The Little Kitten of Star Luo Junior Academy of Soul Masters

The next day, before a small earthen mound in the mountains behind the little village.

"Grandma, Qianyao has already awakened his martial soul." Ling Qianyue knelt before a bluestone tablet, his fingertips brushing over the inscription: "Beloved Grandmother, Lady Ling."

The wild chrysanthemums wet with morning dew suddenly swayed without wind. Old Jason emerged from the woods, leaning on a jujube-wood cane. Looking at Ling Qianyue, he let out a soft sigh and did not approach, waiting for him to calm himself.

After a while, Ling Qianyue rose to his feet and walked over to Old Jason.

"Grandpa Jason."

"Mm." Old Jason patted Ling Qianyue on the shoulder, took a bundle from his robes, and handed it to him.

"These are the ten Gold Soul Coins given to you by that Grandmaster Su and the village, as well as the martial soul certificate he sent over this morning."

Ling Qianyue opened his mouth, hesitating.

Seeing this, Old Jason smiled. "You've always had a heavy heart since you were little. Grandmaster Su said this is merely to forge a good connection. He doesn't expect you to repay him, nor does he require you to join Spirit Hall right away. Take it."

Only then did Ling Qianyue accept the bundle from Old Jason. "Thank you."

Old Jason took Ling Qianyue's hand and spoke as they walked. "Qianyao, Soul Masters are a highly respected profession to people like us. They hold great status and live colorful lives.

"But troubles and hardships will still exist. If you ever grow weary or tired, come back and visit."

"Mm." Ling Qianyue nodded.

A month later, Old Jason led Ling Qianyue to Star Luo Junior Soul Master Academy.

There were no extra incidents like Tang San's. Ling Qianyue enrolled without issue and moved into Dormitory Nine.

Because his Innate Soul Power was fairly high on his martial soul certificate, Ling Qianyue was assigned to Class One.

Most of the students here came from the various noble families and sect factions of Star Luo City. Only a small number had entered because of decent aptitude, like Ling Qianyue.

The first class was held outdoors. In truth, it was a slacking-off class, meant to let the new children relax and familiarize themselves with the academy.

Ling Qianyue lay beneath a tree, cooling off in the shade with a blade of Blue Silver Grass between his teeth as he watched a group of children roughhouse.

He was somewhat surprised. With Innate Soul Power at level six, he was actually considered among the best at this junior Soul Master academy in the Main City of Star Luo City.

Innate Soul Power at level seven was already exceptional. Within this Soul Master Academy, it was enough to leave many students far behind.

At least among Ling Qianyue's cohort, only a few had reached level seven Innate Soul Power, while not a single one had reached level eight.

These nobles did not have any protagonist's halo.

After casually glancing at the freshmen showing off and playing with their martial souls, or calling one another brothers and forming little cliques, Ling Qianyue withdrew his gaze, closed his eyes, and began visualizing the Great Heavenly Star Array Diagram within his mind.

His consciousness sank into his sea of consciousness. The 364 major stars were dim, like pearls covered in dust. Only the Yaoguang Star corresponding to the Mingmen Acupoint glimmered with a faint bloody light.

Strange streams of starlight continuously condensed from the void and flowed into his body. Yet from the outside, nothing unusual could be seen around Ling Qianyue.

At the depression below the spinous process of the eleventh thoracic vertebra, the Jizhong Acupoint representing the Kaiyang Star, Wu Qu, gradually began to ripple with light.

What peculiar energy. I can feel my meridians, blood, and bones being tempered. It differs from Soul Power, so I'll call it Star Power.

I wonder whether this Visualization Method can be extended to other things. If other Soul Masters chose a specific object and visualized it, could they create Self-Created Soul Skills?

Ling Qianyue let his thoughts wander. The human body has 365 regular acupoints. What would happen if they were tempered with another kind of energy?

"Hey! You're not allowed to sleep here!"

A teasing child's voice shattered his meditation. Three youths dressed in brocade robes embroidered with cloud patterns gathered around him. The boy in the lead wore a White Tiger emblem.

When he received no response from Ling Qianyue, he frowned and kicked Ling Qianyue's calf. "Get up. I'm talking to you."

"Mm?"

Ling Qianyue frowned and opened his eyes. A chill flashed through them. "Want to fight?"

"Gulp." Dai Gonggong and the other two were startled by the killing intent in his eyes. Dai Gonggong had only ever seen such a look when he got into trouble and faced his father's seven-strand wolf-hide belt.

Forcing out a snort, he said, "I want this spot. Go find somewhere else."

Ling Qianyue casually looked around. The teacher had gone off to slack, and no students were paying attention. He could make a move. "There are plenty of empty spots beneath other trees. Why come looking for me?"

"Your spot is good. The sun doesn't reach it. Besides, you're a work-study student. What's wrong with giving us nobles your place?

"When you're out in the world, you have to consider influence and background." The fat lackey beside him spoke with great smugness.

"Heh. Then what's your background?" Ling Qianyue summoned Shattered Star and lightly wiped its blade as he silently recited, Zhanxing.

The sword tip traced the ground, establishing the positions of heaven, earth, and man. The Heavenly Mystery Star within the sword guard flickered, but it gave no warning of danger. Ling Qianyue relaxed slightly and decided to strike boldly.

"H-Hey, don't do anything reckless. My father is Dai Erhe, an outer sect elder of the Dai Family." Dai Gonggong cursed inwardly. How had his attempt to show off failed on the first day? His older cousins had said these work-study students were all supposed to be easy to bully.

"Never heard of him." Ling Qianyue's figure flashed, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared before Dai Gonggong.

Before Dai Gonggong could react, his vision blurred. A sharp pain erupted in his abdomen, and he was sent flying by Ling Qianyue's kick like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily to the ground.

"Ah!" Dai Gonggong cried out in pain, his face instantly turning pale.

Ling Qianyue looked down at him coldly. With a light sweep of Shattered Star, he pointed its tip directly at Dai Gonggong's throat and said in a frosty voice, "Who's your father?"

The fat lackey and the other youth retreated again and again, not daring to take another step forward. Though they had run rampant through the academy relying on their families' influence, they could not help but feel frightened when faced with someone who truly dared to fight.

Feeling the chilling killing intent radiating from Ling Qianyue, Dai Gonggong could not help but shudder.

"Big brother, I was wrong!"

"Get lost." Ling Qianyue withdrew his sword and returned to the tree.

"Damn, big brother, are you okay?" The other two youths hurried over.

"Go away, go away." Enduring the pain, Dai Gonggong crouched beside Ling Qianyue with an ingratiating expression. "Hehe, you're the big brother. You're amazing. Can you teach me? My Innate Soul Power is level six too, but I couldn't even see your movements just now."

Ling Qianyue looked at him in surprise. This guy's personality was actually quite interesting.

"You'll have to pay tuition. Meet me at the training ground after class. And let me be alone for now." There was no reason to turn away money delivered straight to his door. Aside from Spirit Hall's subsidy, it seemed he would have extra income in the coming years.

"Sure, sure. Come on, let's go. Don't disturb big brother's rest." Dai Gonggong called for the other two and left.

"The Star Luo Dai Family. I've already seen many sect factions that appeared in the original story. But I haven't seen anyone from the Star Crown Sect. Just like the original description, they really are sparse in number."

He rested against the tree trunk, contemplating the road ahead.

"Star Luo isn't somewhere I can stay for long. By my calculations, Tang San should have awakened his martial soul a year ago. I have to get the immortal herbs in Heaven Dou ahead of time. I need to find a suitable chance to go to Heaven Dou."

A rustling sound came from beside him, and Ling Qianyue looked over.

He saw a girl glance at him first before walking over to the tree trunk behind him and sitting down on the ground.

With her arms wrapped around her knees, she stared blankly into the distance.