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 after Qin Ming began teaching, Jiang He did not feel much unfamiliarity.

However, what made Jiang He rather curious was that Qin Ming spent most of the lesson discussing teamwork between Soul Masters.

For example, what each Soul Master should do, what minor details they needed to 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 found Jiang He and asked whether there was anything he did not understand.

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

"There wasn't really anything I didn't understand. Teacher Qin explained things very clearly. I'm just curious—why was most of the class about teamwork?"

Facing Jiang He's question, Qin Ming smiled and pointed at the other students in the class. "Didn't you notice that there aren't many people in our class? And they're basically all Soul Grandmasters."

Jiang He looked around and nodded.

He had noticed it during class. The combat coordination techniques Qin Ming discussed involved a great deal of content at the Soul Elder level.

There was comparatively little about Soul Grandmasters, and nothing at all about Soul Masters.

At the time, Jiang He had concluded that the students in this class were mostly Soul Grandmasters who could reach the Soul Elder level in the next two or three years, which was why they were learning such 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 and said, "So these students are all being prepared for the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament?"

Qin Ming nodded approvingly. "Any student who reaches the Soul Grandmaster level before the age of fifteen will be listed as a preliminary member 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 member.

The academy divides students into the first team and second team according to the cultivation levels of each class.

However, the main lineup is generally the first team. As for the second team... well, with your talent, Jiang He, you'll definitely be a member of the first team in the future, so there's no need to worry about the second team."

Listening to Qin Ming, Jiang He fell into thought.

Based on the original story, this second team was probably for the noble children of the Heaven Dou Empire to pad their resumes.

Even when they had equal strength, or were even slightly stronger, the originally selected members would still 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 and were eliminated in the end, those noble children could still brag years later about how impressive their class had been.

Their personal records would also bear the mark of having participated in a major continental event.

As for why no one was allowed to meddle with the first team, the reason was simple.

It held a guaranteed berth in the finals. If they let a bunch of resume-padders embarrass themselves in the finals, the Heaven Dou Empire would lose all face. Thus, selection for the first team still had to be based on strength.

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

At that time, you can join the second team and follow them to the tournament to gain some experience and temper your mindset.

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

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

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

This meant Jiang He could win at least one championship, and it would be an overwhelming victory.

Jiang He was already a Soul Grandmaster. By the third tournament fourteen years later, he would only be in his early twenties, yet by then he would at least be a high-level Soul King. A high-level Soul King with an entirely black Soul Ring configuration would slaughter everyone once he entered the competition!

Just thinking about having a guaranteed tournament champion under his guidance made it impossible for Qin Ming to hide his excitement.

After all, in the previous two tournaments, one championship had gone to Spirit Hall, while the other had gone to the Star Luo Empire.

The Heaven Dou Empire had yet to win even a single championship. Everyone was waiting for the first champion to emerge.

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

Watching Qin Ming's expression, Jiang He blinked.

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

He was already level twenty-eight. Even if he slacked off, he could still become a Soul Elder 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 about two years.

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

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

Thinking of how Tang San and the others would still be striving to become Soul Ancestors during that tournament while he was already a Soul Emperor, Jiang He could not help wanting to laugh.

Wouldn't that just be beating up cavemen?

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

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

"Okay, Teacher Qin."

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

"Mhm, mhm. See you this afternoon, Teacher Qin."

After ending the conversation, Qin Ming left the classroom.

Most of the students were still in the classroom.

Their gazes toward Jiang He remained full of curiosity.

However, 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 eat lunch together. We've had class all morning, and I'm starving."

Jiang He subconsciously glanced at the girl beside Dugu Yan.

The girl wore black clothes, and her face was veiled by a layer of black gauze, revealing only her eyes. Her long hair draped down her back.

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

She gave Jiang He a slight nod in greeting but said nothing.

Seeing this, Dugu Yan raised her brows 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 feel much about it. After all, she really was older than him, though he had also guessed who she was.

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

At this moment, Dugu Yan said to Ye Lingling beside her, "Lingling, watch out for Jiang He from now on. This guy's got a black heart. He even tricked me before and had me completely fooled."

Jiang He:...

He could tell now—Dugu Yan held grudges...