Beating Up Cavemen

Jiang He was fairly familiar with the courses at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Ever since obtaining the system, he had often come to the academy to sit in on classes, listen to the teachers, and supplement the system's database.

So once Qin Ming began teaching, Jiang He did not feel too out of place.

What made Jiang He curious, however, was that Qin Ming spent most of his lessons discussing teamwork between Soul Masters.

For example, what each Soul Master should do, which minor details they should pay attention to, and how to maximize a team's strength.

The class lasted the entire morning.

After class, Qin Ming did not leave. Instead, he sought out Jiang He and asked whether there was anything he did not understand.

Both he and the academy cared greatly about the peerless genius in his class.

"There wasn't really anything I didn't understand. Teacher Qin explained things very clearly. I'm just a little curious. Why did most of the lesson focus on teamwork?"

Facing Jiang He's question, Qin Ming smiled and pointed at the others in the class. "Didn't you notice that our class isn't very large? And that most of them are Soul Grandmasters?"

Jiang He looked around and nodded.

He had noticed it during class.

The combat coordination techniques Qin Ming had discussed involved many matters at the Soul Elder level.

In contrast, there was not much about Soul Grandmasters, and nothing at all about ordinary Soul Masters.

At the time, Jiang He had concluded that the people in this class were mostly Soul Grandmasters who would reach the Soul Elder level within the next two or three years, which was why they were studying this material.

Seeing Jiang He nod, Qin Ming said, "Do you know about the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament?"

Jiang He's eyes lit up, as though he understood.

He nodded. "So these students are all being prepared for the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament?"

Qin Ming nodded in approval. "Any student under fifteen who reaches the Soul Grandmaster level will be listed as a preliminary candidate for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

Once a student reaches level thirty-five as a Soul Elder by the age of twenty, they can become an official team member.

The academy will divide students into Team One and Team Two based on the cultivation levels of each cohort.

However, Team One is generally the main team. As for Team Two... well, with your talent, Jiang He, you are destined to become a member of Team One in the future, so there is no need for you to concern yourself with Team Two."

Listening to Qin Ming, Jiang He fell into thought.

Based on the original story, Team Two was probably a way for those Heaven Dou Empire noble brats to pad their resumes.

Even when they had equal strength, or were even slightly stronger, the originally selected members would be replaced by other noble children.

After all, this was the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. Even if they only fought a few matches before being eliminated, those noble children could boast to others a few years later about how impressive their cohort had been.

Their life records would also bear the mark of having participated in a major continental competition.

The reason Team One was kept off-limits was simple.

It held a guaranteed spot in the finals. If some resume-padding youngsters were allowed to embarrass themselves in the finals, Heaven Dou Empire would lose all face. Therefore, Team One's selection still had to be based on strength.

While he was thinking, Qin Ming spoke again. "The previous Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament was held last year, and the next one will be in four years. With your talent, Jiang He, becoming a Soul Elder in four years is inevitable.

By then, you can join Team Two and follow them to the tournament to gain some experience and temper your mentality.

That way, when you participate in the tournament after next at fifteen, you will have more experience than competitors from the same generation.

And judging by your age, you should be able to compete in three tournaments!"

By the end, Qin Ming could not hide the excitement on his face.

That meant Jiang He would win at least one championship, and it would be a crushing victory.

Jiang He was already a Soul Grandmaster. By the third tournament fourteen years from now, he would only be a little over twenty, yet he would be at least a High-Rank Soul King. A High-Rank Soul King equipped entirely with black Soul Rings would slaughter everyone once he entered the competition!

Thinking that he had a guaranteed tournament champion in his hands, Qin Ming could barely contain his excitement.

After all, the champions of the previous two tournaments had been Spirit Hall and the Star Luo Empire.

Heaven Dou Empire had not won a single championship so far, and everyone was waiting for the first one to appear.

If that champion emerged under his guidance, both the academy and Heaven Dou Empire would reward him.

Seeing the expression on Qin Ming's face, Jiang He blinked.

How should he put it... four years from now, he would probably be more than just a Soul Elder.

He was already level twenty-eight. Even if he remained lazy, he could reach the Soul Elder level before turning seven.

With the Soul Power boost from his third Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, he estimated that he could become a Soul Ancestor in around two years.

In other words, he should be a High-Rank Soul Ancestor by the age of ten.

As for the tournament when he was fifteen... he should be able to challenge the Soul Emperor level, or perhaps even higher.

When Jiang He imagined Tang San and the others still striving to become Soul Ancestors while he was already a Soul Emperor, he could not help wanting to laugh.

Wasn't that just beating up cavemen?

"All right, enough about that. Those are matters for years from now. You've only just started classes, so if there is anything you don't understand, make sure to ask. Don't fall behind in your studies."

Qin Ming put away his visions of the future and said to Jiang He, "This afternoon is practical combat class. You probably don't have much combat experience, so you will not get many chances to participate at first. I'll do my best to help you improve and catch up with everyone's course progress as soon as possible."

"Okay, Teacher Qin."

"Mm. Go eat first. It's noon."

"Mhm, see you this afternoon, Teacher Qin."

After finishing their conversation, Qin Ming left the classroom.

Most of the students were still in the classroom.

Their gazes at Jiang He remained full of curiosity.

But since Jiang He had only just arrived and no one knew him well, nobody stepped forward to greet him.

At that moment, Dugu Yan led a girl over to Jiang He and said to him and Yu Tianheng beside him, "Come on, let's go have lunch together. We've had class all morning, and I'm starving."

Jiang He instinctively glanced at the girl beside Dugu Yan.

The girl wore black, with a layer of black gauze covering her face. Only her eyes were visible, while her long hair draped down her back.

As Jiang He looked at her, she noticed him as well.

She gave Jiang He a slight nod in greeting but did not speak.

Seeing this, Dugu Yan raised an eyebrow and said, "What are you looking at? This is your Sister Lingling. Remember to call her big sister from now on."

"Hello, Sister Lingling~"

Jiang He did not particularly mind. After all, she really was older than him, and he had already guessed who she was.

Ye Lingling, inheritor of the Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul.

At that moment, Dugu Yan said to Ye Lingling beside her, "Lingling, watch out for Jiang He from now on. This guy is really black-hearted. He tricked me before and had me spinning in circles."

Jiang He:...

He could tell now that Dugu Yan held a bit of a grudge...