Again and Again

"I don't think I've seen many people use Soul Tool Thrusters."

"Because they aren't very practical for Soul Engineers," Lin Xiao explained. "Soul Tool Thrusters were originally designed to improve a Soul Engineer's ability to evade attacks, but actual combat proved that they were less useful than Soul Tool Shields of the same level."

"First is the Soul Power consumption. These Soul Tool Thrusters continuously consume Soul Power every time they hover or propel someone forward. If you only use close-combat Soul Tools, the consumption is still manageable, but nearly all Soul Engineers also use long-range Soul Tools that require Soul Power to operate. At that point, there simply isn't enough Soul Power."

"Besides, when using Soul Tool Thrusters to dodge attacks, the Soul Engineer has to control the direction himself. Soul Tool Shields are much less troublesome by comparison. And Soul Engineers don't have bodies as tough as yours. Overusing Soul Tool Thrusters can end up injuring us instead."

Wang Nan understood. This was the consequence of the two departments having no dealings with one another.

Since Soul Engineers did not use Martial Souls or Soul Skills in battle, they only needed to focus on raising their Soul Power. As a result, they had neither the deep reserves of Soul Power possessed by Soul Masters nor powerful physiques, leaving some Soul Tools impossible for them to use even after they had been created.

The Martial Soul Department was the same. There were clearly Soul Tools with simple operation and tremendous effects, tools that could bring qualitative improvements with only a little learning. Yet because they looked down on them, many Soul Tools suited to them remained undiscovered for a long time.

"Then I'll take this kind of Soul Tool Thruster."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. If the technology behind Soul Tool Thrusters is truly mature, I think the improvement they can bring me will far exceed twenty percent."

"Alright, I'll listen to you. But Level Two Soul Tools are still too low-level for you. I'll go back and think it over carefully, then find a way to make you a set of Soul Tool Thrusters that can change direction flexibly in midair."

"Alright. I'll wait for your message."

After discussing the Soul Tool's construction, the two went their separate ways. Lin Xiao returned to the Soul Tool Department, while Wang Nan continued toward the dormitories.

Yet after taking only a few steps, another red figure appeared before him.

"Why are you so slow? I saw you leave the Beast Fighting Zone and came here to wait for you, but you only just got here." The speaker was Ma Xiaotao, dressed in a red school uniform.

The same red as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring was the mark of an Inner Courtyard Disciple. Only now did Wang Nan realize that Ma Xiaotao had already become an Inner Courtyard Disciple at this age.

"Actually, I wanted to cultivate in the Outer Courtyard too, but you know my situation. If I'm even a little careless, I might hurt the people around me, so I had no choice but to live by my teacher's side." Seeing Wang Nan looking at her school uniform, Ma Xiaotao offered an explanation.

"Did you come this time because of your Martial Soul?"

Wang Nan had noticed it the first time he faced Ji Tongxuan: after that match, his Spiritual Power had increased noticeably. The same thing had happened after his last fight with Ma Xiaotao. Now, he looked at Ma Xiaotao as though she were an oversized charger, and he was even looking forward to fighting her again.

"No. Ever since last time, there hasn't been any Martial Soul backlash for quite a while. This time, Teacher asked me to bring you some things."

As she spoke, Ma Xiaotao took out her little red bag again.

"These are medicines to assist cultivation, though I rarely use them myself. Soul Power raised through medicine isn't very stable." She spoke as she pulled items out. "I don't really recommend that you use them either, but I still prepared a portion for you."

"Also, these are some medicinal herbs. Some are for making soup, some are for soaking in baths, and a small portion can be eaten directly. Most of them strengthen the body and improve the quality of your Soul Power. I've marked their effects and methods of use for you."

"Oh, and remember: although these are all Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, you can't use too much of them in a short period. Otherwise, if your body doesn't fully metabolize them, impurities will accumulate inside you. Once a month is best."

"These are several kinds of incense. Lighting them during meditation can slightly increase the rate at which your Soul Power improves, and they're also beneficial for condensing Spiritual Power..."

Ma Xiaotao's bag was like a pocket from another dimension. She continuously pulled out one strange item after another. Fortunately, Wang Nan also had a Storage Soul Tool. Otherwise, they could probably have opened a general store right here.

"Lastly, there are these two things."

Ma Xiaotao finally took out a scroll and a box.

"This scroll contains the method I use to cultivate Soul Power. I don't know what you're using, but this one has been continuously improved and refined by the academy. It should work better."

The method Wang Nan currently used to cultivate Soul Power had been taught to him by Wang Xing. Though he did not know whether it counted as a top-tier cultivation method, the Soul Power it cultivated was somewhat more abundant than that of ordinary Soul Masters, so it was not some commonplace technique.

"What's inside this box?"

Ma Xiaotao glanced around. Only after confirming that no one was nearby did she lean in mysteriously. "You'll know once you open it."

Wang Nan accepted the box and opened it. At once, a rich aura of light rushed toward him. Its warm, gentle presence nourished his entire body, making him vaguely feel as though even his Soul Power Level had improved. Even the Luminous Orb within his Spiritual Sea stirred slightly.

"There's a Golden Tree on Sea God Island that possesses the aura of light and life. What's inside the box is a branch that naturally fell from it. Keeping it on you is good for the body."

When Yan Shaozhe had promised Wang Nan that he would send him resources equal to Ma Xiaotao's every year, Wang Nan had not felt much about it. But now that the resources were truly in his hands, he finally understood just how valuable they were.

No, some of these things could not be bought at any price. Like this branch: who knew how many years it took for the Golden Tree to naturally shed one? In a sense, this was already no less valuable than a Soul Bone.

Wang Nan had thought the treatment he received as a Core Disciple was already quite good, but compared to Ma Xiaotao's, it was far inferior. To nurture disciples with such resources, perhaps only the imperial families of several great empires could do so as easily as Shrek Academy.

"I've given you everything I brought, so I'm heading back first." Ma Xiaotao acted with swift decisiveness. Before she had even finished speaking, she had already run off into the distance. "I saw how you performed during the Promotion Assessment. You were amazing. I'll come find you for a fight another day."

"Alright. See you another day."

Wang Nan waved, then tucked the Golden Tree branch close against his body before looking at the Storage Soul Tool on his wrist.

He did not know whether it was an illusion, but his wrist felt strangely heavy.