Just like that, he gave Su Luoheng two...
His talent was undeniable, but his Soul Power was only at Level 17. He hadn't even reached Soul Grandmaster yet, so Lin Jiayi still felt it would be a waste.
"This child is worth it."
Seeing the hesitation on Lin Jiayi's face, Jing Hongchen said with a faint smile.
"From now on, the resources he receives at the academy will be on par with those of a core student. Since he reached Level 2 Soul Engineer within two years, we must keep our word."
"Hall Master..."
Lin Jiayi opened his mouth, then hesitated. He understood what the hall master meant.
But was it too much attention to lavish on a student who hadn't even been enrolled for a year?
"Jiayi, when it comes to a genius, you have to be willing to invest."
After a brief pause, he stepped forward and patted Lin Jiayi on the shoulder, speaking slowly. "It's true that his Soul Power is weak right now, only Level 17. But I believe his potential is enormous. What he lacks at present is the resources to grow stronger, and our Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy is not short on resources!"
"I think this is also what Elder Ran intended."
Jing Hongchen turned to look out the window, a glint flashing in his narrowed eyes.
"This subordinate... will go prepare the pills at once."
"Mm, go ahead." Jing Hongchen waved his hand, then stressed, "Make sure that child knows this is the academy's reward to him."
Lin Jiayi nodded slightly, cupped his hands, and left Mingde Hall.
He was a clever man, so he naturally understood the unspoken meaning.
He couldn't help but admire Hall Master Hongchen's decisiveness and boldness. He could never have done the same. Perhaps that was why Jing Hongchen was the head of Mingde Hall while he was only the director of studies.
"Su Luoheng..."
Jing Hongchen walked to the window with his hands clasped behind his back, murmuring the name as his gaze flickered.
The Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy had always placed particular importance on geniuses. What he had to do now was use resources to bind Su Luoheng's heart to the Sun Moon Empire!
And Elder Ran had come to ask for pills precisely to remind Jing Hongchen of that.
He was telling him not to overlook Su Luoheng's talent!
As the empire's foremost academy, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was truly not short on resources. This could be seen later, when Jing Hongchen repeatedly offered exorbitant terms to entice Huo Yuhao to join.
"Su Luoheng... don't let us down."
Jing Hongchen's gaze flickered. He picked up the teacup beside him and drained the remaining tea in one gulp.
There were plenty of resources. The question was how many you could get your hands on!
Chapter 49: Jingyang Mountain Range
After breaking through to Level 2 Soul Engineer, Su Luoheng carried on much as before.
Every day, he still moved between the laboratory, dormitory, and classroom. Because his Soul Power held him back, he devoted most of his time to increasing it.
His Soul Engineer abilities, however, did not stagnate. Aside from his regular coursework, he also read many Soul Tool books from Elder Ran's private collection, benefiting greatly and gaining a more comprehensive understanding of Soul Tools.
Su Luoheng improved steadily day by day.
After Ran Yuming had openly acknowledged Su Luoheng's talent, Lin Jiayi, acting on Jing Hongchen's instructions, soon delivered two Soul Condensing Pills.
Su Luoheng had already been close to a breakthrough. After taking one, he successfully reached Level 18.
As for the remaining pill, he didn't take it in a hurry. The medicinal effects of a Soul Condensing Pill lasted for about a week, so it was best to wait until the first pill had finished working before taking the second.
In addition, Su Luoheng's standing at the academy had risen to that of a core student.
His overall treatment had improved by a full tier. The most obvious change was in his meals: every meal now included high-quality Soul Beast meat, which could improve Soul Power and physical strength when eaten over time. It was perfect for Su Luoheng's current situation.
At the same time, Su Luoheng had not neglected his abilities as a Soul Master.
After all, Ran Yuming was not only a Level 7 Soul Engineer but also an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo. His understanding of Soul Masters might not match that of Shrek Academy, but it surpassed that of most academy instructors. He was more than capable of teaching Su Luoheng.
Su Luoheng benefited greatly from their training.
With the academy's special attention and Ran Yuming's guidance, he continued to make progress.
Time slipped by in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, Su Luoheng had been studying at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy for more than half a year.
Just two days earlier, he had taken the Mystic Water Pill his father left him. As it cleansed his bones and marrow, his Soul Power had also broken through to Level 20 in one fell swoop.
Four months had passed.
Ten-year-old Su Luoheng had already reached Level 20 Soul Power.
Even at Shrek Academy, he would certainly have been singled out for special training.
Jing Hongchen, who had been keeping a close eye on him, was very pleased with his progress and had specifically increased his resources a little as encouragement.
Beyond that,
his Soul Power had reached Level 20, so obtaining his Second Soul Ring was now on the agenda.
Su Luoheng had originally planned to wait until his Soul Power stabilized and then head out with the academy's Soul Hunting team. But after discussing it with his teacher, Ran Yuming decided to personally take him to the Soul Beast Forest.
His main concern was that the academy's instructors might not find a suitable Soul Beast.
Since this concerned his student's Second Soul Ring, he would feel more at ease handling it himself.
Three days later, the master and student set out from the academy.
Because Ran Yuming had a Soul Tool class that morning, the two only headed for the Soul Beast Forest at around two in the afternoon.
Although the Sun Moon Empire did not have a vast forest spanning three empires like the Star Dou Great Forest, there were still many Soul Beast forests within its borders, such as the Evil Demon Forest, Jingyang Mountain Range, and Falling Rain Forest.
Their destination for this Soul Beast hunt was the Jingyang Mountain Range.
The Jingyang Mountain Range lay in the north-central part of the Sun Moon Continent, more than a thousand li from Ming Capital.
At Ran Yuming's speed, it would have taken no more than an hour to reach their destination.
A Level 2 Flying Soul Tool was certainly slower than a Level 6 Flying Soul Tool, but there was no hurry to hunt for a Soul Ring this time, so he kept his speed within Su Luoheng's limits.
As they traveled, Ran Yuming gave Su Luoheng a brief introduction to the Jingyang Mountain Range.
The Jingyang Mountain Range in the north-central part of the Sun Moon Empire covered a vast area, with its branches extending in every direction. It was covered in dense vegetation and home to many kinds of Soul Beasts, second only to the empire's largest forest, the Evil Demon Forest. The mountains also contained extremely rich mineral resources; about a third of the Sun Moon Empire's metal supply came from there each year.
Because of its unique location, many unusual Soul Beasts that fed on metallic energy could also be found there.
Most importantly, there had been signs of Mental Attribute Soul Beasts in the area.
Aside from the Evil Demon Forest, this was the Soul Beast forest where Mental Attribute Soul Beasts appeared most frequently in the Sun Moon Empire. That was why Ran Yuming had chosen to pass over the few Soul Beast forests within five hundred li of Ming Capital and make the long journey to the Jingyang Mountain Range, a thousand li away.
A Level 2 Flying Soul Tool was still quite fast.
The master and student chatted along the way and reached the Jingyang Mountain Range after about two hours.
But by the time they arrived, it was already late. It wasn't a good time to search for Soul Beasts, so Ran Yuming decided they should find a place to rest for the night and look for a suitable Mental Attribute Soul Beast the next day.
On the way to find a campsite, the two encountered a Blood-Toothed Tiger around five hundred years old.
Ran Yuming didn't step in.
He wanted Su Luoheng to test himself.
Though he had sparred at the academy over the past six months, the students of the same level were too weak to serve any purpose.
This five-hundred-year-old Blood-Toothed Tiger was roughly as strong as a Level 20 Soul Master, making it ideal for testing whether Su Luoheng's combat ability had declined.
A Soul Master's abilities had to be tested in real combat.
The battle was incredibly simple.
The Blood-Toothed Tiger saw that Su Luoheng was just a half-grown child and thought he posed no threat. It opened its enormous jaws and lunged to swallow him whole.
The result was as one might expect: Su Luoheng bent his knees and sprang into the air, dodging the tiger's jaws as he vaulted over its head. Then he kicked hard at its belly with both feet. After putting some distance between them, he raised his hand and slashed with his sword. The Blood-Toothed Tiger was killed instantly, without even a chance to struggle.
The whole battle was over in less than two minutes, without the slightest wasted movement.
Ran Yuming was very satisfied with Su Luoheng's performance.
After walking for another quarter of an hour, the two finally stopped in a clearing to the east. Dense trees surrounded it, but the view was relatively open.
"Luoheng, we'll rest here tonight."
"Mm."
"..."
The trees crisscrossed overhead, and the night sky was black as ink, dotted with stars.
The chirping of insects and birds and the gentle night breeze were clear to their ears, mixed with the occasional distant roar of a beast. Thanks to the experience he'd gained from often entering Soul Beast forests to train back home, Su Luoheng wasn't affected by the surroundings. After checking the area and confirming it was safe, he began setting up the tents.
Ran Yuming had watched Su Luoheng at first, but after seeing his practiced movements and realizing he clearly had plenty of wilderness experience, he looked away.
Before long, a bonfire was blazing in the camp, and the two tents were set up.
The night was deep and still as water.
Moonlight spilled down through the gaps between the trees and onto the ground.
A hazy, icy glow fell across the clearing. Every so often, a breeze stirred the leaves with a soft rustle.
The master and student sat around the bonfire.
Su Luoheng took all the food he'd prepared from his Storage Soul Tool, one item after another.
Chapter 50: Ran Yuming's Story
Su Luoheng had always lived by one basic principle.
When you were away from home, you could make do with anything except your meals!
That was why his Storage Soul Tool was always stocked with plenty of food: vegetables, fruit, meat, and everything else he needed. It was enough to feed him for five days without repeating a single dish.
Of course, there was no way he'd leave out his favorite snack: candied hawthorn skewers.
"Let's have this today~"
Su Luoheng rummaged through the ingredients, then finally took out a prepared leg of lamb and placed it on the iron rack to roast.
Roasting meat was the easiest thing to do in the wild. As long as you had a fire, you could eat.
And most importantly, it demanded the least skill.
Though Su Luoheng wasn't much of a cook, he could make almost anything taste decent with a little cumin, chili powder, and a few other seasonings.
"Sizzle, sizzle—"
Fat dripped from the skin onto the flames, sending up wisps of white smoke and a sizzling sound.
The aroma of the meat mingled with the fat, and a rich fragrance soon wafted through the air.
As time passed, the leg of lamb's skin turned crisp under the coating of fat. Its tempting meat glistened faintly with golden oil, making it look irresistible as the rich aroma filled the air and set mouths watering.
"..."
Ran Yuming watched Su Luoheng bring out a pile of food, his expression strange.
He thought, Did my student come here to hunt for a Soul Ring, or to take a vacation in the Jingyang Mountain Range?
When Su Luoheng started roasting the lamb, he could no longer hold back his question. "Luoheng... you came to hunt for a Soul Ring. Why bring so many unnecessary things?"
"Teacher, these are all essentials!" Su Luoheng replied with a solemn expression.
"Essentials?" Ran Yuming raised an eyebrow.
"Of course. We came out to hunt for a Soul Ring, not to live like ascetics. If we have the means, there's no reason to make ourselves suffer while we're away from home~"
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