Slowly Going to Theory Class to Accumulate Value, Avoiding Performance to Deal with Master

The morning light streamed through the dormitory window, and Tang San was woken by Xiao Wu's laughter. He opened his eyes to see Xiao Wu, Wang Hu, and two others gathered around a table, chatting animatedly while holding steamed buns. "Tang San, you're finally awake! Hurry up and eat breakfast. The buns at the mess hall are delicious, they'll get cold if you don't hurry," Xiao Wu said, waving the bun in her hand with a smile.

Tang San stretched lazily and sat up slowly, not getting out of bed immediately. "Extending bed rest" was a standard operation for accumulating Slacking Value. As expected, before he could speak, a system notification sounded in his mind: [Actively extending rest time, avoiding early morning energy expenditure, Slacking Value +1, current total 17 points].

"Got it, I'll get up right away," Tang San replied while slowly getting dressed. By the time he was ready, Wang Hu and the others had finished their buns and were urging him on, "Tang San, hurry up! We have theory class at the Chen Shi hour, and we'll be punished with standing if we're late."

Tang San's heart stirred. "Going to class" was necessary, but "avoiding a hurried rush" could still earn Slacking Value. He deliberately rummaged through his cloth bag, pretending to "look for something." "Don't rush, I need to find the theory class notes Grandpa Jack gave me yesterday. I'll leave once I find them, otherwise, I won't have anything to write with in class."

Wang Hu and the others had no choice but to wait. Tang San leisurely searched for a while before "finding" a blank piece of paper (which he had actually torn out randomly the night before) and tucking it into his pocket. "Alright, let's go."

[Actively delaying departure time, avoiding energy expenditure from rushing, Slacking Value +1, current total 18 points]

The five of them walked out of the dormitory together and headed towards the teaching building. On the way, Xiao Wu skipped ahead, occasionally stopping to look at the flowers and plants by the roadside. Tang San deliberately slowed his pace, following behind, and occasionally helped Xiao Wu pick up a fallen hair tie. This way, he could "reduce his travel speed" and improve his relationship with Xiao Wu – killing two birds with one stone.

[Actively cooperating with others to slow down, reducing travel anxiety, Slacking Value +1, current total 19 points]

After about fifteen minutes, they finally reached the teaching building. The theory class classroom was on the first floor, at the far east end, and quite a few students were already seated inside. Tang San followed Wang Hu and the others into the classroom and found a seat towards the back. "Choosing a back seat" reduced the chance of being noticed by the teacher, making it easier to "slack off" during class.

Not long after they sat down, the class bell rang. The person who walked in was none other than Master Yu Xiaogang, who had helped Tang San out yesterday. He held a book and walked to the podium, his gaze sweeping across the entire class. "I am your theory class teacher, Yu Xiaogang. Starting today, I will teach you the basic theoretical knowledge of Soul Masters. During class, no talking, no sleeping. If you have questions, raise your hand to ask."

The entire class sat up straight. Only Tang San quietly adjusted himself to a comfortable position, leaning against the back of his chair. He planned to "listen attentively" (on the surface) but "not answer questions proactively," thus learning knowledge while also accumulating Slacking Value.

Yu Xiaogang began his lecture, the topic being "Classification and Characteristics of Martial Souls." He explained in detail, from tool-type Martial Souls to beast-type Martial Souls, from assault systems to control systems, with clear organization. Tang San listened attentively, occasionally jotting down a few notes on his paper, but he never raised his hand to ask a question or actively responded to Yu Xiaogang's gaze throughout the entire lecture. "Avoiding proactive performance" was key to reducing the chances of being noticed by the teacher.

[Actively avoiding proactive performance in class, reducing extra mental and expressive expenditure, Slacking Value +1, current total 20 points]

"Great, that's enough to exchange for a soul power increase!" Tang San rejoiced inwardly but didn't redeem it immediately. Redeeming it during class might cause Yu Xiaogang to notice something unusual, which would be troublesome. He'd wait until after class.

After about an hour, the dismissal bell rang. Yu Xiaogang closed his book and his gaze fell on Tang San. "Tang San, come with me to the office."

Tang San's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know why Yu Xiaogang wanted to see him. He followed behind Yu Xiaogang as they walked to the office. Along the way, Yu Xiaogang suddenly asked, "You said yesterday that your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass and your soul power is very weak?"

Tang San quickly nodded. "Yes, Master. When I awakened my Martial Soul, the crystal ball only lit up a little. The attendant said I barely had soul power, I don't know my specific level." He continued to "downplay his strength" to avoid drawing too much attention from Yu Xiaogang.

Yu Xiaogang frowned but didn't ask further, leading Tang San into the office. The office was simple, with only a desk and two chairs. Yu Xiaogang sat down and took a blue crystal ball from a drawer, handing it to Tang San. "Here, let's test your soul power again. I want to see."

Tang San secretly groaned inwardly. If this test showed level 12, Yu Xiaogang would definitely question him. But he couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to take the crystal ball and place his hand on it. He deliberately released only a trace of soul power, and the crystal ball lit up only slightly, not much brighter than during his initial awakening.

Yu Xiaogang stared at the crystal ball for a few seconds, then looked at Tang San. "Indeed, your soul power is very weak. But it's okay. Although the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul is considered a waste Martial Soul, you can still achieve something if you work hard. I have a copy of 'Martial Soul Basic Theory' here. Take it and read it; it will be helpful to you."

Tang San took the book and quickly thanked him. "Thank you, Master, I will read it carefully." He breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, glad his strength hadn't been exposed.

[Actively cooperating with the soul power test while downplaying strength, avoiding excessive questioning, Slacking Value +1, current total 21 points]

Emerging from the office, Tang San hurried back to the classroom. Xiao Wu and the other two were waiting for him. "Tang San, what did the Master want you for? Did he criticize you for not paying attention in class?"

Tang San smiled and shook his head. "No, the Master just gave me a book and told me to study theory well." He didn't mention the soul power test to avoid piquing their curiosity.

At noon, the five of them went to the mess hall for lunch. The mess hall was crowded. Wang Hu suggested, "Let's grab a window seat, the view is good."

Tang San quickly waved his hand. "No need to fight for seats. Let's sit wherever there's an empty spot. Grabbing seats is too much trouble and can easily lead to conflict." He deliberately slowed his pace, falling behind. Only after everyone else had found a seat did he find an empty corner spot and sat down.

[Actively avoiding seat-grabbing conflicts, reducing unnecessary competitive behavior, Slacking Value +1, current total 22 points]

After eating, Xiao Wu suggested practicing their Martial Souls on the training grounds. Tang San's heart stirred. "Practicing Martial Souls" was a high-intensity activity that he had to refuse. He deliberately rubbed his arm. "I'm a bit tired and want to go back to the dormitory to rest. You guys go ahead, I won't be joining."

Xiao Wu and the others didn't insist. They said, "Then we'll be going ahead," and headed to the training grounds together. Tang San returned to the dormitory alone, closed the door, and quickly opened the system panel, clicking on "Exchange Trace Soul Power Increase."

A warm current instantly surged through his body, and the soul power in his dantian felt noticeably more abundant, a stronger sensation than the last increase. The system notification sounded: [Successfully exchanged "Trace Soul Power Increase," current Soul Power Level: 13 (Trace Increase), remaining Slacking Value 12 points].

"Level 13!" Tang San was delighted. He leaned against the wall, opened the "Martial Soul Basic Theory" given by Yu Xiaogang, and began to read slowly. He read at a leisurely pace, pondering as he went, "There's another practical class this afternoon. I'll have to find a way to 'slack off' then and earn some more Slacking Value."

The sunlight outside the window poured into the dormitory, illuminating the words on the pages. Tang San knew that although life at Nuoding Academy had just begun, as long as he persisted in "slacking," his soul power would definitely improve steadily. This "peak slacking path" would undoubtedly become wider and wider.