Talent Isn't Everything (Seeking Readership on Tuesday!)

He could violate the academy's rules.

Did he have connections within the academy?

Was he the son of some higher-up?

Or perhaps the Principal's son.

At the thought of this possibility, Fang Ling felt a surge of delight.

Having connections was good.

If he really was the Principal's son, then given the Principal's record of defeating three opponents of the same rank at the Soul Emperor level—

No matter how he looked at it, Lin Tianyang's combat ability could not be weak.

It would also be much more convenient to obtain soul rings in the future.

Manager Wang glanced at Fang Ling's broken leg. "A Spirit Scholar killed a One-Ring Spirit Master across ranks?"

Lin Tianyang was even more excited than Fang Ling, the person involved. He boasted, "Of course. There's proof from the Spirit Hall Angel Legion Demon Hunt Camp. The one he killed was a Fallen Spirit Master."

"The Angel Legion, huh? Good kid."

Manager Wang seemed to know something. After sighing a few times, he acknowledged Fang Ling's talent. "Wait here."

He went back inside, took out a key, and handed it to him.

"Take the courtyard next to yours."

"It happens to be empty. When you have time, you can teach him as well."

"Then thank you, Manager Wang. I'll treat you to a drink when I get the chance."

After thanking him, the couple brought Fang Ling to a quiet courtyard.

There was a two-story building inside.

It was quite messy. Dead branches and fallen leaves covered the ground, and the rooms were dusty everywhere.

However, the furnishings were still in good condition.

The two helped Fang Ling tidy up a room fit to sleep in.

During this process, Lin Tianyang's martial soul was a great help.

The Flowing Wind Blade—just as its name implied, a wind-attributed longsword.

He reduced the power of his soul skill and swung once, blowing all the dust outside.

The room immediately became spotless.

Fang Ling was delighted by his control over the power of his soul skill.

From this small detail alone, it was clear that he truly deserved to be a teacher at War King Academy.

He truly deserved to be a soul master who had participated in the Soul Master Competition Preliminary Competition.

Though he was not as talented as Tang San, as a fellow soul master with a weapon-type Tool Martial Soul, he happened to be the teacher most suited to Fang Ling.

I'll definitely be able to learn a lot from him!

The advancement of my Scythe Technique and Body Technique, here I come!

Fang Ling happily helped out with a few small tasks nearby.

Teacher Lin Tianyang helped clean the house, while Shimu Shu Manyun carried suitable bedding and pillows from their courtyard, then helped lay them out.

He's such a thoughtful teacher. He's putting so much effort into this—could I be his first disciple?

Fang Ling guessed wildly.

What moved him especially was that ever since he had become a genius, the world had suddenly become so much better.

Aside from his own solid strength, he truly had to properly thank those three people from the Angel Legion.

All of this had come from that proof.

Otherwise, receiving the same treatment and earning a teacher's favor might have been much more troublesome.

Before leaving, Lin Tianyang said to Fang Ling, "Tomorrow, I'll show you around the academy. After that, once I understand your general level of strength, we'll begin training."

"Then thank you, Teacher and Shimu!"

After a tiring day, the suppressed drowsiness surged up. He took a quick bath and fell straight into sleep.

The next day, Fang Ling rose early.

After briefly loosening up his body, he immediately began training.

Previously, worried that the journey would be perilous and that he needed to conserve his strength for unforeseen changes, he had gone nearly a month without training.

Day after day, there would surely be progress.

He firmly believed so.

Training could not stop.

He ran among the stones, pond, and shrubs in the courtyard, swinging his sickle as he went and trimming away the excess branches.

In the pavilion beside it, Lin Tianyang and Shu Manyun stood nestled together by the window.

They quietly watched his every move.

"What do you think of the little guy?" Shu Manyun asked softly.

"He's a fine prospect," Lin Tianyang praised.

He waved a hand before himself, making "whoosh, whoosh" sounds as he imitated Fang Ling's strikes.

"Look at his movements. The sickle is fast, precise, and ruthless. His footwork is measured, and every motion is disciplined."

"He isn't bound by fixed forms when he strikes. Most people would need three to five years just to master the use of that sickle, let alone coordinate it with such rapid movement."

"It's hard to imagine that no teacher ever taught him."

Shu Manyun asked in confusion, "Then how does he compare to you?"

"His talent for combat seems stronger than mine, but I've lived for so many years. He definitely can't match me in skill and experience." Lin Tianyang gently scraped his wife's nose.

"After all, when relying only on oneself, there are always things one can't take into account."

"Come on, let's go down. We'll take him around the academy first, then see how he does in actual combat later."

"Fang Ling, come here." Lin Tianyang beckoned from the courtyard on his side.

"Good morning, Teacher."

Fang Ling greeted him respectfully.

"You don't need to be so restrained. You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Come eat with us."

"Alright, thank you, Teacher."

After breakfast, the couple took Fang Ling around the academy.

"This is the teaching building, where you'll have classes in the mornings from now on."

The teaching building was extremely luxurious. The academy clearly wasn't short on money.

"This is the training field... the Mimetic Cultivation Field is over there, though not many people use it. Aside from certain specialized grounds and young Spirit Masters with matching attributes, it doesn't really speed up cultivation by much."

"The academy also has a library. Not many Spirit Masters use it, but if you enjoy reading, you can take a look."

"The Treatment Room is here. Your Shimu is the deputy director, so if you get hurt in the future, you can go find her..."

Fang Ling silently followed them the whole way, carefully committing everything his teacher said to memory.

"Teacher, do I have to attend classes too?"

Lin Tianyang was quite surprised by the question. "What else would you do?"

"Although you can graduate as long as you participate in ten soul fighting matches and reach Soul Grandmaster, you still need to memorize information about soul beasts, their habits, the soul skills they may produce, and the common martial souls found in the world of Spirit Masters."

"And there's how to deal with different kinds of Spirit Masters in battle, as well as team composition and coordination."

"There are only classes in the morning. In the afternoon, I'll teach you combat—mainly how to coordinate the sickle with movement."

Fang Ling nodded to show that he understood.

Just like at Notting Academy, there were only classes in the morning here. Afternoons were free, and no one interfered with what you did.

He no longer needed to slaughter pigs either, so he could devote more time to cultivation.

"What about the Great Soul Arena?"

"Huh? The Great Soul Arena?" Lin Tianyang froze.

"Yes, I remember that One-Ring Spirit Masters can enter the Great Soul Arena too, right?" Fang Ling looked at him expectantly.

Once he went to the Great Soul Arena, he could first see what level the Spirit Masters here were at.

If they were weak, then he could start killing.

Whether it was his Soul Power or his martial soul, both were already ravenous!

"You just arrived at the academy. Why are you already in such a hurry to go to the Great Soul Arena?" Lin Tianyang's mouth twitched.

"I like fighting. The sense of tension in battle can speed up my cultivation."

After a moment of silence, Lin Tianyang placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's too early."

"The academy encourages combat, but we don't fight unprepared battles."

"Besides, I've always wanted to say this—you really fit our academy's School Motto."

Fang Ling stared at him curiously.

This academy even had a School Motto? He didn't seem to have heard much about one at Notting Academy.

"Talent isn't everything. A steadfast will can change everything!"

Lin Tianyang clenched his fist and roared with imposing vigor, "Fang Ling, remember the School Motto well!"

"So what if you're Innate Level One? There are no useless martial souls, only useless Spirit Masters. The limits of talent cannot trap a natural powerhouse with an unwavering will!"

"Yes, Teacher!"

Fang Ling answered loudly, though inwardly he found it rather strange.

"There are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters." Yu Xiaogang had said those words.

They were widely circulated throughout the soul master world, inspiring many poorly gifted soul masters to strive onward.

Although they also proved, in reverse, that Yu Xiaogang—who could not break through to Soul Elder—was indeed useless, the saying itself was not wrong.

In later generations, there was a soul master named Ji Juechen who rose through sheer willpower.

Today is Tuesday, please keep reading!

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Below are books by fellow authors from the same group who are also struggling. If you're interested, feel free to take a look.