Choosing a Cultivation Path

The next afternoon after school, Xue Lingyun had just stepped out of the Teaching Building when he saw Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong waiting ahead.

"Bro Lingyun." Huo Yuhao came up to him.

Wang Dong followed behind, a Candy Stick she had no idea where she had gotten hanging from her mouth.

The three walked out side by side.

The setting sun cast their shadows long behind them.

After walking for a while, Xue Lingyun suddenly said, "Yuhao, when we get to the Soul Guidance Department later, start by learning the basics from He Caitou. Ask him directly if there's anything you don't understand. He's an honest guy and won't hold anything back."

Huo Yuhao nodded seriously.

"Also," Xue Lingyun continued, "since you're taking the Soul Tool path, your Martial Soul cultivation direction needs to complement it."

Huo Yuhao paused and turned to look at him.

Xue Lingyun spoke as they walked. "You already have Spiritual Probe, which is a solid foundation. Low-level Soul Rings can't provide overly powerful offensive Soul Skills, so for your next Soul Ring, you can consider Spiritual Impact or interference-type abilities."

"Spiritual Impact?" Huo Yuhao did not quite understand.

"Mm." Xue Lingyun said, "It can restrict your opponent's movements or weaken their condition. On one hand, it improves the accuracy of your long-range Soul Tools. On the other, it can interfere with enemies trying to close in on you. Your Martial Soul is your eyes, and you've also learned Eye Techniques, so you're naturally highly compatible with this kind of Soul Skill."

Huo Yuhao listened intently, his pace slowing without him noticing.

Xue Lingyun continued, "Once you have control methods, you can pair them with an area-based camouflage Soul Skill."

"Camouflage?"

"That's right." Xue Lingyun said, "If you use Fire Suppression in the future, your attacks will already be so dense that no one can take them all in at once. If you disguise a small portion of those attacks, it will be even harder for opponents to spot them. Whether you're using Stealth, escaping, or Sniping from afar, camouflage skills are useful."

He paused, then added, "Without Soul Tools, a Control System soul master having a camouflage skill would indeed be somewhat pointless. But with Soul Tools as your offensive means, your options become much broader."

Huo Yuhao fell into thought.

Just then, a lazy voice suddenly rang out in his mind.

"Oh? This kid's not bad. He actually grasped a hint of my taste."

Huo Yuhao froze for a moment, then silently complained in his heart, Taste? He doesn't even know you exist, okay? How does this have anything to do with you?

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm continued chattering in his head. "Look, Spiritual Probe as the foundation, Spiritual Impact for Crowd Control, camouflage to conceal yourself—wasn't that exactly my strategy when I roamed the Icy Plains back then? I used Ice Silkworm Silk, while he uses Soul Tools, but the principle is the same..."

Huo Yuhao could not help saying in his mind, What he said has absolutely nothing to do with what you had in mind...

"How is it not the same?" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm protested. "First scout the path, then control the enemy, then hide and ambush them. The essence is the same!"

Huo Yuhao could not be bothered to argue with him anymore.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm rambled for a while, then found it boring when Huo Yuhao did not respond. Yawning, he said, "All right, all right, I'm going back to sleep. Think it over yourself."

After that, he fell silent.

Huo Yuhao came back to himself and realized Xue Lingyun was looking at him.

"What's wrong?" Xue Lingyun asked.

Huo Yuhao shook his head. "Nothing. I was thinking about what you said."

Xue Lingyun nodded and continued, "Also, when you first enroll, class assignment is random. But after the Freshman Assessment, you'll be reassigned according to the cultivation path you choose."

Huo Yuhao listened carefully.

"If you choose the Control System, you should be able to be in the same class as me," Xue Lingyun said.

Wang Dong suddenly piped up from the side, "You're Control System too?"

She looked Xue Lingyun over, then glanced at his build, which was more than half a head taller than hers. She reached out and pinched his arm.

Xue Lingyun lowered his head to look at her.

Wang Dong squeezed twice, her face full of confusion. "With your build, you don't look like a Control System soul master at all."

Xue Lingyun raised a hand and lightly tapped her on the head.

"Ow!" Wang Dong clutched her head and glared at him.

"When have the Assault Department and Control System ever been separated?" Xue Lingyun said. "After the Freshman Assessment, there will be four classes in total."

"Class One is the Assault Department and Control System, the core of a soul master team and the focus of training. Class Two is the Defense System and Agile Attack System. Class Three is entirely Support System. Class Four is for all kinds of special Martial Souls—Food System, Healing System, and special attributes all go there."

After listening, Wang Dong gave an "Oh." "So that's how it is."

Then she suddenly reacted, her eyes widening. "You just hit my head?!"

She made as if to pounce on him, but Xue Lingyun sidestepped and easily dodged.

Wang Dong lunged at empty air. Turning around, she glared furiously at him.

Xue Lingyun ignored her and kept walking.

Just as Wang Dong was about to chase after him, a figure suddenly blocked their path.

"Class Monitor."

The three stopped.

A petite, delicate-looking girl stood before them. Her long black hair was braided into two plaits, and she wore Shrek Academy's school uniform.

She stood there, unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes between her fingers, looking a little nervous.

Xue Lingyun turned and quietly told Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, "She's from our class. Xiao Xiao. She sits in the front row."

Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao exchanged a glance, then looked at the girl again. She did seem somewhat familiar.

Xue Lingyun stepped forward, his tone mild. "Xiao Xiao, what is it?"

Xiao Xiao opened her mouth, glanced at the other two behind him, and her face reddened slightly.

She had wanted to thank Xue Lingyun for a long time.

During Physical Training Class that day, she had nearly been unable to keep going. The Class Monitor had guided her breathing, helped adjust her pace, and even shielded her from the wind.

Whenever she thought about it afterward, she felt she ought to thank him.

But the Class Monitor always left after school and disappeared as soon as class ended, so she had never found the chance to speak to him.

Today, she had finally managed to catch him on the way home after school, but there were two other people beside him...

After hesitating for a moment, she finally said, "Class Monitor, about Physical Training Class that day... thank you."

Xue Lingyun looked at her.

Xiao Xiao continued, "If you hadn't taught us how to breathe, I probably wouldn't have made it to the end. I've wanted to find a chance to thank you, but I could never find you."

As she spoke, she took a small cloth pouch from her robes and offered it to him with both hands.

"I made these snacks myself... They aren't anything valuable, just a small token of appreciation."

Xue Lingyun paused and did not take it.

Xiao Xiao's face reddened further, and the hand holding the pouch trembled slightly.

Watching from the side, Wang Dong gently nudged Xue Lingyun with her elbow and whispered, "She's giving it to you. Take it."

Only then did Xue Lingyun accept the pouch and nod. "Thank you. But you don't need to be so polite. I'm the Class Monitor. I was only doing my duty."

When Xiao Xiao saw that he had accepted it, a smile appeared on her face. She gave him a slight bow, turned, and ran off. Her twin braids swayed behind her as she quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Wang Dong leaned closer, grinning. "Oh? Our Class Monitor is quite charming, huh?"

Xue Lingyun glanced at her without saying anything and lowered his head to open the pouch.

Inside were several small snacks wrapped in Oiled Paper. They smelled quite good.

He took one out and shoved it straight into Wang Dong's mouth.

"Mmph?!" Wang Dong was caught completely off guard. Bent over, she hurriedly swallowed the snack, coughing hard after choking on it.

By the time she straightened up and was about to shout Xue Lingyun's name, she found the space before her empty. He had already vanished.

"Xue Lingyun—!" She stomped her foot in anger.

Beside her, Huo Yuhao silently accepted another snack that Xue Lingyun had stuffed into his hand before leaving. He took a bite and continued walking.

Wang Dong glared at him. "You just watched him run away?"

Chewing the snack, Huo Yuhao answered indistinctly, "Bro Lingyun runs fast. Can't catch him."

Wang Dong: "..."

After weaving through several turns and making sure Wang Dong had not followed, Xue Lingyun finally slowed down.

He went straight to the Canteen, sat in a corner, and ordered several dishes. Just as he was about to eat, someone sat down across from him.

He looked up. Tang Ya was watching him.

"How did you know I was here?" Xue Lingyun asked.

Tang Ya did not answer. She took a small cloth bag from her bag and placed it on the table.

"The things you wanted." She pushed it toward him. "Finished Hidden Weapons, along with some Structure Diagrams. I drew out clearly how all the parts are assembled."

Xue Lingyun took the cloth bag and opened it. Inside were several exquisite Hidden Weapons, as well as a stack of blueprints.

Tang Ya said from the side, "That Life Mark of yours... it really works."

Xue Lingyun looked up at her.

Tang Ya said, "These past few days, I've been cultivating in places with lots of plants, and it feels completely different from before. My Martial Soul has never felt this satisfied. It's like..."

She thought for a moment before finding an analogy. "Like soaking in a hot bath all the time. It feels unbelievably good."

Xue Lingyun nodded and put away the Hidden Weapons.

"Before, when you absorbed Soul Rings, you only thought about reinforcing the bathtub," he said. "You never thought about filling it with bathwater. Now that the tub is sturdy enough, it's naturally different when you take your first bath."

Tang Ya only half understood, but she grasped the general meaning.

She suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, will this mark keep working forever?"

Xue Lingyun glanced at her. "It mainly serves as a bridge for communication between you and plants. It only acts as a catalyst, so it consumes very little, but it still needs to be replenished after use."

Tang Ya froze. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"You didn't ask," Xue Lingyun said. "And besides, didn't it solve your problem?"

Tang Ya choked on her words.

It really had solved her problem.

Her cultivation had gone absurdly smoothly these past few days. She had never experienced anything like it before.

After a moment of silence, she asked quietly, "Then... the replenishment later..."

Xue Lingyun lifted his teacup and took a sip, his tone calm. "That comes at a separate price."

Tang Ya looked at him.

Xue Lingyun set down his teacup and continued, "Don't worry. It won't violate your principles."

Tang Ya opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she merely joked, "For Yuhao's sake, can you give me a discount in the future?"

Xue Lingyun seriously considered it, then nodded. "Fine. I'll give you a one-percent discount."

Tang Ya froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. "You really are generous."

Xue Lingyun did not respond.

Tang Ya stood up. After taking two steps, she turned back and waved with a smile. "Thanks."

Then she turned and left.

Xue Lingyun remained seated and took the items out of the cloth bag to inspect them again.

The Hidden Weapons were exquisitely crafted, and the Structure blueprints were drawn in detail. They only explained how to assemble the parts, not how to make them.

Still, that was enough.

He put the Hidden Weapons away and began eating.

Honestly, these things were quite interesting.

He did not know how powerful such Hidden Weapons had been before his transmigration. After transmigrating, the materials were different, so their power had certainly changed as well.

But even ordinary Hidden Weapons could threaten low-level and even mid-level soul masters. That alone made them highly worth studying.

Besides, the resources at his disposal were far greater than Tang Ya's.

Materials alone were enough to make selling Tang Ya seem insignificant by comparison.

By the time he returned to the dormitory after dinner, it was already dark.

Xue Lingyun sat at his desk, laying out the finished Hidden Weapons and Structure Diagrams one by one as he began to study them.

The blueprints clearly marked the shape, size, and installation position of every part.

He picked up one Hidden Weapon, dismantled it according to the diagram, examined the internal structure, then assembled it again.

After doing this several times, he had roughly figured out how it worked.

There were quite a few things worth exploring in this.