First Soul Skill, Thunder God's Awakening

Lin Ming looked around at the people from Skywater Academy.

Every one of them wore a curious expression.

He nodded. Little Lei Yi dropped from his shoulder and instantly shifted into Lei Yi's battle form, standing 1.29 meters tall.

"First Soul Skill: Thunder God's Awakening."

The Yellow Soul Ring shone brilliantly. Golden Thunder surged around Lei Yi in his battle form, and his aura soared.

Behind his shoulder blades, two masses of highly compressed thunder energy burst forth and unfurled.

Amid dazzling golden light and crackling sounds, they condensed into a gorgeous pair of wings made entirely of solidified Golden Thunder.

Their wingspan was nearly one and a half meters, each feather traced in sharp lines of lightning. When they beat, wind and thunder followed.

At the same time, a sense of lightness and a sudden surge of strength flowed into Lin Ming.

He tapped the ground with his toes and shot back several meters, moving far faster than before.

"A boosting Soul Skill! It enhances the Martial Soul and partially feeds its effects back to the user, making up for the speed disadvantage of a Detached Martial Soul Soul Master!"

Teacher Shen instantly understood, marveling at what she saw.

Lin Ming reined in the Soul Skill. The thunder wings dissipated, and Lei Yi returned to his basic wingless form, transforming back into Little Lei Yi and settling on his shoulder.

After the demonstration, he had a preliminary understanding of Thunder God's Awakening's boost and energy consumption.

"Teacher Shen, you have a keen eye," Lin Ming said.

First Soul Skill: Thunder God's Awakening.

Lei Yi grew wings, increasing speed and attack by 200 percent and feeding back half of the enhancement to Lin Ming.

Teacher Shen waved a hand and asked the key question she had raised before he absorbed the Soul Ring.

"Child, can you tell me your name and background now? With the talent you've shown, why did you come to the Star Dou Great Forest alone?"

Lin Ming answered honestly.

"My name is Lin Ming. I come from Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy, and I have no master. The academy usually only helps students obtain Ten-Year Soul Rings. I need a more suitable thunder-attribute Soul Ring, but I can't afford the high cost, and I don't want to settle for less. So I had no choice but to come alone."

"A Ten-Year Soul Ring?"

Shui Yue'er was astonished.

"You used a Ten-Year Soul Ring as your First Soul Ring? What good is that?"

Xue Wu furrowed her brows, too.

"Even our academy's support-type students choose at least a Hundred-Year Soul Ring that matches their attributes for their First Soul Ring. For anyone even a little exceptional, their family or academy does everything possible to help them obtain a Soul Ring with a more suitable age. They only provide Ten-Year Soul Rings... How can..."

The girls from Skywater Academy exchanged glances. To them, it was like hearing about a completely different world.

Their backgrounds, talent, and the opportunities available to them had kept them from ever encountering this cruel and helpless side of the Soul Master world's lowest ranks.

Shui Bing'er listened quietly, her ice-blue eyes fixed on Lin Ming's calm, unruffled face. Then she spoke.

"So you knew it was dangerous and chose this path anyway, because you knew a Ten-Year Soul Ring would limit how far you could go."

Her voice was soft, but her words hit the mark.

Lin Ming glanced at her and nodded.

Teacher Shen sighed softly.

Her sigh held both a sense of ruefulness and helplessness at the uneven distribution of resources across the continent.

More than anything, though, she admired the young man's decisiveness.

"Limited resources are a hardship many talented commoners have to face. You refused to accept that fate, took this risk at such a young age, and succeeded."

"Your character, courage, and strength are truly remarkable, Lin Ming."

She paused, her tone turning solemn.

"Then, Lin Ming, have you thought about the path you want to take in the future? Is there a senior Soul Master academy you have your eye on?"

Lin Ming fell silent for a moment.

The names of various Soul Master academies passed through his mind.

In the end, his thoughts settled on the academy standing in Heaven Dou City.

"I... have thought about Heaven Dou Royal Academy," he said honestly.

There were few senior Soul Master academies in the Heaven Dou Empire that met his requirements.

Besides Thunder Academy, one of the Elemental Academies, the only other option he could think of was Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

The empire's finest resources were gathered there.

"Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"

Teacher Shen raised her eyebrows slightly, then understood.

"It is indeed a good choice. The empire's number one academy, with abundant resources. But its admission requirements are extremely strict. Without noble status or a recommendation letter from someone influential, it's difficult to get in."

She looked at Lin Ming, especially at the patched clothes he wore.

It was clear he had neither of those advantages.

Even among the Elemental Academies, only Skywater Academy recruited commoners.

Lin Ming fell silent. What Teacher Shen had said was precisely the obstacle he faced.

Teacher Shen pondered, her gaze shifting between Lin Ming and Little Lei Yi on his shoulder.

She seemed to be weighing something.

After a moment, she appeared to make up her mind.

"Lin Ming, according to the rules, you can't join Skywater Academy. Your attributes aren't water, and your gender doesn't meet the requirement."

Teacher Shen spoke slowly, then changed tack.

"But with the authority I have, and what I've seen today, I could write a letter to our dean myself."

"Given your unusual circumstances and astonishing potential, I could ask her to write a letter of recommendation on Skywater Academy's behalf to Heaven Dou Royal Academy... There might be a chance."

Lin Ming looked up sharply, thoughts churning in his eyes.

A recommendation letter from the dean of Skywater Academy?

That carried real weight.

Someone of that stature could probably crush Nuoding Academy, where Lin Ming was currently enrolled, with a single word.

"Teacher Shen... This is too great a favor."

Lin Ming wasn't ungrateful. She was no relation to him, yet she was willing to help him so much. He didn't know how to respond.

He had grown used to Tang San and the others ignoring him, and Yu Xiaogang scheming against him.

At Nuoding Academy, he had done his best to keep a low profile.

The people from Skywater Academy were like a lotus blooming in a stagnant, murky pond.

Teacher Shen simply smiled. Her expression was gentle, but also clear-eyed and untroubled.

"Lin Ming, you don't need to dwell on it. I do want to nurture a promising talent, but this is also an investment."

She looked at Lin Ming's young yet resolute face.

"I'm betting on your limitless future."

"Today's recommendation is a kind gesture. Perhaps one day, it will bring unexpected returns to Skywater Academy."

"In the world of Soul Masters, there's no harm in making friends."

"Just remember that if you achieve something one day, you can show Skywater Academy some goodwill in return."

As she spoke, a trace of remembrance flickered in her eyes.

Skywater Academy didn't reject commoner Soul Masters.

Just like she had been, back then...

Listen.

Just listen!

This was what someone from a true senior Soul Master academy taught.

It was hundreds of times better than that nonsense from Shrek Academy about how anyone who didn't dare cause trouble was a failure.

Still, Teacher Shen's words surprised Lin Ming and eased the weight on his heart.

This wasn't charity. It was an equal exchange based on what they each believed the future held.

"Teacher Shen, your candor means a great deal to me. I won't forget it."

Lin Ming no longer hesitated. He spoke with earnestness.

"If there's ever anything I can do for you, please just say the word. I may not have much to offer now, but I'll do what little I can."

He had received her kindness and wanted to find some way to repay it. That was simply his principle.

Teacher Shen heard him, and her admiration grew.

He was neither arrogant nor impatient, and he knew how to repay kindness. That was a rare quality.

She thought for a moment, remembering one of the reasons for her visit. Perhaps...