The library grew quiet as the two stared at each other. Grandmaster's gaze was piercing, the kind of look that felt like it was peeling back layers of skin to see the soul beneath. He walked a slow circle around Chen Fan, his nose twitching.
"No visible manifestation," Grandmaster murmured, more to himself than to the boy. "Yet the atmospheric temperature drops precisely $2.4^{\circ}C$ within a one-meter radius of your spine. This isn't a Tool Soul. It's a Spirit-type Projection—an Undead Specter."
Chen Fan felt a chill that had nothing to do with his Martial Soul. As expected of the man who wrote the Ten Core Competencies. He figured it out in seconds.
"My name is Yu Xiaogang," the man said, his voice suddenly intense. "I have spent my life studying the 'trash' souls and the 'anomalies.' Boy, your Soul is a mutation of the highest order. With my guidance, you could become the most feared assassin in the history of the Douluo Continent. Become my disciple."
The Refusal
Chen Fan blinked. He knew the benefits of being Grandmaster's student—the protection, the knowledge, the connection to Tang San. But he also knew the restrictions. Grandmaster's theories were rigid, and Chen Fan's knowledge from the later volumes of Soul Land—about Spirit Souls, Mechas, and Godhood—far surpassed what was known in this era.
"I'm honored, Grandmaster," Chen Fan said, bowing slightly to show respect. "But I prefer to find my own path. I think... I learn better by doing than by being told."
Grandmaster's face stiffened. Rejection wasn't something he handled with grace, especially when he'd found a "twin-soul-level" anomaly.
"You don't understand the complexity of an Undead Soul!" Grandmaster's voice rose, his obsession flaring. "Without the correct hunting path, your Specter will consume your own vitality! You need my calculations! I can map out your entire rank progression up to Title Douluo!"
"I'll take my chances," Chen Fan said firmly, stepping back.
The Planning (and the Distraction)
Grandmaster let out a frustrated huff, his fingers twitching as if he wanted to grab Chen Fan and force him into a classroom. But he took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure.
"Fine. Stubbornness is often a trait of geniuses," Grandmaster muttered. He walked over to a map of the Hunting Soul Forest pinned to the wall. "If you won't be my student, at least don't throw your life away. For a Specter that grants invisibility and ghost-like movement, you need a ring that bridges the gap between the ethereal and the physical."
He pointed to a damp, shadowed ravine on the map. "Here. The Shadow-Stalking Ghoul. It's a 400-year-old beast. Its ring will grant you a 'Soul-Piercing' attribute. Your ghost form won't just be for running; your touch will be able to bypass physical armor and strike the enemy's internal organs directly."
Chen Fan nodded, memorizing the location. It was exactly what he needed—lethality to match his stealth.
"Thank you, Grandmaster."
Grandmaster looked at him, his eyes still burning with a desperate hope that the boy would change his mind. "Go then. But remember... absent-mindedly," he paused, rubbing his temples as if his brain was still stuck on a dozen different training soul-circuits, "you still need to complete your official registration at the Dean's office. Without a student badge, you won't even be allowed on the carriage to the forest."
Leaving the Library
Chen Fan didn't wait for a second invitation. He turned and walked out, feeling Grandmaster's gaze burning into his back.
He had his target: The Shadow-Stalking Ghoul. He had his rank: 10.
And most importantly, he had a secret the Grandmaster didn't: He didn't need a carriage. He was a ghost.