The sky was just beginning to lighten, a faint white glow appearing in the east. On the country road of Cheng Family Village, a small, thin figure was already running.
"Huff… huff… huff…"
Cheng Xiao was breathing heavily. This was his third month of training since inheriting the Shadow King Aspen's power.
With the nourishment of Shadow Force, his physical condition had improved significantly. Otherwise, training at the age of six would have been a dream.
No matter how strong his willpower, his body had its limits. Prematurely exhausting his potential to break through so-called limits would be the same as destroying his foundation.
But with the nourishment of Shadow Force, Cheng Xiao clearly felt his body becoming lighter than before, and his strength had increased considerably. Furthermore, after each training session, he could sleep soundly and his body would be almost completely recovered the next day.
This was the fundamental reason why Cheng Xiao could train continuously for three months.
After running twenty kilometers, Cheng Xiao stopped, looking at the rising sun with a smile on his face.
Training was undoubtedly monotonous and boring, but Cheng Xiao had a subtle feeling of addiction. He could feel his body improving with each completed training session.
This feeling of physical enhancement was exactly what motivated Cheng Xiao to persevere.
He knew that even Cheng Xiaoyu, the second-generation Shadow King, had gone through this step by step, although his progress had been faster.
\n\nReturning home, Cheng Xiao immediately saw the breakfast his grandfather had prepared: a bowl of steaming white rice porridge, a peeled egg, and a pancake the size of a palm.
They hadn't had eggs at home before, but they'd slowly started having them after Cheng Xiao began training early in the morning.
"Xiao, take a shower after you eat. Grandpa will take you to Notting City's Spirit Master Academy to study. Our village has a work-study student spot, and it's perfect for you," Grandpa Cheng said with a smile.
"Thank you, Grandpa." Cheng Xiao smiled and slowly ate his breakfast.
After several years of living together, the grandfather and grandson had a very good relationship, completely like a real grandfather and grandson.
After finishing his meal, Cheng Xiao took a shower and changed into the new clothes his grandpa had bought for him in Notting City a few days ago. He didn't know how much they cost, but Cheng Xiao loved them very much because they were a gift from the grandpa who had raised him.
Walking down the road, Cheng Xiao held his grandpa's hand tightly. Perhaps it was because they were about to part, or maybe for some other reason, but his hand remained clenched.
Cheng Family Village wasn't far from Notting City. If they left in the morning, they'd arrive in the afternoon.
Gazing at the thick city walls in the distance, Cheng Xiao and his grandpa entered Notting City after undergoing an inspection.
"Xiao Xiao, Grandpa will drop you off at the academy and then go back. Study hard at the academy. Think things through when you encounter problems. You've been smart since you were little, so Grandpa won't say too much."
Cheng Xiao nodded, his eyes reddening. Even though he was a transmigrator, he still felt the warmth of family here.
Grandpa patted Cheng Xiao's head and said, "Alright, a man shouldn't always be shedding tears. Tears are precious, and you shouldn't shed them casually, except for the people you love and the people who love you."
Cheng Xiao sniffled, "Grandpa, I'm not crying, I just don't want to leave you."
Hearing this, Grandpa Cheng laughed. The two of them, hand in hand, asked passersby for directions and found the Spirit Master Academy, located in the west of Notting City.
From afar, Cheng Xiao immediately saw the four large characters "Notting Academy" hanging on the stone archway, which was quite imposing.
Cheng Xiao was a little surprised. As a transmigrator, seeing the academy in this world with his own eyes was truly…shocking.
Just a primary academy was so grand; this alone was enough to prove how important Spirit Masters were on the Douluo Continent.
Approaching the gate, Cheng Xiao realized that he wasn't the only one reporting today. The old man and the little boy beside him had arrived even earlier.
"Are you two also here to register as work-study students?" At this moment, the gatekeeper noticed the two of them, who were plainly dressed, and asked.
Grandpa Cheng was about to speak when Cheng Xiao said, "Hello, this is my Martial Soul certificate. It was personally stamped by Master Su Yuntao, the Spirit Hall's deacon."
After saying this, Cheng Xiao handed over the Martial Soul certificate.
The gatekeeper, seeing that they were plainly dressed, had subconsciously wanted to mock them. After all, Notting Academy hadn't had any work-study students for several years. Now, two had come at once, and they were both from a small village, which made him suspicious.
Of course, he wasn't doubting the Spirit Hall's certification. Instead, he planned to take advantage of the opportunity to get some extra money. After all, parents sending their children to school usually offered some token of appreciation, especially those from commoner families without any background, who were his primary targets.
Cheng Xiao naturally understood this. So, as soon as he spoke, he mentioned the Spirit Hall's executive's name and specifically emphasized that it was personally stamped by Master Su Yuntao.
Notting City was just a small place. As a Spirit Hall executive, he didn't believe the gatekeeper in front of him hadn't heard of Su Yuntao's reputation.
As expected, hearing Cheng Xiao mention Su Yuntao's name, the gatekeeper's desire to mock him subsided. He took the former's Martial Soul certificate and looked it over, "Martial Soul: Shadow Soldiers, Innate... Full Soul Power?"
"Innate Full Soul Power!"
The gatekeeper exclaimed, his eyes changing as he looked at Cheng Xiao, and even his voice trembled a little.
"Excuse me, can I go in?" Cheng Xiao said with a smile.
"Y-yes, you can." The gatekeeper stammered, quickly opening the iron gate for Cheng Xiao, a look of flattery on his face.
Seeing Cheng Xiao walk into the academy, Grandpa Cheng's face also lit up with a smile. He glanced at Old Jack and Tang San, who were being blocked outside the gate, and without saying anything, he slowly strolled away.
"You're deliberately making things difficult for us!" At this moment, an angry voice rang out.
The gatekeeper was first stunned, then looked at Old Jack with a look of impatience. "Why haven't you two beggars left yet? Do you want me to kick you out?"
"Then why can he go in?" Tang San, standing beside Old Jack, spoke, his face calm. He looked at the gatekeeper and said, "If you think my Martial Soul certificate is fake, then why do you think his Martial Soul certificate is real?"
"Or, is it because my Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass that you're deliberately making things difficult for us?"
Don't let Tang San's young age fool you; in his previous life, he was a Tang Sect disciple. For this kind of person who looked down on others, he wouldn't hesitate to use the tools in his hands, such as the Silent Sleeve Arrow in his left sleeve.
As a Tang Sect disciple, he remembered the general outline of the Tang Sect's Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record perfectly: [If you confirm your opponent is an enemy, as long as they deserve to die, don't hold back, or you'll only add to your own troubles.]
In Tang San's eyes, the gatekeeper's discrimination against them was simply looking down on them. They were all work-study students, so why was his Martial Soul certificate real, and his was fake? Coupled with the gatekeeper's harshness, he already deserved to die.
If it weren't for the fact that the door hadn't harmed Old Jack, there would definitely be a short arrow lodged in the doorman's throat.
He was absolutely certain that no one present, including everyone there, would discover that he had shot it. Without any evidence, who could prove he was the killer? "Damn it, you brat, you're asking for it!" Silenced by a child's retort, the doorman was furious. He raised his hand, intending to slap Tang San.
Seeing the doorman's intention to strike, a cold light flashed in Tang San's eyes. His left hand rose, with the Silent Sleeve Arrow aimed at the doorman's throat.
"What's going on here?" Just as Tang San was about to kill the doorman, a somewhat hoarse voice sounded, stopping the doorman's actions and also preventing Tang San from shooting.
Hearing this voice, Cheng Xiao, who had entered but hadn't left, looked behind Tang San. A middle-aged man of average build, slightly thin, slowly walked over.
(End of this chapter)