The Definition of the Soul Guidance Department

At his words, Xia Linyuan could only smile wryly. He hadn't even joined the Soul Guidance Department yet, had he?

"Teacher."

Hearing Xia Linyuan call him "teacher" without the slightest hesitation made Qian Duoduo feel as if every bone in his body had gone soft. He felt so light he could almost float away.

"Ahem!" After basking in the moment, Qian Duoduo cleared his throat and said solemnly, "From now on, you're my first disciple, as well as my final disciple. I'll do everything in my power to train you."

"But I should warn you: the Soul Guidance Department and the Martial Soul Department have always been in competition. With your talent, you're sure to become a core disciple of the Martial Soul Department. So, for now, we'll have to keep your studies in the Soul Guidance Department a secret, in case that old fox Yan Shaozhe overreacts."

"Yes, Teacher."

"Also, although you're already a student of our Soul Guidance Department, you still need a solid foundation as a Spirit Master. So, at least until you finish your third year, you'll need to stay in the Martial Soul Department and continue studying all kinds of subjects. And I want you to focus most of your energy on cultivating your Martial Soul. Soul Power is the foundation of everything, and that's true in the Soul Guidance Department, too."

"Go back and get your things ready. Starting tomorrow, you'll stay here in the Soul Guidance Department and begin studying Soul Tools with me until the semester starts. Once classes begin, the Martial Soul Department should finish for the day at around four in the afternoon. After class, come straight here and study Soul Tools with me for two hours every day. You'll also need to come here to study on your day off each week."

Tomorrow? That soon? Qian Duoduo's speed caught Xia Linyuan off guard. He gave a slight nod. "Yes, Teacher."

New students had an assessment three months after the semester began, and at least two-thirds of them would be eliminated. Qian Duoduo wanted to start teaching Xia Linyuan about Soul Tools now. Wasn't that rushing things a bit?

Then again, Qian Duoduo might have worried if it were someone else, but his disciple was Xia Linyuan. He didn't believe that Xia Linyuan, who had gone to the front lines at the age of seven and been hailed as the Young War God, would be eliminated in a mere new student assessment.

His Soul Power Level of thirty-five was more than enough to crush the other new students, and even most second- and third-year students. Even Elder Ge's great-grandson was only level thirty-seven at fourteen. (In the original story, Beibei first appeared at fifteen, but the setting was changed here to fourteen.)

Let's be honest: if you're not going for an Oscar, how could you lose when the dragon's already right in your face?

Qian Duoduo took out a black necklace with a dark gold pendant. The pendant was engraved with several Soul Guidance core arrays. "With this pendant, you can go anywhere in the Soul Guidance Department's Outer Court. All right, go back for now, and don't forget to come see me tomorrow."

"Yes, Teacher."

"Oh, right. That girl Zhou Yi may have a fiery temper and be hard to read, but she's a pretty good person. At the very least, she stands up for her own students. If you need anything, you can go to her."

Qian Duoduo's sudden addition made Xia Linyuan's mouth twitch.

Sorry, but I don't want anything to do with a moody lunatic like her. Sure, she stands up for her students, but she stands up for Huo Yuhao, not me.

After leaving the Soul Guidance Experimental Zone, Xia Linyuan didn't wait until the next day, as Qian Duoduo had instructed. He went back to his dorm, quickly packed his things, and returned to the Soul Guidance Experimental Zone.

Seeing how diligent Xia Linyuan was, Qian Duoduo was delighted. He looked at Xia Linyuan the way a mother-in-law looked at her son-in-law: the more he looked, the more he liked him.

Qian Duoduo asked, "Linyuan, tell me: what is a Soul Tool?"

"A Soul Tool is the primary productive force and driving force behind the progress of human society."

Qian Duoduo was stunned by Xia Linyuan's startling answer.

It ran counter to everything he had always believed: "Soul Tools are weapons activated by Spirit Masters using Soul Power"; "Every kind of Soul Tool is closely tied to a Spirit Master's Soul Power"; and "Soul Tools are implements that use a Spirit Master's Soul Power as a guide to assist people in their lives and work."

"Linyuan, why do you think that?"

"Teacher, before I answer your question, may I ask what you believe a Soul Tool is?"

Qian Duoduo pondered for a moment, then replied, "At Shrek Academy, we've always viewed Soul Tools as weapons that Spirit Masters activate using Soul Power. Every kind of Soul Tool is closely tied to a Spirit Master's Soul Power. Even Fixed-Projectile Soul Guidance Devices, which rely on Soul Power the least, are no exception."

"Besides that, Soul Tools can also be devices that use a Spirit Master's Soul Power as a guide to help people in their daily lives and work."

"Ah." Xia Linyuan sighed. "Teacher, forgive me for speaking bluntly, but Shrek Academy's ideas about Soul Tools are far too outdated. Do you know how the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy defines Soul Tools?"

By this point, Qian Duoduo had forgotten all about the dignity expected of an elder. He couldn't help asking, "How?"

"They define Soul Tools as having nothing to do with Spirit Masters. The purpose of their existence and development is to advance human society. Soul Tools are researched to better advance human society and make humanity stronger. I think you could ask anyone on the streets of the Sun Moon Empire and get the same answer."

"But..." Qian Duoduo couldn't help asking again. "Soul Tools have to be guided by a Spirit Master to work. How can ordinary people with no Soul Power use them?"

"Teacher, have you forgotten Milk Bottles? Soul Tools that store Soul Power, like Milk Bottles, already exist. How far off can it be for ordinary people without Soul Power to use Soul Tools with the help of energy-storage devices like them? The emergence of every new thing is not merely a coincidence—it's an inevitable coincidence."

"Designing Soul Tools for Spirit Masters to use is a flawed way of thinking from the outset. Spirit Masters are only a small group of elites among humanity, a tiny minority. They can't represent the vast majority of ordinary people. If the development of Soul Tools can't reach the lives of ordinary people, then Soul Tools will never truly become a world-changing force that advances human civilization."

"Designing Soul Tools for Spirit Masters is one thing. But if they're developed solely for warfare, then I'm sorry to say that if the Soul Guidance Department's educational philosophy remains this backward and inflexible, perhaps the department no longer has any reason to exist."

With just a few simple sentences, Xia Linyuan had overturned Qian Duoduo's understanding of Soul Tools. This was more than just a difference in ideas; it was a difference in vision.

As Qian Duoduo marveled at the idea that the Sun Moon Empire researched Soul Tools to better advance human society, he was once again astonished by Xia Linyuan's broad horizons.