The Clumsy Bird Flies First

In the living room.

After having a servant take Zhang Yang to wash up and sleep, Zhang Lingyue took a sip of tea.

The faint fragrance of tea lingered in his mouth, yet Zhang Lingyue's mind was racing.

Zhu Ranqing, sitting nearby, asked curiously, "Lingyue, what are you thinking about that has you so distracted? You've finished your tea, yet you're still clutching the cup."

"I am considering whether or not to send Yangyang to the West Academy."

The West Academy, full name "Martial Soul Hall Silves Kingdom Soul Master Academy," belongs to the Martial Soul Hall and was established in the Silves Kingdom specifically to cultivate soul masters exclusive to the Martial Soul Hall.

Soul masters who graduate from this academy are assigned to various Martial Soul Hall branches within the Silves Kingdom to bolster the organization's local strength.

Zhang Lingyue himself graduated from the Silves Academy back in the day.

"Although Yangyang's Innate Soul Power is only level 1, his martial soul has immense power and a unique attack style. Coupled with his family background, he should be able to receive dedicated training."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ranqing pondered for a moment: "The Silves Academy is too far from home; I'm worried Yangyang will get homesick. Why don't we send him to the Heding City Academy instead?"

"Regardless of anything else, the Heding City Academy is the best primary Soul Master Academy in Heding City."

"No matter how good it is, it doesn't match the educational standards of the West Academy." Zhang Lingyue shook his head: "The West Academy is a comprehensive institution covering primary, intermediate, and advanced levels, and it possesses simulated cultivation environments."

"But I'm still afraid Yangyang won't adapt to life at the academy. At the very least, the Heding City Academy is close to home, so we can still look after him."

"If he can't even endure this little bit of hardship, what kind of soul master will he be?"

Zhang Lingyue stood up abruptly, his voice low and firm as he retorted: "You can visit him when he's homesick, and you can help him when hunting soul beasts, but what about when he's fighting for his life?"

"Can you stay by his side every second? Can we protect him from hardship for his entire life?"

Zhu Ranqing said nothing, simply sitting there in silence.

Time ticked by second by second, and the atmosphere in the living room grew heavy and oppressive.

In the end, Zhang Lingyue conceded: "Just one year. Once Yangyang adapts to boarding life, I will transfer him to the West Academy."

The next day.

From this day on, Zhang Yang began to enjoy the kind of faculty resources only elite soul masters could access.

At 6:00 AM, a level 37 Soul Elder personally woke him up, watched him wash up, and sent him out the door.

Outside, a level 53 Soul King had already been waiting for a long time.

Accompanied by this Soul King, Zhang Yang had to set off from his front door, walk along Black Stone Road, Xinkai Road, and Municipal Avenue, then circle the Heding City Martial Soul Branch Hall before returning the same way.

The entire route was about 5 kilometers. For a six-year-old toddler, such a morning exercise was a tall order.

Fortunately, Zhang Lingyue allowed Zhang Yang to use his soul power.

It was easier, but not by much.

Twenty-five minutes later, accompanied by Zhang Lingyue—who wasn't even winded—Zhang Yang returned home, drenched in sweat and looking completely exhausted.

After all, he was just a six-year-old toddler with only level 1 soul power. This five-kilometer run had not only drained his physical strength but had also nearly depleted his soul power.

The final 500 meters had been covered entirely by Zhang Yang's sheer willpower, dragging his hollowed-out body forward.

Back home, Zhang Yang rested for a while before being taken to the bathroom by a servant.

In the bathroom, the servant first rinsed the sweat off his body with hot water, then had him climb into a tub filled with cold water and ice cubes. As he shivered uncontrollably, he asked the servant if this was really necessary.

"Young Master, this is all the Madam's arrangement." The servant expressed his helplessness.

Zhang Yang could only accept it with a sigh, though he muttered to himself, "You really can't underestimate the wisdom of the locals."

An ice bath after exercise was a habit for many professional athletes; Zhang Yang hadn't expected to enjoy the same treatment on the Douluo Continent.

After ten minutes in the ice bath, Zhang Yang climbed out, dried off, put on his clothes, and returned to his room.

Once inside, his legs gave out, and he collapsed onto his small bed.

The draining morning exercise, combined with the ten-minute ice bath and the mindset that it was "finally over," made Zhang Yang miss his bed more than anything.

But just then, Zhang Lingyue, having washed up and changed his clothes, appeared at the door of Zhang Yang's bedroom.

"Tired?" Zhang Lingyue sat on the edge of the bed.

"Tired." Zhang Yang lay flat on his small bed. The soft mattress enveloped him, and he felt so comfortable he didn't want to move a single finger.

"It's alright, you won't be tired for long."

Zhang Lingyue chuckled, and then his pair of rough, large hands gripped Zhang Yang's sore, weak calves.

Then, a sensation even more intense than a fascia blade traveled from his calves to his brain, causing Zhang Yang to let out a wail: "Ah, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!"

"If it hurts, that's good. Pain means you are getting stronger." Zhang Lingyue said this, though his grip unconsciously lightened a little.

But it still hurt just the same.

Zhang Yang was like a fish on a cutting board, struggling in a futile, dying effort.

His mouth opened and closed, like a dying fish trying to gasp for oxygen in the air.

But even with his best efforts, he couldn't escape Zhang Lingyue's large hands.

With each application of force, Zhang Yang's leg muscles were kneaded by Zhang Lingyue until they grew hot and numb.

In the end, Zhang Yang gave up struggling and lay there motionless, a strange glint flickering in his eyes.

The massage ended, and it was time for breakfast.

Today's breakfast consisted of a glass of fresh milk, an egg, a steaming hot bun, freshly stewed beef, and a side of stir-fried greens.

With carbohydrates, proteins, and fats all accounted for, plus a healthy dose of dietary fiber and calcium, it was a highly nutritious meal.

Under normal circumstances, a six-year-old Zhang Yang wouldn't have been able to finish so much food.

However, the morning exercise had completely whetted his appetite, and he swept through the meal like a whirlwind, cleaning his plate entirely.

After breakfast, Zhang Lingyue got dressed and headed to work, while Zhang Yang returned to his room to rest.

An hour later, Zhu Ranqing brought Zhang Yang to the living room to begin teaching him how to cultivate soul power.

At its core, the cultivation of soul power is the pursuit of two things: "quality" and "quantity."

Quality refers to the degree of condensation of soul power within the body, or its energy density.

Quantity refers to the sheer magnitude of soul power within the body, or its total volume.

A soul master's cultivation involves increasing the total volume of soul power in their body and then refining its density.

Once both "quality" and "quantity" reach a certain standard, the level of one's martial soul increases.

Furthermore, the further one progresses in cultivation, the more critical the "quality" of soul power becomes.

At noon, Zhang Yang finished his soul power cultivation and stood up from the soft cushion.

After three hours of practice, the soul power that had been nearly depleted by his morning exercise was now fully restored, and Zhang Yang could even feel that the total volume had increased by a tiny fraction.

The sensation of being filled with soul power made his steps feel much more energetic.

When he arrived at the dining room, a table of steaming hot food was already prepared.

It was another feast complete with carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and rich in dietary fiber.

After eating his fill, Zhang Yang patted his round, bulging belly and returned to the living room. After resting for a while, he sat cross-legged on the cushion again.

Zhu Ranqing told Zhang Yang to continue his soul power cultivation for the afternoon.

However, Zhang Yang did not follow her instructions. Instead, he opened his system, quickly equipped a basic set of gear, and entered "Heding City Academy - Normal" for a loot run.

Zhang Yang would have to be a fool to cultivate soul power like an ordinary soul master.

With his innate soul power of level 1, his cultivation speed was agonizingly slow; compared to entering the map to scavenge for gold, the difference in efficiency was not just a hundred or a thousand times over.

Throughout the afternoon, Zhu Ranqing came to the living room more than once to check on Zhang Yang's progress.

But seeing him in a state of cultivation the entire time, she didn't disturb him, leaving quietly with a look of gratification on her face.

At dinner.

At the table, Zhu Ranqing recounted how hard Zhang Yang had worked on his cultivation during the day, which made Zhang Lingyue's eyes curve into crescents of joy.

"Well done, son. Keep it up tomorrow."