The sun rises in the east, I alone remain undefeated

A mimicry cultivation environment, simply put, was an environment of a corresponding attribute constructed within a specific enclosed space using soul guidance arrays and special materials. It actively drew the natural elements of that attribute into the space, inducing resonance in a Soul Master's Martial Soul, increasing the activity of their Soul Power, and accelerating their meditation cycles.

It amounted to an artificially created shortcut for cultivation.

Even a top-tier sect like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect lacked a complete, fully developed set of Mimicry Training Grounds, which offered a glimpse of just how precious they were.

For Su Lin at present, if he could cultivate in an environment brimming with lightning attributes, his cultivation speed would undoubtedly improve greatly as well.

Of course, however good the resources were, whether students could use them still depended on how many merit points they had.

Merit points were also simple to obtain. Aside from the thirty merit points the school issued every month, the academy paid merit points as compensation to students who joined the School Work Department and completed its assignments. Of course, the academy also supported students trading with one another using merit points as currency.

Each merit point could be exchanged for half an hour of cultivation in a mimicry environment. In other words, even if they did nothing, students were guaranteed at least fifteen hours of cultivation in a mimicry environment every month, a basic provision the academy made for its students.

As Su Lin listened, however, his eyes narrowed slightly. For him at present, if he could cultivate in an environment brimming with lightning attributes, his cultivation speed would undoubtedly improve greatly as well.

But fifteen hours fell far short for anyone who truly wanted to accelerate their cultivation. If he wanted to raise his Soul Power Level rapidly in a short time, he would need to maintain at least five to six hours of meditation in a mimicry environment each day, meaning he needed three hundred to three hundred and sixty merit points a month.

His fixed income of thirty fell short of that requirement by an entire order of magnitude.

I still need to think of a way to earn a large number of merit points...

I've got it!

In a flash of lightning and a spark off flint, a plan came to Su Lin. Once Samuel finished speaking and left, he stood and took Xiao Wu's hand. "Xiao Wu, let's go."

"Where are we going?" Xiao Wu's face was full of curiosity.

"You'll know when we get there." Su Lin gave a mysterious smile.

Soon, the two stopped at a shop on campus that made banners.

"This is the place!"

"Su Lin, what did you make this for?" After they left the print shop, Xiao Wu could not help asking.

Su Lin turned to look at her and chuckled. "For our future, of course."

"You're talking nonsense again." Xiao Wu's cheeks flushed slightly. There was no telling what associations had come to her mind, but she gave a soft "Mm" and asked no more questions.

And so, an hour later, at midday when people were coming and going below the academy's Soul Fighting Zone arenas, every student entering or leaving witnessed a scene so outrageous it practically begged for a beating.

Two children who looked no more than six or seven years old each held one end of a banner, raising it high in the most conspicuous spot at the entrance to the Soul Fighting Zone.

The boy on the left held his chin high, both hands firmly gripping one corner of the banner, while the little girl beside him, her hair in a scorpion braid, stood at the other end with an equally overbearing expression.

The large characters on the banner were even more eye-catching, provocative to the extreme: "Unrivaled beneath the heavens, seeking only a single defeat (paid challenges, five points per match)."

Once the banner went up, the passing students glanced over, found it amusing, and stopped to watch the show.

Soon, a boy wearing a dark red combat outfit pushed through the spectators in front of him and stepped out of the crowd.

He was nearly a head taller than Su Lin, broad-shouldered and sturdy, with a silver-white year badge pinned to his chest. He looked about fourteen or fifteen, clearly an experienced upper-year student.

He stood before Su Lin with his arms folded, lowering his head slightly to look down at the little boy who did not even reach his shoulder, and asked seriously, "Kid, are you serious?"

Su Lin raised his eyes to the red-clad boy standing arrogantly before the arena and nodded earnestly in confirmation. "As long as you agree to the wager. Win, and you take five merit points from me. Lose, and you give me five merit points. Fair competition, with neither young nor old cheated."

"Fine! You said it yourself, and everyone here can bear witness. Don't try to wriggle out of it when you lose!" The red-clad boy's mouth stretched into a wide grin. Without waiting for Su Lin's response, he turned and leaped onto the arena in a single bound.

His Soul Power surged instantly, and a heavy, black iron hammer took shape, hovering steadily above his palm with a weighty, oppressive presence.

"My name is Xiao Jun, a rank eighteen Power Attack System Battle Soul Master. Martial Soul: Mountain-Splitting Hammer!"

Seeing this, Su Lin hurriedly handed the banner pole in his hand to Xiao Wu beside him and strode onto the arena to face the imposing Xiao Jun. With a thought, a smooth, finely crafted red-and-white Poké Ball appeared floating before him, shimmering with spiritual light.

"Su Lin, rank sixteen Control System Soul Master. Martial Soul: Poké Ball."

"Poké Ball? What kind of obscure Martial Soul is that?" Xiao Jun paused slightly. He had never heard of such a peculiar Martial Soul, but as he looked at Su Lin's immature figure, no more than six or seven years old, his disdain only deepened.

As a rank eighteen Power Attack System Soul Master facing a child two ranks below him, he saw nothing to fear, even if his opponent's Martial Soul was a little strange.

Holding the Mountain-Splitting Hammer horizontally before him, he tipped his chin at Su Lin and raised a hand in a gesture, speaking with a measure of generosity and arrogance. "You're young, so I won't bully you. I'll let you make the first move!"

"You should go first, senior." Su Lin waved a hand. "I'm afraid that once I make my move, you won't have a chance to act."

At those words, the atmosphere below the arena noticeably grew livelier. Someone could not help letting out a drawn-out "Ooh," while others smiled and shook their heads. Xiao Jun's expression darkened slightly as well. He probably felt that being openly looked down on by a kid who did not even reach his shoulder was something of a loss of face.

"Arrogant!"

With a cold snort, Xiao Jun's pride was thoroughly provoked. The pale yellow Hundred-Year Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up. He bent into a slight lunge to gather strength, then stepped forward, raised the Mountain-Splitting Hammer high, and shouted, "First Soul Skill, Mountain-Splitting Heavy Strike!"

As the iron hammer smashed downward, the layer of earthen-yellow light enveloping its head stirred a ring of ripples in the air visible to the naked eye.

Xiao Jun was quite confident in his first Soul Skill. The Mountain-Splitting Hammer's First Soul Ring was a Hundred-Year Soul Ring he had obtained from a Rock-Backed Giant Lizard. Its accompanying effect was to unleash a concussive shock wave at the instant of impact. As long as the hammer landed within three paces in front of Su Lin, that little rank sixteen body of his would have no way to withstand the tremor, and the outcome would be decided outright.

The heavy iron hammer swept up a fierce wind and smashed straight down at Su Lin with the might to crush everything in its path!

Faced with the ferocious attack bearing down on him, Su Lin remained composed and only softly uttered a single name: "Pikachu."