Again and Again

"Did you pass the Promotion Assessment?"

Below the Dormitory Building, Wang Nan saw Mu En, whom he had not seen for some time.

"Yeah, I passed it smoothly."

"Then congratulations." Mu En nodded. "Time passes so quickly. In the blink of an eye, another batch of young people has arrived. Feeling your vibrant energy might even help this old man live a few more years."

Wang Nan looked around. There were many more new students in white school uniforms beneath the Dormitory Building, gathered in groups of two and three to discuss something, their faces filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Thinking about it, that was true. In the blink of an eye, he had already spent a year here.

"Have you learned any interesting skills from Soul Beasts lately?"

Hearing this, Wang Nan lowered his head to look at Mu En. Seeing that the old man had his eyes closed and only a faint smile on his face, he seemed to have asked the question casually.

After pausing for a moment and seeing that Wang Nan did not answer, Mu En continued, "I watched your matches. Your skills are actually based on using Spiritual Power to imitate the bearing of Soul Beasts, then making similar movements with your body. That's how you merge Spiritual Power and Soul Power together to attack, more or less, right?"

Although Mu En did not know the truth, he was not far off. Whenever Wang Nan used an additional skill, he would indeed first connect with the Luminous Orb within his Spiritual Sea, draw out a trace of a Soul Beast's essence from it, and then release it together with his Soul Power.

"Very impressive. I've seen many exceptionally talented Soul Masters, but none of them could use techniques like yours at your age. However, I have been a Soul Master for longer than you, so I do have a slightly different perspective."

"So-called Spiritual Power is actually the manifestation of a Soul Master's will. Imitating other Soul Beasts makes it easier for you to merge your Spiritual Power and Soul Power, but it also limits what you can do. In the future, you can try incorporating your own will into it."

Mu En opened his eyes slightly and continued, "A Soul Master's Soul Skills are granted by Soul Rings. When we use Soul Skills, we only need to inject Soul Power, and they can produce all kinds of effects—assisting others, enhancing oneself, or bringing massive destruction. But one thing never changes: once a Soul Ring is obtained, its effects cannot be altered."

"Self-created skills that exist apart from Soul Skills are different. They are far more difficult to learn than Soul Skills, but they are also freer and more flexible. Because they are created by the Soul Master, the flow of Soul Power, the preparation time, and the range of release are all decided by the Soul Master."

"A slight adjustment to any one part can cause a tremendous change in the result a skill produces. Your skills already contain both Soul Power and Spiritual Power. Trying to incorporate your own will is also a form of adjustment."

"Once you completely grasp the patterns behind the changes in your skills, you will be able to apply them to every movement, every technique, and even your Soul Skills."

Like an ordinary old man who loved to ramble, Mu En lay in his recliner and spoke without pause. Things that many ordinary Soul Masters would never encounter in their lifetimes entered Wang Nan's mind through this casual conversation.

Second by second, time passed. Near noon, a delicate little boy walked over from the distance. He looked about six or seven years old, with dark blue hair, and the moment he arrived, he threw himself into Mu En's arms.

Shortly afterward, a young woman around seventeen or eighteen also arrived. She was about to speak, but upon seeing Wang Nan nearby, she swallowed her words.

"Looks like it's time for me to go back." Mu En raised a hand and stroked the boy's hair. "What I told you may be impossible for you to accomplish in a short time with your current Spiritual Power, but with your foundation, I believe that day will not be far off."

With that, supported by the young woman, he slowly rose to his feet and led the little boy toward Seagod Lake.

Wang Nan stood where he was for a while before coming back to himself. Mu En had simply said too much. How to adjust skills, how to control Spiritual Power, how to try merging one's will into Soul Power—if these things were recorded and compiled into a book, other Soul Masters would probably fight madly over it.

After bidding Mu En farewell, Wang Nan could finally return to his dormitory. Never had he felt that the road back to the dormitory was so long. This was already the third time he had stopped in his tracks.

The moment he pushed open the door, he saw Gongyang Mo sitting at the table with a mirror in hand, though Wang Nan had no idea what he was doing.

"Xiao Nan, you're back. Did the assessment not go well? Why are you back so late?"

"No, it went quite well. But I ran into someone I knew on the way back. A person, person, so that's why I came back late."

"How did one Promotion Assessment turn you into a stutterer?" Gongyang Mo put down the mirror and looked at Wang Nan in surprise.

"No, I mean I ran into three people I knew on the way back."

"Pfft." Gongyang Mo covered his mouth and laughed. "That joke isn't funny at all."

"What about you? What was your assessment like?" Wang Nan did not doubt whether Gongyang Mo could pass. After all, he would become an Inner Courtyard Disciple in the future, so he should not be eliminated now.

"There was a lot. For example, under a certain degree of interference, I had to provide different enhancements to several Soul Masters at the same time. They also tested the duration of Soul Skills. It took quite a while."

Wang Nan nodded. It seemed that Support Type assessments were not easy either.

The two were Soul Masters after all. After chatting briefly, they each went off to cultivate.

Wang Nan sat cross-legged on his bed and opened the scroll Ma Xiaotao had given him.

As expected of Shrek Academy, the cultivation method in Wang Nan's hands had clearly been meticulously refined through countless generations, and it involved most of the meridians throughout the body.

For Soul Masters with narrow meridians and ordinary talent, this cultivation method might be impossible even to begin. But in the hands of someone gifted, it not only increased the speed of Soul Power cultivation, but also brought many other benefits.

This was probably something Shrek Academy had specifically prepared for disciples with outstanding talent.

Changing cultivation methods was not an easy matter. Fortunately, Wang Nan's foundation was solid. After half a day, he successfully controlled his Soul Power through one complete cycle within his body. By the time he opened his eyes again, the sky had already gone completely dark.

Gongyang Mo was still meditating on the bed opposite him. Wang Nan did not make a sound and quietly climbed down from his bed. Just as he was about to head to the cafeteria to see if there was anything left to fill his stomach, he suddenly noticed two food boxes placed neatly on the table.

Wang Nan smiled, picked up the food boxes, and quietly left the dormitory.

Outside, the dormitory was very quiet. Most students were meditating to increase their Soul Power, while a small number chose to slack off and sleep soundly instead.

Though it was somewhat cold, Wang Nan did not mind. He lifted the food box and began stuffing food into his mouth in large bites. But after only a few mouthfuls, a piercing alarm rang throughout Shrek Academy. Sea God Island lit up as brightly as day, and immediately afterward, several teachers sped toward the Outer Courtyard.