"They say that although the academy organizes groups and assigns teachers to lead them, the students have to hunt Soul Beasts themselves. The teachers only do their best to protect them from the sidelines."
"After all, the teachers aren't philanthropists, and the academy doesn't provide training for free."
"Especially for Work-Study Students like us. Even if we reach level ten, it'll still be hard to get help from the academy."
Wang Sheng explained in a solemn voice, his expression downcast.
He was already at level nine, with only a year left before graduation. There was a good chance he would break through to level ten.
But obtaining a Soul Ring after reaching level ten had become a huge problem for him.
"I see!"
Tang Yin furrowed his brow and fell silent in thought.
But when he thought about it, it made sense.
The academy wasn't a charity, especially not a junior Soul Master Academy like this one.
Its teachers weren't very strong.
As far as he knew, in the original story, the dean of Notting Junior Soul Master Academy was a level-forty-two Tool Soul Ancestor. Even helping Tang San hunt a Ghost Vine that was just over six hundred years old had proved extremely difficult.
Not to mention Yu Xiaogang being hunted by a four-hundred-year-old Mandala Snake and nearly losing his life.
In the end, Tang San had to turn the tide.
Clearly, these teachers weren't particularly strong.
Xiao Wu stood nearby, listening to Tang Yin and Wang Sheng discuss obtaining Soul Rings. Her expression shifted, and she seemed to want to say something, but in the end, she chose to remain silent.
Tang Yin paid Xiao Wu no attention, focused entirely on how to obtain his First Soul Ring.
"With my abilities, killing a Hundred-Year Soul Beast on my own would be very difficult."
"Besides, Soul Hunting Forest is controlled by Spirit Hall. Without a token, there's no way to get in."
"Does that mean I can only obtain my First Soul Ring by getting Yu Xiaogang's help..."
Just as Tang Yin was deep in thought, Wang Sheng said, "There's no point thinking about that now. You can only absorb a Soul Ring once your Soul Power reaches level ten."
"I have Innate Full Soul Power, so I can already absorb a Soul Ring," Tang Yin explained.
"Gasp!" Wang Sheng sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes wide as he exclaimed, "Isn't your Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass? Can Blue Silver Grass really have Innate Full Soul Power?"
"My Blue Silver Grass isn't ordinary Blue Silver Grass. It's a mutated variety." Tang Yin stuck to the same explanation as before, and it worked quite well.
Wang Sheng nodded, only half understanding.
"So what if you have Innate Full Soul Power? I have it too!" Xiao Wu chimed in with a smug smile.
"You do!?" Wang Sheng and the other background characters all stared at Xiao Wu in astonishment.
"Impressive, right?" Xiao Wu smiled.
"No wonder you're so strong. So you have Innate Full Soul Power..." Wang Sheng murmured to himself.
Just then, a young teacher appeared at the entrance to Dorm Seven. His gaze swept over Tang Yin and the others as he asked, "Are the new Work-Study Students here?"
At that, Tang Yin and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance, then got up and walked over to the young teacher.
"My name is Mo Hen. You can call me Teacher Mo. From now on, the two of you are first-year Work-Study Students, responsible for cleaning the garden on the south side of the sports field."
"You'll have to clean it every day. Your pay is ten Copper Soul Coins per day. Make sure you do a thorough job, or your pay will be docked. If you slack off, the academy has the right to expel you."
"The opening ceremony is tomorrow, and classes officially begin the day after. First-year classes are held in Class One, on the first floor of the teaching building. Just be on time the day after tomorrow."
"Starting the day after tomorrow, you can go back to your regular work. I'll make occasional inspections."
"Wang Sheng, you're the oldest here. Explain all the rules to them."
After Mo Hen finished speaking, he turned and left.
"I've got something to do, so I'm heading out." Tang Yin glanced at Xiao Wu and then at Wang Sheng and the others before preparing to leave.
"Where are you going, Tang Yin?" Xiao Wu asked instinctively, curious.
"To look for a job. Ten Copper Soul Coins a day is only enough to cover food and basic necessities. I don't even have bedding or other supplies, so I need money even more," Tang Yin explained.
Xiao Wu looked him up and down. "You look so frail. What kind of work can you do?"
Tang Yin was helpless.
It wasn't as if he'd chosen to look so pretty.
But "frail" didn't suit him at all!
He was young, but he had Soul Power.
He still had plenty of strength. Swinging a big hammer was well within his abilities.
He had already learned Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer.
Following the original Tang San's example and earning a living as a blacksmith wasn't a bad idea.
There was no work more honorable than labor!
Tang Yin didn't say anything more to Xiao Wu. He left at once.
"Do you all look for work outside the academy too?" Xiao Wu turned to Wang Sheng and the others.
At that, they all shook their heads.
Wang Sheng said, "We only do the work assigned by the academy. Ten Copper Soul Coins a day is enough to buy us food. Besides, after we finish working, we have to rest and cultivate, so we have even less time."
"You're all so busy! Tang Yin doesn't know any of this. Even if he finds a job, when would he have time to do it? No, I have to go tell him!" Xiao Wu immediately hurried after Tang Yin.
That afternoon.
Tang Yin walked out of a Blacksmith Shop near Notting Junior Soul Master Academy, with Xiao Wu beside him.
"I never would've guessed you had so much strength, even though you look so frail."
"You look like you know your way around a forge."
Xiao Wu had watched Tang Yin working at the Blacksmith Shop and spoke with surprise.
"The price was that I used up all my Soul Power," Tang Yin explained.
"You only get one Silver Soul Coin for a whole month of smithing, but the pay for cleaning is the equivalent of one Silver Soul Coin a day," Xiao Wu said with a frown.
"The Blacksmith Shop provides meals! We're so poor right now, we should save wherever we can." Tang Yin shook his head gently and sighed.
"That's true!" Xiao Wu rubbed her belly and said with a cheerful grin, "Tang Yin, thanks for letting me share your meal!"
Tang Yin waved it off.
Back at the dorm, Tang Yin sat cross-legged on his bed, closed his eyes, and circulated the most basic meditation technique. He absorbed the vitality of heaven and earth into his body, turning it into Soul Power.
Although he couldn't break through the bottleneck without a Soul Ring, the Soul Power he cultivated through meditation could be stored. Once he broke through the bottleneck, he could release it all at once.
However.
Tang Yin had only just entered a meditative state when a deep, resonant voice rang out in his mind.
"Tang Yin—!"
Tang Yin's eyes flew open. He instinctively looked around, his brows knitted tight.
"Come to the garden by the sports field." The voice rang out in his mind again.
At that, Tang Yin quickly put on his clothes and shoes, left Dorm Seven, and headed straight for the garden by the sports field.
The few people who were still awake watched his departing back in confusion.
Xiao Wu muttered, "Why's he going out again in the middle of the night instead of sleeping..."
"It's so cold!"
Xiao Wu shivered and tugged the old clothes she'd changed out of back over herself.
Without bedding, all she could do was tough it out.
Fortunately, it was still autumn, and the weather wasn't too cold yet. If it had been winter, she would have been frozen stiff.
Meanwhile.
Tang Yin arrived at the garden by the sports field and searched for other figures in the moonlight.
"Rustle—!"
A sudden, strange sound caught Tang Yin's attention.
He turned to look and saw a tall figure in a gray robe who had appeared behind him at some point. A mask and the hood drawn over it made the figure's appearance impossible to see.