Ji Linxue

"That's right, I'm only Level 13."

Zhongli saw the female teacher's look of utter disbelief, then glanced at Mo Yuqing beside him. An idea struck him, and he explained, "Because Mo Yuqing's Martial Soul and mine share a deep connection, they can create a one-sided enhancement. As long as she's near me, my shield's strength increases by 300%, and it continuously regenerates shield capacity. The only downside is that it consumes much more Soul Power."

"On the other hand, my shield can only reach its maximum strength when used on her and me. When I use it on others, it can't achieve four times the shield capacity. Put simply, my shield is basically a modified Martial Soul Fusion Skill. It just has no offensive capability, minimal side effects, and relatively low consumption."

"A modified Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"

The tall female teacher nodded lightly, an expression of realization appearing on her face. If it was a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, then it made much more sense. If Zhongli, a Soul Master with only Level 13 Soul Power, could activate a shield that directly negated the attacks of a Level 39 Soul Elder, she truly would have felt like smashing her head into a block of tofu.

"Huh?"

Mo Yuqing blinked at Zhongli, her round eyes filled with huge confusion. She hadn't even known she could passively enhance Zhongli's shield. Her instincts told her Zhongli was fooling people, but what he said also sounded so reasonable. If his shield was that strong even without enhancement, that would have been far more outrageous.

Ah, this felt so complicated!

Zhongli turned back and patted Mo Yuqing's shoulder with one hand, a mysterious smile appearing on his face. He merely blinked slightly, but the message had already been conveyed.

Mo Yuqing understood instantly. She nodded along and said, "That's right, it's our secret. He's my exclusive support, and when we're together, we're incredibly powerful—we just crush everyone!"

"Haha, what an interesting pair!"

The female teacher laughed twice and said, "In that case, I more or less understand. Zhongli's individual shield is very strong among those at the same level, but it isn't unbeatable. However, when the two of you appear together, Zhongli's shield becomes a life-saving treasure capable of absorbing massive damage across levels."

"As a Support System Soul Master, your shield's base strength isn't low to begin with. Otherwise, even a threefold enhancement couldn't have withstood my full-force attack. Under normal circumstances, your support ability should only be S-Rank. But if you're supporting Mo Yuqing—or rather, if the two of you appear together—your support ability can reach a level far beyond S-Rank. You're a true top-tier support, aren't you?"

"That's right."

Zhongli nodded. The shield around him shattered, though he had broken it himself. At the same time, he said, "Your full-force attack was very powerful. My shield had actually already been on the verge of breaking just now—I only forced it to hold on for a while. I really can't sustain it any longer, and the Soul Power consumption is also immense."

"Haha, that's only normal. After all, I'm a Level 39 Soul Elder. It's already impressive enough that you could withstand my full-force attack." Seeing Zhongli's shield break, the female teacher instinctively let out a sigh of relief. Otherwise, whenever she looked at Zhongli with that shield on, she felt vaguely uneasy inside. It was really uncomfortable.

That uncomfortable feeling was no different from a high school student looking at an exam paper. It wasn't that they couldn't answer it, but answering it felt awful, and even after answering, they had no idea whether they were right. In any case, it was all the same faint ripples—what a headache!

"Since you possess talent in this area, you should develop it properly. I can only give you an S-Rank evaluation in the Support System, but I will document your Martial Soul Fusion Skill and provide an explanation for it." The female teacher spoke as she filled out a form.

"My name is Ji Linxue, and I'm a first-year instructor. Unless something unexpected happens, you'll both be studying under me. Of course, I'm specifically responsible for teaching you general knowledge and techniques, not specialized courses... You might not understand that now, but you should after some time."

"Oh, I understand, Teacher Ji!"

Mo Yuqing said with a smile.

"Mm, so cute."

Seeing Mo Yuqing's smiling face, Ji Linxue couldn't help but smile as well. She liked this child very much. When she smiled, she was like a Little Sun. Ji Linxue slowly turned her head toward Zhongli and asked, "It seemed you never used your First Soul Skill just now. Is it because you can't use it while your shield is active? Does the shield restrict your attacks?"

"It doesn't."

Zhongli said rationally, "My shield doesn't affect my own offensive output. And it isn't that I didn't use my First Soul Skill—I was using it the entire time. You simply didn't notice."

"My First Soul Skill is a passive ability. Although it has no active effect, it can double my shield capacity. And as long as I stand on the ground, I can continuously draw power from it to restore my condition and regenerate shield capacity."

"Oh, so you'd already used it. No wonder your shield was so tough." The smile on Ji Linxue's face became increasingly natural as she gradually came to accept everything.

Then, she looked at Zhongli with a serious expression and said, "Although your shield support ability is quite good, I still recommend that you become a Power Attack System Soul Master. Because as long as she stands by your side, that's more useful than any Soul Skill. Do you understand?"

"Furthermore, your shield doesn't interfere with attacking. In other words, if your offensive power is strong enough, then when you fight team battles together with her, you can fulfill the role of two people. You can handle both damage output and shield support at the same time. Isn't that stronger than being purely support-oriented?"

"Your shielding ability is already very strong. You don't need to keep enhancing it. When facing Soul Masters of the same level, your shield capacity is completely excessive. That's why the Power Attack System is your best choice. I hope you'll consider it carefully."

"Mm, I understand."

Zhongli nodded slightly, but he had no desire to become a Power Attack System Soul Master. Otherwise, wouldn't it be troublesome to control his strength whenever he fought in the future? If he accidentally used too much force, or lost his temper and got carried away, it would be an absolute calamity for his enemies.

"You need to consider it carefully!"

Ji Linxue's gaze was earnest. She sighed softly and continued, "This concerns your future. Once a Spirit Ring is absorbed, it can never be changed. Soul Skills are matters that will affect your entire life. Don't regret your choice for the rest of your life because you picked the wrong Soul Skill."

"Mm."

Zhongli nodded again. He could see that this female teacher genuinely cared about his future. Although that concern wasn't particularly useful and had missed the point entirely, it still shouldn't be scorned.

Since others had shown him goodwill, he should respond to it seriously. That was a fair contract.

"In that case, I'll choose a Second Soul Skill that balances offense and defense in the future. I will study both the Power Attack System and the Support System properly, and I definitely won't disappoint your expectations," Zhongli said politely.

"Mm, it's good that you understand."

Ji Linxue nodded lightly.