In the afternoon, seven people stood in a neat line on the square.
They had absorbed every last bit of the pills from that morning, and each of them was full of energy, their eyes brighter than before.
Ye Qiong stood on the steps and glanced over them, then nodded:
"Good. You all look energetic."
Bai E was the first to ask:
"Teacher, you said you had a training plan to assign this afternoon. What is it?"
Ye Qiong clasped his hands behind his back:
"Starting today, you'll cultivate during the day and go to the Soul Fighting Arena for Soul Fighting at night."
At his words, Wang Sheng and the others exchanged glances, their expressions varied.
Ye Qiong continued:
"Daytime cultivation will follow a check-in system. You must train for at least four hours every day."
Wang Sheng and the others stared at him for a moment, then looked at one another. In the end, Huang Yuan managed to say:
"Teacher, four hours... isn't that a little too short?"
Ye Qiong's mouth twitched.
Four hours meant four hours of training.
This wasn't a job. In his previous life, it would be the equivalent of taking four hours of physical education classes.
Wang Sheng nodded:
"Back at Notting Academy, we cultivated for more than four hours every day."
Ye Qiong fell silent for a moment, then sighed:
"All right, then. Six hours."
This time, no one objected.
"Teacher, how exactly will the training work? Will we all cultivate together?"
Ye Qiong shook his head:
"Teacher Tribbie will prepare a suitable cultivation and training plan for each of you. Follow your plans and train independently. If you have questions or need help, go to Teacher Tribbie."
He paused and glanced at them all:
"Does anyone have any objections to my arrangements?"
They all shook their heads.
Objections? Teacher Tribbie was a Level 99 Limit Douluo. If she were outside, people would be falling over themselves to become her disciples.
But just then, Bai Chenxiang suddenly spoke up:
"Dean, what about you? What will you teach us?"
The last time they had been in the Star Dou Great Forest, Ye Qiong had casually offered her a single pointer that had opened her eyes. She still remembered it.
Ye Qiong glanced at her:
"Me? Of course I'll take you Soul Fighting."
As he spoke, he took two steps forward, his tone turning serious:
"If a Soul Master does nothing but cultivate, they're just building a cart behind closed doors."
"The cultivation they gain that way is like a castle in the sky, crumbling at the slightest touch."
"Only battle can secure your foundations and build up your strength. So, before the Spirit Master Tournament begins, I want every one of you to earn a Gold Soul Fighting Badge."
Gold Soul Fighting!
The moment those three words left his mouth, the atmosphere on the square changed.
Wang Sheng and the others gaped in astonishment.
"T-Teacher, a Gold Soul Fighting Badge? Won't that be too hard...?"
"Yeah, we have less than two years..."
Cerydra, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke:
"Be quiet."
The unexpected remark caught everyone off guard. They all turned to look at her.
Cerydra lifted her head and swept her gaze over Wang Sheng and the others, her voice brimming with undisguised scorn:
"The strong never fear a challenge. It's just a mere Gold Soul Fighting Badge, and you're already this afraid. With such feeble hearts, how can you ever become truly strong?"
The square fell silent.
Wang Sheng and the others lowered their heads, each lost in thought.
They really had been afraid.
Watching them, Ye Qiong's lips curved into a faint smile.
Caesar's words had been like a bucket of cold water, jolting everyone awake.
A moment later, Ye Qiong spoke at just the right time:
"The Gold Soul Fighting Badge is only what I'm asking of everyone else."
"But Bai E and Her Highness Caesar, your talents are greater. I expect you to go further and earn a Purple-Gold Soul Fighting Badge. Can you do it?"
Purple-Gold!
Everyone sucked in a breath.
It was a whole rank above Gold Soul Fighting, and even harder to obtain.
Bai E hesitated for a moment, then gave a firm nod, looking Ye Qiong straight in the eye:
"Teacher, this may be a challenge for me, but I believe I can do it."
Ye Qiong nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Cerydra.
Cerydra's expression remained cool and unruffled:
"A mere Purple-Gold badge will be easy."
"Excellent!"
Ye Qiong laughed, then turned his gaze back to Wang Sheng and the others.
"See? That's the resolve it takes to become strong."
"Her Highness Caesar was absolutely right. The truly strong never fear a challenge."
"The Gold Soul Fighting Badge is only the first challenge on your path to strength. In the future, you'll face challenges a hundred, a thousand, even ten thousand times harder than this!"
"Only by holding fast to an unwavering heart that yearns for strength can you go further. Do you understand now?"
"We understand!"
Wang Sheng and the others raised their heads and shouted in unison.
"Good. Don't worry. Teacher Tribbie and I will do everything we can to help you. As long as you have the will to grow stronger. But before that..."
Ye Qiong paused and looked at Wang Sheng:
"Wang Sheng!"
"Here!"
"You, Jiang Zhu, Jing Ling, Huang Yuan, and Bai Chenxiang have all reached level thirty. I'm giving you one week to obtain your Soul Rings. Teacher Tribbie will take you to the Star Dou Great Forest. You'll hunt for Soul Rings the same way as last time. Understood?"
"Understood!"
The five of them shouted together.
Seeing this, Ye Qiong turned to Tribbie:
"Teacher Tribbie, sorry for the trouble. Please take them there. I'll take over the daily lessons for Bai E and Her Highness Caesar for now."
"All right."
Tribbie nodded and raised her right hand.
A golden triangular portal slowly opened in the center of the square.
"Let's go."
After they left,
only Ye Qiong, Bai E, and Cerydra remained on the square.
Bai E turned to Ye Qiong:
"Teacher, what do we do next? Start training right away?"
Ye Qiong waved a hand:
"No need. We'll start tonight. We still have some time, so I'll take you to recruit a new student first. They're in Suotuo City."
Bai E was taken aback:
"Another new student? Who? Are they strong?"
Ye Qiong smiled:
"Let's put it this way: their fighting ability isn't very strong, but up here..."
As he spoke, Ye Qiong pointed to his own head:
"they're unbelievably brilliant. You'll understand once you meet them."
Bai E scratched his head.
He glanced at Cerydra beside him.
Cerydra stood motionless, her face expressionless, as if she hadn't heard a thing.
But Bai E noticed that her gaze flickered slightly.
He couldn't guess what she was thinking.
He only knew that anyone who could pique Cerydra's interest probably wasn't ordinary.
"Let's go."
Ye Qiong turned and headed for the academy gates.
The streets of Suotuo City were as lively as ever.
Ye Qiong led the other two through a pair of alleys
and turned into a craftsman's shop.
A green-haired boy sat inside, wearing a black mask over his eyes.
At that moment, he was holding a small carving knife and carefully shaping the piece of wood in his hands.
He was so focused that he didn't notice anyone at the entrance,
not until Ye Qiong and the others stopped in front of him.
Only then did he look up at the newcomers.