Work Twice as Hard, Grind Them into the Ground

The Death God Scythe was far too sharp, and the Death Qi surrounding it was so dense that anyone it touched would nearly die at once. So Chu Zhao did not use her martial soul and instead competed with Tang San in hand-to-hand combat techniques.

Chu Zhao did not have as much experience as Tang San, but she had cheats.

The Death God Scythe Usage Guide she had received as a beginner's reward was incredibly comprehensive. After applying its principles flexibly, Chu Zhao's close-combat skills were no worse than Tang San's, especially when paired with her understanding of acupoints.

She quickly suppressed Tang San. When her right hand closed around his throat, Chu Zhao suddenly felt an impulse to snap his neck with all her strength.

She immediately released him.

"I lost. The position of dorm leader is yours."

Tang San was extremely surprised that he had actually lost to Chu Zhao.

He was not an ordinary six-year-old child. He possessed the complete memories of twenty-nine years from his previous life and had cultivated diligently for several years in this one. Before this, Tang San had always believed that no one his age could defeat him.

"What about the rest of you? Any objections?"

Chu Zhao looked at the others in the dormitory, her gaze passing over each of their faces. Not a single one dared meet her eyes, and they all shook their heads.

"No, no. You're the boss."

"Right, right. You're the boss."

"Greetings, Boss!"

Xiao Wu appeared at the dormitory door at that moment. A familiar voice rang out. "Is this the Seventh Dormitory?"

Wearing a pink dress with her long scorpion braid, Xiao Wu curiously swept her eyes over the dormitory. Chu Zhao was the first person she saw, and her bright, watery eyes immediately filled with delight.

"It's you! You're actually here! It's so wonderful to see you again!"

As she spoke, Xiao Wu skipped toward Chu Zhao, her smile sweet and lovely.

"I forgot to ask your name last time. My name is Xiao Wu, the Wu from dancing."

"I'm Chu Zhao. Chu as in clear, Zhao as in bright as the sun and moon."

People would learn her name sooner or later, so there was no harm in introducing herself.

"Boss, you're a girl too. Hurry up and give her a show of strength."

Wang Sheng, who had challenged Tang San earlier, nudged Chu Zhao, urging her to spar with Xiao Wu.

"What is a show of strength? Why do you need to give me one?"

Xiao Wu looked utterly innocent and confused. It was hard to imagine that she was actually a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

"The Seventh Dormitory has a rule. New work-study students must show the strength of their martial souls to determine their standing. I'm currently the strongest here, so they want me to spar with you."

Chu Zhao explained before looking at Xiao Wu. "What do you think?"

"Hmm... is that how it works? I already lost to you before, so I only need to spar with the second strongest."

Xiao Wu tilted her head as she spoke, looking utterly adorable.

Everyone's eyes turned to Tang San. Wang Sheng, who loved watching trouble unfold, even gave Tang San a shove.

"He's the second strongest in our dorm."

"Tang San, hurry up and give her a show of strength on behalf of the boss. Let her know how formidable we are."

Amid the other work-study students' cheering, Tang San and Xiao Wu's spar began soon afterward.

Compared with Xiao Wu, who was a girl, everyone clearly favored Tang San, who had already demonstrated his strength.

Yet Xiao Wu was the one who won in the end.

Tang San, who had lived through two lifetimes, was not weak. He had merely lost because he underestimated her and went easy on a girl.

"From today onward, I'm number two! All of you who are weaker than me have to call me Sister Xiao Wu!"

After defeating Tang San, Xiao Wu was unbearably smug and proud.

But her appearance was adorable enough that no one found her unpleasant.

Before long, they had started chatting. Wang Sheng finally worked up the courage to ask Chu Zhao.

"Boss, what was that move you used just now? Was it a soul skill? But your martial soul clearly didn't touch the bed, so how did it cut off a corner of it? And so neatly, too."

"I want to know as well."

Tang San also looked at Chu Zhao. He had wanted to ask for a long time, but had been too embarrassed to bring it up.

"It wasn't a soul skill. It was merely a way of using my martial soul."

Chu Zhao did not explain much. She could hardly tell them it was internal energy, so she could only play dumb.

"I figured it out by accident. It's quite useful."

"Boss truly is the boss. You're amazing."

Wang Sheng immediately began praising Chu Zhao, shamelessly fawning over her. But he had gone too far with the flattery and was liable to kick the horse instead.

"Oh, right, Boss. Tang San and Sister Xiao Wu both have Innate Full Soul Power. Since you're so strong, you should have it too, right?"

"No, my Innate Soul Power isn't as high as Tang San's."

Chu Zhao replied with a smile, determined to maintain her persona as someone with poor talent while secretly grinding them all into the ground.

"Ah? Is that so? But it's fine. It must still be higher than my Innate Soul Power. Boss, you..."

Wang Sheng was about to ask more when Tang San interrupted him.

"We've walked for so long that I'm starving. Where's the cafeteria? Let's go eat first."

"We haven't eaten either. I'll take you there."

Wang Sheng was indeed easily distracted. As he spoke, he puffed out his chest and patted it.

"You all go ahead. I'm not hungry. I'm going out to buy some things first."

Chu Zhao did not choose to eat with them. While everyone else went to the cafeteria, she left the academy to buy bedding, wooden boards, and other supplies, arranging the dormitory the way she wanted it.

She partitioned off a space of roughly ten square meters as her own little room, complete with a door bolt and lock.

Once she had finished everything, Chu Zhao immediately began cultivating, racing against time.

She would not slack off in cultivation just because her Innate Soul Power was high. On the contrary, she would only work twice as hard.

Talent was certainly a good thing, but no matter how great one's talent was, without sufficient effort and strength to match it, one would ultimately only walk the path to ruin.

She could not practice with the Scythe at Notting Academy, so she doubled down on meditation and cultivation instead.

When the others returned from eating, they saw the small room that had suddenly appeared, along with a sign hanging from its door that read:

"Cultivating. Do not disturb."

Seeing that Chu Zhao was already so powerful yet still cultivated so diligently, the other work-study students began cultivating as well.

Tang San also wanted to cultivate, but Xiao Wu, who did not want to, dragged him away. She pulled him outside, where they began chatting.

"Tang San, I heard you and Chu Zhao came from the same place!"

Xiao Wu had originally intended to ask Chu Zhao, but she had never found an opening. Since Chu Zhao was cultivating now and could not be disturbed, she asked Tang San instead.

"That's right. We both came from Holy Soul Village. Where are you from, Xiao Wu?"

Tang San had only asked casually, but his question happened to hit the mark.

Where exactly had Xiao Wu come from?

"From a nearby village!"

Xiao Wu answered quickly, but her expression was somewhat unnatural. Soon afterward, she continued questioning him.