"Tuition!" Zuo Xiaoduo was startled.
-They actually charged tuition?
Shouldn't a heaven-favored prodigy like me get in for free?
Beside him, Li Chenglong muttered as he reached into his pocket and took out two sparkling star soul stones. Holding them in his palms, he closed his eyes and circulated his cultivation technique with all his might.
As he activated the star soul stones in his hands, their light merged with the light of the Star Soul Formation, immediately drawing some of it over into Li Chenglong's star soul field and then into his body, visibly enhancing the conditions for his cultivation.
"Holy shit, that's ruthless! You can even do that!"
"Showing off like that-did you spare a thought for how I feel, sitting here in dead last?!"
Zuo Xiaoduo gaped at the sight.
His thoughts raced as he swept his gaze as far as he could. He saw that quite a few people throughout the class were holding several star soul stones of their own in their palms, activating the stones' energy in conjunction with the Star Soul Formation to improve their cultivation efficiency.
Inside the formation at the very center of the teaching platform, Qin Fangyang sat upright with his eyes closed. Rings of star power rippled from his body, drawing on the formation's power and allowing it to spread slowly, step by step.
Of course, some held no star soul stones, and the conditions for their cultivation visibly lagged behind those of the others.
But nothing could be done about that. Whether students had star soul stones in hand reflected the financial strength of their families in the first place.
Cultivation put one's financial resources to the sternest test.
Even if you possessed supreme talent, without the corresponding resources to support you, you stood a very good chance of being caught up to and surpassed by others, even if your aptitude had secured you first place at the start of school!
Just as the little fatty Li Chenglong had said, everyone paid the same tuition! Why should good aptitude entitle you to a good spot? You wanted a good spot? Fine-only if you could beat everyone else!
Whether one had substantial backing, the gulf between rich and poor in this world, and all manner of helpless predicaments were laid completely bare at that moment!
Zuo Xiaoduo quickly collected himself. No longer daring to let his thoughts wander, he closed his eyes and focused on his cultivation, mobilizing all the spiritual energy within his body and circulating his technique.
The moment he began, Zuo Xiaoduo felt the Star Soul within him stir powerfully. The Star Soul flames lying dormant inside his body surged up from his dantian with a whoosh, sending countless tongues of fire spraying in different directions to receive the star soul power in the air and draw it into his body.
At the same time, a cool sensation between his brows stirred as well. Countless streams of star soul power descended from the classroom's Star Soul Formation and entered the meridians throughout Zuo Xiaoduo's body like moths flying into a flame. As the great influx of star soul power poured in, that cool sensation rapidly strengthened, gradually extending along his meridians in an almost tangible state.
Wherever that cool sensation passed, Zuo Xiaoduo could clearly feel his meridians changing little by little, becoming more supple, smoother, and less obstructed, allowing the cool sensation to travel onward with greater ease.
He could not yet look inside himself and could only go by sensation, but already, it felt...
So good I could fly...
It rose between his brows, traveling both upward and downward. The entire process was extremely slow, yet wherever it passed, the changes were real and the benefits immense.
The star soul power in his dantian traveled upward, while the cool power between his brows split into two streams, one circling his head and the other moving downward, like three armies setting out from different places to converge somewhere.
Even Zuo Xiaoduo himself found it strange. Nothing like this had happened during his previous cultivation sessions; like everyone else, he had absorbed energy through his dantian.
But now, how had it turned into this?
What Zuo Xiaoduo did not know at all was that a small vortex was gradually forming above his head. As it spun, it drew in great quantities of Star Soul light, sending it pouring toward him.
The instant the vortex formed, that cool sensation began accumulating faster.
The classroom was utterly silent.
As Qin Fangyang circulated the star soul power within his body, he kept an eye on the balance throughout the room. Where some students occupied less favorable positions, he deliberately directed a little more star soul power their way...
After all, they were only young Martial Warriors. Even with considerable talent, their limited experience meant their ability to absorb star soul power was merely ordinary, and their efficiency relatively low. They still needed an instructor's help to improve their efficiency. Once they broke through to the Martial Master level, their instructor would no longer need to expend such effort guiding the Star Soul Formation.
He had been doing this for more than twenty years and had long since reached the point where familiarity made everything flow naturally. It all came readily to hand, requiring little extra thought or effort.
As he resonated with the Star Soul, drawing in power and releasing it, he also divided his attention to observe the students in his class. At that moment, three vortexes stood out most prominently at the very heart of the Star Soul Formation, just as always.
These spiritual energy vortexes were a particular effect of the Star Soul Formation. Within a certain area, each student's cultivation aura could be clearly seen, allowing the teacher to tailor his instruction to their abilities.
These three vortexes belonged respectively to the first-ranked Long Yusheng, the second-ranked Wan Lixiu, and the third-ranked Yu Moyan. These three youths were also the students Qin Fangyang was most satisfied with.
Even across all the years Qin Fangyang had spent teaching, these three still ranked among the very best in aptitude.
Barring any accidents, all three students would break through to the Martial Master level within a few months, rising another story higher.
In light of this, it was only natural that Qin Fangyang gave these three students particular attention.
Moreover, all three names had already been registered with Second High School's senior administration. Another implication of that registration was that once these three broke through to the Martial Master level, they would become Second High School's seed students.
Qin Fangyang looked closely and saw that the star soul power vortexes above all three students' heads had already begun to take shape and were exceptionally stable. A lustrous glow had also begun to shimmer across their bodies and faces.
This was precisely an excellent sign of star soul power entering the body and circulating through the meridians.
Not bad, not bad.
Qin Fangyang nodded inwardly in great satisfaction.
Then he shifted his gaze to the rest of the class. After a brief sweep around the room, he vaguely sensed that something about the atmosphere was not quite right-it was different from before!