Minor Study

The candle flames in the council chamber flickered, casting Xian Lin'er's excited profile in shifting light and shadow. Her fingertips traced across the image, which recorded the fluctuations of Huo Yuhao's spiritual power as he wound the Ice Silk—steady as a windless lake, with even the finest patterns precisely aligned and not a trace of redundancy.

"What does self-taught mean?" Xian Lin'er's voice carried a hint of urgency, as well as an unconcealable pride, as though she were showing off a treasure she had discovered. "It means his understanding of Soul Tools grew from his very bones, not something boxed in by rigid doctrines! An ordinary Soul Engineer needs to correct errors at least a dozen times in the core patterns when crafting a Fourth-Level Soul Tool, yet he succeeded in one attempt—if that isn't talent, then what is?"

Yan Shaozhe fell silent. Looking at the focused gaze of the youth in the image and the steadiness of those hands as they controlled the Ice Silk, he indeed did not seem like a Three-Ring Soul Master who had merely taught himself. The purity of Ultimate Ice, the precision of his spiritual power, and its compatibility with a Soul Tool Core... when these three came together, they really could produce an effect far greater than one plus one equaling two.

But.

Elder Xuan, who had listened the entire time, suddenly said, "Soul Tools are ultimately just external objects. Martial Souls are the foundation. Using Ultimate Ice on Soul Tools is simply a waste."

"Besides, the Soul Tool Department only recruits students after their third year in the Martial Soul Department. This Huo Yuhao is only a first-year student, so he has nothing to do with your Soul Tool Department."

Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Xian Lin'er sprang from her chair. Her silver hair puffed up in the glow of the luminous pearl. "External objects? Elder Xuan, that is a rather biased thing to say! Without Soul Tool Cannons back then, could the Star Luo Empire have held back the Sun-Moon Empire's iron cavalry? Soul Tools are tools. Used well, they become wings. How did they become a waste in your eyes?"

She snatched up the Soul Tool blueprint and nearly shoved it in front of Elder Xuan. "Look at the angle of this Ice Silk winding—it perfectly matches the energy flow of the Soul Tool Core. This isn't a waste; it's Ultimate Ice finding another way to bloom! The Soul Tools he creates with Ice Soul Power inherently possess a freezing effect. No metal core could ever achieve that!"

Yan Shaozhe hurriedly pulled her back and said helplessly, "Lin'er, Elder Xuan isn't denying Soul Tools. He simply believes a first-year student should first build a solid Martial Soul foundation." He turned toward Elder Xuan, his tone taking on a hint of conciliation. "But rules are dead, while people are alive. Although the Soul Tool Department recruits after the third year, nothing says he cannot be exposed to it earlier. Let him visit the Soul Tool Department in his spare time, look at blueprints, and handle some materials. That doesn't count as breaking the rules, does it?"

Elder Xuan snorted from the shadows. Though he did not directly refute him, his indifference was obvious at a glance.

His opinion was almost identical to Yan Shaozhe's. No one could change the fact that Huo Yuhao was a disciple of the Martial Soul Department. Since the Soul Tool Department was so eager to offer resources, they might as well accept them. In any case, with them around, Huo Yuhao could not possibly be lured into the Soul Tool Department.

The foreign affairs elder on the right took the opportunity to smooth things over. "The two do not inherently conflict. Let the Martial Soul Department first help him understand the characteristics of Ultimate Ice, while the Soul Tool Department prepares some blueprints for him to study. If he is truly interested in Soul Tools, he will naturally make time to ponder them. If he has no interest, forcing them on him would be useless."

"That is more like it." Xian Lin'er's anger eased somewhat. As she sat back down, her fingertips still lightly tapped the blueprint. "I will have Fan Yu compile a complete set of Soul Tool Core blueprints from Level One to Level Four and place them on the second floor of the library. Whenever he wants to read them, he can retrieve them himself."

Yan Shaozhe added, "On the Martial Soul Department's side, I will have him attend specialized Ultimate-element training three times a week, personally guided by inner academy teachers. As for Soul Tools... although I do think they are rather useless, let it serve as an extracurricular diversion."

Elder Xuan finally revealed half his face from the shadows. His aged eyes swept over everyone present. "One last thing. Let the boy walk his own path. None of you should try to lead him onto your own road—whether he becomes a dragon or a worm depends on whether he can fly on his own."

Though he did not say it outright, it was obvious that Elder Xuan was targeting the Soul Tool Department.

Xian Lin'er's brows knotted together, and her fingertips pinched several pale creases into the blueprint. Of course she understood Elder Xuan's implication—in his eyes, the Soul Tool Department was ultimately a crooked path, unworthy of a Martial Soul foundation like Ultimate Ice. Yet she refused to accept it. Just as she was about to retort, an old steward on the left stopped her with a glance.

That old steward had watched Xian Lin'er grow up. He gently shook his head, signaling that there was no need to argue. They all understood Elder Xuan's temperament, and even the attitude of the entire Martial Soul Department. They all believed Soul Tools were merely external objects.

Xian Lin'er could not hold herself back. "But an Ultimate Martial Soul should remain in our academy no matter what, shouldn't it? It would be the same in the Soul Tool Department. Our Soul Tool Department can offer him the best treatment—food, lodging, even all the resources he needs for cultivation. We can provide all of it."

Elder Xuan gave a cold snort. "The same? Wouldn't putting him in the Soul Tool Department simply waste his talent? Besides, it is not even certain whether Huo Yuhao wants to join the Soul Tool Department, yet you are already arguing over it."

Xian Lin'er bit her lower lip with her silver teeth, and the Soul Tool blueprint in her hand was nearly crumpled. She took a deep breath, her voice carrying a stubbornness that bordered on desperation. "A waste? Huo Yuhao's talent in Soul Tools is absolutely unparalleled. Can't he minor in the Soul Tool Department? Our Soul Tool Department can cover every resource Huo Yuhao needs for cultivation!"

Elder Xuan's hand holding the wine gourd paused. His aged eyes narrowed, and his gaze upon Xian Lin'er gained several traces of scrutiny. A minor? That was a step back from trying to drag him directly into the Soul Tool Department, and it better suited his belief that Martial Souls came first. He did not immediately object. Instead, his fingers tapped the armrest of his recliner, producing dull thudding sounds.

Seeing this, Yan Shaozhe immediately took over, his tone carrying just the right amount of gentleness. "A minor is indeed an option. He can major in the Martial Soul Department to ensure his Ultimate Ice foundation remains firm, and minor in the Soul Tool Department so he can study it in his spare time. It would satisfy his interests without putting the cart before the horse." He looked at Elder Xuan. "That way, it will neither delay his Martial Soul breakthroughs nor leave his Soul Tool talent with nowhere to shine. It is the best of both worlds."

Xian Lin'er's eyes lit up, and the tension at the corners of her mouth completely relaxed. "Then a minor it is! As long as he gets to interact with Soul Tools, I refuse to believe he can resist! On the Soul Tool Department's side, I will have Fan Yu give him a small lesson once a week, covering only core principles and never taking up time from his Martial Soul cultivation. As for resources..." She patted her chest. "Ice Silkworm Silk, Mind-Concentrating Crystals—however much he needs, we have it. It will all be covered by the Soul Tool Department."

Elder Xuan finally snorted, effectively accepting the proposal, though his face remained stern. "A minor is fine, but the rules must be clear. He must meet the Martial Soul Department's assessment standards every month. If his soul power growth falls below the average level of Ultimate Martial Souls at the same rank, his Soul Tool minor will be stopped immediately."

"No problem!" Xian Lin'er agreed without hesitation, the light in her eyes seeming to have been tempered with starlight. "I will show you that his soul power will only rise faster—with the Soul Tool Department's full support. That is not treatment an ordinary person can enjoy."

Yan Shaozhe smiled and smoothed things over. "Then it is settled. Once the assessment is over, I will speak to him personally. However, if Huo Yuhao is unwilling to put effort into Soul Tools, you must not tempt him with resources."

The argument in the council chamber finally came to an end, and even the air seemed to grow much lighter.