Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy
Time drifted leisurely by, the summer heat gradually faded, and two months passed in the blink of an eye.
[Su Lin] [Level: 10 (260/500)] [Skill slot: Electric Arc (lv0: 20/100)] [Pokémon slot: Lightning Rat (lv23: 87/10000)] [Skills: Energy-Charging Thunder Shock, Lightning Sucker Punch, Electric Halo]
Naturally, Su Lin had not been idle during those two months. His proficiency in Electric Arc alone had increased considerably.
The only thing he found a little hard to take was Pikachu's cultivation progress. Although it had learned three skills in the Pokémon space, not only was its experience requirement astronomical, but the experience it gained through cultivation was only half of his.
If it relied on cultivation alone to grow, he would probably have to wait until the year of the monkey and the month of the horse.
Su Lin figured there ought to be faster ways of gaining experience besides meditation, such as battles or kills. But those things seemed rather distant for someone who was only six years old. Right now, he really ought to be worrying about something else.
He was about to enter Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy for six years of further schooling.
As the undisputed strongest person in Nuoding City, Grant naturally did not travel in anything plain. His carriage was dark purple throughout, with the image of a Shadow-Eroding Spirit Bat spreading its wings embroidered in silver thread on its walls. An amethyst the size of a little finger hung from each of its four corners, all understated luxury with substance.
Within a hundred li of Nuoding City, only Soul King Grant was worthy of such a carriage. Anyone who had been around knew to give way the moment they spotted that dark purple in the distance.
The carriage took roughly three hours to travel from Wealth Village to Nuoding City. Su Lin leaned against the soft cushions inside, watching fields and villages recede one after another through the window, unsure whether he felt anticipation or wistfulness.
Who would have thought that living a second life meant going through elementary school again? Only this time, instead of language and mathematics, the subjects were Soul Power cultivation and Martial Soul combat.
The carriage slowly came to a stop before the gates of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy. Su Lin lifted the curtain and poked his head out, greeted by the gateway surrounding a pair of cast-iron gates. The drab gray stone walls stood roughly thirty feet high, and a cast-iron plaque embedded above the entrance bore the large words "Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy."
The director of studies on duty at the entrance had spotted the silver-thread bat-wing emblem before the carriage had even come to a complete stop. He hurried out with long strides, his face brimming with respect, and bowed slightly. "May I ask... are you Lord Grant of Wealth Village?"
"Yes." Grant nodded and reached out to ruffle Su Lin's hair, his tone even. "I've brought this child to enroll. His name is Su Lin."
"Of course, of course!" The director of studies darted a glance at Su Lin, committing his appearance to memory, then hurriedly said with an ingratiating smile, "Please wait a moment, both of you. I'll fetch the principal to welcome you."
With that, he turned and jogged deeper into the academy without waiting for Grant's reply.
Watching the director of studies hurry away, Grant turned to Su Lin with a smile. "The principal of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy is a Soul Ancestor whose strength is second only to the city lord's in Nuoding City, with cultivation above level forty. With him looking after you, I can rest a little easier."
"Uh... Uncle, there's something I've been wanting to ask for ages." Looking up, Su Lin finally voiced the question in his heart.
"Go ahead." Grant looked down at him.
"According to what you said, Uncle, even the strongest person here, the principal, is only a level-forty Soul Ancestor, nowhere near you. So why can't I stay in the village and cultivate under you directly?" Su Lin's face was full of bewilderment.
"Uh..." Grant rubbed his nose, a rare trace of sheepishness appearing on his face. "Little Lin, you'll understand when you're older. Having high cultivation and knowing how to teach students are actually two different things. Professional matters should be left to professionals. The academy has a complete system for educating Soul Masters. It's quite a bit better than your uncle's unorthodox methods, after all."
He paused, then added, "Besides, you need to start finding your place in the world of Soul Masters sooner rather than later, don't you? Wealth Village is nice, but I'm the only Soul Master there. The circle is too small. You can't stay in the village forever. Meeting more Soul Masters your own age and joining their circles early will be better for your future path."
"All right." Hearing Grant put it that way, Su Lin could only accept his fate of attending elementary school again.
In fact, Su Lin's current strength was entirely sufficient for him to study at an intermediate Soul Master Academy. Grant simply felt that he was far too young, and intended to let him spend a year adjusting at a junior Soul Master Academy before taking him to the provincial capital the following year for an intermediate Soul Master Academy's admissions selection.
"Oh, right." Just then, as though he had suddenly remembered something important, Grant grew more serious and lowered his voice in warning. "Little Lin, there's a fellow at the academy called Yu Xiaogang who goes by Grandmaster. Remember to keep your distance from him."
Su Lin blinked. "Is there something wrong with him?"
He retained only a rough impression of the original story. He only remembered that this Grandmaster had received mixed reviews in the later fanfiction and fan-work community, mostly negative. As for what the native Soul Masters in the original story actually thought of him, he really did not know.
Grant's expression turned somewhat subtle. He pondered for a few breaths before speaking slowly. "The details would take a long time to explain. Just remember, you can listen to those Soul Master theories of his for entertainment, but don't take them too seriously. And certainly don't get too close to him or become too involved with him."
As a Soul King who had made his way out of a village, Grant naturally had considerable perspective. He knew Yu Xiaogang's theories were not entirely without merit, and some of his ideas were genuinely novel, but that was all.
The man's own cultivation had stagnated for years, leaving him merely a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster. That meant most of his theories remained at the stage of deduction and had never truly been implemented or verified. Many of his claims were assumptions, and many of his conclusions might not stand up to scrutiny.
What worried Grant most was that Yu Xiaogang, upon seeing Su Lin's exceptional talent and the unprecedented special Martial Soul he had awakened, would drag him off to serve as a guinea pig for his theories, applying cultivation methods he had never tried himself to Su Lin. Ruining the child's prospects was one thing; what he feared was that the boy might ultimately lose his life.
"Don't worry, Uncle Grant. I'll remember." Su Lin nodded seriously.
Even without Grant's pointed warning, he had no intention of approaching the man. He knew perfectly well where he stood.
"Good. Sensible boy." Grant ruffled his hair, a measure of gratification showing in his eyes.
As they spoke, a series of brisk yet steady footsteps sounded from the entrance. A middle-aged man wearing gray Soul Master robes, his bearing composed, strode out. He was none other than the principal of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.
Before he even reached them, his hearty laughter carried over. "Brother Grant, what an honor to have you! Why didn't you send word beforehand? Forgive me for not coming out to welcome you sooner!"
Grant lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down first, then turned and helped Su Lin down as well.
The two were old acquaintances, and they exchanged a few pleasantries at the gate, their tones casual and familiar.
After barely a few words, the principal's gaze settled on Su Lin. He looked him up and down twice, growing more satisfied the longer he looked. "Innate level nine? A fine seedling, a fine seedling! You've come to the right academy. Come, come, I'll take you to complete the paperwork."
And so, following behind Grant, Su Lin stepped through the gates of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.
Two rows of tall parasol trees lined the stone path beyond the gate, their crowns interlacing overhead into a canopy of dappled green shade.
Just as Su Lin was looking around, a figure came into view.