Chapter 7: First Meeting with Tang San

The three of them turned their heads. Entering their view were two figures, one old and one young. The old man looked to be over sixty, with a lean build but a vigorous spirit. His clothes were clean and tidy, and his hair was combed meticulously. Beside him was a child of five or six, whose clothes were very plain but fortunately clean. He had short black hair and a healthy, wheat-colored complexion.

Unlike Shi Quan and the other two, whose attire was similar to that of ordinary people in the city, one could tell at a glance that this old man and the young boy were from a rural village; although their clothes were clean and tidy, they were clearly much inferior.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for meeting the Child of Destiny. The Destiny Treasure Chest has been triggered and opened for the host. Reward obtained: one copy of the Nine Yin Nine Yang True Scripture."

The moment Shi Quan's gaze fell upon the boy of similar age, the familiar mechanical voice of the system unexpectedly rang out in his mind once again.

Hearing the voice in his mind, Shi Quan's pupils contracted violently, and his heart shook wildly, filled with joy.

On one hand, he had not expected that just by taking a look, he would trigger the system's treasure chest so easily.

Most importantly, this time the reward was actually a cultivation technique!

Nine Yin Nine Yang!

In China, Yin and Yang represent the two opposing sides of the world, containing the changes of all things. The number nine is also very special; nine is the extreme, representing the limit, often carrying the meaning of "exhausting all changes." Nine Yin Nine Yang also carries the meaning of nine-nine returning to one, implying the transcendence of limits.

Just hearing the name alone crushes Tang Buddha's Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record.

Shi Quan had not expected that his first meeting with Tang Buddha would be such a coincidence.

On the Douluo Continent, besides Tang Buddha, who else could the current Child of Destiny be?

Feeling Shi Quan's suddenly clenched palm, Li Meili lowered her head and asked, "Xiao Quan, what's wrong?"

Shi Quan struggled to control his surging emotions and casually found an excuse, saying, "Nothing, Mom. I was just thinking, they are asking for the location of the academy, so are they also going to the academy to enroll like us?"

"That must be Old Jack, the village chief of the novice village, right?" Shi Quan subconsciously glanced at the old man who was still asking questions in a low voice.

"A-Jian, what do you think? Should we ask them? If we are going to the same place, we can get to know each other in advance, and Xiao Quan can have a companion," Li Meili said, looking at Shi Jian.

"Let's ask," Shi Jian nodded. Judging from the attire of Tang San and the other, they should have come from some relatively poor small village. An old man and a young boy, asking for the location of a Spirit Academy at this time—it was highly probable they were Work-study Students like Shi Quan. Having one more Spirit Master friend was naturally a good thing.

Shi Jian pulled the carriage and called out to Old Jack and the boy, who were preparing to leave: "Old sir, hello."

Old Jack's figure paused slightly, and he subconsciously looked around. It seemed he was the only old man on the street. He looked at Shi Jian uncertainly and asked, "Is this gentleman calling me?"

Shi Jian said very politely, "Hello, old sir. My name is Shi Jian. I just heard you say you are going to Notting Academy?"

Seeing Shi Quan behind Shi Jian, Old Jack's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Brother Shi is also going to Notting Academy?"

"That's right. I'm here to send my son to enroll. You are sending your grandson to the Spirit Academy to enroll, right, old sir?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Old Jack nodded excitedly and explained, "But he is not my grandson. His name is Tang San, and he is from our Holy Soul Village. I am Jack, the village chief of Holy Soul Village. His family doesn't manage things, so there was no choice but for me, the village chief, to send him."

"Hello, Village Chief Jack. We are from Shi Family Village. This is my wife, Li Meili, and this is my child, Shi Quan. We are also here to send him today."

"Isn't that a coincidence?" Old Jack grinned and patted Tang San's hand lightly. "Xiao San, hurry and greet the uncle and aunt."

"Hello, Uncle and Aunt." Tang San stepped forward very obediently to greet Shi Jian and his wife, though his gaze traced over Shi Quan beside them without leaving a mark.

"Xiao Quan, what are you daydreaming about?" Seeing that Shi Quan didn't speak, Li Meili asked in confusion. On any other day, Shi Quan would have already politely taken the initiative to greet them.

"Hello, Village Chief Jack." Hearing Li Meili's words, Shi Quan finally returned to his senses from the System Space and politely greeted Old Jack.

Except for Shi Quan, no one else could see the system interface.

After glancing at Old Jack earlier, Shi Quan's attention had immediately returned to the cultivation technique reward from just now.

The System Space was still in the appearance of storage slots, but it had changed from one to two.

An ancient, ink-colored book was quietly standing in the second slot. The book had no special decorations; the ink-colored cover shimmered with faint patterns, and the six vigorous and powerful white characters "Nine Yin Nine Yang True Scripture" were written on it.

Just like with the Martial Soul Awakening Liquid, when Shi Quan's gaze fell upon the Nine Yin Nine Yang True Scripture, information about it automatically appeared in his mind.

Nine Yin Nine Yang True Scripture: Originating from a certain Jin Yong parallel world, it is the most top-tier cultivation technique among the many Jin Yong parallel worlds from ancient times to the present. It is the general outline of all martial arts under heaven, gathering Yin and Yang into one, complementing each other.

Note: The cultivation technique is transmitted via consciousness; extracting it will directly imprint it into the host's mind. The technique contains a trace of Yin-Yang energy; please pay special attention, host.

How could Shi Quan not be familiar with the Jin Yong martial arts world? The Nine Yin True Scripture, Nine Yang Divine Art, Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms—these well-known martial arts techniques all originated from Jin Yong's martial arts.

Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record was also a type of martial arts technique, originating from the Tang Sect.

Martial arts techniques are also divided into different ranks.

In many novels, the Tang Sect is famous for its Hidden Weapons and poisons, and most of its martial arts techniques were created to complement Hidden Weapons and poisons.

Like the Mysterious Jade Hand in Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, it is mainly for gathering and refining poisons; the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Purple Demon Eye, and Crane Controlling Dragon Capturing are also for better use of Hidden Weapons.

In Shi Quan's view, a family-style Jianghu sect like the Tang Sect could only be considered a small sect, and it only had such a reputation because the sect was secretive and venomous.

The Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record could be considered powerful, but even if it were counted as a top-tier technique, it would be among the worst of the top-tier. After all, whether it was the Mysterious Jade Hand, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Purple Demon Eye, or Crane Controlling Dragon Capturing, the initial purpose of these techniques was not to kill enemies, but to save one's life. The true killing moves in the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record were those endless Hidden Weapon techniques and the Hidden Weapons themselves.

Hidden Weapon techniques such as Guanyin Tears and Bodhi Blood, and the Hidden Weapons themselves, such as the Buddha Wrath Tang Lotus and the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle.

These were the strongest parts of the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record.

Of course, the strength of martial arts, besides the technique itself, also relies on the strength of the user's Internal Energy. If the Internal Energy is strong, the power unleashed is naturally strong.

Just as one can see from Tang San almost killing a god with the Guanyin Tears technique, a Hidden Weapon technique combined with the strength of a Title Douluo can unleash Shiji power.

Leaving aside its own rationality and the strength of the god, this point alone shows that the effect of martial arts techniques on a Spirit Master is something that even a hundred-thousand-year soul skill cannot compare to.

If a Tang Sect's Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record could help Tang San achieve such accomplishments, Shi Quan could hardly imagine how powerful the Nine Yin Nine Yang True Scripture would be.

Just the title "General Outline of All Martial Arts Under Heaven" is something that a tiny Tang Sect's Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record cannot compare to.

Not to mention that this Nine Yin Nine Yang True Scripture is the most powerful technique among the many Jin Yong martial arts parallel worlds.

Although he hadn't extracted it yet, Shi Quan could see that the two were completely incomparable.

This was the reason Shi Quan had not returned to his senses for a long time. Based on the introduction alone, he felt that on the Douluo Continent, the Nine Yin Nine Yang True Scripture was fully worthy of being called a Shiji technique.

As his attention returned to Tang San, Shi Quan happened to meet Tang San's gaze.

Their eyes met, Tang San smiled faintly, and Shi Quan also smiled slightly at him.

If nothing else, the current Tang San was not as handsome as him, nor as cute.

Who told him to have a beautiful mother? From the moment his martial soul awakened, Shi Quan had inherited his mother's advantages. Although his face still carried a bit of childishness, he already had the mold of a little handsome guy. Coupled with the awakening of his Mud Spirit and Spirit Soul Martial Soul, Shi Quan's childishness was tempered with a bit of steadiness and spiritual energy, making him look even more likable.

After Shi Jian chatted briefly with Old Jack, he discussed things with Li Meili, and they finally decided to head to the academy together. The mother and son's shopping trip thus came to an end.

Shi Jian was naturally much more familiar with Notting City than Old Jack. When they met, the group was already not far from Notting Academy.

Under Shi Jian's lead, the group soon saw the high archway from afar. In the center of the archway were four large characters: "Notting Academy."

"What are you here for?"

As the group just walked up to the main gate, they were immediately stopped by the young man guarding it; his brow couldn't help but furrow, especially when he saw Tang San and Old Jack.

Shi Jian stepped forward and said with a smile, "Greetings, brother. We are all here to send our children to register at the academy. We are from Shi Family Village, and this one is from Holy Soul Village."

Old Jack also stepped forward with a smile and said, "Greetings, little brother."

"You are all Work-study Students?" The gatekeeper frowned and looked at Shi Jian with surprise.

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper said with a mocking smile, "Our academy hasn't had any Work-study Students for many years. You wouldn't happen to be fakes, would you?"

Old Jack, standing to the side, felt a flash of anger in his eyes upon hearing this. Shi Jian immediately understood the ins and outs of the situation; he smiled, took out the Spirit Proof from his pocket, and then took out several dozen Copper Spirit Coins and handed them to the gatekeeper, "Brother, look, this is the proof issued to us by the Spirit Hall."

Seeing this, Shi Quan's eyes narrowed slightly. How could an ordinary gatekeeper dare to demand benefits from families like theirs, who were commoners? One had to know that those who could enroll had the chance to become successful Spirit Masters; it was a losing proposition to offend a future Spirit Master for the sake of some small profit—no matter how one thought about it, it was a loss.

Of course, there was another possibility: this gatekeeper had someone behind him, had connections, so he didn't need to fear the resentment of such commoner families. But the problem was, if this gatekeeper really had someone behind him, why would a Master with no real power be able to hold sway over him?

"But doesn't the Master seem to have the Dean of this Notting Academy standing behind him?" Shi Quan was too lazy to think about the twists and turns of it all; his large eyes were currently curiously surveying his surroundings. He was waiting for one person, and that was the Master.

Shi Quan was not sure if their appearance would cause a deviation in the timeline, or if the Master would even appear at all. What he was more concerned about was that meeting Tang San had triggered a Destiny Treasure Chest; as Tang San's teacher, would the Master also trigger a similar chest?

"What is he... looking for?" Tang San curiously observed Shi Quan. From the moment they met until now, Tang San had always felt that the Shi Quan before him seemed somewhat different from other children, but he couldn't say what that difference was, so he kept looking at Shi Quan intentionally or unintentionally along the way.

"Where is the Master?"

Shi Quan's scanning gaze paused. He suddenly noticed a figure in the distance walking toward the academy. Shi Quan had never seen the Master, but after seeing the stiff and expressionless face of the figure in the distance, it was likely him.

However, to Shi Quan's disappointment, the sound of the system triggering a treasure chest did not ring in his mind again.

Tang San followed Shi Quan's gaze and also saw the figure in the distance. Seeing the disappointed expression on Shi Quan's face, he subconsciously thought to himself: "Is he looking for someone?"

"Brother, they are with us."

On the other side, while handing the money to the gatekeeper, Shi Jian also hurriedly signaled for Old Jack to take out Tang San's Spirit Proof as well.

Although Old Jack did not understand the ins and outs of the situation, as a village chief, he reacted quickly. Suppressing the anger in his heart, he handed Tang San's Spirit Proof to the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper looked at Old Jack with disdain, took the proof from Old Jack's hand, looked it over, and his expression turned strange. "You two are really interesting. Your martial souls are both Blue Silver Grass? One has Innate Level 1 soul power, and the other has Innate Full Spirit Power? I've been a gatekeeper at the academy for four years, and this is the first time I've heard of a Blue Silver Grass martial soul having soul power. Not only did two come at once, but one of them has full soul power?"

Hearing what the gatekeeper said, Old Jack, Shi Jian, and Li Meili looked at each other in surprise.

They all knew that the Spirit Hall's proof could not be faked, and no one dared to fake it. Innate Full Spirit Power was different from Twin Spirits. Shi Jian and Li Meili understood what Innate Full Spirit Power represented. Compared to Shi Quan, Tang San was the true genius, but they hadn't expected that such a genius would also have Blue Silver Grass, just like their own child.

Tang San, standing to the side, also looked at Shi Quan with a surprised expression upon hearing the gatekeeper's words, wondering in his heart if it was because their martial souls were the same that he felt this strange sensation.

"Follow the main road in the middle to the end and you will see the registration area. However, this carriage cannot go in; park it to the side. You can only carry your things in yourselves."

The gatekeeper had received benefits from Shi Jian, so he was in a good mood. Seeing that Old Jack and Tang San were dressed in rags and didn't look like they had anything, he didn't continue to make things difficult and chose to let them pass...

(End of chapter)