Douluo: I am the True Master

In the days that followed, no noble dared to bother Dormitory Three. Ye Wen had proven with his strength that even though his martial soul wasn't offensive, these nobles—who hadn't yet obtained soul rings—were no match for him.

After his defeat, Xiao Lie underwent a noticeable change. Gone was his previous arrogance and carelessness, replaced by a newfound seriousness. His eyes often reflected deep contemplation.

"In another year, I'll be twelve years old, but my soul power might not even reach Level 15 by then. Why is that boy so much stronger than me? Our innate soul power levels were roughly the same at Level 4, and my martial soul is an aggressive beast-type soul!"

Lost in thought, Xiao Lie replayed Ye Wen's calm and decisive demeanor during their duel over and over in his mind.

Looking at his own weak cultivation, Xiao Lie couldn't help but chuckle bitterly. He realized his current state was entirely self-inflicted. Not only was he lazy, but he was also a poor student who rarely paid attention in class. Though he desired to grow stronger, he had no idea where to start, and this frustration gnawed at him.

"No, I must become stronger! Even if I can't inherit a noble title, I need to ensure my mother lives like a true aristocrat. I can't continue wallowing in self-pity.

I'm different from Mother—I'm a genuine soul master. If I focus on cultivation, even Father said that with my talent, I could at least reach the rank of Soul Elder. Even if I can't surpass Father, I can still provide a better life for Mother and free her from the disdain of others."

With renewed determination, Xiao Lie's eyes hardened as he resolved to train seriously.

"Boss, I heard there are two new girls at Cuiying Pavilion. Their skin is so smooth—why don't we go have some fun?"

Xiao Lie's lackey, seeing his boss's recent gloominess, seized the opportunity to ingratiate himself.

But Xiao Lie remained unmoved. Glancing at him dismissively, he said, "If you want to go, go by yourself. From now on, don't follow me anymore. I'm focusing on my cultivation."

With that, Xiao Lie turned and walked toward Dormitory Three.

The lackey stood rooted to the spot, stunned. But seeing Xiao Lie's resolute expression, he didn't dare press further.

"Damn it, all that effort wasted!" The lackey muttered angrily under his breath.

The so-called noble group at Notting Junior Academy was actually quite small. Most students were self-funded city dwellers who, though lacking noble status, came from wealthy families. These families sought upward mobility by currying favor with nobles who controlled valuable resources.

The lackey belonged to this category. While he couldn't approach top-tier nobles, someone like Xiao Lie—though not a legitimate noble—still had influence with the city lord and could benefit his family. Unfortunately, his plans had fallen through before they even began, leaving him thoroughly frustrated.

Had he been an adult, he might have shamelessly persisted in clinging to Xiao Lie, professing loyalty regardless. In larger cities, a Soul Elder might not be impressive, but in this remote town, reaching such a level was exceedingly rare.

---

Xiao Lie arrived at Dormitory Three, but to his surprise, it was empty.

It was the afternoon training period, and most students would typically return to their dorms to quietly cultivate.

But where had everyone gone?

Being the former top dog of Notting Academy, Xiao Lie casually approached a work-study student from a neighboring dorm who was outside getting water.

"Where are the people from Dormitory Three?"

The nervous student swallowed and pointed toward the back mountain. "The big brothers from Dormitory Three are training there. They're using a unique method created by their leader."

Upon hearing about a unique training method, Xiao Lie's eyes lit up. Wasn't he here to find Ye Wen and become stronger? Learning that Ye Wen and his group indeed had their own special training regimen, Xiao Lie grew curious and asked eagerly:

"What kind of training method is it? Do you know?"

The student hesitated. Peering into others' training secrets was taboo in the world of soul masters—even among students who hadn't yet become soul masters, this rule was well understood. Yet, almost every ambitious work-study student had secretly observed them at some point.

Seeing the student's hesitation, Xiao Lie impatiently urged, "Spit it out!"

"I'm not entirely sure," the student stammered. "When I snuck a peek, they were lifting heavy objects and sparring with each other."

"Lifting weights? Sparring?" Xiao Lie murmured to himself.

Leaving the student behind, Xiao Lie headed toward where Ye Wen was training.

"Hey!"

"Hah!"

"Mmm—"

"Ahh!"

Even from a distance, Xiao Lie could clearly hear the labored breathing and grunts of exertion.

Pushing past a grove of trees, he finally caught sight of Dormitory Three's training session.

The boys were shirtless, performing various exercises: handstands, horse stances, push-ups, sprints, and more. At the center of it all was Ye Wen, squatting and standing with an enormous barbell, sweat pouring down his body and soaking the ground beneath him.

"Whoa!" Xiao Lie couldn't help but gasp in awe.

The training methods of the ordinary Dormitory Three members didn't surprise him. His father had often emphasized physical conditioning alongside soul power cultivation and had even advised him to do the same when he was younger. Unfortunately, Xiao Lie had quickly forgotten those words as a child.

What truly astonished him was the barbell Ye Wen was lifting.

If his eyes weren't deceiving him, the barbell was forged from solid iron—the same material used for the weapons of the guards stationed at his family's estate. Ordinary weapons were manageable since they used relatively little iron; a spearhead might weigh three or four jin. But the barbell Ye Wen was using? Xiao Lie estimated it weighed around 800 jin.

Even with his martial soul activated, Xiao Lie doubted he could lift such a weight. Yet Ye Wen's muscles were taut, and his pace of squats remained steady, completely unaffected by Xiao Lie's presence.

Moving closer, Xiao Lie carefully counted the weight plates marked "100 jin" on the barbell. Eight plates—800 jin total. His heart raced with shock.

"With this kind of strength and not even a beast-type martial soul… how did he train his body to this level?! Even without activating his martial soul, I doubt I could withstand a single punch from him."

At that moment, Ye Wen concluded his physical training—not because of Xiao Lie's arrival, but because he had already met his predetermined goal.

"Overtraining is counterproductive."

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