Blending into the Circle

Just as the news that a new student at Green Leaf Elementary Soul Master Academy had become Grandmaster Jin's disciple to study forging was spreading from the academy toward the forces large and small within Mu Zhi City through one student and teacher after another.

On the third floor of the Main Teaching Building, inside the first-year classroom, Ling Yi sat perfectly straight in the center of the third row below the lectern, fully focused as he listened to the teacher's lecture.

His hand wrote rapidly, summarizing the key points of what the teacher said and recording them one by one.

As the central figure of the news, Ling Yi did not pay it much mind. This was something he had intentionally or unintentionally let slip while chatting with familiar Work-study Students, as well as a few self-funded students he got along with.

As for whether some noble force would therefore set its sights on him?

That was pure overthinking~

Just as those teenage students in the academy had said in their conversations, although Grandmaster Jin was one of the Three Great Masters, he was ultimately already advanced in years, and among his twelve disciples, not a single one had currently broken through to the level of Blacksmith Master.

Jin Geng Blacksmith Shop, in Mu Zhi City, belonged to the kind of level that fell short compared to those above but was more than enough compared to those below. Those above were comparatively courteous because they had use for it, while those below had needs, and because of the chain of professional-status contempt, both respect and a sense of distance were present.

Besides, Ling Yi's information was clear and straightforward in everyone's eyes, exceptionally clean.

Born in a rural village, with the Waste Martial Soul "Blue Silver Grass," Innate Soul Power Half Level, and limited future achievements, choosing to become a blacksmith could still be considered a smart choice.

Of course, he was also a lucky kid. This was likewise the evaluation that would appear among those who saw Ling Yi's information.

Because "Blue Silver Grass" was common and ordinary, even though his innate soul power was only half a level, the information showed that in an environment filled with "Blue Silver Grass," his Soul Power cultivation speed received quite a decent boost, so his hope of becoming a Soul Master was not small.

Even if "Blue Silver Grass" was a Waste Martial Soul, as the Martial Soul of a blacksmith, as long as he could become a One-Ring Soul Master, that would be enough.

Putting other things aside, a One-Ring Soul Master, provided his own comprehension was not poor, basically had hope of becoming an Advanced Blacksmith.

Although among Advanced Blacksmiths there were also strong and weak ones—the weapons crafted by the strong could be supplied to high-level Great Soul Masters, while the weak could only barely meet the needs of low-level Great Soul Masters—no matter how one put it, they were still a decent form of support.

Unfortunately, the potential of "Blue Silver Grass" was still too weak. In everyone's understanding, the possibility of Ling Yi becoming a Great Soul Master was infinitely close to zero.

And if he could not become a Great Soul Master, then he would have almost no chance of climbing to the rank of Blacksmith Master.

For no other reason than that the tempering requirements for high-quality materials were not low. Furnace temperature, striking force, endurance, and so on all had rigid standards.

"Clang—clang—"

A clear bell rang out. On the lectern, the tall, thin teacher closed the teaching material and swept his gaze around below. His eyes paused slightly on Ling Yi, the figure everyone had been talking about for the past two days, then moved away as he said unhurriedly, "You'd best review more when you go back. There will always come a time when you'll use it in the future. All right, that's it for this lesson..."

After saying that, he paid no attention to the reactions of the students below. Picking up the teaching material, he turned and walked toward the classroom door.

Only after watching the tall, thin teacher leave the door and walk a little farther away did everyone in the classroom finally let out a collective sigh of relief.

There was no helping it. Although the tall, thin teacher was only a Great Soul Master and had not deliberately released any sort of aura himself, whether it was his identity as a teacher or that stern expression on his face, for these children who were all only six years old on average and whose strength was no higher than below rank five, the pressure was still not small.

"Phew—" *36

At this moment, whether Work-study Students or self-funded students, everyone in the classroom was a rookie student who had just started school and classes.

Nervous, cautious, obedient, well-behaved... every single one of them was a good little child.

Only after enough time had passed, when they discovered that aside from teaching their respective courses, the teachers basically did not care much about their private actions, and as long as they did not go too far, everything would be ignored, would each of them begin to let themselves loose.

Then, once the influence of the upper years on the lower years strengthened, the two major camps of self-funded students and Work-study Students would begin to form on their own. Within the two camps, there would also be one small circle after another, either because they were fellow villagers from the same region, or because their Martial Soul attributes were similar, or because their family businesses had connections...

Fortunately, all of the above had not yet had time to happen among the first-year new students Ling Yi belonged to.

And this was also an opportunity for Ling Yi.

"Brother Yi~"

Mo Yuan brought along the inseparable Yun Lan and came from the right side of the fourth row to Ling Yi's side. With shyness and embarrassment on his face, he asked in a low voice, "Did you remember everything the teacher talked about?"

"Mm~" Ling Yi nodded, turned his face to look at this little brother from the same dormitory, and smiled. "I remembered it all~"

As he spoke, he pointed at the notes by his hand that still carried the scent of ink. "And I wrote it all down too. That way, it'll be more convenient when reviewing later..."

"Hehe~" Mo Yuan looked at Ling Yi with admiration in his eyes and praised, "Brother Yi, you're really amazing. During class just now, I saw you writing something the whole time. So you were taking notes—"

"Hehe~ A good memory is no match for a bad pen, after all~" Ling Yi smiled and shook his head.

After saying that, seeing Mo Yuan's hesitant expression, Ling Yi tapped his fingers on his notebook and took the initiative to speak, asking, "Mo Yuan, if you don't mind, you can take my notes and copy a set. When the time comes, we can discuss the contents the teacher explained together..."

"Ah?" Hearing this, Mo Yuan looked astonished, and Yun Lan beside him also parted her little mouth slightly, somewhat not expecting Ling Yi to say this.

One had to know that all knowledge related to Soul Masters was very valuable.

Mo Yuan said, "Brother Yi, I... you... I..."

Compared to the two's surprise and helplessness, Ling Yi appeared calm and casual. "With the same content, everyone's understanding will more or less be somewhat different. We can learn from each other..."

After saying that, he turned back and looked around. At this moment, the attention of the more than thirty classmates in the class had all been drawn over by the conversation here. Ling Yi smiled at everyone and said, "If everyone needs it, you can wait until Mo Yuan finishes copying it, then copy a set too. Everyone can study together and improve together!"

"The thirty-six students in our class all come from various places within the eastern region of Mu Zhi City, some far and some near. Outside the academy, we belong to the same academy; inside the academy, we belong to the same class. Everyone's Martial Soul Aptitude is high or low, and it's hard to say what the future will be like, but for the next six years, we'll all be together, coming and going as one. That's also a very rare bit of luck and fate..."

During these days before and after the start of school, Ling Yi had not been idling around in the academy for nothing.

On the Work-study Student side, whether boys or girls, they had spontaneously grouped together amid some rumors from older students. Among them, Ling Yi's soul power might not have been the strongest, but internally he had the Farmer Three Forms, and externally, the physique and strength he claimed came from forging training. His combat ability was still fairly considerable, and with him being a year older, he was naturally called "Brother Yi." When he spoke, he could still receive the support of the Work-study Students.

As for the self-funded students, they were, in the end, all six-year-old children. In Mu Zhi City, the Capital City of the Duchy, most of their family conditions were only middle-lower class, and they could not foster much arrogance. Under Ling Yi's affinity, each of them could also smile and greet him.

One had to know that people were all visual creatures. Facing a little older brother like Ling Yi, with his slender figure, fair skin, Handsome Face, clear and organized speech, and pleasant voice, very few people could avoid developing a favorable impression at the very first moment.

Even adults and teachers were like this, let alone these little fellows who had not experienced much of the world.

Thus, under Ling Yi's skillful social maneuvering, the entire first class of new students unexpectedly showed a harmonious state that caught the seniors of the other five grades off guard.

Just like that, Ling Yi became the shared "Brother Yi" spoken of by all the first-year new students of Green Leaf Elementary Soul Master Academy.

Among this, the excellence Ling Yi himself displayed was one aspect, while that identity passed from mouth to mouth as the new disciple of a Blacksmith Master was also a reason that could not be ignored.

Otherwise, as a rural boy from the countryside with such low Martial Soul Aptitude, on what basis could he blend into the city's circle?

Thank you to book friend 20181206005436699, book friend 20180506002223803, book friend Mo Hongchen, and book friend 20210317235826218 for the monthly tickets. Thank you, all book friends, for your Recommendation Tickets and continued reading. Thank you, everyone! (ω)