"Our cultivation resources mostly come from doing missions and exchanging the Contribution Points we earn."
"The s-second thing is assessment scores."
"These scores aren't just something we disciples need to build up. The teachers do too."
"Our mission completion rates and mission ratings all count toward the annual assessment of the Cardinal leading our team."
"Once a teacher has enough points, they can be promoted and receive more resources and a greater say in things."
"W-we disciples can't become Red Cardinals just by reaching Soul Power level 30, either."
"We need these scores to evaluate our contributions to Spirit Hall, as well as our abilities."
"Assessment scores are the most important threshold."
"Without enough Contribution Points, no matter how high your Soul Power is, you can't take that position."
Zhu Zhuqing's mouth fell open slightly. For a moment, she was stunned.
She had never imagined that Spirit Hall's internal training system would be so rigorous.
Even Gu Chensha was surprised.
The information he'd learned about Spirit Hall in the past had never mentioned these core internal regulations.
"No wonder Spirit Hall has managed to amass so many Titled Douluo and evolved from a sect into a force capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the Two Great Empires."
He murmured inside Zhu Zhuqing's mind.
"The strength of their Soul Master training system is something the Two Great Empires can't match."
"By comparison, the Two Great Empires' Soul Master education is still stuck in a primitive stage, where resources are piled on the strength of one's family background."
Zhu Zhuqing wholeheartedly agreed.
At its core, Soul Master training in the Two Great Empires existed to shore up the nobility's interests and pave the way for scions of powerful families.
Spirit Hall, on the other hand, truly selected people based on their abilities, ignoring their status and background.
For common-born Soul Masters, sects cared about talent, bloodline, and family background. Spirit Hall only cared whether you could create value, then rewarded you accordingly.
"B-but of course, even without a teacher leading us, we can take missions on our own."
Outside the sea of consciousness, Li Moyue continued her introduction.
"Zhuqing, the teacher thinks very highly of you."
"From now on, we can do missions with the teacher together. You'll handle quick assaults as an Agility Attack type, and Senior Brother Lei Xiang will take care of frontal attacks."
"I... I'm a Control type, so I'll handle crowd control and support. The three of us working together will definitely make us the strongest team at our level!"
She spoke with growing excitement. A blush spread over her shy face, and she could barely contain the enthusiasm in her voice.
Hearing that, Zhu Zhuqing quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
At least she wouldn't have to stare at Lang Taihui's face every day.
After a day of tension, her nerves could finally relax.
Just then, Gu Chensha narrowed his eyes in her mind and quietly gave her a few instructions.
Zhu Zhuqing looked up at Li Moyue and asked,
"How are Contribution Points issued?"
"Huh?"
Li Moyue froze, looking at her in confusion.
"Are they physical objects like Gold Soul Coins, or just numbers recorded in the Mission Hall?"
Zhu Zhuqing added.
"Ah, ah, right!"
Li Moyue seemed to realize she'd left out a key piece of information. She hurriedly pulled a token from her pocket.
Holding it out in both hands, she presented it to Zhu Zhuqing.
"Th-this is a Student Token, assigned according to our aptitude ranking. After we complete a mission and have it verified at the Mission Hall, the points we earn—the Contribution Points—are stored in here."
"Can they only be deposited in the Mission Hall?"
Zhu Zhuqing considered this. "Students should be able to trade them with one another, right?"
"Y-yes, exactly!"
Li Moyue nodded rapidly, her eyes sparkling.
"Zhuqing, you're amazing! You thought of so many things right away! Contribution Points can be traded outside the Mission Hall."
She scratched her head, struggling to put her thoughts into words.
"Though the academy allows fellow disciples to spar and train, it doesn't allow them to just fight whenever they want."
"If you want to settle a dispute, you have to apply to use one of the academy's Martial Arts Arenas. The one where you fought Senior Brother Lei today was one of them."
"You can't just use a Martial Arts Arena whenever you like. Um... how should I put it? Both sides have to stake a certain number of Contribution Points to apply."
"Even if you win, you don't get back all the points your opponent staked. One-tenth is deducted as the arena fee."
"There are lots of places in the academy that require Contribution Points, so they're easy to trade."
Hearing this, Gu Chensha smiled knowingly in her mind.
"They can be traded? Then this will be easy."
That laugh sent an inexplicable shiver down Zhu Zhuqing's back.
Whenever her teacher spoke in that tone, he was definitely about to start scheming.
And the one who'd have to put the plan into action would almost certainly be her.
The two continued chatting about the academy's daily rules. Before they knew it, they'd reached a fork in the road near the dormitories.
Li Moyue's eyes went wide when she saw which path Zhu Zhuqing was about to take.
"Zhuqing, you're going this way?"
"Mm, my dorm is over here."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded. "Is something wrong?"
"Ah, n-no, nothing at all!"
Li Moyue quickly waved her hands, said goodbye in a hurry, and hurried away.
Zhu Zhuqing stood there, baffled.
"Teacher, why was she so nervous? Is something wrong with my dorm assignment?"
"Maybe your dorm is meant for the most elite disciples," Gu Chensha guessed casually. "Going by the rules she just mentioned, perhaps only disciples with the potential to reach Soul Douluo or higher are eligible for a private room like this."
"But there's no need to worry about that."
"Zhuqing, do you remember what I told you a few days ago?"
"I do, Teacher!"
Zhu Zhuqing immediately nodded. "My easy days are over. Starting today, I'm going to begin training in earnest."
She looked up, her voice resolute. "Teacher, what should I do now?"
"It's simple. As long as you don't die from it, train until you drop."
There wasn't a trace of joking in Gu Chensha's voice.
"First: weighted running."
"Weighted... running?"
"Exactly. Starting tonight, run ten laps around the outer wall of the Martial Arts Arena we visited today."
Gu Chensha added, "Carry a twenty-pound weight, and don't use Soul Power at any point."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded at once.
"I understand, Teacher."
She immediately turned and headed toward the Martial Arts Arena.
Though she hadn't asked, Gu Chensha knew she was confused.
"It's normal to have questions. I can tell you why."
His voice was calm. "Ultimately, I'm training you the same way I survived the Star Dou Great Forest as a little Man Faced Demon Spider."
"To sum it up in one sentence: the body is the foundation of everything for a Soul Master."
"Many Soul Masters think that as long as they increase their Soul Power, their physical fitness will naturally improve along with it, and that being good enough is all that matters."
"But that idea is wrong from the ground up."
"Your basic physical fitness determines your innate Soul Power limit, the maximum Soul Ring you can absorb, your reflexes in battle, and countless other things."
"Reflexes in particular can't be improved just by stacking on more Soul Power."
"A body strengthened passively by Soul Power and one honed to its limits before being enhanced by Soul Power are entirely different things—worlds apart."
Before you continue