Old Jack watched the two of them emerge together. He glanced at Yin Zhang, then hurriedly asked Ou Yu,
"Grandmaster Ou Yu, how did it go? Did any children in our Holy Spirit Village awaken soul power this year?"
Ou Yu gave a faint smile, pointed helplessly at Yin Zhang beside him, and said,
"Yes. There is—Xiao Zhang, your good grandson. Not only did he awaken a top-tier Beast Martial Soul, his innate soul power has reached an astonishing Rank 10. Innate Full Soul Power."
"It's just a pity that he's unwilling to join Spirit Hall right away and wants to think it over. I hope you, Old Jack, can persuade him a little."
"After all, although Spirit Hall values talent greatly, it isn't something we must force."
His words carried a clear implication.
Old Jack, however, was no fool. He knew exactly what a top-tier Beast Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power represented. Even the most prestigious Spirit Hall on the continent would never reject such a genius.
Still, he replied with a warm smile, "Yes, yes. Rest assured, Grandmaster Ou Yu. I'll have a proper talk with the child."
Ou Yu clearly wasn't done yet.
Pulling Old Jack aside, he lowered his voice and whispered a few words into his ear before gently patting his shoulder.
"Old Jack, I hope you'll think carefully about this child's future and encourage him to join Spirit Hall as soon as possible. If he enters early enough, it wouldn't even be impossible for him to be accepted as a personal disciple of our Spirit Hall's Supreme Pontiff."
"The earlier he joins, the more beneficial it will be for Xiao Zhang. As his grandfather, I hope you'll give this serious thought."
Old Jack was deeply moved.
He hadn't expected Spirit Hall to value Xiao Zhang so highly.
At the same time, he didn't want to hold Yin Zhang back.
After Ou Yu left, Old Jack gently took Yin Zhang's small hand and led him away.
"Xiao Zhang, tell Grandpa everything in detail."
Yin Zhang didn't refuse. After giving a brief explanation, he summoned his Martial Soul so Old Jack could see it clearly.
Since he had already decided not to enter Spirit Hall for the time being, going to Notting Academy to properly "study" was the natural choice.
A kind smile appeared on Old Jack's wrinkled face as he asked,
"Xiao Zhang, why don't you want to join Spirit Hall? If it's because of an old man like me, you don't need to worry about that."
Yin Zhang knew this question was prompted by Ou Yu's earlier conversation, but he couldn't mention the system or the choices.
So he spoke earnestly,
"Grandpa Jack, it's not entirely because of you. I just feel that if I join Spirit Hall alone right now, it might not be the best outcome. I'd rather study in Notting City for six years first, then decide whether to join Spirit Hall afterward."
There were flaws in his explanation, but Old Jack didn't mind them at all.
He understood the core meaning—Yin Zhang was worried about his own safety.
Seeing the determination in the boy's eyes, Old Jack said nothing more. He simply nodded with a gentle smile.
---
After returning home, Yin Zhang opened his personal attribute panel and located the Skill Disc in his storage.
He selected it and chose to use it.
In the next instant, his entire body trembled.
A new skill was etched directly into his instincts.
Yin Zhang steadied himself and walked into the courtyard.
He summoned his Martial Soul—Charizard—and began to test it.
First step: concentrate all Dragon-attributed soul power into both claws.
Second step: condense the Dragon Claw.
Using it was surprisingly simple.
After all, a Skill Disc was essentially a cheat—allowing instant mastery of a soul skill, far easier than developing one through painstaking cultivation.
Then—
Whoosh!
Yin Zhang slashed forward with a claw at a dead, withered tree in the courtyard.
Crack—!
The already-rotten trunk shattered instantly, splintering across the ground.
Yin Zhang clenched his fist, feeling the terrifying strength coursing through his body.
He couldn't help but feel intoxicated by it.
But beneath that exhilaration was a firm conviction.
Since he had already transmigrated to the Douluo Continent—if he had no soul power, that would be one thing.
But now that he had soul power and a system, if he still couldn't become the strongest in this world, then his transmigration would have been meaningless.
---
After staying in the village for another week, Yin Zhang decided not to wait the more than two months until Notting Academy officially began.
Instead, he chose to head straight for Notting City.
Old Jack asked for the reason and tried to dissuade him.
"Xiao Zhang, even if you're talented, you're not a Soul Master yet. If you go to Notting City alone, what will you do if you encounter danger?"
Yin Zhang replied calmly,
"Grandpa Jack, don't worry. My Martial Soul has wings—if worst comes to worst, I can always escape."
"Besides, I'm not powerless anymore. I'm no longer that sickly child from before. I'm already seven, I've awakened my Martial Soul, and I'm about to become a Soul Master."
"And Grandpa Jack—look!"
Yin Zhang summoned Charizard, spread its wings, and rose into the air.
"Watch closely!"
Following his soft voice, Old Jack witnessed Yin Zhang's current strength firsthand.
With Dragon Claw in hand—the world was within reach.
"…Alright," Old Jack finally said. "I believe you have enough strength to protect yourself now. But you don't have any money, do you? Take this gold coin."
"If you get hungry on the road, buy something to eat. And use it for clothes as well."
"You're about to become a Soul Master—these clothes are far too shabby. After you reach Notting City, buy yourself a new set. You'll look much better."
As he spoke, Old Jack took out a small cloth pouch from inside his jacket.
After rummaging around for a while, he finally pulled out a single gold coin from among the copper and silver coins inside.
That coin represented most of Old Jack's savings.
Yin Zhang accepted it, deeply moved.
He truly was short on money right now.
But once he became a Soul Master and registered with Spirit Hall, he could receive the minimum monthly subsidy—one gold coin per month.
If he reached Great Soul Master, it would become ten gold coins per month.
Just like Yu Xiaogang, who practically lived off Spirit Hall subsidies without doing much of anything at Notting Academy.
Taking the freshly baked sesame flatbread Old Jack prepared for the road, Yin Zhang officially set off on his "journey" to Notting City.
Holy Spirit Village wasn't far from Notting City.
And now that Yin Zhang had awakened his Martial Soul, he didn't feel tired at all along the way.
By the time he arrived, it was just past noon.
Since he had already eaten the flatbread, he wasn't very hungry.
He first visited a clothing shop and bought a clean, decent set of clothes, replacing the rough, heavily patched fabric he'd been wearing.
After making himself look presentable, Yin Zhang headed straight for the main gate of Notting Academy.
Even after proving his identity, the gatekeepers refused to let him in.
The reason was simple—the academy had just gone on break, and according to regulations, new students could only register after more than two months.
With no other choice, Yin Zhang turned away and made his way to the Notting City Spirit Hall.
The moment he entered, he saw a young man chatting and laughing with a woman dressed rather provocatively, her appearance above average.
When the young man noticed Yin Zhang, a trace of disappointment flashed across his face, but he still asked politely,
"Hello. Are you here to awaken your Martial Soul?"
Yin Zhang gently shook his head.
"No. I came to Spirit Hall to look for a deacon named Ou Yu. He used to be stationed here."
"Deacon Ou Yu?" Su Yuntao shook his head. "He's already been transferred to a neighboring city to serve as a grand deacon. Is there something you need help with here?"
Yin Zhang didn't hide anything.
He directly took out the Martial Soul Awakening certificate Ou Yu had issued.
Su Yuntao accepted it and began reading.
At the side, Si Si exclaimed in shock,
"Top-tier Beast Martial Soul, Innate Full Soul Power? You're the child Deacon Ou Yu awakened in Holy Spirit Village?"
"Yes," Yin Zhang nodded. "I came to Notting City two months early because I want to hunt my first soul ring as soon as possible and start cultivating earlier."
He believed that if Spirit Hall truly intended to win him over, arranging help to hunt his first soul ring wouldn't be a problem.
It wasn't that he didn't want to join Spirit Hall—
It simply wasn't the right time yet.