Opening Ceremony

"By the way, there's something I need to tell you." Tang San looked at Ye Zhiqiu, Xiao Wu, and the others, suddenly speaking in a mysterious tone.

"What is it?" Xiao Wu looked curious.

Ye Zhiqiu was quick-witted. After recalling the plot, he understood.

At this point in time, Tang San was probably about to go to the Soul Hunting Forest with Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang to obtain his first spirit ring.

It seemed to be a Mandala Snake spirit ring of more than four hundred years.

Sure enough, Tang San said the next moment, "Tomorrow, I have to go with Teacher to the Soul Hunting Forest to obtain my first spirit ring, so I wanted to let you know in advance."

After hearing Tang San's answer, Xiao Wu seemed to grow a little downcast. She softly muttered something that Tang San did not catch, so he did not pay much attention to it.

"Go on. Just remember to be careful." Ye Zhiqiu patted Tang San's shoulder.

Tang San's trip to hunt his first spirit ring would be somewhat eventful, but the outcome would still be good. Ye Zhiqiu was not too worried.

Tang San smiled. "With Teacher accompanying me, don't worry. I'm more worried about you, Ah Qiu. You want to hunt spirit beasts alone to obtain spirit rings."

"What? Brother Qiu wants to hunt spirit beasts alone?"

"No way, that's too dangerous."

"Exactly!"

Wang Sheng and the others cried out in alarm.

They then joined together to persuade Ye Zhiqiu, hoping he would abandon such a suicidal idea. Hunting spirit beasts alone was simply too dangerous. Hadn't Yu Xiaogang, a level 29 Soul Grandmaster, nearly been killed by a Mandala Snake of just over four hundred years?

What level was Ye Zhiqiu even at? And he did not have a single spirit ring yet.

However, Ye Zhiqiu had already made up his mind. He had his reasons for wanting to hunt spirit rings alone, because he wanted his first spirit ring to be at least a thousand years old.

If he went with an instructor to obtain a spirit ring, would that not scare the instructor to death? The Academy's instructors would definitely not agree to such a suicidal request.

To avoid trouble, Ye Zhiqiu could only choose to hunt alone.

Accordingly, he also had to make every possible preparation: a body strong enough to withstand Thousand Year and Ten Thousand Year Spirit Rings, at least a Three Tomoe Sharingan or the further-evolved Mangekyo, and finally, the Eight Gates of Dunjia.

Only after preparing all of that would Ye Zhiqiu consider entering the Soul Hunting Forest alone.

He had set himself a goal of obtaining two spirit rings within a year.

At the same time, that year was also the time he was giving the Shukaku Origin to improve and enhance his physique, while incidentally harvesting wool from people like Xiao Chenyu.

At night, Dormitory Seven quieted down, losing the daytime bustle.

Tang San sat cross-legged on his bed as usual, cultivating. He only slept a few hours each day, spending most of his time cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill and using cultivation in place of sleep.

Everyone else had already entered dreamland, with some even muttering in their sleep.

Ye Zhiqiu lay on his bed with his eyes half-closed, unable to sleep. He was reflecting on the issue with his mindset during the fight that day.

From beginning to end, Ye Zhiqiu had never considered himself a person who relished fighting and killing. There were lines he would not cross.

Yet over a verbal dispute, he had dealt heavily with students who were still children in his eyes. That had clearly crossed the line in his heart.

What had caused him to become like this?

His temperament? The influence of the Shukaku Origin? Or had he lost himself after his strength surged?

Ye Zhiqiu frowned in thought. He remembered someone in his previous life saying that the greater one's strength, the more one needed a temperament to match it in order to wield it perfectly.

Otherwise, it would not be you wielding power, but power wielding you.

Ye Zhiqiu had forgotten who had said that. For now, he would just assume it had been Lu Xun.

If cultivation were viewed as having two sides, one being immortal cultivation and the other demonic cultivation, then Ye Zhiqiu's reaction during the day had been more like that of a demonic cultivator.

That state was dangerous. In battle, when both sides were at the same level and neither could overwhelm the other, what they competed in was who was calmer and better able to seize an opening.

And in such a mindless state, Ye Zhiqiu clearly could not be said to have a brain. So he had to eliminate that state.

How could he eliminate it? That was the question!

Perhaps he could spar with others more often and turn the circulation of energy in his body into a habit? At the same time, he could improve his combat skills. As Ye Zhiqiu pondered, his consciousness gradually grew hazy, and he fell asleep.

Early the next morning, Ye Zhiqiu felt something tickling his face in his grogginess.

The moment he opened his eyes, he saw a round little face looking mischievously at him, her eyes curved into beautiful crescents. Who else could it be but Xiao Wu?

"You little brat." Ye Zhiqiu grumbled, then lifted the blanket with both hands and pulled it over his head, intending to keep sleeping.

"Who are you calling a little brat?" Xiao Wu angrily rushed over and started tugging at Ye Zhiqiu's blanket.

Naturally, Ye Zhiqiu refused to let go. I've already been sealed by the Bed Demon. No one is getting me up today. As the two tugged back and forth, a tearing sound rang out.

A huge hole had actually been torn in the blanket. Ye Zhiqiu's face darkened. Damn it. This is my new blanket. Xiao Wu looked like a startled little rabbit and hurriedly let go. With both hands behind her back, she turned her head elsewhere, her large eyes darting around as she wore an innocent expression.

"Pfft." Wang Sheng and the others could not help laughing.

After Ye Zhiqiu shot them a glare, he looked around. Tang San was nowhere to be seen in the dormitory, though everyone else was there.

"Brother Qiu, Third Boss disappeared early this morning. He probably already left with Grandmaster for the Soul Hunting Forest. Today is Nuoding Academy's opening ceremony. Sister Xiao Wu only meant well by waking you up." After receiving Ye Zhiqiu's glare, Wang Sheng behaved much more honestly and solemnly explained on Xiao Wu's behalf.

"Enough. It's just a blanket. I'm not blaming her." Ye Zhiqiu replied casually, then stretched and got out of bed to wash up.

Since it was the opening ceremony, Ye Zhiqiu naturally wanted to go take a look.

Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy's opening ceremony was held on the training field and began at nine in the morning. Unless students had something important to do, they were required to attend.

After eating breakfast in the cafeteria, Ye Zhiqiu and his group headed toward the training field together, chatting and laughing along the way.

When the students on the main road saw Ye Zhiqiu and this group of Work-Study Students approaching, they hurriedly stepped aside as though afraid of being too slow to avoid them.

They pointed and whispered about them from both sides.

Ye Zhiqiu and the others did not yet know that at Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy, the Work-Study Students of their year had become completely famous—having fought their way to fame.

Quite a few of Xiao Chenyu's older students who had been seriously injured were still lying in the Academy infirmary.

This phenomenon of people clearing out of their path became even more obvious once Ye Zhiqiu's group reached the training field.

Practically every student stayed far away from their area, occasionally glancing at them from a distance while discussing them in hushed voices.

Only Xiao Chenyu's group had received this kind of treatment before. Ye Zhiqiu felt somewhat helpless. It seemed he really had caused quite a commotion yesterday. Just look at how badly he had frightened these little lambs.

Still, it seemed that farming Negative Emotion Value would be much more convenient in the future.