Soul Land: I Am the True Grandmaster

Chapter 168: The Trashy Fire Chicken and the Perverted Sausage, Part 1

Ye Wen pondered the intelligence in his hands. Due to his intervention and the reputation of Tianxing Academy, as well as intercepting Liu Erlong, the Golden Iron Triangle's early split from the original timeline hadn't occurred. Without Flander's influence, those original talents hadn't ended up under his questionable guidance.

In fact, many of Ye Wen's current registered disciples likely belonged to the group Flander would have otherwise snatched up. For instance, Qin Ming, the renowned Blazing Wolf, was now under Ye Wen's tutelage and was nearing the rank of Soul Saint.

The chain of events started because Flander, driven by his addiction to wealth, frequently took Yu Xiaogang along on risky hunting trips. But as the saying goes, "Those who walk along the river are bound to get their shoes wet." During one such venture into the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt ten thousand year old spirit beasts for valuable materials, they somehow triggered a large scale beast tide. Flander even lost a leg during the ordeal.

Afterward, he developed a deep seated fear of the Star Dou Great Forest, no longer daring to visit and often declined to join Yu Xiaogang on such hunts. The two eventually parted ways. Flander now resided in a small, unregistered school called Shrek Academy near Soto City in the Barak Kingdom, with only a handful of students.

Yu Xiaogang, on the other hand, currently stayed with the headmaster of Notting City's Notting Academy, an old friend of his. Beyond this, they left little impact, so Spirit Hall hadn't deemed it necessary to gather detailed information on them.

Still, Ye Wen found it remarkable that Flander and Yu Xiaogang had somehow managed to survive a beast tide. Perhaps Flander's golden holy dragon bloodline attracted a particular spirit beast's attention. As for their eventual split, Ye Wen didn't dwell on it. As for why Yu Xiaogang hadn't returned to his clan? Likely, his vanity didn't allow him to return with his tail between his legs, preferring instead to remain a small time "king" in Notting City.

"Seems like Flander still ended up in Soto City," Ye Wen murmured, noting how certain events seemed to have an odd way of aligning regardless. However, Ye Wen had plans for two individuals he didn't want to end up at Shrek Academy.

With his current level, reaching Soto City was a matter of moments. There, the local Spirit Hall branch master a humble Soul Saint rushed to greet him in person, though Ye Wen paid little mind to the formalities. Instead, he asked for records on children with innate soul power who had undergone martial soul awakenings over the past two years. As he suspected, there was no record of Oscar.

Rumor had it that Oscar and Ma Hongjun were talent "discoveries" by Flander, possibly due to Flander conducting independent awakenings to safeguard and lay claim to them. In powerful sects, this wasn't uncommon, as their families or factions often helped with awakening privately to protect young talents from prying eyes. Such protection made sense without it, commoner born prodigies risked being targeted or even assassinated upon joining the wrong organization.

Oscar should have already awakened his martial soul by now, though Ma Hongjun likely still had a year or so left.

"Let's check in," Ye Wen thought, extending his spiritual sense to lock onto Flander's distinctive energy. In Soto City, a Soul Saint's aura was easy to spot. Remarkably, Flander had retained his power despite losing a leg; he still held his rank, unlike Tang Hao, who had dropped significantly after removing his inherited Clear Sky Hammer spirit bones.

After a quick scan, Ye Wen also spotted Zhao Wuji. It seemed the original faculty of Shrek Academy had gathered here. A slight sense of regret flickered through Ye Wen's mind as he observed Zhao Wuji. His skillset would have made him a prime candidate for Tianxing Academy, had his violent temper not gotten him into serious trouble during Qian Xunji's time as head of Spirit Hall, leaving him a wanted man.

There wasn't much Ye Wen could do for him, though; as things stood, Tianxing Academy didn't need a "retired" Soul Emperor.

Outside the village, a small boy was drenched in sweat, running endless laps around the grounds. Ye Wen's interest piqued.

"This must be Oscar," he observed, chuckling slightly. "This kid does have that 'pretty boy' face Ma Hongjun kept teasing him about in the original story. But what should I do about this? Flander is truly despicable. To keep Oscar's talent hidden, he won't even let the boy attend an elementary academy just so he can later present him as his own prodigy. Who does he think he is, Yu Xiaogang?"

Ye Wen unleashed his aura, his powerful presence descending upon Shrek Academy.

"Who's there!?"

Flander and Zhao Wuji leaped out immediately, instincts sharp as they locked their eyes on Ye Wen, their nerves taut.

Ye Wen greeted them with a faint smile. "So, we have Flander, the four eyed owl, and Zhao Wuji, the Immovable King. Interesting to find you both hiding in such a small village."

The sheer force of Ye Wen's aura left both men struggling to breathe. But Flander, being stronger, managed a bow, forcing out, "What brings such a distinguished visitor to our humble Shrek Academy?"

Ye Wen lifted the pressure, watching Flander with a glimmer of amusement. "I'd think my face is quite recognizable across the continent. Don't you recognize me?"

The respectful address hinted at his high status, and it gave Flander some relief. He narrowed his near sighted eyes, scrutinizing Ye Wen carefully. "You... you are…"

His eyes widened as he finally recognized Ye Wen. "You're Master Ye Wen!"

Over the years, as Ye Wen's research and writings spread, portraits of him had appeared in many publications. Anyone with even a passing interest in soul research would have seen his face before. Recognizing him, Flander and Zhao Wuji immediately grew more respectful. Not only was Ye Wen a revered soul scholar, but the pressure he had emitted was far beyond what an ordinary Soul Saint could muster.

Rumors had circulated about a "Heaven's Path Douluo" reaching a rank of 98 in a mere decade a feat practically unheard of. The aura Ye Wen had projected earlier made that once unbelievable rumor suddenly seem real.

(Chapter End)

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