After Graduation

News of Gu Ziyi breaking through Level 10 and becoming a One-Ring Soul Master quickly spread throughout the academy.

For a time, Gu Ziyi once again became the focus of everyone's discussions.

Some envied him, while others admired him.

Naturally, there were also those who were jealous.

But none of that affected Gu Ziyi. In just a few months, he would graduate from Quicksand Academy.

After class, Gu Ziyi continued cultivating in the back mountain.

However, Gu Ziyi, who usually found it easy to enter a cultivation state, was somewhat out of sorts today.

Even though he had accepted the fact that his Martial Soul was a support-type Martial Soul, Gu Ziyi still felt dissatisfied.

Support was truly not what he wanted.

He had already grown sick of playing support when he played King of Glory in his previous life! Being in the wrong state naturally had a severe impact on Gu Ziyi's cultivation efficiency.

"First Soul Skill: Purifying Heart Mantra!"

Realizing that something was off, Gu Ziyi simply slapped a Purifying Heart Mantra talisman onto himself.

At once, everything felt fresh and clear.

Under the effects of the Purifying Heart Mantra, Gu Ziyi found his cultivation exceptionally smooth, his cultivation speed nearly half again as fast as usual.

Discovering that the Purifying Heart Mantra had such a wonderful use, Gu Ziyi could not help feeling excited even while under its effects.

This meant his cultivation speed had increased once more.

However, Gu Ziyi soon realized that he had celebrated too early.

With his cultivation becoming smoother, his Meditation Technique absorbed energy faster, but he also reached his cultivation saturation point faster.

After doing the math, all it meant was that he spent less time cultivating.

Still, the Purifying Heart Mantra had another benefit: it allowed Gu Ziyi to cultivate for longer while in a saturated state.

Therefore, the Purifying Heart Mantra could still accelerate Gu Ziyi's leveling speed.

"My cultivation speed was already at two levels a year. Now, I can probably gain five levels in two years. At that rate, I can truly rival those geniuses!"

Gu Ziyi thought to himself.

Unfortunately, Gu Ziyi was already twelve years old. In a few months, he would be applying to an Intermediate Soul Master Academy, so it was impossible for him to improve much in that short time.

Even if he rose one more level to reach Level 12, he could only count as a top student in a backward place like Quicksand Academy. In a larger place, he would be nothing special.

Two months later, Gu Ziyi graduated from Quicksand Academy.

After graduating from Quicksand Academy, Gu Ziyi had a two-month break.

If Gu Ziyi did not intend to apply to the Intermediate Soul Master Academy recommended by Quicksand Academy, then during those two months, he would need to decide which Intermediate Soul Master Academy he intended to apply to and travel there for the entrance test.

Quicksand Academy was merely a Soul Master Academy within a duchy of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Thus, the academies Quicksand Academy could recommend to Gu Ziyi were likewise located within that duchy.

Besides the territories directly governed by the Heaven Dou Empire, there were also four kingdoms and one duchy within its borders. Although all belonged to the Heaven Dou Empire, they each possessed their own autonomy.

It was similar to the feudal enfeoffment system of ancient China.

The duchy where Gu Ziyi lived was naturally the weakest and most backward.

Thus, Gu Ziyi did not plan to continue studying there. He intended to attend an academy in the Heaven Dou Empire's directly governed territories.

That was because it was the most prosperous place, and Gu Ziyi would be able to encounter more things there.

Unlike here, where he could not learn many pieces of information at all.

Moreover, the duchy was quite far from the Heaven Dou Empire's directly governed territories. Even by carriage, the journey would take more than half a month.

Therefore, after graduating, Gu Ziyi needed to leave for the imperial territories immediately.

Gu Ziyi did not dare delay. After graduation, he took his Junior Soul Master Academy diploma and headed directly for the imperial territories.

The journey was fairly smooth, and he did not encounter bandits or anything of the sort.

Then, while traveling toward the imperial territories, Gu Ziyi heard something that interested him.

It was that Pope Qian Xunji of Spirit Hall had taken in a genius disciple.

Two years earlier, a girl had Awakened Martial Soul and awakened Twin Martial Souls. Pope Qian Xunji had taken notice of her and accepted her as his disciple.

"Two years ago... Bibi Dong is eight years old now!"

"She's four years younger than me!"

"I remember Bibi Dong seemed to have broken through to become a Titled Douluo at thirty-six. She broke through after devouring the severely injured Qian Xunji. That same year was also when Tang Hao received the Blue Silver Emperor's sacrifice and broke through to become a Titled Douluo—when Tang Hao was forty-four."

"Then Tang Hao is eight years older than Bibi Dong. He's sixteen now, four years older than me!"

"So forget Tang San—even Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Emperor, will only meet Tang Hao when he is around thirty-five. There's still plenty of time!"

Through Bibi Dong's age, Gu Ziyi quickly figured out quite a lot of information.

If nothing had changed, there were still twenty-eight years until Tang San was reborn into this world! Gu Ziyi immediately felt far less rushed. As long as he raised his strength, he would have plenty of time to get the Immortal Herbs first.

If he had the chance, Gu Ziyi could even get to Blue Silver Emperor Ah Yin first.

Of course, Bibi Dong was also a fine target.

Bibi Dong would not meet Yu Xiaogang for at least another ten years.

"So, would Ah Yin be better? Or Bibi Dong?"

"They're both rare beauties, and both hopeless romantics!"

Gu Ziyi could not help but let his imagination run wild. Whether it was Ah Yin or Bibi Dong, he had liked them at first sight when watching the anime.

Still, Gu Ziyi knew that for now, he could only fantasize. None of it was anywhere close to becoming reality.

Leaving everything else aside, with Gu Ziyi's status, even getting close to either of them would be difficult.

Meeting Ah Yin would require luck.

As for Bibi Dong, he would have to join Spirit Hall before he had any chance of approaching her.

In terms of how much help they could offer him, Bibi Dong was the one who could benefit Gu Ziyi more.

If he truly won Bibi Dong over, the Immortal Herbs would no longer be a problem.

But approaching Bibi Dong meant considering another issue: he would have to face Qian Xunji.

No one knew when Qian Xunji had fallen for his own disciple. Or perhaps, from the moment he had taken Bibi Dong as his disciple, he had valued her talent and intended to use her to continue his bloodline.

Gu Ziyi did not have Yu Xiaogang's background. If Qian Xunji wanted to get rid of him, he would not need to hold back at all.

After thinking it over, Gu Ziyi decided to forget it. For the time being, he would not consider such things.

Besides, Bibi Dong was only eight years old. It was far too early to make a move.

If he approached Bibi Dong now and showed even the slightest unusual interest in her, then even if Qian Xunji had not yet set his sights on his own disciple, once he noticed it, he would immediately erase Gu Ziyi.