Training Plan

"Oh, wow! What a haul."

Chu Heng stretched and yawned.

He glanced at the time. Two hours had passed, and night had fallen completely. He stepped out of the meditation room.

His body had only just come into contact with Soul Power, and meditating for so long had already pushed it to its limit.

Besides, he had not spent that time practicing only the meditation method. He had also practiced the Mysterious Heaven Skill, and after comparing them several times, he had noticed the difference between their effects.

Compared with the meditation method, the Mysterious Heaven Skill worked more gently and could be practiced for longer, though each cycle increased his Soul Power a little less. It truly lived up to its reputation as the core technique of the Bashu Tang Sect. Here on the Douluo Continent, it complemented the meditation method perfectly.

At this rate, it would not be long before his Soul Power Level broke through to level nine.

Chu Heng clicked his tongue and shook his head, only to see a new system notification appear.

[Missed story check-in: Ruler of the Dormitory]

Chu Heng gave the notification a glance and ignored it.

What else could he do? He had missed it. All he could do was grow stronger as quickly as possible so he could reach future story events in time.

"Finished meditating for today?"

As Chu Heng sighed to himself, Su Xianling slipped in through the window again and looked at him with an easy smile.

"Big Sis? Weren't you busy with your own things?"

"Oh, I finished what I was doing and happened to pass by, so I came to check on you."

Su Xianling paid no mind to his doubts. She delivered the excuse she had prepared, pulled out the chair beside the desk, and sat down.

"I see."

Chu Heng had already guessed the truth. He looked at her with a little more warmth, but since she did not want to say it outright, he would not press her.

"So, is there anything else you need me to do, Big Sis?"

From the way Su Xianling had settled in, she clearly had not come just to say hello, so Chu Heng asked directly.

"You must have noticed while meditating that your body limits how often you can do it. To help you improve, I'll start putting you through special training tomorrow."

Su Xianling paused and watched his reaction. When she saw no reluctance on his face, she continued.

"Once you know the routine, you'll train on your own for a while. When your Soul Power reaches level ten, I'll adjust your training plan."

Su Xianling finished and looked at Chu Heng.

"Got it, Big Sis!"

He had chosen this path, so Chu Heng was not afraid of hard work. And as a prodigy of Spirit Hall, Su Xianling surely knew how to train him effectively.

"Good. In that case, get to bed early tonight. I'll come find you in the morning."

With that, Su Xianling vanished again.

Chu Heng went to the window and stuck his head out to look around. Su Xianling was already nowhere to be seen.

Uh, all right...

He pulled the window shut, locked it from the inside, then went into his bedroom, sat on the bed, and began practicing the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

In the meditation room, his body had reached its limit with the meditation method, but not with the Mysterious Heaven Skill. He had left because he did not want to arouse Su Xianling's suspicions. Some secrets were best kept to himself.

Things had played out just as Chu Heng expected. Su Xianling had appeared again as soon as he left the meditation room, which meant she had been keeping an eye on him. For all he knew, she was still hiding somewhere nearby. But inside his bedroom, he was screened from outside view, so he was not worried about anyone seeing him practice the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

It was midnight before Chu Heng emerged from his cultivation again. Feeling how much his Soul Power had grown, he was delighted.

Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang!

Early the next morning, before dawn had fully broken, a noise from the living room jolted Chu Heng awake.

A flicker of caution rose in him. He quickly rolled out of bed and crept to his bedroom door, trying to hear what was happening outside.

"Chu Heng! If you don't open this window, I'll smash it!"

At those words, Chu Heng yanked open his bedroom door, hurried into the living room, and unlocked the window to let Su Xianling in.

"Big Sis, you're up so early?"

Chu Heng could not help yawning. He looked at Su Xianling with a guilty expression.

Seeing him still disheveled, Su Xianling grabbed his ear and scolded him.

"You! The day starts in the morning. Look what time it is, and you're still in bed!"

"Not the ear, Big Sis! Ow, ow, ow!"

Chu Heng felt her grip tighten and reached up with both hands to free his ear. Just as he was about to touch her hand, she let go.

"Consider that a lesson. From now on, if you're still in bed at this hour, I promise you'll regret it."

Su Xianling flicked her hand and turned her back on him.

"Okay, okay!"

Chu Heng hurriedly rubbed his ear, muttering indignantly.

"Big Sis, if you're looking for me, you don't have to use the window. You could just knock on the door..."

"Don't tell me what to do!"

Su Xianling moved to reach for him again. Sensing danger, Chu Heng hastily backed away.

She did not follow him. Instead, she said calmly,

"Come on. We're going to the training room."

...The so-called training room was actually the entire ninth floor. When Chu Heng arrived, he found dozens of people already training there.

"Look at those people..."

Su Xianling pointed to the younger members of the group.

"They're children from nearby factions affiliated with Spirit Hall. They came here to study because they wanted better educational resources."

Chu Heng looked them over one by one, turning her words over in his mind.

It was true. At a Soul Master Academy, one teacher taught an entire class. Here at Spirit Hall, everyone had at least one dedicated instructor. Even in shared classes, a staff member was responsible for no more than ten students.

"But your circumstances will be even better than theirs."

Su Xianling turned to glance at Chu Heng.

"Even without me, this branch would give you its highest level of support. Unlike them, you have no faction behind you, so you qualify for it. But that also means that once you've grown stronger, you must never betray Spirit Hall. If you do, Spirit Hall will hunt you down."

Chu Heng was not too concerned about that. Only by becoming strong enough could he gain freedom. Otherwise, no matter where he went, he would still be bound by chains.

"I understand, Big Sis."

That was Chu Heng's answer to her warning.

The two of them walked toward an open area, one behind the other.

"Lady Xianling!"

"Lady Su!"

"..."

They passed several groups of teachers and students in the middle of lessons. The teachers stopped what they were doing to greet Su Xianling, who merely nodded in response to their warm greetings.

"Chu Heng, given your current strength, your training plan will be held indoors for now..."