Graduating Early

As night fell, Yang Yunhai returned to the dormitory after heading straight to the cafeteria for dinner.

When he opened the door and looked inside, Tang San and Xiao Wu were both there.

Most of the other beds were empty. Only three had bedding on them: one was his, while the other two belonged to his remaining roommates. As for Wang Sheng and the others who were a little older, they had already graduated.

Logically speaking, he could apply for graduation now as well, since the requirement for graduating from a junior Soul Master Academy was to become a Spirit Master.

However, he did not want to do that.

First, with his Martial Soul, Innate Soul Power, and current Level 11 Soul Power, no Intermediate Soul Master Academy might be willing to accept him. Besides, the tuition fees at Intermediate Soul Master Academies were genuinely expensive, and he could not afford them right now.

Second, even the nearest Intermediate Soul Master Academy, including Spirit Hall's affiliated academies, was far from Notting City, which was clearly unfavorable to his future plans.

Third, the clearing behind Notting Academy that was covered in Blue Silver Grass already counted as a decent Simulated Environment for him.

The academy instructors were not particularly strong, and the vegetation around the dormitory was plentiful enough to conceal him. That way, even if the number of lightning bolts he could draw down increased by one or two in the future, it would not attract much attention. It was relatively hassle-free.

Therefore, after considering everything, he felt it was better to remain at Notting Academy.

"Xiao Hai, you're back." Seeing Yang Yunhai enter the dormitory, one of his roommates hurriedly greeted him.

They had already heard that Yang Yunhai had taken leave to go out and obtain a Spirit Ring. Since he had returned, it meant he had become a Spirit Master. Meanwhile, they had yet to become Spirit Masters.

Out of consideration for their relationship as roommates, as well as respect for the strong, it was necessary to greet him politely.

"So you're back. It's not like we've never seen you before." Xiao Wu spoke lazily as she held a carrot. Her gaze dropped to Yang Yunhai's hands, and her delicate nose wrinkled slightly.

"Xiao Hai, that's not very loyal of you! You went on a long trip and didn't even think to bring back any local specialties."

"Coming back to the academy this late, you must have already gone to Spirit Hall to collect your Spirit Master subsidy, right?"

"Sorry, Sister Xiao Wu. I was in a bit of a rush when I came back. I'll go out later and buy you something tasty." Yang Yunhai smiled.

"That's more like it!" Xiao Wu's expression immediately brightened. Then she nodded and asked, "So?"

"Xiao Hai, I heard you went out by yourself to find someone to help you hunt a Soul Beast. What Soul Beast did you hunt? How old was it? What Soul Skill did you get?"

"Green Vine, less than two hundred years old. The Soul Skill is Stretch. It just makes my Martial Soul longer, like a vine." Yang Yunhai continued smiling.

"Oh." Xiao Wu nodded slightly and gave her assessment. "It's still a hundred-year Spirit Ring, so it's not bad."

Stretch, just growing into a vine? Wouldn't that mean it had no offensive power at all? My First Soul Skill, Entangle, was at least an active control skill. Was it because my Spirit Ring came from an Animal-type snake Soul Beast? Sure enough, Teacher's theory was correct. Thinking of this, Tang San felt even more admiration for Yu Xiaogang. When he looked at Yang Yunhai, his gaze carried a hint of pity.

It merely stretched longer. Without a doubt, it was a worthless, useless Soul Skill.

"It's alright, I guess." Yang Yunhai scratched his head. "Sister Xiao Wu, I'll go back to my bed and continue cultivating."

"Go ahead." Xiao Wu casually waved her hand.

He cultivates diligently, but what a pity. Tang San shook his head slightly and stopped paying attention.

Yang Yunhai returned to his bed, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and entered cultivation.

Nothing happened through the night. The next day, he rose early and began another round of classes and cultivation.

During the day, he left the academy to buy some snacks for Xiao Wu and his roommates, treating them in celebration of becoming a Spirit Master.

Time flew by, day after day.

Since he had already obtained his First Spirit Ring, he had more training to do in the afternoons. He needed to temper his body and practice with the spear, while also training to multitask and develop further applications based on his First Soul Skill. As a result, the time he could spend cultivating Soul Power in the afternoons inevitably had to be shortened.

Fortunately, after absorbing his First Spirit Ring, his physical strength had improved considerably. With that foundation, his efficiency in absorbing Thunder Attribute energy had also increased. The number of lightning bolts he could draw down each time had risen to four.

His cultivation speed was not too slow.

Though cultivation was tedious, having something to look forward to kept his enthusiasm from fading. Instead, it continued to grow.

A year later, only Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Yang Yunhai remained among the work-study students in the dormitory.

However, this had no effect on Yang Yunhai's cultivation schedule. Xiao Wu, on the other hand, found herself alone in the empty dormitory all day because Tang San had to work and Yang Yunhai had to cultivate. She was not particularly fond of cultivation herself. Feeling terribly bored, she finally could not resist extending her evil hand toward the other dormitories, beginning a career of challenging them one by one. Unsurprisingly, she won every battle.

In the end, Xiao Wu successfully dominated the entire academy and became the academy's true Elder Sister.

Everyone avoided her on sight, and for a time, her prestige was unmatched.

Only at night, in front of Tang San, whom she had acknowledged as her older brother, would she reveal the demeanor of an obedient little girl.

Yang Yunhai found it incredibly speechless and could only close his eyes to cultivate, avoiding the sickening display of affection.

Until more than two years later, with one month remaining before the academy term ended, it was also nearly time for him to graduate.

"Hmm?" Yang Yunhai, who was cultivating Soul Power that night, suddenly realized that his cultivation seemed to have broken through.

"Level 20, finally." He opened his eyes, unable to suppress the delight on his face. If my First Spirit Ring hadn't been absorbed beyond my level and raised my cultivation a bit more, I might not have been able to break through to Level 20 before graduation.

He took a deep breath, swept his gaze around the dormitory, and finally looked toward Tang San and Xiao Wu, who had already fallen asleep.

His eyes flickered, then he lay down and went to sleep.

The next morning, he rose early and headed to the Back Mountain, where he cleaned up the place he had once used for cultivation.

Afterward, he headed straight for the Dean's Office.

"What? You're Level 20?" Director Su was greatly shocked when Yang Yunhai told him that his Soul Power had broken through to Level 20.

"Yes." Yang Yunhai nodded.

"Director Su, this is already my final year at the academy. Also, there is only one month left before the academy begins its annual break. So this time, I would like to apply for early graduation."

"Once you return after obtaining your Spirit Ring, there truly won't be many days left before the term ends." Director Su recovered and nodded slightly, then smiled.

"Xiao Hai, I really didn't expect you to break through to Level 20 so early. Congratulations!"

This was Blue Silver Grass, the Useless Martial Soul universally acknowledged across the continent! And it was the worst of the worst, with Innate Soul Power of only 0.5! Many people with the same Martial Soul and Innate Soul Power could not cultivate to Level 20 even by the end of their lives, let alone reach it at Yang Yunhai's age.

He found it utterly absurd!

"Your years of hard cultivation have not been in vain. You have finally borne fruit. The other instructors need not say much more. I only hope that after graduation, you can continue maintaining this passion and diligence, travel farther along the path of a Spirit Master, and perhaps even become renowned in the Spirit Master world someday."

Although he knew that was unlikely given Yang Yunhai's Martial Soul, as the Dean, he felt it was necessary to offer some encouragement upon graduation.

"Yes, I will continue working hard." Yang Yunhai nodded solemnly.

After that, he completed the graduation records, said goodbye, and left.

After walking out of the Dean's Office, he first returned to the dormitory to pack his belongings, then left the academy and headed directly back to Lonely Grass Village.

Not long after Yang Yunhai left the academy, news of his breakthrough to Level 20 quickly spread throughout the academy.

Blue Silver Grass as his Martial Soul, Innate Soul Power of only 0.5, yet reaching Level 20 at such a young age—it was practically a miracle, especially considering he attended Notting Academy. Director Su was naturally delighted and more than willing to share the news.

Before long, the news reached Yu Xiaogang's ears.

"How is that possible?!"

That was Yu Xiaogang's first reaction.

The gap from Level 10 to Level 20 was nothing like the period before Level 10. In his understanding, let alone someone with the Useless Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass and Innate Soul Power of only 0.5, even so-called genius Spirit Masters with excellent Martial Souls and talent rarely broke through to Level 20 at Yang Yunhai's age.

Moreover, as far as he knew, Yang Yunhai's First Spirit Ring had not even been of the optimal age.

"How could this be? How could this be?" Recalling the Spirit Master theories he had studied throughout his life, questions flashed through his mind. "How could mere diligent cultivation achieve this?"

"Could there be another reason?" Instinctively, he wanted to visit the place where Yang Yunhai cultivated and take a look.

Not long after, Yu Xiaogang arrived at the Back Mountain and found the clearing where Yang Yunhai cultivated.

Looking around, he saw dense growths of Blue Silver Grass. In the center sat a grass-woven Prayer Mat that had already yellowed. A few nearby trees had several loops of braided grass rope tied around their trunks at a certain height. The front sections were somewhat damaged, apparently from being struck.

Everywhere else was empty.

"Even with such a Simulated Environment, he shouldn't be able to progress this quickly, should he?" He could not help frowning.

"Could it be that high-intensity training, coupled with excessively long Soul Power cultivation, depleted his potential?"

He could not help considering that possibility.

"Without medicinal assistance, I'm afraid it would leave hidden problems behind." Thinking this, he shook his head, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked out of the grove.

That child is finished. He reached his conclusion inwardly.

His disciple Tang San had already reached Level 29 in Soul Power. The two were simply incomparable.

"So this is how diligence makes up for shortcomings." At noon, Tang San returned to the dormitory and heard the news. He sighed inwardly, then stopped paying attention.

Level 20. Even after absorbing a Spirit Ring, Yang Yunhai would only be Level 21, still far behind Tang San, who was already Level 29.

Not to mention, with Innate Soul Power of 0.5, it was hard to say whether Yang Yunhai could even break through to Level 30 in the future.

Wasn't his teacher an example?

His teacher's Innate Soul Power had also been 0.5, yet he had been stuck at the Level 29 bottleneck for many years.

"How boring." Elsewhere, Xiao Wu did not care about Yang Yunhai's Soul Power. She was more concerned with finding something to do that afternoon.

"I'll sleep for a while first." She glanced at Tang San, pulled the bedding over herself, and covered her head.

"..." Tang San shook his head at the sight.

"Xiao Wu, I'm going to work." With that, he stood up, left the dormitory, went downstairs, and headed out of the academy.

Since he would soon graduate, he should tell the owner at the Blacksmith Shop when he went to work today.