Though it was communication through inner thoughts, it was even more distracting.
Xu Huxiao frowned and looked at Little Mermaid beside him, her small hands twisting together. He sent another thought her way.
"Loyalty isn't a transaction. It needs to be cultivated and earned through effort."
"If you truly want to complete the ritual, then prove through your actions that you're worthy."
"But I have to tell you this: Soul Beasts are destined to become Soul Masters' Soul Rings. Once I'm able to absorb a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring, I'll definitely turn you into one."
After thinking it over, he still decided to give Little Mermaid some encouraging words and keep her by his side.
Since she was so obsessed with this so-called destiny, he could hardly be blamed for making use of it. In any case, he had said what needed to be said.
"Earn it through effort?" Yun Ji's eyes lit up. She did not refuse again outright, sensing that her Holy Knight's words seemed to have softened.
"Alright, Brother Huxiao. Yun Ji will work hard~"
Just that small change immediately filled Yun Ji with energy.
Loyalty isn't a transaction. It needs to be cultivated and earned through effort. Keep going, Yun Ji. You can definitely go home!
Yun Ji silently cheered herself on, paying no attention at all to the matter of Soul Masters and Soul Rings.
Because she believed what her mother had told her: though the princess and the Holy Knight would face hardships, they would ultimately overcome them.
Her Holy Knight's cold attitude now was merely a small obstacle.
Before long, they arrived at Spirit Hall Junior Academy.
The academy was located within Spirit City, in the northern part of the city, close to Cold Moon Lake.
The butler, Luo Ming, had accompanied them today. Once he completed the enrollment procedures and handed Xu Huxiao and Yun Ji over to the academy teachers, his task would be done.
Spirit Hall's Junior Soul Master Academy maintained extremely strict control over its students. In principle, once they enrolled, they could only live on campus and accept the academy's unified closed management.
They could return home only once every six months. The academy's security was equally formidable, with Hall Guards drawn from within Spirit Hall assigned to patrol and stand watch.
As long as they were within the academy, nothing could go wrong.
All boarding supplies were distributed uniformly by the academy and could not be brought in beforehand.
Registration lasted three days. Xu Huxiao and Yun Ji had arrived on the first day, and Yun Ji stayed by his side until they reached the dormitory buildings, where they finally separated.
Yun Ji wanted very much to stay with Xu Huxiao, but the academy's rules were strict, and the boys' and girls' dormitories were in separate buildings.
The dormitory building was clean and bright, with six floors in total. Newly enrolled students stayed on the sixth floor.
Since he had arrived early, there were still very few people in the building. When Xu Huxiao reached the room assigned to him, Room 603, it was still empty.
The dormitory housed four students. Xu Huxiao chose a bed farther inside, put away the bedding, daily necessities, and school uniform he had received, then planned to use the remaining morning hours to work out in the academy's physical training hall.
His schedule was to conduct basic body training in the morning and practice Soul Skill control in the afternoon.
Therefore, whenever he had time, he could not waste even a second of training.
Now that he had successfully taken Bibi Dong as his master, all that remained was to increase his strength until he could pass the Slaughter City trial. He would obtain Divine Slaughter's Domain first.
As for the Immortal Herbs and everything else, he planned to consider them after obtaining Divine Slaughter's Domain. That would give him more confidence.
According to the information Xu Huxiao possessed, he only needed to acquire those things before Tang San became a Soul Elder.
As for how he would pinpoint that moment precisely—
Based on the current timeline, Tang San would not become a Soul Elder until Xu Huxiao was eighteen and Tang San was twelve. When Tang San became a Soul Elder, he would register his Soul Elder Title at the local Spirit Hall Main Hall.
Xu Huxiao was now within Spirit Hall, and his father was a Title Elder. Tracking the registration information of a Soul Master would be absurdly easy.
After leaving the dormitory, Xu Huxiao headed straight for the academy's physical training hall. The equipment was already quite comprehensive by this world's standards, though it still seemed rather crude to him.
Still, it was enough for his current training. Stretching, curls, compound strength exercises, and weighted endurance conditioning—those were the only things Xu Huxiao focused on for now.
By noon, after completing his daily workout, Yun Ji, the little tagalong, came looking for him.
Xu Huxiao had no interest in talking much with Little Mermaid for the time being. If she wanted to follow him, she could follow him.
The academy cafeteria was quite good. As long as one had Soul Coins, it could provide high-grade ingredients as well. Gold Soul Coins were what Xu Huxiao lacked least, so naturally, he ate only the best.
Moreover, before coming here, he had already asked his father for more than the academy's high-grade ingredients. He also needed rare treasures that could nourish his body—the same things he had always eaten at home.
Xu Bayan readily agreed, promising that as long as his son attended school, he would periodically send people to deliver cartloads of those rare treasures to the academy exclusively for his son's daily consumption.
Though the academy was strict and, in principle, did not allow students to bring in other items, such insignificant rules had virtually no binding power before a Title Elder.
Training, replenishing, training, replenishing...
Xu Huxiao spent every day in that monotonous routine, and the three days passed quickly.
All the students had completed enrollment. Each grade had a little over a hundred students, and with the academy teachers, logistics staff, and guard warriors included, the entire junior academy had nearly a thousand people. It was fairly lively.
And with enrollment complete, all students would now be subject to unified management.
Spirit Hall Junior Academy's management was extremely strict. There were two fixed classes every morning, while the afternoons and evenings were free cultivation time. Students could freely use the academy's physical training hall and Martial Soul Mimicry Training Ground.
The academy's facilities for Martial Soul cultivation were comprehensive. Both the physical training hall and Martial Soul Mimicry Training Ground had instructors on duty daily, ready to resolve any issues students encountered.
However, unlike other academies, Spirit Hall Junior Soul Master Academy assigned every student, regardless of grade, logistical duties. These included cleaning the grounds and transporting supplies.
Every student had to complete them.
But Xu Huxiao had no intention of doing so. Making him waste time on such boring tasks—
That was absolutely impossible.
And since every morning was his physical training time, attending class was equally out of the question.
Academy Administration Office, Academic Director's Office.
"You want to skip classes and arrange all your time yourself?"
"Yes, Teacher Gale."
Gale was a middle-aged man dressed in blue robes. Supporting his chin with both hands, he looked at the blond first-year student standing before his desk.
On the left breast of the student's blue-and-white uniform was embroidered his name:
Xu Huxiao.
The son of that Demon Bear Elder.
"You should know that the academy's management is strict. Academy teachers must be responsible for their students, so your unreasonable request cannot possibly be approved."
"I trust your father would not permit such truancy either," Gale added at the end.
"But Teacher Gale, I know the academy has a special rule: as long as one passes the corresponding assessment, special treatment can be granted."
Gale narrowed his eyes. This brat... had the makings of a troublesome maverick. That Xiao Ji before him had been the same.
"The academy does have such a rule, because Spirit Hall Academy follows the law of survival of the fittest. Our motto is: everyone being equal is the greatest inequality."
Then Gale changed the subject and continued.
"However, special treatment is reserved for those who come prepared. That will not change for anyone."
"I understand, Teacher Gale. I'm prepared. Please set the assessment."
What an arrogant little brat.
Gale looked at the calm and composed Xu Huxiao before him, took an authorization slip from his drawer, signed his approval, stamped it, and handed it over.
"Very good. As expected of a Title Elder's son—you have courage. Here is your exclusive assessment order."
"Take it to your homeroom teacher. He'll know what to do."
Xu Huxiao accepted the order. It listed the requirements for the exclusive assessment, along with the signed statement, "Assessment application approved." The deadline was three days.
Under the exclusive assessment fee, it read: Payment pending... twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins!
Not bad. The Xu Family had no shortage of Gold Soul Coins. He could ask Uncle Luo to notify his father and pay it.
"Thank you, Teacher."
Holding the order, Xu Huxiao pressed his right fist to his chest and bowed.
The Demon Bear Elder's son was rather polite, but the exclusive assessment would not be easy.
"Xu Huxiao, let me remind you once more. This assessment includes not only a written exam, but also a one-on-one Soul battle in the academy training ground."
"Only by meeting the standard on the written exam and winning the Soul battle will you pass. Your actions amount to challenging the academy's rules, so the assessment will be very difficult."
"Although your information says you possess Innate Full Soul Power and have already obtained your first Soul Ring, your opponent for this Soul battle will be selected from upper-year students nearing level twenty."
"Perhaps you have already learned some Martial Soul knowledge at home, but I must still tell you this: when the Soul Power gap is too great, winning a Soul battle becomes exceedingly difficult."
"I hope you are mentally prepared. And..." Gale paused.
"If you fail the exclusive assessment, the assessment fee will not be refunded."
Xu Huxiao smiled. "Thank you for the reminder, Teacher. I'm just curious to give it a try. It's fine if I don't pass."
With that, Xu Huxiao left the Academic Director's Office directly.
He made it sound so easy. Twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins just to test the waters—what a rich man. Gale felt as though he had taken a small blow.
As a Soul King, Gale's salary at the academy was only a little over six thousand. Twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins was nearly three months of his income.
"Someone running toward Rome meets someone born in Rome. What a disaster."
Thinking of that, Gale suddenly lost interest in today's work.
So Gale decided to treat himself that night.
Well, he would go relax at the newly opened brothel.
The three-day enrollment period soon passed. Today was the first day of classes at Spirit Hall Junior Academy.
Most of the students who had just awakened their Martial Souls and enrolled were excited, because today their teachers would officially begin teaching them and guide them in Martial Soul cultivation.
This was also the first step these newly enrolled children took toward the noble profession of Soul Master.
Among them was a plainly dressed brother and sister who had arrived at the classroom early, carrying just such hopes.
Though they were more than a year apart in age, both had enrolled today.
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