The First Martial Soul Class

Notting Academy, Dorm Seven.

Tang San had only wanted to take a look at the textbooks sent by Spirit Hall.

But the longer he looked, the more people gathered around him.

Wang Sheng leaned over the bed, staring at Soul Power Introduction and Meditation with more focus than he usually showed in class.

Several Work-Study Students crowded around him.

Those who couldn't read asked someone who could to read aloud.

When they reached "Never forcefully channel Soul Power through the meridians," Wang Sheng's expression changed.

"No wonder my stomach hurts every time I finish cultivating."

Tang San glanced at him.

"How did you cultivate before?"

Wang Sheng scratched his head.

"I just... forced it through."

Tang San fell silent.

A Work-Study Student beside him said quietly, "That's how we all practice."

At that, Tang San finally understood the value of these books.

They weren't profound secret manuals.

Nor did they contain any way to achieve greatness overnight.

But for common-born Soul Masters with no family traditions and no teachers to guide them, they were very useful.

At the very least, they could save them from taking a lot of wrong turns.

Xiao Wu sat nearby, chin in hand, looking at Low-Level Soul Beast Illustrated Handbook.

She hadn't thought much of the things sent by Spirit Hall.

But after flipping through a few pages, her expression turned a little strange.

The book didn't say that all Soul Beasts should be killed.

On the contrary, it made things very clear.

[Soul Beasts have their own habits.]

[Unless Soul Hunting requires it, they should not be killed without reason.]

[Young Soul Beasts should not be hunted indiscriminately, unless they attack first or become uncontrollably corrupted.]

Xiao Wu stared at those lines for a long while.

"Spirit Hall writes things like this?"

Her voice was very quiet.

Tang San looked up.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Xiao Wu closed the book, but she didn't look as relaxed as before.

She had heard of Spirit Hall.

In the eyes of Soul Beasts, Spirit Hall was a dangerous place.

Powerful Soul Masters.

Soul Hunting teams.

Titled Douluo.

And the greed that was most deadly to Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.

But these textbooks before her were different from the Spirit Hall she had imagined.

At least the person who wrote this book hadn't treated Soul Beasts as mere materials.

She wasn't sure how to feel about that.

By now, Wang Sheng had turned to Soul Hunting Safety Regulations.

The first rule said:

[Before Soul Hunting, confirm the required Soul Ring's attributes and age. Never hunt blindly.]

The second rule:

[Low-Rank Soul Masters must not enter the Soul Beast Forest without permission.]

The third rule:

[Do not hunt Soul Beasts to show off.]

After reading them, Wang Sheng couldn't help saying, "They really went into a lot of detail."

Tang San nodded.

"Details are a good thing."

Xiao Wu glanced at him.

"You think so?"

"Mm."

Tang San said, "At least it doesn't just teach people how to kill Soul Beasts."

Xiao Wu paused.

Then she lowered her eyes to the page and said nothing.

Outside Dorm Seven,

Grandmaster stood at the entrance, listening quietly for a long time.

His expression was grim.

Not because there was anything wrong with the textbooks.

Quite the opposite: many of the things in them were correct.

And they were explained very clearly.

So clearly that even a child who had just begun learning about Martial Soul cultivation could understand them.

That was the problem.

In the past, common-born children had lacked basic knowledge.

To them, anyone who could explain Martial Soul Theory clearly would naturally seem impressive.

But now Spirit Hall had printed all this information in textbooks and put them into the children's hands.

The things that had once been enough to astonish people were no longer anything special.

Grandmaster looked at Tang San.

The boy was still exceptional.

Blue Silver Grass, Innate Full Soul Power.

That was anything but ordinary.

He had already planned to guide Tang San step by step with his theories and show him how different he was from everyone else.

But now Tang San had already learned something from the book.

A Martial Soul's name did not define its true nature.

Blue Silver Grass might not be just Blue Silver Grass.

Grandmaster was silent for a moment, then walked inside.

The children in Dorm Seven immediately fell quiet.

Wang Sheng said softly, "Grandmaster."

Tang San stood as well.

"Grandmaster."

Grandmaster nodded and looked at the textbook in Tang San's hands.

"How are you finding it?"

"I understand some parts, but not others."

Tang San answered honestly.

"What don't you understand?" Grandmaster asked.

Tang San picked up Martial Soul Basic Identification and turned to a page.

"This says that a Martial Soul's development path shouldn't be based only on its appearance. Its Soul Power properties, its affinity with the Martial Soul, and its compatibility with Soul Rings should also be considered."

"Does that mean Blue Silver Grass has to follow the control-type path?"

Grandmaster was taken aback.

The question went deeper than he had expected.

He had planned to tell Tang San that although Blue Silver Grass was weak, it could follow the control-type path by improving its toughness, poison, and Entanglement ability.

But Tang San wasn't simply listening to him now.

He was asking:

Did Blue Silver Grass have to follow the control-type path?

Grandmaster pondered for a moment before answering, "Not necessarily."

Tang San's eyes lit up.

Grandmaster continued, "But given Blue Silver Grass's natural characteristics, the control-type path is the most suitable."

"Blue Silver Grass grows all over the continent. It's hardy and extremely abundant."

"Its strengths aren't attack or defense, but flexibility and reach."

"If paired with the right Soul Rings, it can produce unexpected results in the future."

Tang San listened attentively.

Some of what Grandmaster said matched the textbook.

Grandmaster clearly wasn't just making things up.

Tang San asked, "Then what should I choose for my First Soul Ring?"

Grandmaster looked at him.

"A Datura Serpent."

Xiao Wu's eyes shifted slightly.

Tang San asked, "Why?"

Grandmaster said, "If Blue Silver Grass is to follow the control-type path, the first step is to strengthen its restraining ability."

"The Datura Serpent is poisonous, its body is tough, and its attack style can also improve Blue Silver Grass's Entanglement."

"If you absorb its Soul Ring successfully, your Blue Silver Grass will no longer be ordinary blades of grass. It will gain poison and toughness."

Tang San lowered his head and thought it over.

Grandmaster's explanation was thorough.

But Tang San didn't agree right away.

He turned to the page on Soul Ring age in Soul Hunting Safety Regulations.

"The book says that you shouldn't blindly pursue the maximum age for your First Soul Ring."

"Is a Datura Serpent dangerous?"

Grandmaster was silent for a moment.

"Dangerous."

Tang San looked up.

Grandmaster said, "But risk and reward go hand in hand."

Tang San nodded.

"I understand."

Grandmaster looked at the boy, his feelings complicated.

Tang San hadn't refused.

But neither had he trusted everything Grandmaster said just because he had presented a theory.

He was comparing.

Comparing the textbooks with his own judgment.

That was certainly a good thing.

A truly clever disciple should do just that.

Yet Grandmaster still felt something he couldn't quite put into words.

Spirit Hall had played its hand too well.

They hadn't stopped anyone from teaching Tang San.

Nor had they taken him away by force.

They had only sent a few basic textbooks.

But those few books had taught Tang San to make comparisons from the very beginning.

They had taught him not to trust blindly.

Grandmaster suddenly felt uneasy.

He wanted to prove his theories.

And Tang San was the most suitable child he had met in all these years.

But if Spirit Hall's influence remained part of Tang San's growth, would he still become the disciple Grandmaster envisioned?

"Tang San."

Grandmaster suddenly spoke.

"Would you be willing to take me as your master?"

Dorm Seven fell silent.

Wang Sheng and the others all stared wide-eyed.

Xiao Wu looked at Tang San too.

Tang San did not answer right away.

He was indeed interested in Grandmaster.

The man could see the problems with Blue Silver Grass and even suggest specific directions for cultivation.

But becoming someone's disciple was a major decision.

In the Tang Sect, one could not casually choose a master.

This world should be the same.

After a moment's silence, Tang San said, "Grandmaster, I'd like to learn more about the academy and Martial Soul cultivation first."

Grandmaster's expression stiffened slightly.

Tang San added, "If I decide later that you're the right person to teach me, I'll give it serious consideration."

He had put it very politely.

But the meaning was clear enough.

He wasn't ready to become his disciple.

Grandmaster looked at Tang San. After a moment, he nodded.

"Very well."

"It's wise to be cautious on the path of cultivation."

With that, he turned and left Dorm Seven.

His back looked a little heavier than when he had arrived.

Xiao Wu looked at Tang San.

"Why didn't you accept?"

Tang San lowered his gaze to the textbooks.

"I don't know enough about him yet."

Xiao Wu smiled.

"You really do overthink everything."

Tang San didn't argue.

He did think things through.

Because he knew that he couldn't casually entrust any step in his cultivation to someone else.

Dorm Seven grew lively again.

Wang Sheng was still flipping through books.

Xiao Wu sat beside Tang San, looking at the Low-Level Soul Beast Illustrated Handbook. Then she suddenly asked, "Tang San, when you go Soul Hunting in the future, will you kill Soul Beasts indiscriminately?"

Tang San looked up.

The question had come out of nowhere.

He thought for a moment, then said, "No."

"If I have to obtain a Soul Ring, I'll do my best to choose a suitable target."

"But I won't kill one just for fun."

Xiao Wu looked at him.

"Really?"

Tang San nodded.

"Really."

Xiao Wu lowered her head and softly said, "Oh."

For some reason, she felt a little better.

Spirit City.

Inside the Pope's Palace.

Meow Meow watched the scene playing in the Soul-Calming Bell, his tail swaying slowly.

"He didn't accept."

Bibi Dong sat behind her desk. At that, she raised her eyes and asked, "Who are you talking about?"

"Tang San didn't accept Yu Xiaogang as his master."

Meow Meow grinned.

"At least, not for now."

Bibi Dong's expression remained calm.

"You're happy?"

"A little."

Meow Meow admitted it frankly.

"It's not that I don't want him learning Yu Xiaogang's ideas."

"Some of Yu Xiaogang's theories are useful."

"But Tang San can't start out thinking Yu Xiaogang is the only one who's right."

"That could easily lead to trouble."

At the mention of Yu Xiaogang, Bibi Dong's expression paused for the briefest moment.

It was subtle.

But Meow Meow noticed.

He hopped lightly onto the desk and reached out a paw to pat the back of Bibi Dong's hand.

"What's in the past is in the past."

Bibi Dong lowered her eyes.

"And what would you know about it?"

"A little."

Meow Meow didn't pretend otherwise.

"But I'm not going to talk about it now."

"When you want to hear it, I'll tell you."

Bibi Dong looked at the little paw resting on the back of her hand. For a long while, she said nothing.

In the end, she only murmured, "Mm."

Meow Meow didn't press the topic.

He knew he couldn't force his way between Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang.

He had to take it slowly.

Bibi Dong was already much more stable than she had been before.

But some old wounds didn't disappear just because someone said, "Forget about it."

The scene in the Soul-Calming Bell flickered again.

At Notting Academy, Xiao Wu and Tang San had started fooling around with Wang Sheng and the others.

Dorm Seven still settled things with a fight.

Only this time, before Tang San made a move, he closed the Martial Soul Hall textbook and set it by his bed.

Xiao Wu won quickly.

Wang Sheng lost just as decisively.

The new leader of Dorm Seven was still Xiao Wu.

Meow Meow chuckled at the sight.

"That rabbit can really fight."

Bibi Dong said mildly, "As a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast in human form, her physical abilities were already quite good at this stage."

Meow Meow glanced at her.

"Don't even think about going after her."

Bibi Dong didn't respond.

Meow Meow stared at her.

At last, Bibi Dong said, "I won't touch her for now."

"'For now' isn't enough."

Meow Meow replied, "At least don't touch her unless she poses a threat to Spirit Hall."

Bibi Dong looked at Meow Meow.

Meow Meow met her gaze.

The Pope's Palace fell silent.

If Bibi Dong had held on to her old way of thinking, then a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast in human form would naturally have to be seized.

Soul Rings and Soul Bones were priceless treasures.

But now, Meow Meow was right there in front of her.

He was a Soul Beast too.

And she had brought him home in her own arms.

Bibi Dong was silent for a long time.

"Fine."

Meow Meow let out a breath of relief.

That "fine" hadn't come easily.

The system prompt sounded quietly.

[ DING, Bibi Dong's attitude toward hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts in human form has shifted.]

[Bibi Dong's route extremism value has decreased.]

[Meow Wish Value +100.]

Meow Meow's eyes lit up.

A win.

But he didn't show it too obviously.

Getting excited right now would make him seem heartless.

So he simply rubbed his head against the back of Bibi Dong's hand as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

Bibi Dong didn't push him away.

Notting City.

Construction had begun on the temporary Martial Soul Hall Primary Academy.

The Branch Hall Master was taking it very seriously.

He had even come by in person to supervise for half a day.

The workers didn't know why the higher-ups had suddenly decided to build an academy in Notting City. But Spirit Hall paid well and gave clear instructions, so they got on with the work efficiently.

They had chosen a site in the south of the city.

It was not far from Notting Academy.

It was also close to the Martial Soul Hall Branch.

In the future, children from common families who didn't want to enter an academy right away could come here first to learn the basics.

Su Yuntao stood beside the construction site, watching the wooden frames go up. He felt something he couldn't quite put into words.

He was only an ordinary deacon.

In the past, his main duty had been visiting villages to awaken children's Martial Souls.

Most of the time, his work ended once the ceremony was over.

Few children had Soul Power.

Most did not.

He had seen too much disappointment and too much helplessness.

But things were different now.

In the future, children who had Soul Power wouldn't be brushed off with a simple, "Try applying to an academy."

Spirit Hall would give them a real starting point.

"Now this is what Spirit Hall should be like,"

Su Yuntao murmured.

The Branch Hall Master glanced at him.

"Keep up the good work."

"If the trial program in Notting City succeeds, you'll get your share of the credit too."

Su Yuntao hurriedly nodded.

"Understood."

Just then, a clear voice came from nearby.

"What are you building here?"

Su Yuntao turned and saw a little girl with scorpion braids standing by the roadside.

It was Xiao Wu.

She had only gone out to buy something. On her way past, she saw people from Spirit Hall building a house and couldn't help taking a look.

Su Yuntao said gently, "The Martial Soul Hall Primary Academy."

"An academy?"

Xiao Wu blinked.

"What do they teach?"

"They teach children who have just awakened their Martial Souls to understand them and cultivate Soul Power. They also teach them how to get along with Soul Beasts."

Xiao Wu's eyes widened slightly.

"Get along with Soul Beasts?"

"Mm."

Su Yuntao nodded.

"Lord Holy Cat once said that Soul Beasts aren't just wild animals that hurt people."

"Soul Masters shouldn't only think about killing Soul Beasts, either."

Xiao Wu froze.

Lord Holy Cat?

Who was that?

Su Yuntao didn't explain further. He simply continued, "If you're interested, you can come listen to a Public Lecture sometime."

Xiao Wu neither agreed nor refused.

She just looked at the academy, which was still under construction, feeling a little unsettled.

Spirit Hall teaches people how to get along with Soul Beasts?

It sounded so strange.

But the deacon had seemed completely sincere.

He didn't look like he was lying.

Xiao Wu stood there for a while, then turned and left.

On the way, she muttered under her breath:

"What kind of place is Spirit Hall, anyway..."

No one answered her.

But far away in Spirit City, Meow Meow heard her.

He lay sprawled on the table, his tail swaying gently.

"Just take your time and see."

"This time, things will be different."