In the dormitory, Yu Xiaogang began by explaining the future selection of Soul Rings to Tang San.
Sure enough, he started recommending poison-type Soul Beasts like the Datura Snake again, claiming they would enhance the Blue Silver Grass's toughness and toxicity.
Yu Xiaogang's gaze settled on Tang San.
He told Tang San, "A Martial Soul is the source of a Soul Master's power. Its form and traits determine the direction of their cultivation."
"Your Blue Silver Grass is a Plant-type Martial Soul. It may look ordinary, but it has tremendous potential to adapt."
He raised a hand and pointed to the book he had written in front of him. "When choosing a Soul Ring, you need to consider your Martial Soul's traits and how well they suit the Soul Skill."
"Plant-type Martial Souls are suited to absorbing Soul Rings from poisonous snake Soul Beasts, adding the characteristics of poison and entanglement."
"For example, a Soul Ring produced by killing a Datura Snake.
At this, Lin Ciyan couldn't hold back any longer. He cut in with a sarcastic remark: "Grandmaster, by that logic, Blue Silver Grass should absorb a poisonous snake Soul Ring."
"Wouldn't it be better to find a powerful Plant-type Soul Beast and bring out its own life force and resilience to the fullest?"
"Follow a pure control-type path. Forcing an animal Soul Ring onto it makes the whole thing a mismatched mess. Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?"
Yu Xiaogang furrowed his brow, about to argue back.
But Lin Ciyan gave him no chance, continuing smoothly, "In my view, the heart of Martial Soul cultivation lies in 'harmony' and 'purity.'"
"Only by seeking Soul Rings that best harmonize with the Martial Soul Origin can you bring its potential to the fullest—not by blindly chasing so-called 'powerful attributes.'"
"It's like being a person. You do your best when you find a state that feels right for you. Obsessively competing and forcing yourself to change will only get you half the results for twice the effort."
"I'm not ambitious. I think it's great to lie in the sun and sleep while my Soul Power grows on its own. What could be more comfortable? Sometimes, the harder you work at cultivation, the more miserable you become."
His words seemed casual, yet held a deeper truth. And because he himself was a "slacker" who still far surpassed others his age, they hit especially hard.
Yu Xiaogang stood frozen as if struck by lightning, murmuring, "Harmony... purity... the harder you work, the more miserable you become?"
The theoretical system he had always been so proud of faced an unprecedented challenge in that moment.
He suddenly turned to Lin Ciyan, his eyes blazing even more intensely. "A genius! Now this is a true genius! Not only are you exceptionally gifted, you have your own insights into theory, too."
"Though I don't entirely agree, Ci Yan, your understanding far surpasses that of ordinary people!"
"If you're willing to take me as your master, together we can create a Martial Soul Theory that will astonish the whole continent!"
He even felt that beside Lin Ciyan, Tang San's Twin Martial Souls—though no one had mentioned them yet—seemed less dazzling.
Lin Ciyan merely yawned, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Under Yu Xiaogang's complicated, unreadable gaze, the two returned to Dorm Seven.
The following few days in the dormitory passed without incident.
Lin Ciyan noticed that Tang San sneaked out every morning at dawn to cultivate his Purple Demon Eye.
He thought to himself, The Purple Demon Eye is, at best, better than nothing.
During that time, he also "inadvertently" inserted himself into Tang San and Xiao Wu's interactions more than once.
Xiao Wu looked at him with growing admiration, while Tang San's expression grew visibly darker.
"Tch, getting worked up already?" Lin Ciyan couldn't care less about Tang San's hostility. With Tang San's current strength, he posed no threat to him.
The only person Lin Ciyan needed to worry about was Tang Hao, hidden somewhere in the shadows.
I'd better not let that thickheaded man think I'm after his son's future Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. If he slaps me to death, I'll have died for nothing.
On the fourth day, Tang San disappeared. Presumably, he had gone with Yu Xiaogang to hunt for his First Soul Ring.
On the fifth day, Tang San returned to Dorm Seven in high spirits. After obtaining his First Soul Ring, his Soul Power had reached level eleven.
Brimming with confidence, Tang San challenged Lin Ciyan outright.
"Lin Ciyan, let's fight again!"
"Sure." Lin Ciyan answered lazily.
This time, Tang San immediately used his First Soul Skill—Entanglement.
Countless thick strands of Blue Silver Grass surged from the ground, binding Lin Ciyan into a ball in an instant.
"I win!" A flash of delight appeared in Tang San's eyes, but then he saw the Lin Ciyan wrapped in Blue Silver Grass—
The Blue Silver Grass suddenly burst into brilliant, sacred golden light!
"First Soul Skill, Dawn Break Fist!"
Sacred light tore through the Blue Silver Grass restraints like a sharp sword.
The light carried the power of purification and penetration.
It not only broke the Entanglement in an instant; the shockwave sent Tang San stumbling backward until he landed hard on his rear, his face full of shock and disbelief.
"H-how is this possible?!" In front of Lin Ciyan's Holy Radiance Qilin, his Blue Silver Grass was utterly defenseless!
"My Martial Soul is sacred. You think I'm afraid of a little snake poison from your mismatched Plant-type Martial Soul?"
"Snake poison from a Plant-type Martial Soul—hearing that is enough to make me laugh myself to death, hahaha..."
The students of Dorm Seven erupted in cheers. Xiao Wu watched Lin Ciyan, her expression complicated. Along with her admiration, there seemed to be something else in her eyes.
Lin Ciyan sensed it, too.
Tang San's "feelings" toward him were growing stronger, too. He just didn't know whether he'd made it onto Tang San's list of people who deserved to die.
Time flew by. Over the next few days, more senior students came to Dorm Seven to provoke them.
Lin Ciyan couldn't be bothered to step in, so Xiao Wu volunteered. In just a few moves, she thoroughly put the newcomers in their place.
With only a few days left in the challenge, Lin Ciyan considered how to maximize his Slacking Value.
I have to expand my influence! A sudden idea struck him: he would write a book!
He spent a day or two writing furiously.
He wrote a booklet titled Ultimate Slacking Cultivation Secret Manual.
In it, he dressed up his ideas of "Relaxation Cultivation," "following the natural way," and "rejecting pointless competition" in layers of mystique.
He also mixed in plenty of inspirational platitudes that sounded profound but were complete nonsense (though they felt great to hear).
He spent a large pile of Gold Soul Coins to hire almost every copyist in Nuoding City, frantically producing over a thousand copies.
Then he hired people to hand out the booklets to Soul Masters and commoners throughout the city, and even had merchant caravans carry them to other towns and countries.
In no time, the idea of "Slacker Cultivation" spread from Nuoding City like a virus.
Though many scoffed at it, quite a few people who had struggled to find a way to cultivate or had grown tired of pointless competition treasured it like a priceless discovery.
The system's notifications rang almost like background music as Lin Ciyan's Slacking Value soared.
He thought happily that even after this challenge ended, if he got another chance to return someday, the lasting influence could bring him a fortune.
On the final day, with the challenge about to end and his return to the main world imminent,
Lin Ciyan was lounging on the roof of Dorm Seven, sunbathing and planning how to "persuade" the Light Maiden, Xiyao, when he got back.
Suddenly, an indescribably terrifying pressure descended without warning!
The air around him seemed to freeze, and even the sunlight appeared to dim.
A tall, disheveled middle-aged man with a scruffy beard and eyes like a primordial beast
appeared soundlessly on the roof ridge opposite him, like a ghost.
Simply standing there, he seemed to be the center of the entire world.
The invisible pressure caught Lin Ciyan's breath in his throat, and his Holy Radiance Qilin Martial Soul issued the most violent warning it had ever given!
Tang Hao!
He had come at last!