—no, a prodigy! If his suspicions were correct, Tang San's potential could rival even the Pope, Bibi Dong!
Turning to Grandpa Jack, Yu Xiaogang confidently said, "I'll take them to handle their enrollment. Don't worry, I have some influence at this academy."
Grandpa Jack, realizing that this man must have some authority, nodded. After all, the gatekeeper wouldn't have stayed quiet if Yu Xiaogang didn't have any power.
Then, Grandpa Jack took out two small bags and handed them to Su Ming and Tang San with a smile. "From here on, the road is yours to walk. Study hard at the academy."
Peeking into the bag, Su Ming saw silver soul coins. There were about ten, judging by the weight. Although this wasn't a huge sum for Su Ming now, it was a heartfelt gesture from Grandpa Jack.
After all, Grandpa Jack was just an ordinary person, and silver soul coins had strong purchasing power. It wasn't easy for him to offer so much.
Su Ming nodded solemnly and said, "Don't worry, Grandpa Jack. I'll study hard, and I'll come back to visit you during the holidays!"
Tang San, who didn't have much money, also gratefully accepted Grandpa Jack's kindness. He gave a small nod and said, "Thank you, Grandpa Jack."
Su Ming watched as Grandpa Jack slowly walked away, his back slightly hunched. For some reason, Su Ming felt a lump in his throat. Grandpa Jack was the only family he had in this world.