All rights reserved to the respective authors.
"Dialogue": Represented in double quotes for conversations between characters.
'Thoughts': Represented in single quotation marks, indicating the characters' internal reflections.
[Diary]: Represented in square brackets, used for messages intended for the heroines or entries written by Tenshin.
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Walking to the center of the playground, Xiao Chenyu waved his hand to signal his younger brothers to retreat as he slowly moved to one side and stood. His younger brothers wisely stepped back, positioning themselves at a distance, watching the two come face to face.
"Senior, you have to be careful. I'm very strong," Tenshin said seriously, his wide eyes gleaming with an almost childlike innocence as he clenched his fists.
"Come on, no need to hold back," Xiao Chenyu replied, puffing out his chest in a poised manner. He barely suppressed a chuckle. This kid is too naive.
"Oh." Tenshin nodded, then in the next second, his body moved with surprising fluidity. He closed the distance in an instant, his steps light and controlled, his body shifting at an angle that made his approach seem deceptively harmless.
"Where did this foolish, reckless kid come from?" the onlookers murmured in surprise.
But Xiao Chenyu's eyes widened, his instincts kicking in as he took a defensive stance. Fast! He's faster than he looks!
"What's going on over there?" Xiao Wu, who was leading Wang Sheng and the others back to the dormitory, was also drawn to the sudden shout and quickly led the group over.
Since the agreement was for a physical fight, Tenshin and Xiao Chenyu were very close—only about three meters apart. With such a short distance, they could reach each other almost instantly.
The crowd only saw Tenshin charge forward, his movements deceptively simple. His body seemed to sway slightly as he approached, his steps barely making a sound. His right fist swung out, but his posture remained loose, almost lazy.
Seeing this, Xiao Chenyu smirked and raised his right foot to kick Tenshin in the abdomen, using his height and reach to his advantage. But just as his foot was about to make contact, Tenshin's body bent at an impossible angle, his head tilting just out of reach. His movements were swift, precise—almost instinctual.
"He's dodging… without even thinking?" Xiao Chenyu's heart skipped a beat as he felt his balance shift. Before he could react, Tenshin's hands shot out, clamping down on his right ankle like iron shackles.
"What the—" Xiao Chenyu struggled, but Tenshin's grip was unyielding. His innocent expression remained unchanged, but his eyes gleamed with a sharpness that seemed out of place.
"Ah!" Tenshin shouted, his face turning red as he tightened his hold and spun his body. The movement was fluid, deliberate. His feet maintained perfect balance as he twisted, leveraging Xiao Chenyu's own momentum against him.
Xiao Chenyu's world spun. His body lifted off the ground, his arms flailing as his back arched and his head tilted towards the stone slabs below. He fought desperately to regain his footing, but Tenshin's control over the spin was absolute. There was no opening, no escape.
"Holy shit, why is this kid so strong?" Xiao Chenyu felt like he was trapped in a vortex, his vision blurring as the world continued to twist around him.
"Holy shit, Tenshin is so fierce?" Wang Sheng, who had just rushed over, stared at the scene in disbelief. His roommates were also stunned.
"This Tenshin is quite strong," Xiao Wu said, blinking. In her opinion, Tenshin's attack was almost without skill—relying purely on brute force.
"Could this be innate divine strength?" Wang Sheng suggested. "Previously, when Tenshin introduced himself, he said his martial soul was a book. Could it be that any of his ancestors possessed some kind of family talent?"
"Can talents like this be passed down?" Xiao Wu asked, puzzled, looking at Wang Sheng.
"I'm just guessing blindly, Boss Xiao Wu," Wang Sheng scratched his head, smiling awkwardly.
Xiao Wu gave him a blank look before turning her attention back to the field.
Tenshin was still spinning, his posture impossibly steady. Meanwhile, Xiao Chenyu was swaying, his left foot desperately trying to touch the ground, his head and back almost scraping against the stone slabs. His waist and hands were arched upwards, trying to prevent his back from hitting the ground.
After struggling for a while, Xiao Chenyu could no longer hold on. He felt a wave of dizziness in his head, and the meal he had just eaten threatened to come back up. He could barely bear it and quickly shouted to stop, "Stop! Stop spinning, I'm going to throw up!"
"So, you admit defeat?" Tenshin asked innocently, his head tilted in that same childlike manner.
There was a brief silence, followed by a voice tinged with a hint of sadness, "I admit defeat."
Tenshin immediately stopped spinning and gently placed Xiao Chenyu on the ground, then sat down, his body trembling slightly, as though he had also been affected by the spinning. He blinked rapidly, his innocent smile unwavering. "Senior, I won."
"Boss Xiao!" The little brothers hurriedly ran towards Xiao Chenyu, who was lying on the ground with a pale face.
"Tenshin, are you alright?" Wang Sheng and the others quickly ran to Tenshin's side, supporting his somewhat shaky body.
"I'm fine, just a little dizzy," Tenshin waved his hand, brushing it off. He slowly stood up under the support of his roommates. Glancing at the surrounding crowd with a quick look, his gaze lingered on Xiao Chenyu for just a second longer before he smiled again. 'Got you.'
The crowd, still processing the unexpected outcome, murmured in disbelief. To them, it looked like a simple case of brute force.
"A manly man who's willing to gamble will accept defeat," Tenshin said casually, his grin widening. "From now on, the cleaning task for our work-study students will be your responsibility."
At those words, Wang Sheng and the others froze.
Tenshin had actually made a bet with Xiao Chenyu for the sake of their seventh dormitory? The group blinked, and their eyes instantly turned a little misty, feeling moved by his actions.
'Damn, why do you have to remind me now?' Xiao Chenyu, who was slowly recovering under the little brothers' pounding and pinching, suddenly felt a blockage in his chest. It felt like swallowing something unpleasant, and his face flushed with frustration. Reaching out to push away the little brothers, he gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry. I, Xiao Chenyu, am no coward, and I'll arrange for the cleaning task for your work-study students this afternoon."
With that, he slowly stood up, supported by his little brothers. His face turned puzzled, and his tone grew more polite. "Kid, what is your martial soul? How come you're so strong?" Though he was usually arrogant, Xiao Chenyu wasn't stupid. At home, his father had often warned him that there were many low-profile but powerful families in this world, even some royal families that shouldn't be messed with. Perhaps Tenshin was from one of those families hiding his true identity.
Before acquiring his first spirit ring, Tenshin's strength was already formidable—so what would happen once he absorbed it? Xiao Chenyu wondered if a slap from Tenshin could send him flying at that point.
Tenshin scratched his head and gave a carefree smile. "Me? I have a Mutated Book Martial Soul and Level 7 Innate Soul Power. Maybe it's because the martial soul's mutated, but I've been able to eat a lot after awakening it, so my strength's been growing pretty fast."
His eyes then turned toward Xiao Wu, standing by Wang Sheng's side. Smiling, he said, "If you want to talk about being powerful, our dorm's big sister, Xiao Wu, is way stronger than me. I think you definitely won't be able to beat her."
Xiao Chenyu instinctively followed Tenshin's gaze and looked at Xiao Wu.
When the crowd's attention turned to her, Xiao Wu raised her head with a sense of accomplishment. "Let me introduce myself," she said confidently. "My name is Xiao Wu, a first-year work-study student and the big sister of the seventh dormitory. My martial soul is a Soft Boned Rabbit, and I'm a Level 12, one-ringed Battle Soul Master. If you're not convinced and want to fight, come challenge me anytime."
"Gulp. Level twelve." The onlookers immediately inhaled sharply.
[This stupid rabbit, how did the original survive in Nuoding City? Wouldn't it have been safer to say Level 11 or something? At least then, people could still guess that you had an Innate Soul Power of Level 8 or 9, and you could drag things out at the Spirit Hall for certification. That would have been much safer. But saying Level 12 directly? Now, everyone will immediately figure out you have full innate soul power. If this information reaches the Spirit Hall, it could land on Bibi Dong's desk. She could easily send a Spirit Douluo here to verify it, and if she wanted to, your life would be over in an instant.]
The heroines, upon reading Tenshin's entry, were left speechless, collectively questioning what had possessed Xiao Wu to make such a reckless move. As Tenshin aptly noted, it was an incredibly foolish decision. Their thoughts ranged from disbelief to concern, realizing that the consequences of revealing her full innate soul power so openly could have dire repercussions.
Despite their differing temperaments, all the heroines shared a similar sentiment: Xiao Wu's apparent lack of foresight had opened up a dangerous avenue that no one could afford to ignore.
Tenshin glanced at Xiao Wu, who was still a bit pleased with herself. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he silently thought, 'Anyway, this isn't my problem. Let it be Tang San's issue.'
"6 years old, level 12—her innate soul power must be at least level 9." Xiao Chenyu's heart shook dramatically. The time when the Spirit Hall Deacons went to the villages each year to awaken the children's martial souls was usually two months before the Primary Soul Master Academy began. During this short period, it wasn't difficult for children with high talent to raise one level. If the spirit ring absorbed happened to align with the optimal number of years, it was even possible to raise two levels.
The child in front of him, called Tenshin, had innate soul power of 7, which made him a genius by most standards. His strength was considerable, and at most, he could be considered uniquely talented. However, due to his martial soul, his potential was largely wasted. But this Xiao Wu—she was exceptionally talented. After seeing her power firsthand, Xiao Chenyu was certain he couldn't afford to mess with her.
With such high innate soul power, he couldn't believe she wasn't from a powerful family.
Pushing through the crowd of his little brothers, Xiao Chenyu hurriedly bowed slightly and said politely, "Big Sister Xiao Wu, I'm convinced. Since you're Tenshin's big sister and I lost to him, you'll be the Big Sister of all the students at Nuoding Academy from now on."
He then waved at his followers.
"All of you, pay your respects to Big Sister Xiao Wu!"
"Greetings, Big Sister Xiao Wu." The group of little brothers, hearing this, bowed and saluted in unison.
Tenshin looked on blankly. 'Why does this whole thing feel like a gang?' But in his heart, he was very satisfied with the situation. To conceal his strength, he had tricked Xiao Chenyu in their duel. If Xiao Chenyu wasn't satisfied and proposed another duel in the future, it would only create more trouble.
With Xiao Wu's intervention to calm things down, Tenshin figured he could go to the blacksmith workshop and do his own thing in the afternoon without worry.
"Good point, very good point." Xiao Wu smiled, savoring the moment. After scrutinizing the newly accepted little brothers once more, she waved her hand, signaling for Xiao Chenyu and the others to leave. She then turned her head to look at Tenshin, patting him on the shoulder as she said with a smile, "Tenshin, good job."
'You're really just addicted to being a Big Sister.' Tenshin thought inwardly, but he wore an innocent smile and said, "Thanks, I guess."
"Tenshin, quickly tell us what happened just now," Wang Sheng, who had been standing by, asked eagerly.
The group chatted as they walked, quickly returning to the dormitory. When they opened the door, Tang San was lying diagonally across the bed, sleeping soundly. The group didn't say anything to disturb him. Each quietly took small steps back to their own beds, sitting cross-legged to begin cultivating their soul power.
Only Xiao Wu, who seemed to have no intention of cultivating, bounced onto the bed and lay directly on the dividing line between the two beds, right in front of Tang San's face. She carefully studied his face and suddenly spoke, "Hey."
Tang San was instantly awakened and opened his eyes.
"It's not even night yet. You're sleeping now—will you still sleep tonight?" Xiao Wu smiled and said.
"You've crossed the line," Tang San said, sitting up and pointing to the boundary line.
"..."
The two of them instantly started chatting idly. When Tang San finished eating the coarse bread for dinner, Xiao Wu immediately grabbed his arm and suggested they go out for a stroll together. Unable to resist her urging, Tang San nodded and agreed, following her out of the dormitory.
At that moment, Tenshin slowly opened his eyes and start write in the diary.
[Just now, Xiao Wu and Tang San went out of the dormitory, just like in the novel. After Xiao Wu fought with Tang San and realized he had Innate Full Soul Power, she must have wanted to approach him more actively.]
[First, regarding the bedding situation—back then, it was still noon. Xiao Wu could have borrowed money from her dormitory mates to buy a new one, just like Tenshin did. Yet, she still took the initiative to propose sharing a bed with Tang San. Her words were full of urging, even jokingly asking, "Are you afraid I'll push you down?"]
[Now, she took the initiative to wake Tang San up and invite him for a sparring session. Was it on purpose? Perhaps she wanted to reconfirm Tang San's strength. I'm starting to think of a certain possibility. Soul Beasts, like Xiao Wu, go through a growth phase from juvenile to mature. During the juvenile stage, they're at their weakest.]
[To get through this juvenile stage, a Soul Beast must either focus on improving their strength or find a powerful partner for protection. It seems that finding one within the civilian class is the safest option—there are no high-level Soul Masters to expose their identity, and they have the freedom to grow.]
The reactions of the heroines to Tenshin's diary entries were filled with surprise and curiosity.
In Moon Pavillion, Tang Yuehua's eyes burned with a furious glare as she read the diary entry. "That Xiao Wu… If I were there, I would have given her a piece of my mind!" She clenched her fists, her temper flaring. "What kind of woman tries to take advantage of my nephew like that? Sharing a bed and sparring with him—does she have no shame?"
She seethed, her voice cold as she muttered to herself. "I will not allow anyone to manipulate him, especially not someone like her. If Xiao Wu thinks she can use Tang San's innocence to her advantage, she's sorely mistaken."
Her gaze darkened, as she imagined confronting Xiao Wu directly. "I'll make sure she understands that no one touches my family like that and gets away with it!"
[Tang San, with his Innate Full Soul Power, may seem like an ideal candidate. Even though his power might seem 'watery'.]
Tenshin's words sparked a mix of surprise and confusion among the heroines. The concept of innate soul power being "watery" was completely foreign to them. Isn't innate soul power fixed from birth? they wondered, perplexed. How could it be anything less than fully formed? They had always believed that soul power was a set trait determined by one's martial soul, leaving them to question the validity of Tenshin's observation.
[From what I recall, Tang San spent most of his childhood training alone in the back mountains. His practice of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, a technique from his previous life, hit a bottleneck shortly before awakening his martial soul. That bottleneck was at the first level of the Mysterious Heaven Skill. No matter how much he practiced, he couldn't break through to the second level—until he absorbed his first soul ring. This breakthrough allowed him to reach the second level of the Mysterious Heaven Skill.]
[As a result, Tang San's soul power was at level thirteen when he registered at the Spirit Hall.]
[When a soul master reaches the peak of their cultivation realm, even without hunting for soul rings, they can still practice normally. The soul power accumulated during this period is used after they obtain the soul ring.]
[This means that Tang San's Innate Full Soul Power comes from practicing Mysterious Heaven Skill. Otherwise, how could he break through to the next level after absorbing the soul ring?]
[Furthermore, the four-hundred-year-old Mandala Snake Soul Ring only raised Tang San's soul power by two levels at most, but it raised him by three levels instead. This was possible because he didn't give up, even when the first level of the Mysterious Heaven Skill hit a bottleneck. His soul power increased through sheer practice.]
Not only Ning Rongrong, but also Zhu Zhuqing, Qian Renxue, and the others were astounded by Tenshin's analysis! They had never imagined that innate soul power could be improved.
In their understanding, innate soul power was fixed, determined by the quality of one's martial soul at birth. The higher the quality of the martial soul, the higher the innate soul power. But now, they were faced with a revelation—an exception!
As the diary continued, Bibi Dong, sitting in the Spirit Hall, became deeply contemplative.
Despite her wealth of experience as the Pope, she had never encountered a method to enhance innate soul power. While she had heard of rare fairy herbs that could improve one's talent, such herbs were extraordinarily hard to find, and one couldn't just ask for them. She had sent people to search the mainland for years without any success.
But this Mysterious Heaven Skill that Tang San possessed could indeed enhance his innate soul power!
Bibi Dong began to visualize the implications. If this technique were to become widespread, those with an initial innate soul power of level seven—such as Tang San—would be able to attain full innate soul power upon awakening their martial souls.
For those with weaker talents—those with only half a level of innate soul power, for instance—if they began practicing Mysterious Heaven Skill from childhood, their innate soul power could potentially increase to levels four or five after their martial soul awakened.
Bibi Dong also considered those whose martial souls awakened without any soul power. She still wasn't sure whether Mysterious Heaven Skill could generate soul power in these individuals. This would require large-scale testing, particularly among civilians, but if it could work, it would change their fate entirely.
Bibi Dong's thoughts began to run wild. If the Mysterious Heaven Skill could improve innate soul power for those with low potential, it would revolutionize the entire world of soul masters. It could reshape the power balance on the continent itself!
Hu Liena, who was by her side, whispered in awe, "Teacher, this Mysterious Heaven Skill…"
Bibi Dong's gaze hardened as she replied, "Nana, the Mysterious Heaven Skill Tang San possesses is an unparalleled treasure. If any force were to control it, they could change the very balance of power across the continent."
Her desire to interrogate Tang San grew stronger. I want to know everything about this technique, she thought. But kidnapping him is out of the question. With Tang Hao guarding him, it would expose everything in the diary.
Bibi Dong sighed, acknowledging the limits of her power. She lacked the necessary people in her command, as most of the Titled Douluo were under the control of Qian Daoliu. Even if she tried to send forces after Tang San and Tang Hao, Qian Daoliu would not assist her. With her strength diminished by the divine test, engaging in a conflict with Qian Daoliu would be reckless.
However, Bibi Dong wasn't one to give up easily. She resolved that if she continued reading the diary daily, even if she gained only a tiny fraction of soul power each day, it wouldn't be long before she regained her peak strength—or perhaps even surpassed it.
[Back to Xiao Wu—regardless of her talent or strength, Tang San is undoubtedly the most capable person of his age that Xiao Wu has met so far. By following him, she not only gains a powerful shield to protect her as she grows in strength, but she can also learn more about the human world through him.]
[So, Xiao Wu has been pretending to be pure?]
Tenshin stroked his chin. "After all, it's still a human world."
'But did this silly rabbit really have that kind of intelligence?' Tenshin was starting to feel skeptical again.