Trivial Matters

Seeing that Wang Nan still seemed not to have fully come back to his senses, Elder Zhuang continued, "What happened to you is called Deep Meditation. When a Soul Master enters Deep Meditation, their blood flow slows and their bodily functions drop to their lowest point. Under such circumstances, it wouldn't be impossible to meditate for an entire month."

"Moreover, the earlier Deep Meditation occurs and the longer it lasts, the more beneficial it is to a Soul Master's growth. For someone your age to meditate for three months in a single session is quite rare."

Wang Nan gradually came back to himself and understood what had happened to him.

"Thank you, Elder Zhuang." Wang Nan's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Haha, there's no need to thank me. Aren't we Academy Teachers here for disciples like you? Alright, now that you're awake, I should be heading back. Don't rush yourself—take your time adapting. Your homeroom teacher will come by later."

After Elder Zhuang left, Wang Nan closed his eyes again and felt the changes within his body.

Aside from his Spiritual Sea, his body had also changed tremendously compared to three months ago. Not only had he grown much stronger, but his meridians had widened as well, allowing them to hold more Soul Power. Whether in cultivation or battle, he would be greatly improved in the future.

When he circulated his cultivation technique, Heaven and Earth Elemental Energy still flowed into his body, but his Soul Power did not increase in the slightest. This meant that his Soul Power had reached the level-forty bottleneck, and he could obtain his fourth Soul Ring.

There was also a stream of Life Energy within his body that had not been completely absorbed. It should have come from Elder Zhuang.

Wang Nan let out a long breath and slowly tried to raise his hand. With Elder Zhuang's help, his body did not feel weak or sore. It was simply a little unfamiliar to control his body again.

Once he had loosened up his upper body, he used both hands to support his ankles and straighten his legs, then slowly rose to his feet.

After taking a few steps around the dormitory and doing a few simple movements, Wang Nan discovered that although only three months had passed, the strength throughout his body had increased considerably. Not only that, but he had shot up by more than ten centimeters. His old school uniform no longer fit him very well.

He stretched hard, and a series of crackling sounds came from the joints throughout his body. Several pieces of golden wood chips fell from him and landed on the floor.

Staring at the familiar wood chips, Wang Nan suddenly thought of something. He reached out to feel around and discovered that the branch from the Golden Tree that had rested against his chest was gone. He must have absorbed all of its power during meditation, causing it to turn into fragments scattered across the floor.

"Wang Nan!"

A voice rang out as Sun He appeared in the dormitory doorway.

"Teacher Sun."

"How are you feeling now?"

Sun He carefully examined Wang Nan before finally shifting his gaze to Wang Nan's wrist, exposed because his school uniform no longer fit.

"I can't say much about anything else, but I need to have my school uniform remade." Wang Nan deliberately stretched out his arm, exposing even more of his wrist.

"You're still in the mood to joke around. Looks like you're alright. Are you hungry? I'll take you to get something to eat."

It would have been fine if Sun He had not mentioned food, but the moment he did, the hunger accumulated over three months surged up at once. Wang Nan, who had never denied himself when it came to food, could not help rubbing his stomach.

"Go change first. I'll take you to the cafeteria afterward. You haven't had a drop of food or water in three months. I'm afraid that if you get too hungry and eat too much at once, it'll be bad for your body. I'll feel more at ease if I watch you eat."

"Thank you, Teacher Sun." Wang Nan actually had that much self-control, but he did not want to reject Sun He's goodwill. After changing into a loose set of clothes, he left the dormitory with Sun He.

"What level is your Soul Power at now?" Sun He seemed to have noticed something and asked.

"It should be level forty now."

"Mhm. I saw that your Soul Power was full but not overflowing, so I guessed you had reached level forty. But this Deep Meditation of yours lasted three months. You should have gained more than just two levels. Perhaps after obtaining a Soul Ring, it'll rise even further."

After thinking for a moment, Sun He continued, "It's too dangerous for you to obtain a Soul Ring alone. How about waiting until the break? You know the basic theory concerning Soul Masters. Even if you don't obtain a Soul Ring, your Soul Power is actually still increasing; it just won't show until after you obtain one. When winter break comes, I can take you to the Star Dou Great Forest."

"That won't be necessary, Teacher Sun. I still have elders at home. Besides, you know my Second Uncle. At worst, I can have him accompany me."

"That works too." Sun He nodded slightly. "Oh, and one more thing. You haven't attended class for the past three months. With your current level, you don't need to worry about practical combat classes anymore, but you still need to make up the theory classes you missed. After class in the future, you can come ask me directly, or you can consult Teacher Wang Yan."

The two talked as they made their way to the cafeteria, and Sun He went to get food for Wang Nan.

Wang Nan had never expected Sun He to have such a side to him. From their first meeting, when Sun He had used his seniority to bully the young, to all the endless "schemes" he came up with in class, Wang Nan had always thought Sun He was a somewhat "cunning" person. Yet today, Sun He resembled an old father who had worried himself sick over his child.

Perhaps Sun He had always been like this—personally getting to know every student, teaching them the most practical combat techniques, with all his thoughts devoted to his students.

"What are you thinking about so intensely?" Sun He came over carrying two small bowls. One held white congee, while the other contained soup made from something unknown, carrying a rich meaty aroma. "You meditated for three whole months. The Soul Fighting Competition ended a month ago."

"It's fine. I'm only a reserve member anyway. Even if I went, I'd just be watching." Wang Nan picked up the bowl and gulped down a large mouthful of white congee. Warmth immediately spread through his stomach, and his body gradually began to stir back to life.

"Everyone else fights to go when the Soul Fighting Competition is mentioned, but you couldn't care less. Still, it's good that you see it this way. On the way here, I was even thinking about how to comfort you."

As Wang Nan ate, he listened to Sun He tell him about what had happened recently. But aside from Inner Courtyard Disciple Zhang Lexuan leading Shrek Academy to win the Soul Fighting Competition championship, everything else was merely trivial matters from their class.

"Alright, since you've already missed three months, another day or two won't make a difference." Seeing that Wang Nan had finished eating, Sun He stood up. "I'll give you a few days off first. Take time to adjust properly, and come back to class once your body has fully recovered."

After leaving the cafeteria, Sun He gave him a few more reminders about what to watch out for before the two finally parted ways.

On the way back, before he even got close to the dormitory, Wang Nan spotted Ma Xiaotao from afar peering around beneath the Dormitory Building, seemingly searching for something inside.

"What are you looking for here?"

"Xiao Nan?" Ma Xiaotao's voice carried a hint of surprise. "I was looking for you! When did you wake up? Why did you run outside?"