(Author notes: The time is 4 years after Ning Fengzhi met Qian Renxue in the Star Dou Forest)
Nuoding City
Nuoding Academy was a modest Primary Spirit Academy located in the heart of Nuoding City. Every year, children from nearby villages and towns—those whose martial souls had just awakened—would gather here to receive the foundational education of a soul master. The place was small, simple, but full of youthful energy.
Inside one of the academies' classrooms, Tang San sat quietly, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk. His eyes were half-focused, half-lost in thought.
It had already been four years since he awakened his martial soul in the Holy Soul Village.
Just like in his memories: awakening his twin martial soul seemed to give Tang Hao, who was lost in depression some hope.
He made Tang san promise to protect the Blue Silver Grass with the Clear Sky Hammer.
In these years, Tang San had deliberately chosen to accept Yu Xiaogang as his master once again—despite knowing far too well that the man was little more than a charlatan.
The reason was simple.
'Even a useless shield is still a shield,' Tang San thought darkly.
'Bibi Dong… that crazy woman didn't kill me early because I wore the identity of Yu Xiaogang's disciple.'
That alone was enough reason to tolerate the man.
But in these past few years, Tang San had noticed more and more things that didn't match the world etched in his memories.
One of the biggest differences: Spirit Hall's prestige
In this life, Spirit Hall's prestige among civilians seemed even stronger. And most disturbingly…
That strange eye-shaped symbol he again saw at the Spirit Hall branch of Nuoding City, when he went there to receive the monthly allowance.
A cold shiver ran down his spine every time he saw it.
Just as the thought ran through his mind the teacher's voice pulled him out as a gentle yet clear voice rang through the classroom.
"Alright students, I believe you all remember where we left off last time…"
Tang San's mind snapped back to reality as the homeroom teacher walked in.
She had striking blonde-golden hair, soft curls brushing her shoulders, and eyes the color of bright amethyst. Her name was Eve and she was their teacher.
And she had the same face—too similar—so similar that Tang San's expression had once stiffened the very first moment he saw her.
'Teacher… why do you look exactly like Qian Renxue?'
Back then, he was moments away from panicking. His heartbeat had nearly stopped. The resemblance was uncanny—so uncanny he almost fled Nuoding City to find his father and have him killing her.
But Tang San wasn't foolish.
His mental strength may have been monstrous for his age—comparable to a Soul Sage's—but that did not mean he could detect hidden Titled Douluo.
If she were Qian Renxue in disguise, there was no way she would wander around without protection. One hidden Titled Douluo would be enough to end him instantly.
For a long time, he remained suspicious.
The tension lasted until the day she demonstrated her martial soul in class.
Tang San exhaled quietly as he recalled the scene.
'Her martial soul is just a paper fan… a flimsy, ordinary paper fan. She only has three soul rings.
'And even if Qian Renxue had a head soul bone allowing her to alter her face—the disguise cannot alter soul rings. '
'And knowing her it would be impossible to be just at Soul Grandmaster level , no disguise can lower someone's cultivation.'
Meaning—
Absolutely impossible for Qian Renxue to have only three soul rings at this point in time.
And so, reluctantly, Tang San abandoned his initial suspicion. Not his vigilance, though.
While Tang San was silently wrestling with suspicion, Eve continued her lesson as if nothing were amiss.
Her tone was gentle yet confident, the kind that easily pulled even the most distracted children back to the present.
"*So, children, today we will learn about a soul beast that plays a very important role in the Star Dou Forest's food chain—*even though it sits on the lower end of that chain."
She paused, scanning the class with her bright purple eyes. The sunlight reflected off her blonde hair like warm sun, making several students unconsciously sit straighter.
Eve pointed lightly with her paper fan toward a boy near the front.
"Wang Sheng, can you guess?"
Wang Sheng puffed his chest as if preparing for a great declaration, then hesitantly scratched his head.
"Is… is it the… Fierce Tiger?"
A ripple of laughter traveled through the class.
Eve giggled, the sound soft and pleasant.
"Wang Sheng, don't just name your own martial soul when you don't know the answer."
Wang Sheng immediately deflated and sat down, cheeks red like an embarrassed tomato. The other children snickered, but Eve's warm expression prevented it from turning into mockery.
She asked two more students, receiving equally wrong answers—one guessed "Armored Rhino," another "Striped Lizard." Eve only shook her head each time, her amusement hidden behind a gentle smile.
Finally, her gaze fell upon Xiao Wu.
"Xiao Wu, what do you think it is?"
Xiao Wu instantly sprang up like a startled bunny, her braids bouncing.
She clasped her hands behind her back and answered,
"Soft Bone Rabbit!"
Eve's purple eyes had a glint of mischief
"Yes, you are correct."
She tapped the chalk lightly against the board, turning back to the children with a soft, knowing smile.