Three months had passed since Tian Chen's battle with Hu Liena.
After that, Hu Liena and her two companions had not come looking for trouble with Tian Chen again, and he was happy to enjoy the peace.
Spirit Hall Academy held only one class in the morning, leaving the students to cultivate on their own for the rest of the day.
Over these three months, quite a few new students had advanced several levels in succession, drawing closer to level ten.
Tian Chen's follower, Li Kai, for instance, was fairly talented. With his innate level-seven Soul Power, he had already cultivated to the peak of level nine.
He was practically one step from crossing the threshold into level ten, ready to obtain a Soul Ring and advance to become a Soul Master at any moment.
Over these three months, Tian Chen's Soul Power had likewise risen by one level, reaching level seventeen.
At this rate, he was confident that he could break through to level twenty in about a year.
With that hundred-thousand-year Back-Spiked Crocodile King right leg bone, coupled with his talent of innate full Soul Power, he had practically left his peers far behind.
Even Yan and Xie Yue, who were two years older than him, were only one level above him.
As usual, Tian Chen settled into the seat Li Kai had saved for him and gazed aimlessly out the window.
When Li Yuan lectured on knowledge about Soul Beasts, Tian Chen generally paid little attention.
Only when he discussed how to survive in Soul Beast forests or shared practical combat experience would Tian Chen rein in his wandering thoughts and carefully commit his words to memory.
After all, these were lessons that older generations of Soul Masters had distilled at the cost of their lives. He believed they would be of considerable use to his future development.
An outstanding Soul Master did more than just cultivate.
Today, however, Li Yuan was clearly different from usual.
This time, he had brought no textbook. Instead, dressed in black training clothes, he surveyed the students below the lectern with a solemn expression before speaking at an unhurried pace.
"Following a last-minute notice from the academy, it has been decided that all students in the junior class will go to the Soul Hunting Forest to survive in the wilderness for seven days."
"Unless your lives are in danger, the rescue team made up of our academy's teachers will not intervene."
Li Yuan paused and glanced at Li Kai beside Tian Chen, giving him a discreet look before speaking again.
"You will form groups of three for this outing, choosing your own teammates. During your seven days in the Soul Hunting Forest, academy teachers will observe your performance. Teams that perform well will receive generous rewards from the academy. And let me tell you, the rewards this time are unlike anything offered before."
"If there are no objections, start forming your teams now. Gather at the academy gates in two hours. A dedicated escort team will take you into the Soul Hunting Forest a short distance outside Spirit City."
With that, Li Yuan left the classroom without the slightest dawdling.
He believed he had already made his hints to his son obvious enough. All that remained was to tell his son outright to cling to Tian Chen's thigh.
He had his own considerable selfish interests, too. He had learned about the rewards for this outing in advance.
Someone of Tian Chen's standing would most likely have no interest in them, leaving a good chance for his son to reap the benefits.
As soon as Li Yuan left the classroom, the class burst into chatter.
Quite a few students turned their gazes toward Tian Chen and Xie Yue's trio.
After all, in their eyes, those three were the strongest.
If they could become a member of their teams, they should have a good chance of coasting to a placing and snagging a share of the rewards.
"Brother, Yan, let's go."
Hu Liena gave a soft snort, not even allowing those people a chance to speak.
She called to the two beside her, then gave Tian Chen a long look before leading them straight out of the classroom.
The emotions in her eyes were complicated, holding a trace of fear as well as a trace of unwillingness to accept defeat.
"Tch, what's so great about you? Didn't you still lose to Young Master Tian? If Young Master Tian hadn't shown mercy, would you even have a chance to strut around here?"
The class was clearly not as harmonious as one might imagine.
Because of their high talent and strength, Hu Liena and her two companions always acted as though they were number one under heaven, looking down on everyone else in class.
Without realizing it, they had already offended many people.
But since those students lacked the strength, they could only curse behind their backs and voice a few complaints.
The one who had just spoken was a short, chubby boy. With his narrow eyes and round, ball-like body, he looked just like a little fat pig from a later era.
Hearing the little fatty's words, an ordinary-looking, dark-skinned boy nearby chimed in sourly.
"Exactly! They act like they're so amazing, but what do they amount to compared with Young Master Tian? Young Master Tian's team is bound to perform the best this time, too."
As the saying went, flattery could slip through where anything else would fail. Tian Chen said nothing, but inwardly, he found it quite gratifying.
He had become very familiar with these two jokers over the past three months. Their elders were both Spirit Hall deacons, and the kind who were close to the Worship Hall, at that.
Both were reasonably talented, with innate level-five Soul Power.
The tall, thin one was named Wang Yong, and his Martial Soul was an Iron-Horned Sheep. The short, chubby one was Xie Rui, and his Martial Soul was a Turtle Shell Shield.
Both had already cultivated to around level eight.
At that moment, the two were buttering Tian Chen up, looking at him hopefully as they rubbed their hands together with grins.
Their frantic hinting looked exactly like Tian Chen when he asked his grandfather for Soul Bones.
"Stop, stop. You two should find someone else to team up with. I'm taking Li Kai, so I can't add another deadweight who hasn't even obtained a Soul Ring."
How could Tian Chen not know what they were thinking? He hurriedly put a stop to their bootlicking.
He was also telling the truth. If he was going to compete, he would compete for first place.
If he took Li Kai along with another deadweight who had yet to obtain a Soul Ring, he did not think he would be a match for Hu Liena's trio.
Although they would only be scored on their performance in the Soul Hunting Forest, the highest-scoring component would definitely be killing Soul Beasts.
Taking two people who had yet to obtain Soul Rings would definitely increase the game's difficulty for him.
Tian Chen refused them outright without mercy, then began searching the classroom.
Quite a few students in the class had already obtained Soul Rings, because it contained not only new students like Tian Chen and Li Kai, who had just awakened their Martial Souls, but also returning students like Hu Liena's trio, who had already studied for a year or two.
He and Li Kai were both Power Attack System, so pairing them with a Control System Soul Master would be the best choice.
He therefore set his sights on the Control System Soul Masters.