Back in the dormitory, Huo Yuhao hurried to share the good news with Ji Siyuan.
"That's great, Siyuan! I can study with Dean Qian from now on. As long as my Soul Tool skills are good enough, I'll be allowed to stay even if I don't reach level twenty by my second year."
He shared the news with barely contained excitement, only to have his enthusiasm doused.
Ji Siyuan understood, too. "How about we have a nice meal? Then get a good, comfortable night's sleep?"
"Huh? Aren't we setting up our stall today?"
"Not today. I'm in a good mood. Let's spend some of the Gold Soul Coins we extorted that day. And we'll use the Life-Generating Fruit, too."
Ji Siyuan still felt a little sore whenever he thought about it. Why hadn't Xu Sanshi opened with an exploding Mystic Water Pill?
The gap between a Life-Generating Fruit and a Mystic Water Pill was pretty huge.
Xu Sanshi, standing in line at the school gate, sneezed. "That bastard Bei Bei must be talking about me behind my back."
Amid the crowd's shouts, Xu Sanshi waited for the two of them to set up their stall. "Nannan said she likes them. I'm definitely buying some today."
By then, the stall owner had already enjoyed a good meal and returned to the dormitory to cultivate.
"You're not going to wash the fruit? What, are you waiting for me to feed you?"
"Siyuan, this is yours. I still shouldn't eat any. You're more talented, so you'll cultivate faster if you eat it."
"Would you feel more comfortable if I pinned you to the floor and fed them to you one by one?" Ji Siyuan washed the Life-Generating Fruit and set it on the table. His stance was clear: hurry up and eat.
Tang San said, "This little girl's got a bit of an inferiority complex now."
Ji Siyuan was puzzled, too. "Yeah. In the books I've read, people at this point are usually thinking about revenge. They wouldn't give up something already in their mouths so easily. How come she's acting like this just because she's a girl?"
Tang San laughed and scolded him. "Hey, are you really that dense, or are you pretending? How can you not see what's going on when she's acting like this?"
The Life-Generating Fruit looked like grapes, and Huo Yuhao only took a few. "This much is enough for me."
Ji Siyuan understood. At this stage, compared with his own talent, Huo Yuhao felt a little inferior.
He got up, walked over, pried open her mouth, and popped in two of the fruits.
"Are we going to do this thing where I eat one and you eat one? You're getting all polite with me over something from the Duke White Tiger's family. Are you still going to get revenge acting like this?"
If he didn't give her a good reason, she'd keep dawdling.
The Life-Generating Fruit didn't do much for him. Its age was just too low. But it worked very well for Huo Yuhao.
He lay on the bed with his eyes closed, resting. A nap restored his energy and spirit better than meditation. Huo Yuhao began following his cultivation routine, too.
"Siyuan, once I reach level twenty, I'll show you what I'm capable of!"
"Mm. You'd better hurry. I just reached level sixteen."
"What?" The eleven- or twelve-year-old girl jumped out of bed. "Y-you're already level sixteen?"
"I just leveled up."
"No, I can't rest anymore." Huo Yuhao sat up and began meditating. The gap between them was growing wider and wider.
The next day, he received his special status token from Yan Shaozhe.
When he arrived at Yan Shaozhe's office, Yan Shaozhe could tell at a glance that he had reached level sixteen. He immediately stood up, unable to believe it. Just yesterday, he'd been level fifteen.
"You broke through as soon as you got back last night?" Yan Shaozhe didn't know whether to laugh or be surprised. He suddenly felt that the goal he'd set was a little too easy.
"Yes. I broke through before going to bed."
He sounded relaxed and casual. He hadn't encountered the slightest bottleneck during his breakthrough.
Yan Shaozhe handed him the special status token.
"Student Ji Siyuan, the Academy convened a Sea God Pavilion Meeting especially for you. It's the Academy's highest decision-making body.
"We decided to provide you with rewards and support in stages. First comes stage one: you need to raise your cultivation to level twenty as soon as possible. You have three months, and you can't use pills that increase Soul Power. Any questions?"
Yan Shaozhe felt he might as well not ask. At that rate of advancement, there was no way he'd have a problem.
Ji Siyuan said, "I think I can manage."
Yan Shaozhe told him sternly, "There's no such thing as 'I think I can manage.' The time limit we've given you is the maximum. You can finish as early as you're able. Finish a week early, and the reward's value goes up by twenty percent. Finish half a month early, and it goes up by fifty percent. Finish a month early, and the reward doubles."
Seeing Ji Siyuan's nonchalant attitude, Yan Shaozhe said, "You might not know what the Academy is providing for you. First, before stage one begins, we've prepared things to improve your physique: thousand-year Whale Rubber, thousand-year Pine-Fir Ganoderma, and a Mystic Water Pill, along with your special status. You'll also be entitled to free meals from the highest-grade section of the Academy cafeteria."
Tang San said, "That sounds a little stingy."
Ji Siyuan replied to Tang San, "I thought it'd be Ten Thousand Year Whale Rubber." Even the top families had plenty of this stuff. Only the higher-year varieties had anything special about them.
Still, it was within what he could accept. "That's fine. Free meals are good enough. I won't have to worry about going hungry. By the way, Dean Yan, can I bring someone else to eat with me?"
"Yes, but only one person."
Yan Shaozhe had the authority to grant that much. It was no trouble to make an exception for him.
"After I break through to level twenty, should I come to you to confirm it?"
"Yes. Just come here."
Ji Siyuan said, "Then there's nothing else. I'll be going."
He had turned around and was about to open the door when Yan Shaozhe called for him to stop. "Aren't you curious what the next stage's rewards will be?"
"They should be better than what I'm getting at the start."
Yan Shaozhe asked, "Aren't you curious what the next stage's goal is? How many stages we've planned for you? What rewards each one offers? What we plan to make of you?"
Ji Siyuan rubbed his nose. "I'm curious. I really am curious about what you think of me. As for the end result, I have my own future! And I believe I know exactly what I want that future to be."
"Your future might not be better than the one we've planned for you. You'd never guess what we ultimately want to make of you!"
Tang San said, "Siyuan, are you overlooking other people's feelings a little too much? This isn't the Divine Realm. They don't know your secrets. Everything they've planned for you is probably the best future they can imagine. When people give you a peach, you should give them a plum in return."
Ji Siyuan had previously only associated with people his own age.
The elders he'd spent time with were all elders from the Divine Realm, and they generally didn't care how he behaved.
If he'd benefited from someone's help, he ought to offer something in return. And he should at least say thank you.
"Understood, Uncle Tang."
Ji Siyuan said, "Dean, those things aren't due yet, are they? Even if I asked, you might not tell me.
"Don't worry. I'll definitely break through to level twenty within three months. You'll be the first I tell when I do."
Yan Shaozhe sat down. "I was afraid your goals only went as far as Soul Emperor or Soul Sage. If that's what you have in mind for your future, the Elders of the Sea God Pavilion would beat me to death. As long as you understand that this is only one stage, that's enough. Your future is bright, so be sure to set your sights further ahead!
"And do your best to complete the tasks early. The rewards in the later stages are very generous."
"No problem at all. I should be able to do it in a little over two months."