What
Even if there had been any, it would have been impossible to display — he had already reached the level of Innate Full Soul Power. Before attaching any Soul Rings, his Soul Power simply could not continue rising any further.
The Great Master took a sip of water. "That's settled for now. You can head back. Tomorrow morning, I'll come to your dormitory to find you."
"Alright."
Leaving the Great Master's room, Tang San's mind refused to calm for a long while. The Great Master's explanation had been far clearer than any description of Martial Souls he had ever heard before. Over the course of that entire afternoon, through the Great Master's teaching, he had gained a solid understanding of the Soul Master profession.
Soul Masters were divided into two broad categories: Battle Soul Masters and Tool Soul Masters. Within those two categories, further subdivisions existed — Food Type, Control Type, Combat Type, Healing Type, and so on. A Soul Master's strength was closely tied to Soul Rings and Soul Power, forming a complementary process of growth.
This was the entirety of what Tang San currently knew. He understood that if he wanted to gain more knowledge about Soul Masters, he would need to continue studying under the Great Master. And the Great Master's decision to take him out so soon to obtain a Soul Ring was what pleased Tang San the most. Once he had his first Soul Ring, regardless of the outcome, he would finally be able to confirm the relationship between his Mysterious Heaven Skill and the Martial Souls of this world.
Back in the dormitory, the others were nowhere to be seen — he had no idea where they had gone. Tang San had eaten two meals at noon, so despite the sky growing dark, he wasn't the slightest bit hungry.
Lying on his bed with his eyes closed, he carefully reviewed everything the Great Master had taught that day, reinforcing his impressions.
After the day's travel, he was somewhat tired. Before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep.
"Hey." He didn't know how much time had passed when a sudden voice jolted him awake. Though his cultivation was still modest, his alertness was considerable. He opened his eyes on instinct and found himself staring at an adorable, pretty face.
Tang San scrambled upright in some embarrassment. Xiao Wu was lying on her stomach right along the dividing line between their two beds, smiling down at him.
It was only then that Tang San noticed the other work-study students had all returned. He sat up and pointed at the line in the middle. "You've crossed the boundary."
Xiao Wu giggled. "So what if I crossed it? I'm a girl — you should yield to me, right? Of course, you are absolutely not allowed to cross over."
Looking at her rosy little cheeks, Tang San really wanted to reach over and pinch them, but he restrained himself in the end.
"Suit yourself. Xiao Wu, I might have to go somewhere tomorrow, and I don't know how long it'll be before I get back. I wanted to let you know in advance."
"Go somewhere? Where?" Xiao Wu asked curiously.
Tang San didn't hide the truth. "Teacher says my Soul Power is already full and I should obtain my first Soul Ring as soon as possible so I can continue cultivating. He's planning to take me out to find a suitable one."
Xiao Wu was essentially the leader of Dormitory Seven, and since he didn't know how many days he'd be gone, giving her a heads-up was only natural. Of course, it also had to do with the conflict with
The moment Xiao Wu heard that Tang San was going to obtain a Soul Ring, every other student in the room except her showed expressions of envy. For Soul Masters, there was nothing more important than advancing in rank. A Level 10 Soul Apprentice and an 11th-level Soul Master differed by only a single level in Soul Power, yet in both strength and status, the gap was worlds apart. And the higher one's level, the more pronounced this disparity became.
Xiao Wu frowned. "You haven't even started classes yet and you're already leaving. Are Soul Rings really that important?"
Before Tang San could answer, Xiao Wu noticed the atmosphere around them had grown strange. The other work-study students were staring at her as if she were some kind of monster. Were Soul Rings important? Was that even a question? For a Soul Master, there was almost nothing more important than a Soul Ring.
"Fine, go if you want. But what about our work-study duties? If you leave, I'll have to do all the work by myself." Xiao Wu puffed her cheeks in annoyance, glaring at Tang San.
Tang San said helplessly, "How about this — for the time being, could I trouble you to put in extra effort? When I get back, I'll take on all the remaining work-study shifts for the semester. You'll still get half the pay, how does that sound?" Given his physical strength, cleaning the garden was nothing. Xiao Wu's Soft Technique had surprised him, and he wanted to find more opportunities to spar with her later. He wasn't the kind of person who liked to take advantage of others.
Xiao Wu finally let a hint of a smile show. "Alright then, it's a deal."
Tang San's dinner was once again coarse flatbread. As soon as the sky began to darken, every work-study student had settled onto their own bed to begin cultivating their Soul Power.
Unlike ordinary students, the work-study students' cultivation was far more arduous. Despite the fact that their aptitude might be merely average, cultivating their Martial Soul was quite literally the only path forward in their lives.
Through observation, Tang San noticed that the work-study students' cultivation postures were similar to his own meditation, with faint ripples of Soul Power emanating from their bodies — though he had no idea how they actually conducted their cultivation in practice.
Xiao Wu was the only one who couldn't sit still. She didn't bother cultivating at all, and the moment Tang San finished his flatbread, she grabbed him and insisted he come out for a stroll.
Under normal circumstances, Tang San would have certainly spent the time cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill. But he had already hit his bottleneck, and the Purple Extreme Demon Eye could only be practiced at dawn. Unable to withstand Xiao Wu's nagging, he had no choice but to follow her out of the dormitory.
The weather during this season was at its most pleasant — the air was cool without bringing any chill. By now, the sky had grown dark, the heavens were clear, and the stars hung high above.
(End of Chapter)