First Soul Skill, Angel Holy Sword!

Spring passed and autumn arrived, another few months slipping away.

Autumn in North Sea City arrived silently. The leaves of the locust tree in the courtyard had mostly turned yellow, rustling down with every gust of wind to carpet the bluestone path in gold.

Morning light leaked through the bare branches, split into beams of pale gold that fell upon the hand of a small figure gripping a sword.

Shen Nanxun completed a full set of sword forms and stood straight, slowly exhaling. Though drenched in sweat, he felt refreshed.

Under Qian Renxue's rigorous training, his sword forms had begun to take shape. The iron sword, once far too heavy for him, was now wielded with ease, and the transitions between basic strikes were fluid.

He looked up toward the old locust tree in the corner of the yard.

Perched on a thick, protruding branch, a chibi-sized Qian Renxue sat cross-legged. Resting on her knees was an oil-paper parcel containing a spicy rabbit head.

The rabbit head was a size larger than her entire upper body, so she had to hold it with both hands to keep it from rolling off.

She was gnawing on it, her small cheeks bulging. A smudge of red oil stained her face, and two white sesame seeds clung to the tip of her nose. Her round, purple eyes were half-closed in pure enjoyment, and her tiny wings fluttered faster than usual—a reaction she only showed when in high spirits.

After finishing the last bite and wiping her mouth, Qian Renxue finally found the time to comment, "Not bad, not bad. You've improved."

She felt a strange sensation watching Shen Nanxun grow and improve day by day, as if she were playing some sort of unconventional raising-sim game.

"Xiao Xun, it's time to go. Na'er has been waiting a long time."

Ye Li's voice drifted from the house, and Qian Renxue transformed back into a stream of light, returning to Shen Nanxun's body.

Shen Nanxun acknowledged her and headed out of the courtyard.

In these few months, Shen Nanxun's soul power had reached level ten, an extremely fast cultivation speed. This was partly due to awakening his soul spirit, though early-stage soul power was generally easier to cultivate.

Having reached level ten, Shen Nanxun prepared to return to the academy, and Na'er was arranged to join him.

At the main gate, Na'er was already waiting. Nourished by the affluent life of the Shen family for several months, her face had rounded out, no longer the thin, gaunt girl she once was. Her top-tier beauty and bright silver eyes were exceptionally striking.

Ye Li instructed, "Once you're at the academy, Xiao Xun, take care of Na'er and don't let anyone bully her."

Na'er put on a docile expression, head bowed, looking for all the world like a fragile, easily bullied little white lotus.

Shen Nanxun, however, felt his eyelid twitch and his lips curl, though he said nothing.

Na'er said in a sweet voice, "Don't worry, Mother. I will definitely listen to Brother."

"Oh, my sweet daughter, so cute..."

This scene was limited to the confines of their home. Once they were in the carriage and had parted from Ye Li, Na'er immediately turned around, lifting her chin with a haughty look.

"Shen Nanxun, don't call me 'little sister' at the academy. I'm going to be the big boss there."

As you can see, in front of family, Na'er was a well-behaved girl, softly calling Shen Nanxun "Brother." But when they were alone, she usually called him by his full name.

She was a total little devil.

Of course, they were actually quite fond of each other; their dynamic was just a bit unique.

Shen Nanxun said speechlessly, "I never called you 'little sister' anyway."

"Hmph!" Na'er snorted and turned her face away. The next moment, her silver eyes instantly welled up with tears.

"Wuu wuu, Brother, do you not like me? Fine, I'll leave then. I won't tell Mother or Sister Xingxing..."

Shen Nanxun clamped a hand over her small mouth with lightning speed—an instinctive reaction honed after being tricked countless times over the past few months.

His palm pressed against her soft cheek, and he could clearly feel the curve of her pouting lips and the warm breath from her nose.

With her mouth covered, Na'er's silver eyes widened, the tears pooling within them shimmering, yet not a single drop fell.

Shen Nanxun was all too familiar with this look. Every time she used this trick, tears came and went at her command.

As for that last sentence, it wasn't a promise not to tattle—it was a blatant threat.

"My lady, I was wrong."

Shen Nanxun was helpless; he was completely under her thumb. There was no helping it—that was the reality of their household hierarchy.

Na'er couldn't speak with her mouth covered, but her silver eyes curved, full of triumph.

The journey was short, and the carriage soon turned into the North Sea Legion, arriving outside the North Sea Academy.

Teacher Adolf had been waiting there for a while; the family of a deputy legion commander naturally commanded such respect.

He led them into the classroom, where the other students were already seated.

Seeing Shen Nanxun enter, Dong Yi'an's eyes widened, his mouth agape in shock. Then, his gaze fell upon the silver-haired girl following behind him.

With short, silver-white hair and silver eyes, she walked quietly half a step behind Shen Nanxun, like a small silver shadow.

When the rest of the class noticed Na'er's breathtaking beauty, gasps of admiration were inevitable.

"Student Shen Nanxun has been on leave for several months due to health reasons; he returns to class today."

Adolf's voice was as stern as ever, devoid of any unnecessary pleasantries. "This is Na'er. From today on, she is enrolled in this class to study with you all. Na'er is Shen Nanxun's younger sister and is a bit younger than the rest of you. If she falls behind in her studies..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room.

"Shen Nanxun is responsible."

A low murmur rippled through the classroom.

Younger sister?

Since when did the Shen family have another daughter? And with silver hair and silver eyes, she clearly didn't share the Shen family's bloodline. Several well-informed officers' children began whispering, lowering their voices to exchange the fragments of information they had overheard from their parents.

"Quiet." Adolf's voice rang out, and the entire classroom fell instantly silent. He turned around, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote two large characters on the blackboard.

Combat.

"Today's lesson: practical combat training." He placed the chalk back into the tray and clapped the dust from his hands.

Before he could finish his sentence, Dong Yi'an hurriedly raised his hand and stood up, blurting out, "Teacher Adolf, I request to spar with Shen Nanxun!"

He was still as impatient as ever.

He would never easily give up such an opportunity to defeat Shen Nanxun head-on. Especially since the other boy had caused such a stir in the class the moment he returned with his sister.

Adolf merely gave him a cold, indifferent look. "Random grouping."

For practical combat, the losers faced physical punishment, so pairings could never be chosen by the students themselves.

At the same time, he emphasized, "It is necessary for me to clarify a principle for you all.

The strong never bully the weak. A true powerhouse only swings their fists at those stronger than themselves, and strikes out defiantly against the injustices of this world and the rigid conventions of heaven and earth.

Whether within the Legion or in this classroom, whether you are classmates or comrades-in-arms, you may harbor a competitive spirit, but you must never give rise to jealousy."

Dong Yi'an lowered his head in slight shame, yet his eyes still held a look of resentment. There was no doubt that Adolf's words were aimed at him, though they also served as a warning to the others. Still, he remained unconvinced.

Adolf naturally did not know that Shen Nanxun's martial soul had awakened late; his words just now were not meant to protect him, but simply to state the rules of the Legion.

This man had always valued rules above all else.

Shen Nanxun's expression remained calm, showing no fluctuation despite Dong Yi'an's provocation. However, Na'er beside him had a slightly dangerous look in her eyes.

On the training ground, the grouping was quickly completed. Dong Yi'an did not get to spar with Shen Nanxun as he had imagined; instead, his opponent was Na'er.

As for Shen Nanxun, his opponent was also an acquaintance—the young girl who had spoken up for him that day, Ye Xi.

The order of the matches was also random, but Shen Nanxun was lucky enough to be assigned to the first group to fight.

"Shen Nanxun, long time no see." Ye Xi greeted him with a smile before saying earnestly, "But I won't hold back. Let's give it our all!"

Not holding back meant respect; Ye Xi was far superior to Dong Yi'an. She was stronger not just in ability, but in her state of mind. She knew when to hold back her strength and when not to.

"Understood." Shen Nanxun nodded.

At the edge of the training ground, Dong Yi'an stood with his arms crossed, his expression having long since shifted into a gloating look, waiting to watch a good show. He turned his head and whispered to a boy he was close with.

"He wants to win against Ye Xi without even a martial soul?" A sneer hung undisguised on the corner of his mouth. "Ye Xi has a rank seven innate soul power; even I am no match for her, let alone him."

"Rank two innate soul power and not even a martial soul. He grew a bit taller after resting for a few months, but a martial soul isn't something that just grows with your height."

The more he spoke, the more he felt he was right, and his voice rose involuntarily. "I admit he looked confident walking in just now, but what good is confidence? No martial soul is no martial soul. As soon as Ye Xi reveals her martial soul and exerts her soul power, he won't even be able to get close. Hmph, I want to see how he wins."

In stark contrast to his disdain, Ye Xi's expression was very serious, just as she had said—she would fight with everything she had.

"Ye Xi, rank ten assault-type battle soul master."

A yellow soul ring lit up beneath the girl. She opened her hands slightly, and a long sword fell into her grasp.

Seeing this sword, a look of surprise inevitably appeared in Shen Nanxun's eyes, as he was very familiar with this martial soul. It was identical to the martial soul of his mother, Ye Li. It was the Ye Family's Star Saint Sword.

Before this, he hadn't known Ye Li's background; after all, he had encountered the evil soul master incident the day after his awakening and hadn't returned to the academy since.

Ye Xi came from a branch of the Ye family, but her father was quite capable and held a decent officer position in the North Sea Legion. Part of the reason Ye Xi had spoken up for him last time was because of Shen Nanxun's identity.

"The Star Saint Sword, huh..." Shen Nanxun became interested. He had always wanted to spar against a sword-type martial soul, but his mother, Ye Li, was too strong. Now that he had encountered a peer with a sword martial soul, how could he not be excited?

The Star Saint Sword in Ye Xi's hand slowly gathered a faint starlight, and her entire aura became sharp.

The blade released a subtle sword intent, forming a thin halo around her. On the dirt ground of the training field, a small circle of golden light began to spread slowly from where she stood.

The curve of Dong Yi'an's mouth deepened as he turned to look at Shen Nanxun in the center of the field, waiting to see him look wretched and unable to lift his head under the pressure of the Star Saint Sword.

Shen Nanxun raised his right hand, closed his eyes for a brief moment, and then opened them instantly.

Golden light erupted from behind him. From both sides of his shoulder blades, two golden wings made purely of light suddenly unfurled.

The surrounding wind stopped instantly.

Including the noise.

The disdain on Dong Yi'an's face froze.

His mouth hung open, the sneer on his face stiffening unnaturally, and the veins on his neck pulsed. His gaze was locked onto the golden wings behind Shen Nanxun, his pupils contracting slightly, his breathing losing its rhythm.

"That is..."

Someone gasped, the sound exploding through the crowd.

Even in Adolf's eyes, which were usually devoid of emotion, ripples of shock appeared.

Shen Nanxun took a step forward, his golden wings fluttering slightly, stirring up a crisp breeze.

At the same time, a mark appeared on his forehead: a pair of unfurled golden wings. His black eyes turned pure gold in that same instant, with halos of light slowly rotating deep within his pupils.

He raised his right hand, his palm cupped in the air.

In an instant, a phantom of a long sword, condensed from pure golden light, descended from the wings and settled firmly into his palm. At the same time, a highly unique golden soul ring lit up beneath him.

"First soul skill: Angel Holy Sword."

Qian Renxue's voice resonated deep within his consciousness, as cold and clear as ever, yet carrying a faint trace of satisfaction: "Angel Holy Sword. Though condensed from a mortal soul, it possesses three parts the essence of a divine artifact. That is enough."

Shen Nanxun gripped the light sword, its tip pointing downward. The twin-wing mark between his brows shimmered with a faint golden radiance. He raised his head, his golden eyes fixed on Ye Xi.

"Come."

Ye Xi did not hesitate; she stepped forward and thrust with the Star Saint Sword. Ever since her martial soul awakened, she had been practicing the Ye Family Sword Technique, and her combat prowess ranked among the best in the entire class.

What surprised her, however, was that the several strikes she unleashed in succession were all blocked by Shen Nanxun. It was as if he understood every one of her sword techniques, and his own sword momentum was even sharper.

With a flick and a parry, the roles of attacker and defender were reversed.

Before Ye Xi could even release her first soul skill, that golden holy sword was already pointed directly at her throat.

In just those few seconds, she had lost the battle. Whether in terms of combat literacy, sword technique details, or physical condition, Shen Nanxun far surpassed her.

Ye Xi looked up, her eyes reflecting the image of the black-clad youth standing tall as he sheathed his sword. The Angel Holy Sword dissipated into golden light particles in his hand, his wings of light slowly retracted behind him, and the light core of the twin-wing mark between his brows returned to a gentle, rhythmic pulse. His golden eyes faded, reverting to his original pair of black eyes.

"I lost."

Ye Xi had lost; this individual, who could be considered among the top combatants in the class, had lost to Shen Nanxun—the boy who originally had no martial soul, only two levels of innate soul power, and had nearly been expelled.

The impact of this contrast was undoubtedly immense.

Dong Yi'an had not yet recovered from his shock when he saw that Adolf had already announced the participants for the next match.

"Dong Yi'an versus Na'er!"