Educational Philosophy

"One hundred laps? How is that possible?"

"Teacher, did you really not misspeak? It should be ten laps, right?"

As soon as this outrageous order was given, the students all began to complain bitterly.

"That's right. One hundred laps."

Shui Jing looked solemn, without the slightest hint of joking.

"Can we start now?"

Su Chen raised his hand.

"Mm, you may."

Shui Jing was stunned. She had not expected someone to accept this utterly impossible task so quickly.

With Su Chen taking the lead, there was a second, then a third.

Before long, the entire class had started running in circles.

But for these young girls, one hundred laps was still far too difficult.

After a dozen or so laps, most of them were already dizzy and collapsing to the ground.

Only a handful could continue onward.

Only Su Chen was still in fairly good condition. He circulated Soul Power through the meridians throughout his body while deliberately controlling his pace to conserve stamina.

After twenty laps, only Xue Wu remained behind Su Chen.

Twenty-one laps.

Twenty-two laps.

By the twenty-third lap, Xue Wu could no longer hold on.

Her legs gave out, and she fell.

"Sometimes, it's better not to push yourself too hard."

The exhausted, dizzy Xue Wu suddenly felt herself being supported by a pair of strong arms.

"Su... Su Chen."

Xue Wu's face instantly flushed red, and she instinctively pulled her hand back.

With a thud, the utterly spent Xue Wu fell to the ground.

"I told you not to force yourself."

Su Chen pulled Xue Wu to her feet, then waved at the teacher.

"We can stop now, right, Teacher~?"

"Mm, everyone, come back."

Shui Jing nodded, slightly puzzled.

Why did this Su Chen seem as though he had seen through the academy's arrangements?

"Students, what are your thoughts on today's training?"

Once the training was over, the students returned to the classroom under their teacher's lead.

"Tired~"

Almost everyone shouted in unison.

"And?"

Shui Jing tried asking.

"I don't know."

Su Chen looked out the window, his mind already no longer on the lesson.

Skywater Academy was not some freakish place like Shrek. From the very beginning, they had never intended for the students to finish those one hundred laps.

"You must remember this. Every one of you is a child of the academy. Do not push yourselves too hard, and always remember to act within your limits."

"Interesting."

Although he had already guessed that the so-called hundred laps were merely an appetizer.

Su Chen had never expected Skywater Academy's philosophy to be like this.

"There are countless outstanding Soul Masters in this world. The academy does not demand that you rise above the rest; we only hope that you can live well."

Shui Jing spoke sincerely, without seeming to put on an act.

"No wonder Shui Binger has that kind of personality. If she grew up in this environment, it makes sense."

Su Chen looked at the sincere Shui Jing on the podium and thought to himself.

Shui Binger was kind, yet unwilling to accept defeat. But she was not someone who would stop at nothing, nor was she willing to hurt her opponents in a match.

If she had grown up under Skywater Academy's educational philosophy, it was only natural that she would develop such a personality.

The courses at Soul Master Academies were dull and monotonous, especially in an era that had yet to develop.

All they could teach were theoretical knowledge and analyses of a few actual combat cases.

After finishing the day's classes, Su Chen headed straight back to the dormitory.

He knew very well that his top priority now was to neutralize the Heterogeneous Soul Power.

Only by resolving this issue would he have a chance to raise his strength to another level.

Otherwise, that foreign Soul Power was like a ticking bomb buried within his body. No one could say when it would explode.

"I opened the Shangyang Acupoint yesterday. Today, I'll try the Erjian Acupoint."

After setting today's herbs to stew, Su Chen sat cross-legged. He was about to continue opening his acupoints to neutralize the Heterogeneous Soul Power within him.

"Hello, is Su Chen here?"

But just then, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

"I'm here. Please wait a moment."

Su Chen put away the acupoint chart and opened the door.

"It's Xue Wu. What is it?"

Su Chen glanced at the lunchbox behind her and understood why she had come.

"Thank you for what happened today."

Xue Wu lowered her head and offered him the lunchbox.

"I made this myself. I saw that you didn't go to the cafeteria for dinner..."

Though she had only spoken a few words, Xue Wu's voice grew softer and softer.

"Thank you."

She meant well, so Su Chen could not bring himself to refuse. He accepted the lunchbox.

"It tastes alright, but you put in too much salt."

After taking a bite of shrimp, Su Chen bluntly said what he thought.

He paid no attention at all to the expectant Xue Wu beside him.

"I-I'm sorry. I'll be more careful next time."

Xue Wu had thought her carefully prepared lunch would earn praise, but she had not expected this outcome.

Her face immediately reddened, and she began apologizing repeatedly.

"This was a gift for me to begin with. There's no need to apologize. Besides, even though it's a little salty, it's still delicious."

Noticing this, Su Chen hurriedly added.

"Actually, there's something I want to ask you."

After hesitating slightly, Xue Wu still chose to ask.

"Mm, go ahead."

You couldn't be harsh after taking someone's food.

Su Chen nodded as he ate.

"When the teacher announced that we had to run one hundred laps today, why were you the first to start running?"

Ever since the new student entrance ceremony, Xue Wu had silently been watching Su Chen.

When the teacher announced the hundred laps, she had noticed that Su Chen had not panicked or discussed it like everyone else. Instead, he had calmly started running first.

"Maybe because I'm a boy?"

Su Chen smiled.

"If it isn't inconvenient, please tell me the truth."

Xue Wu immediately added. Su Chen's perfunctory answer clearly did not satisfy her.

"If I have to say it... do you think you could finish one hundred laps? Or could anyone in the class finish them?"

"No."

Xue Wu answered without hesitation.

Having experienced it herself, she knew perfectly well how difficult those hundred laps were.

"There you have it."

With the spirit of a devoted eater, Su Chen quickly finished Xue Wu's lunch and prepared to get up to clean the utensils.

"What do you mean?"

Unlike Su Chen, who had lived two lives, Xue Wu was still only a ten-year-old girl. She could not make the connection right away.

"Since it was an impossible task, that meant the academy never intended for us to complete it in the first place."

Su Chen stopped and explained it to Xue Wu.

"But I still guessed wrong. I originally thought they were going to use it to say that persistence was victory, or explain how to use Soul Power or something. I never expected that, in the end, it would be about simply living well."