Half a month later, Xiang Yang and the other two were at Shrek Academy near Suotuo City.
More than a week after Yu Xiaogang had left that day, a middle-aged man who looked to be over fifty had suddenly shown up. He wore square-framed glasses and had a slightly hooked nose. As soon as he arrived, he said outright that Grandmaster had sent him to take them to Shrek Academy.
With Flender leading them, the academy teachers took one look at the number of his Soul Rings and promptly handled the early graduation procedures for all three. He was a Soul Saint! One of the top combatants in the Soul Master World! The strongest academy dean in Nuoding City was only at level forty-something, and the higher a Soul Master's level, the greater the gap between levels. Those ordinary teachers had seen little of the world and had never imagined that Grandmaster had connections like this.
But they still couldn't understand why Grandmaster Yu had stayed at their little academy for so many years. Could there be some treasure here? Or a reclusive expert? Surely it couldn't be for two Trash Martial Souls and an ordinary Soul Master with level-one Innate Soul Power? They really couldn't figure it out...
With a Soul Saint leading the way, they naturally traveled much faster. Xiang Yang even got to fly a few times, and honestly, it was thrilling.
A few days later, as soon as Xiang Yang arrived at Shrek Academy, he found Zhao Wuji training a blond youth. It was none other than Dai Mubai. He had enrolled during the previous round of admissions, so, including the three of them, there were now five students at the academy.
After spending some time there, he had more or less sorted out the situation. Simply put, just as before, a lot of it followed the comic version's setting.
Dai Mubai had only just arrived and still had some fighting spirit. He hadn't started reveling night after night yet. Oscar's Soul Skills were tofu and garlic, and Ma Hongjun wasn't there yet.
Early that morning, Dean Flender, who had been gone for several days, gathered everyone at the academy's only training ground.
"Ahem, four students have arrived this year. Good, very good." Everyone could tell that the Four-Eyed Cat Owl was delighted. "You may not know much about me. I'm Flender, dean of Shrek Academy, a level seventy-seven agility-type Battle Soul Saint. My Martial Soul is the Cat Owl."
With that, he turned and gestured to either side. Zhao Wuji was the first to speak:
"Zhao Wuji, level seventy-six Power Attack System Battle Soul Saint. My Martial Soul is the Great Strength Vajra Bear. My combat training is very strict, so don't expect me to hold back, little fellows." Seeing that three more boys had arrived, the Immovable Wisdom King grinned without restraint.
"Li Yusong, Martial Soul Dragon Pattern Staff, level sixty-two..."
"Shao Xin, Martial Soul Sugar Bean..."
"Lu Qibin, Martial Soul Star Luo Chess..."
Shrek's lineup of two Soul Saints and three Soul Emperors was quite impressive. If they were willing to join a faction, they would surely be honored guests wherever they went. But these people had come to teach in such a small village precisely because they didn't want to be tied down.
Next came the five students, who introduced themselves from oldest to youngest. "Dai Mubai, twelve years old, Martial Soul White Tiger, level twenty-five Power Attack System Soul Grandmaster." He had come here because he had heard that this academy was different and trained monsters exclusively. He hoped it could make him stronger, and then he could go back...
"Oscar, eleven years old, Martial Soul Food God, level twenty-two Food System Soul Grandmaster." Oscar's father had fathered him at twelve, and he had been abandoned early on. Although he had tested for Innate Full Soul Power at his awakening, his Martial Soul had never been visible, and before long he had been given up on. At the time, he had been lost, having only just found hope before immediately losing it again.
Flender had happened to pass by then. Hearing of such a strange matter, he had taken Oscar straight to Shrek, which accepted monsters exclusively. Only after extensive testing had they unexpectedly discovered that he had some reaction to Shao Xin's Martial Soul, and determined that his was a Food-type Martial Soul. Later, they helped him select a Plant-type Soul Beast, and the result of absorbing its Soul Ring was the Soul Skill "Recovery Giant Stinky Tender Tofu."
"Tang San, nine years old, Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass, level twenty-one support and control-type Soul Grandmaster." Although his current Soul Skills were all for support, absorbing two suitable plant Soul Rings had greatly increased the strength of his Blue Silver Grass. Combined with his Tang Sect Secret Arts, he had few opponents at the same level.
"Xiao Wu, nine years old, Martial Soul Soft Bone Rabbit, level twenty-one Power Attack System Soul Grandmaster." Sigh, she still couldn't let go of her Power Attack System. In Xiang Yang's view, the only noteworthy qualities of a rabbit Martial Soul were its speed and agility. Rabbits had neither sharp claws nor fangs, much less a powerful physique or scales for armor. How could they launch powerful attacks? But Xiao Wu didn't care about any of that. She had her own understanding, hmph!
"Xiang Yang, nine years old, Martial Soul Sunflower, level eleven support-type Soul Master." That's right! He was the youngest of the trio, though his usual behavior made it hard to notice.
Xiang Yang's plan for his early cultivation was to be a support-type Soul Master. In his view, some ordinary skills could be created from scratch, and he absolutely couldn't waste his limited Soul Ring slots on them.
"Mm, good." Although Flender had already heard a brief account from Yu Xiaogang, his excitement still hadn't faded.
That was because, apart from a very brief period when the academy had first opened, this was the first time it had as many students as teachers. It gave him a feeling that Shrek Academy was finally about to take flight.
After pondering for a moment, he first explained the rules of Monster Academy. When he reached the practical combat courses, he had the students tell one another about their Soul Skills. Upon hearing the effects of Xiang Yang, Tang San, and Xiao Wu's Soul Skills, the others all sucked in a breath of cold air.
None of the trio had particularly high-grade Martial Souls, yet their Soul Skills' amplification effects were comparable to those of top-tier Martial Souls. Several of those Soul Skills could even grow along with the Soul Master's level. For the vast majority of Soul Masters who cultivated to a high level, thousand-year Soul Skills fared a little better, but hundred-year Soul Skills were generally no longer used in battles against opponents of the same level.
Simply put, they couldn't keep up with the times and were discarded. Their effects were useless against stronger Soul Power, and they might not even be as powerful as walking up and throwing a punch.
Only a small number of sufficiently special and powerful Martial Souls could provide Soul Skills like that. This was common knowledge in the current era, yet all three of them defied it. The two with Innate Full Soul Power were one thing; everyone present was either a high-level Soul Master or came from a notable background, and they understood the relationship between Martial Souls and Innate Soul Power. But why were the Soul Skills of this ordinary Common Martial Soul with level-one innate power so strong too?
To that, Xiang Yang only wanted to say: Times have changed!
Nani? When did they change? Why, of course—after me!
After Flender dismissed them and told them classes would start that evening, the five walked off together.
Dai Mubai wasn't so quick to act familiar with people yet, so it was Oscar who first voiced his question. He wanted to know why, especially how Xiang Yang had reached level eleven in three years despite having only level-one Innate Soul Power. Although Oscar was a Food System Soul Master, universally acknowledged as the slowest type to cultivate, he had Innate Full Soul Power. Even he couldn't gain three levels a year, so how had Xiang Yang done it?
Xiang Yang said, "According to research, the amount of innate Soul Power doesn't completely represent a Soul Master's cultivation speed. That's because the innate Soul Power present at awakening doesn't necessarily appear in full. The amount that appears depends on the person's physical condition at the time."
"Oh, oh."
"You should know one thing: before awakening, a Soul Master has no Soul Power in their body." At this, he paused and glanced at Tang San, whose arm Xiao Wu had linked with as they walked ahead. Having a cheat didn't count. He continued, "So how does Soul Power appear? One, it's bestowed by the Martial Soul at awakening; two, it's external primordial Qi automatically absorbed during awakening."
"The second possibility is too unlikely. If someone absorbed that much energy all at once, never mind whether their body could withstand it, if they could absorb so much energy on their first try, why would their cultivation speed be so slow afterward? That clearly doesn't make sense;
"So it can only be the first. One of a Martial Soul's instincts is to absorb energy. If you explore further from that point, you'll discover that innate Soul Power comes from the energy the Martial Soul naturally absorbs and stores before Martial Soul Awakening.
"Also, some of the nutrients obtained through eating are converted into Soul Power. Leaving aside some of the changes that happen in between, you only need to know that this is where innate Soul Power comes from."
He hadn't noticed this at first either, since he had focused most of his efforts on accumulating knowledge and cultivating Soul Power. But two years ago, Yu Xiaogang, who had often been traveling about, had suddenly come to see him.
Remember how, when he first met Grandmaster, Grandmaster had mistaken the sunlight energy in Xiang Yang's Martial Soul for innate Soul Power?
At the time, Xiang Yang had thought he had misled him down the wrong path. As time went on, he still hadn't known how to explain it. After all, if he had so many thoughts at such a young age, that surely wouldn't leave a good impression.
Besides, he had thought that if the direction was wrong, how could Yu Xiaogang discover anything? He would give up before long. Xiang Yang hadn't expected that his title of Grandmaster really did carry considerable weight. He could only say that he had been rather deeply influenced and had genuinely underestimated Yu Xiaogang, this "Grandmaster."
However, Grandmaster had only compiled the cultivation data of several hundred children from a few nearby cities. Much of the data didn't match their innate Soul Power, but he had never managed to make sense of the results.
Only after he returned and spoke with Xiang Yang did he first bring up the difference in living environments and conclude that physical condition had an effect. After several more rounds of verification, he had finally confirmed it.
"Huh?" Of the two, one was a prince from another country who knew only how to cultivate and had only recently arrived; the other had been raised by a group of Soul Masters with no inherited teachings. Neither knew much about Martial Soul Theory to begin with, much less something that had only recently come to light.
Still, this was only knowledge about the initial stage of Martial Soul Awakening, and it wasn't complicated. After thinking it over for a while, they understood.
Dai Mubai was a prince, after all, and had received a systematic education in basic Martial Soul knowledge. He was the first to grasp it. "Hmm, so your actual innate Soul Power was more than level one? That's why you can cultivate so fast?"
"More or less."
"I see." Oscar had thought there might be some secret art or method. It would have been even better if he could use it too. What a pity.
To be honest, Xiang Yang really hadn't expected that the line of thought he'd assumed was wrong would turn out to be right. It was just what he needed to conceal his cultivation speed.
"By the way, I'm very interested in the two of your Martial Souls..."
Meanwhile, at the Pope Palace in Spirit City.
"A detailed explanation of Martial Soul Awakening: innate Soul Power is closely related to the strength of a Martial Soul. Those with high innate Soul Power must have a Martial Soul of no low strength; however, those with a strong Martial Soul do not necessarily have equally outstanding innate Soul Power. The difference between the two depends on physical condition... Martial Soul quality... innate Soul Power..."
The ruler of the continent's most powerful faction looked at the latest report in her hands with a complicated expression, three parts pleasant surprise and one part resentment. Yu Xiaogang's research into Martial Soul Theory was growing ever more accomplished. She couldn't help imagining that, if that incident hadn't happened, they might now...
Hmph! The brief report in her hand instantly turned to ash. The guards standing on either side were startled, wondering who had angered Her Holiness the Pope. It must have been very bad news.
After a long while, Bibi Dong finally spoke. "Yue Guan." Although that person had long since passed away, but... Spirit Hall was supreme? The sacred Angel God? Hmph! Just wait!
"Here." At the Pope's call, a long-haired golden-haired figure with an alluring voice and bearing instantly appeared before her. It was none other than the renowned Chrysanthemum Douluo.
"Add these to the library collection, then make some copies and distribute them."
"Yes, Your Holiness." Such a pleasant voice should have been a delight to hear, yet it left the guards feeling as though they were sitting on pins and needles.
"Hehehe~"
The Titled Douluo, whose sex was hard to discern, keenly noticed the change in their moods. He said nothing, merely smiled and withdrew. He would carry out the Pope's orders first, then come back and have some fun.
Heaven Dou City, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi, the current sect master, smiled as he read the report in his hand. "Worthy of being called Grandmaster. A person may be given the wrong name, but never the wrong title."
"Fengzhi, we already knew about the relationship between Martial Souls and innate Soul Power. Even if his explanation is a little more detailed, it doesn't seem to be of much use, does it?" The tall, burly Bone Douluo beside him was somewhat puzzled.
"Uncle Gu, that's not how it is. In the past, when it came to Martial Soul Awakening, we only knew that we had to do things a certain way, but not why. Now this research theory tells us..."
Gu Rong said, "So what? Could Martial Soul Awakenings somehow bloom into flowers in the future? Won't they still be the same as before?"
"Sigh, Uncle Gu." Ning Fengzhi pressed a hand to his forehead and smiled wryly.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin didn't pay much attention to this subject, but because his own cultivation path was rather different, he considered himself fairly accomplished in theory. "Old Bones, don't interrupt. Let the sect master finish."
"Uncle Jian, Uncle Gu, Martial Soul Awakenings really won't change in the future. But we can give the little ones better nurturing before their Martial Souls awaken. According to the theory, before children awaken their Martial Souls at six, some of the nutrients they absorb go to their Martial Souls. If we work on that aspect, the number of people in the sect who possess Soul Power will increase greatly. Those who would have had innate Soul Power to begin with might have a little more at awakening than they otherwise would have. With a larger base, the chances of Mutated Martial Souls appearing will also increase. Perhaps..."
By the end, even the sect master couldn't help growing a little excited.
"Oh, so that's how it is!"
"Mm, not bad. But this information is available to everyone, not just us. Sect Master, you'd best act soon." Hearing Chen Xin's reminder, Ning Fengzhi immediately sent someone to bring him a list of the children under six.
After giving the order, he couldn't help sighing. "I wonder where this Grandmaster is now. If only I could speak with him face-to-face. It's just a pity his surname is Yu..."
Just then, Bone Douluo noticed something. "Fengzhi, there's a signature down here too." "Hm? Sun?"
Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
"Hmph! Mere tricks and clever contrivances!"
Smack!